UK qualifications by sport

A stage-by-stage overview of the main recognised routes for each sport. Each list runs in typical order, from beginner entry to higher levels. It covers the key qualifications you need to know about.

1. Mountaineering, climbing and coasteering

Qualifications: Mountain Training. The British Mountaineering Council (BMC) represents climbers and walkers in England and Wales. Coasteering has its own award from the National Coasteering Charter (NCC).

Walking and mountaineering

Each leader award is separate. You don't need the lower one first.

• Hill Skills (or a similar intro course). Entry level. Navigation, kit and safety on the hill. No experience needed.
• Lowland Leader. Lead groups in lowland countryside.
• Hill and Moorland Leader. Lead groups in non-mountain hill and moorland country.
• Mountain Leader. Lead groups in the mountains of the UK and Ireland, including steep and rocky ground. Needs logged quality mountain days, training and assessment.
• Winter Mountain Leader. Extends Mountain Leader into winter conditions (ice axe, crampons).
• International Mountain Leader. Lead walking and trekking groups in mountains worldwide, summer and winter. Not glaciers or roped climbing.

Climbing

• Climbing Wall Instructor. Instruct on indoor climbing walls.
• Rock Climbing Instructor (once called the Single Pitch Award). Supervise climbing on single-pitch crags and climbing walls.
• Mountaineering and Climbing Instructor. Instruct multi-pitch climbing, scrambling and mountaineering. Needs Mountain Leader and lots of climbing experience. From January 2028 it also needs Rock Climbing Instructor.

Coasteering

• Coasteering session with a guide. Your way in. No experience needed.
• NCC Coasteering Guide Award. To lead coasteering groups. 18 or over, with logged experience and the required first aid and rescue awards.

Typical student route: Intro sessions → build personal experience → the leader or instructor award that fits.

2. Scuba diving

Main UK routes: BSAC (club-based) or PADI and SSI (centre-based). Most agencies accept each other's grades as equivalent.

BSAC

• Try Dive. A supervised taster in a pool.
• Discovery Diver. Short course. Dive to 12 m with a Dive Leader or above.
• Ocean Diver. Entry qualification. Dive to a maximum of 20 m.
• Advanced Ocean Diver. Optional step. No-decompression dives to 30 m.
• Sports Diver. Rescue skills, navigation and decompression diving. Up to 40 m after depth progression dives. A solid recreational level.
• Dive Leader. Plan and lead dives. Up to 40 m. A separate Deeper Diver course takes you to 50 m.
• Advanced Diver. Higher-level skills and experience.
• Instructor route. Assistant Diving Instructor → Open Water Instructor → Advanced Instructor → National Instructor.

PADI (a common alternative)

• Open Water Diver. Entry level. Dive to 18 m.
• Advanced Open Water Diver. Adventure dives. Dive to 30 m.
• Rescue Diver. Safety and rescue skills.
• Divemaster. First professional level. Assist instructors and lead dives.
• Instructor. Teach Open Water and above.

Typical student route: Try Dive → Ocean Diver or Open Water → Sports Diver, or Advanced and Rescue → Dive Leader or Divemaster if you want to lead or teach.

3. Paragliding

Governing body: BHPA (British Hang Gliding and Paragliding Association).

• Elementary Pilot (EP). First stage, at a BHPA school. Ground handling, first supervised flights, basic theory.
• Club Pilot (CP). End of school training. You leave the school and fly with a BHPA club.
• Pilot (P). Fully qualified. The BHPA says to hold it before flying cross-country.
• Advanced Pilot (AP). For highly experienced pilots.

Typical student route: EP course → Club Pilot course → join a BHPA club and work with club coaches toward Pilot.

4. Mountain biking

Governing body: British Cycling. You need no qualification to ride. Cycling UK and MIAS also run leader awards.

Leading others

• Off-Road Leader. Lead on gravel tracks and easy trails.
• Trail Leader (Level 2). Lead on intermediate trails and bridleways.
• Mountain Bike Leader (Level 3). Lead in remote terrain and on severe technical trails. Needs Trail Leader first.

Coaching

• Level 1 or Activity Coach → Level 2 MTB Coach → Level 3 MTB Coach.

Typical student route (riding for yourself): Coached sessions or a trail centre → build riding experience. Leader or coach awards only if you want to lead groups or teach.

5. Wakeboarding

Governing body: British Water Ski and Wakeboard (BWSW).

Riding: Progressive Edge awards (cable, boat and wakesurf)

• Participation. First steps on a cable (kneeboard).
• Bronze. The basics. Edging and controlled turns.
• Silver. More skills and your first tricks, like ollies.
• Gold. A higher standard. Wake jumps and 180s on the boat.
• Platinum. Advanced riding at competition standard.

Coaching

• Cable Instructor. Teach beginners.
• Cable Coach Level 1. Coach beginners to intermediate riders.
• Cable Coach Level 2. Coach beginners to advanced riders.
• Boat coaching has its own Level 1 and 2 coach course.

Typical student route: Coached intro sessions → work through the Progressive Edge awards → instructor or coach courses if you want to teach.

6. Skydiving

Governing body: British Skydiving. Indoor wind tunnel time can help your training.

• AFF Levels 1–8. Accelerated Freefall. You start with two instructors and progress to jumping solo under supervision. (The Category System, or static line, is the other route.)
• Consolidation jumps + Canopy Training (CT). Practice jumps after AFF, plus the CT written exam.
• A Licence. Your first licence. Lets you jump independently. Many people get it in around 18 jumps.
• B Licence. 50 jumps, plus CT1 (canopy) and JM1 (jumpmaster).
• C Licence. 200 jumps, CT2, one more Grade 1 sticker (FS1, FF1, etc.) and a written exam.
• D Licence. 1,000 jumps. Needed for some instructor ratings, such as AFF Instructor.
• Discipline stickers. For example FS1 (formation), FF1 (freefly), TR1 (tracking) and WS1 (wingsuit). Most come after the A Licence. WS1 needs a C Licence.
• Instructor ratings (much more experience). Tandem Instructor, AFF Instructor and others.

Typical student route: AFF course → A Licence → build jumps and add stickers (CT, FS and so on) toward B and C Licences.

7. Motocross

Governing body: ACU (Auto-Cycle Union).

Racing

• Practice, track days or coaching. Some ACU practice days need a practice licence. The track will tell you.
• ACU One Event Licence or annual Competition Licence. You need one to race.
• Start in your class. Youth riders race by age and engine size. Adults start in the lower grades.
• Move up on results. Riders earn Expert status through the ACU grading scheme.
• Coaching (optional). ACU Club Coach, Project Coach or Commercial Coach, if you want to teach.

Typical student route: Track day or coached session → ACU licence → race in the right class and move up on results and experience.

8. Kiteboarding

Main UK routes: BKSA (British Kitesports Association, the UK governing body) or IKO (international, widely used).

IKO riding levels

• Discovery (Level 1). Safety, set-up and kite control on land with a trainer kite.
• Intermediate (Level 2). Into the water. Body dragging, self-rescue and your first water starts.
• Independent (Level 3). Ride upwind, change direction, self-launch and self-land. Ride on your own.
• Advanced (Level 4). More advanced riding skills.
• Evolution (Level 5). Specialise in freeride, freestyle, wave or hydrofoil.

BKSA instructor route

• Level 1 Instructor. Teach at a BKSA recognised school.
• Level 2 Instructor. For experienced Level 1 instructors.
• Senior Instructor. For experienced Level 2 instructors. Can run a school.

Typical student route: Level 1–2 course at a recognised school → Independent (Level 3) → keep progressing, or train as an instructor.

9. Wingsuit flying

Governing body: British Skydiving. Wingsuit flying is a skydiving discipline.

Entry requirements (minimum)

• C Licence + Tracking Grade 1 (TR1).
• At least 200 skydives in the last 18 months, or 500 skydives in total.

Progression

• WS1 (Wingsuit Grade 1). First Flight Course. At least three supervised jumps covering stable flight, deployment and landing.
• WS2 (Wingsuit Grade 2). More control: fall rate, speed, direction, recovery and flying with others.

Typical student route: Build lots of skydiving experience first → First Flight Course (WS1) → keep training with coaches toward WS2.

10. Skateboarding and BMX

Skateboarding: Skateboard GB. No formal ladder for riders. BMX: British Cycling.

Skateboarding

• No qualification needed to skate.
• You progress through lessons, park practice and, if you want, competitions.
• Competitive skaters can join Pipeline, Skateboard GB's talent pathway.
• Coaches can take Skateboard GB's Get Rolling course.

BMX

• Club sessions and beginner coaching.
• Racing classes by age and ability, under British Cycling.
• Talent pathway for competitive riders: Development Centres → Regional Schools of Racing → National Schools of Racing.
• Coaching awards, such as the Level 2 BMX Coach.

Typical student route: Intro lessons or club sessions → regular practice → competitions or coaching awards if you want them.

11. Surfing

Main routes: Surfing England or ISA (International Surfing Association).

Riding

• Beginner lessons in white water → improver sessions (green waves, turns) → intermediate and advanced riding. You need no licence to surf.

Coaching

• Surfing England Surf Instructor or ISA Level 1. Teach beginners in waist-deep water. You need to catch green waves and trim left and right, hold a beach lifeguard or surf lifesaving award, and complete about 20 hours of training and mentoring.
• Surfing England Surf Coach: Progression or ISA Level 2. Coach intermediate surfers. Needs Level 1, a lifesaving award and safeguarding training.

Typical student route: Beginner lessons → coached sessions → Surf Instructor or ISA Level 1 if you want to coach.

12. BASE jumping

British Skydiving does not cover BASE jumping. There is no official UK beginner qualification. ESP arranges BASE only personally, once you have reached the skydiving standard. It is not a beginner booking.

Typical progression (experience-based)

• Become a competent skydiver first. Courses commonly ask for at least 200 skydives, strong canopy skills and often some balloon jumps.
• Complete a recognised First Jump Course (usually abroad).
• Progress slowly with experienced mentors. Kit and sites differ from skydiving.

There is no formal UK qualification ladder for BASE.

13. Snowboarding and skiing

Instructor qualifications: BASI (British Association of Snowsport Instructors).

• BASI Level 1. First instructor qualification. Teach beginners on UK dry and indoor slopes. Needs strong personal riding, the course, 35 shadowing hours, first aid and safeguarding.
• BASI Level 2. Teach on the mountain, on marked pistes. A higher riding and teaching standard.
• BASI Level 3 (ISIA). International professional level. Teach all abilities.
• BASI Level 4 (ISTD). The top level, the International Ski Teachers Diploma.

Typical student route: Lessons and riding experience → BASI Level 1 → Level 2 → higher levels if you want a teaching career.

14. Kayaking and rafting

Governing body: Paddle UK. Awards come from the British Canoeing Awarding Body.

Personal awards

• Paddle Start. Your first time on the water.
• Paddle Discover. Next steps toward paddling on your own.
• Paddle Explore. Choose where you go next.
• Discipline awards. Personal performance awards for your craft and water, such as sea kayak or white water.

Leading and coaching

• Paddlesport Instructor or Paddlesport Leader. Introduce beginners or lead groups on sheltered water.
• Coach Award. Discipline-specific, such as sheltered water or white water kayak.
• Higher leader awards. For example White Water Leader and Advanced White Water Leader.
• Raft Guide (Grade 2, 3 or 4). To guide rafts on white water rivers.

Typical student route: Intro sessions → Paddle Start and Discover → more personal awards, or Instructor, Leader or Coach awards.

15. Hang gliding

Governing body: BHPA (the same system as paragliding).

• Elementary Pilot (EP). Ground handling and first supervised flights at a BHPA school.
• Club Pilot (CP). End of school training. You fly with a BHPA club.
• Pilot (P). Fully qualified. Hold it before flying cross-country.
• Advanced Pilot (AP). For highly experienced pilots.

Typical student route: EP course → Club Pilot → join a BHPA club and progress with club coaches. Very like paragliding.

General notes for students

• Most sports start with a coached taster or short course. No qualification needed, except wingsuit and BASE.
• Higher awards are mainly for leading groups, teaching or working in the industry.
• Requirements (logged experience, age, first aid, membership and so on) can change. Check the governing body's current course requirements before you book.
• ESP can match you with a qualified coach for the stage you are at.

The club map lists some UK clubs, centres and schools. It is a starting point, so check with the club before you travel. To have a coach found for you, use the enquiry form.