[Paddlewise] Rolling Your Sea Kayak (Long)

I paddle in whitewater and on the ocean.  I feel that _learning_ to roll can
be very similar for river boaters and ocean wanderers.  And that _ongoing
practice_ is handled very differently by the two tribes.  

LEARNING: First, I encourage everyone to give it a try!  I'm one of the least
naturally-talented athletes you might ever meet, and I did my first roll in
about 20 minutes, with the help of a superb instructor, about 12 years ago.
(Thanks, Arlene!)  

Since then, I've helped a half-dozen people catch their first roll.  It's not
instinctual, but it's no mystical feat.  The less made of it, the easier it
comes.  There's a video called (I think) Grace Under Pressure.  There are two
or three common styles, and theories about which is best for sea kayakers:
IMO, the differences aren't very important, so go with the one that seems
easiest to learn.  

With the current popularity of whitewater, there are probably winter pool
sessions offered near you.  All kidding aside, most whitewater groups will
welcome you!  You might help make the numbers, which defrays the cost.
Veteran instructors might like to swap off with your boat, to see how it rolls
(see below).   

After you get the first one, just keep doing them awhile before you worry much
about technique.  Nose clips are really helpful.  Some people find a diver's
mask of use.  After you've done about 30, go back to the instructors for a
tune-up.  

I disagree that one needs to roll to be a 'serious' paddler.  It's just
another trick to have in your repertoire.  If you live in New England, you can
enter the hilarious 1-minute Roll-A-Thon at the annual MITA conference: I took
a demure 4th place this year, but you should have seen David Eden rolling a
tandem boat on his own!  

I find no difference in rolling a smallish sea kayak vs. a whitewater boat,
loaded or empty.  And very little difference with larger boats.  Three notes:
 - Outfit your cockpit for a snug, but comfortable, fit, particularly at the
hips.  
 - keep your decks reasonably clear
 - A rudder will slow you down, due both to the 'softer' pedals vs. foot pegs,
and resistance of the rudder in the water.  A swing-up rudder will help, as
will compensatory foot-bracing (use your heels).  But boats with rudders can
certainly be rolled, without extraordinary strength or technique.  

So...give it a go!   (I'd be happy to coach Boston-area sea paddlers who might
see this, though there are surely more experienced instructors with AMC or
MVP.  Drop a line by e-mail.)

PRACTICE: As you might expect, there's a significant 'competency gap' between
acquiring a pool roll and being able to roll reliably after an unexpected
capsize.  In my case, about 5 years for whitewater!  The only way to it is
practice.  

I observe a big difference in the practical approach to rolling between
whitewater and sea paddlers, reflected in my own habits in the respective
environments.

Whitewater boaters know they will get soaked repeatedly during the day.  They
dress for it, arrange their boats for it, and get mentally ready.  It's common
to see whitewater boaters perform practice rolls as soon as they get on the
river, and several times during the day.  (Many ask their companions for a
'spot' i.e. get ready for a bow rescue.)  Developing paddlers will be capsized
2, or 5 or 10 times during a day.  So whitewater boaters commonly do over 100
river rolls during a season.  And commonly do at least one roll every day they
go out.

When I put out on the ocean, I'm not in this state of mind.  I'm dressed to
survive a capsize, but I'm not expecting one.  Like most paddlers on this
list, I imagine, I've never capsized unexpectedly on the ocean, barring
surfing.  I'm loaded for camping, and some gear may be loose in my boat.  I
may not have a neoprene spray deck.  My deck gear is probably OK to flip, but
do I really want to risk soaking the $18 chart?  I've got a baked item in my
pocket.  I'm wearing a sun hat.  It's windy, and I don't want to get my hair
wet.  A hundred disincentives to submerge.  

Result: my lifetime total of saltwater rolls is probably less than I've done
on certain single days of river paddling.  And I wonder if, on that windy day
we try to be ready for, my roll will be ready to crank after weeks or months
in the closet.

It occurs to me that, if rolling is to be a genuine self-rescue tactic for me,
I should really practice it, say, once a day on the ocean.  But this would be
a major change to my present routine!  And that of most of the sea kayakers
I've ever gone out with.  It seems like sea kayakers may engage in rolling
classes, or workshops, or exhibitions, or winter pool sessions, but practice
is not a part of a typical day out.

I'd be interested in the experience of other ocean and lake paddlers: How many
rolls do you do in a season?  More pertinent, on how many days in the season
do you roll?  





 


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