RE: [Paddlewise] Rolls (was ACA meetings: Greenland)

From: Dan Volker <dlv_at_gate.net>
Date: Wed, 16 Dec 1998 14:18:15 -0500
If a person wants to sea kayak, but does not want to learn how to roll, then
maybe they should by a sit on top boat, like a surf ski. The 19 to 24 foot
long surfski are every bit as fast, if not faster than any sea kayak, and
can be rigged with hatches for storing gear, just like a sea kayak.
Dan Volker

-----Original Message-----
From: owner-paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net
[mailto:owner-paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net]On Behalf Of Steve Cramer
Sent: Wednesday, December 16, 1998 11:51 AM
To: Paddlewise
Subject: [Paddlewise] Rolls (was ACA meetings: Greenland)


Mattson, Timothy G wrote:
>
> Clearly, only very serious sea kayakers learn to roll -- and these people
> tend to become (or already are) advanced paddlers.  This makes sea kayak
> rolling by construction an advanced technique.  But it doesn't have to be
> that way -- which is the point of the Nigel Foster quote.  Its not an
> advanced technique in white water paddling.

Only very serious sea kayakers _who intend to put themselves in bumpy
water_ (open ocean, surf, tidal rips) learn to roll, and not all of
them. This represents a minority of sea kayakers, many of whom don't
want to see any more than a 2" riffle.

_All_ ww kayakers intend to put themselves in bumpy water; that's the
point of the sport, so a roll is basic to ww. Also, a swim in a river
rapid exposes you to hazards (rocks, undercuts, strainers, keeper holes)
that a swim in the ocean generally doesn't.

> Given that rolling a sea kayak
> is no harder than rolling a white water boat (except when the  sea kayak
> fits too loosely in which case they can be a bit harder to roll), there is
> no reason rolling can't be a basic skill in sea kayaking as well.
>

None, except that most sea kayakers don't feel they need to roll, and
they're probably right, considering the conditions the intend to paddle
in. BTW, I know a number of WW kayakers with decent Class III combat
rolls who were not able to roll even a well-fitting sea kayak at first,
including me. I would disagree that a sea kayak is as easy to roll as a
ww boat.

Steve
--
Test Scoring & Reporting Services       Sometimes, you never can
University of Georgia                     always tell what you
Athens, GA 30602-5593                       least expect the most.
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Received on Wed Dec 16 1998 - 11:14:59 PST

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