TS 13040

TS 13040 is a vocational standard for the guide and instructor of river kayaking. It focuses on the professional profile of people who lead river kayak activity, teach participants, and carry out this work in a structured occupational role. The key distinction is that guiding is tied to route management and on-site coordination, while instructing is tied to skill transfer, practice coaching, and performance development.

Occupational scope and classification logic

The standard covers the river kayak guide and instructor role, bringing together both leadership and teaching functions. In vocational standards, the purpose is typically to define the occupational title, the boundaries of the job, and the competency areas used to evaluate performance. In other words, it does more than name the profession: it frames how the role is understood in practice and what professional capabilities are associated with it.

Technical context of river kayaking

River kayaking takes place in a more dynamic environment than flat-water paddling, with changing current, navigation challenges, and environmental variables that can affect the activity. For that reason, a guide and instructor role commonly depends on route awareness, group management, clear instruction, and the ability to interpret conditions accurately. In general technical terms, the profession combines safe movement on water, participant supervision, and the creation of an effective learning setting.

The scope statement makes clear that this standard is aimed at professionals working as river kayak guides and instructors. Detailed competency requirements, assessment criteria, and any internal subcategories would be found in the full text of the standard itself. As a result, the document is relevant to anyone looking for a professional framework that brings together both the technical and instructional sides of river kayaking.