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About Your Instructor
Bob Wohlers
Owner Blue Sky Adventures, Inc.
DBA
Off-Road Teach &Tour Adventures™

949.872.3022

Exciting News...

Bob is in the process of writing the definitive off-road, 4-wheel drive manual. This manual will have something for everyone - from beginners to experts. With a Masters degree in instructional design, Bob's knowledge of "how people learn" will make this text different from all the others on the market. Bob will do for off-roading, what he's done for scuba instruction - design and write a book that will help you learn how to safely and ecologically off-road in an easy to read, follow, and remember format.

Who Is Bob Wohlers?

As an avid off-roader for over 28 years, Bob has forgotten more than most know about the fine art of off-road driving and field repairs. He is prepared to teach you in approximately one day or a weekend, the lessons he's learned over many years through the "school of hard knocks."

Bob also teaches commercial and government off-road courses. Bob is an off-road instructor for T-Mobile, Motive Energy and Verizon - three corporations that employ individuals needing to safely off-road to repair remote cell transmission sites. Bob is also a registered government contractor and has taught courses for the National Park System and the BLM. These courses include Park Rangers, Biologists, Geologists, and Maintenance personnel. If the government, T-Mobile and Verizon trust Bob to teach their employees how to safely and ecologically off-road, so can you.

With a master's degree in instructional design and education from the California State University at Dominquez Hills and the University of California, Irvine, Bob is also a state of California credentialed high school and community college biology teacher. Bob is now using his educational background to efficiently and clearly transfer knowledge and skills to those wishing to learn the fine art of ecologically friendly, safety-based off-roading. First and foremost, Bob is an educator - not JUST a teacher. He knows HOW to put together effective courses for important long-term memory retention.

As a writer, underwater photographer and videographer, Bob has been in the outdoor recreational instructional business for over 30 years. During the last 29 years Bob has helped develop educational media for the Professional Association of Diving Instructors (PADI), the world's largest scuba certification agency. Scuba instructors around the world use this educational material to train hundreds of thousands of people to scuba dive each year. With degrees in Marine Biology and Chemistry, Bob was lead author and primary project manager for "Life on an Ocean Planet." This high school textbook and supporting curriculum is being sold throughout North America and beyond.

Over the last few years Bob wrote and developed an entire CPR and First Aid instructional program for Emergency First Response Corp. He recently completed the book, Emergency Oxygen Provider for PADI. As a Wilderness First Responder (WFR) through Wilderness Medical Associates, trust him to look after your backcountry well being. Now Bob brings his expertise in recreational education and emergency care to 4WD (four wheel drive), off-road instruction.

Further, as a science educator, Bob has a natural curiosity about the world around him. As he travels to our National Forests, National Parks and BLM areas Bob takes the time to learn a region's geology, biology, history and lore. If you take off-road instruction from Bob, you'll also learn about the region surrounding the course location and see sights most off-roaders miss. 4WD instruction with Bob is more like an adventure family vacation.

Bob's friendly and easy instructional style will immediately put you at ease when you learn how to drive your 4WD vehicle off-road. If after completing one of Bob's off-road courses you aren't completely satisfied, expect a full refund for the price of the course.

To answer questions about Off-Road Teach & Tour Adventure courses, Bob may be reached by E-mail at:

bob.wohlers@discoveroff-roading.com

or by calling 949.872.3022.

How Do You Choose an Off-Road Instructor?

Here are a couple of points to consider when choosing off-road education...

1. Make sure you obtain 4WD, off-road instruction from a professional EDUCATOR. Regardless of the endeavor, someone can "know" a lot about a subject, but actually "teaching" a student - for long-term memory retention - is much different. A good course will fully involve you in the important cognitive (knowledge), affective (attitude) and motor skill domains of the discipline. Make sure the off-road instructor you decide to take a course from has real professional teaching credentials. If they are "certified" by some "off-road training association" ask how many instructors they actually have in their association and more importantly, ask to see what it takes to get "certified" by that association. Ask about the association’s instructor qualifications and instructor curriculum - do they actually teach their candidates "how" to teach? The association may test them on whether they have the knowledge and skill to be an off-road driver, but how much time did their curriculum did they actually spend on “teaching them HOW to teach?” This point is VERY important.

NOTE: At this particular moment in history, there is NO recognized or "official" off-road instructor association or organization (as in Scuba Diving and other recreations). Unfortunately, the off-road industry is currently unregulated when it comes to off-road instruction. It is not necessary or required to be a member or trainer with any of the current off-road instructor organizations or clubs. Currently, anyone can say they are an off-road instructor or that they are certified through “this or that” instructor association. Choose professionals who are true educators and know the recreation inside and out. If you decide to take a recreational course given by an off-road educator that happens to teach off-road courses for corporations or governments (such as I do for T-Mobile and Verizon), then it is a safe bet they know what they are doing when it comes to teaching recreationally.

2. You can learn how to safely off-road by joining an organized 4WD club, but...

a) Be Patient (VERY patient). I am a strong supporter of off-road clubs. However, education is not the primary mission of most 4WD clubs. 4WD clubs primarily exist to organize social outings and trail rides for their members. Although some 4WD club members enjoy helping neophytes, many just become frustrated with a newcomers lack of ability. Conservatively speaking it will probably take you 2 to 5 years of constant interaction with a social-style club to learn as much as you can in one weekend with Off-Road Teach & Tour Adventures. Technically speaking, 4WD clubs do not have a "duty of care" for helping new off-roaders learn knowledge and skills.

b) Expect Frustration and Perhaps Vehicle Damage (and hopefully not personal injury). While slowly learning how to off-road with a 4WD club, you may have to endure difficult trails way beyond your current ability and comfort level. Practicing on difficult trails may put you, your family and vehicle at risk during club outings. Remember, no one in the club has a real duty of care to you or your vehicle. Vehicle damage and personal harm can happen any time while enjoying an outdoor recreation. However, it is important to compare and contrast the difference between a club member just helping you while THEY are having fun (YOU are not their focus) and a professional educator that YOU have paid to help you practice your skills on a level of difficulty trail selected just for you.