Re: [Paddlewise] ROLLABILITY

From: Rich Kulawiec <rsk_at_gsp.org>
Date: Thu, 24 Sep 1998 12:04:00 -0400
On Thu, Sep 24, 1998 at 11:33:01AM -0300, SurfBuff wrote:
> I've paddled many different whitewater boats and altho they look
> similar...... some are easier to roll than others.  Can anyone tell
> me what design feature makes one boat easier to roll, than another?

Sharp edges (e.g. slalom boats, some squirt boats) make boats
harder to roll.  Boats with soft edges (e.g. Dagger Crossfire)
as easier to roll.

Boats with pronounced peaks in the deck/hull are harder to roll;
boats with gently rounded decks/hulls are easier.

Boats with high cockpit rims are harder to roll (makes it more
difficult to get into the right position).  Boats with nice
low cockpit sides enable the paddler to tuck up tightly.

The general thread that runs through this is that boats which
approximate a cylinder are easy to roll, and the more a boat
departs from that shape, the harder it is to roll.

---Rsk
Rich Kulawiec
rsk_at_gsp.org
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Received on Thu Sep 24 1998 - 09:03:48 PDT

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