Paddlesport Instructors

Essex Outdoors are taking Paddlesport Instructor applications for 2025.

We look for enthusiastic and motivated team members, who love working with young people and in the outdoors.  As a Seasonal Instructor with Essex Outdoors, you’ll run a wide variety of outdoor activities for our diverse range of customers, including paddlesports.

Aged 18 years or over at the start of employment, you’ll be great at working as part of a team as well as on your own. You should be highly motivated, hardworking and enthusiastic. You’ll also need to be good at communicating clearly with both children and adults. While experience supervising groups is an obvious advantage, it is not essential.

National Governing Body qualifications in outdoor activities are desirable but full in-house training is provided to all staff.

A standard day at our residential centres begins at 8.30am and finishes around 5.30pm. During the season there may be some earlier starts, later finishes and some overnight duties, as well as a need to work weekends. You’ll receive time off in lieu for hours worked beyond those contracted. We’ll provide you with an Essex Outdoors t-shirt to wear with your own presentable attire and appropriate footwear.

All instructional staff are involved with the basic maintenance and inspection of activity equipment, care of the site and some domestic duties. Whilst you ‘ll be based at one centre, there may be times when you’ll be required to assist at other centres to support large activity bookings.

Year-on-year we have staff return to work for another season, and opportunities for longer contracts do become available. Some staff may be given the opportunity to complete nationally recognised qualifications.

Our centres

Danbury – A large centre set on a 70-acre site of beautiful countryside and woodlands. Danbury runs a large range of both land-based and water-based activities.

Harlow – our oasis of urban adventure offering an amazing range of activities. Harlow includes a specialist climbing and paddle-sport centre, and one of the largest indoor climbing walls in the South East.

Mersea – A large centre in a wonderful coastal setting with views across the Blackwater Estuary. Mersea offers a vast selection of both land and water-based activities. A residential package is available for instructors.

Full details of all our activities are available here