[Paddlewise] Trick rolls, "No-hip-snap hand roll"

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What tricks and moves should I ask to be taught?  Hand roll, one hand roll,
Zen roll, vanilla roll?

Learn a hand roll. You will find that it will help refine your technique on the C to C and the Sweep Roll. Will you be using one of your sea kayaks? 

I've found that I can hand roll some sea kayaks but others seem to be impossible. Of the sea kayaks I've owned the P&H Capella was the easiest to hand roll. I could hand roll it in the currents of Deception Pass. I can hand roll my skin boat (Baidarka) but not with the ease of the Capella. I had a Eddyline Sea Star and never could do a hand roll in it even though I had a nice custom fit. I did roll it a few times with a small Tuperware lid in my hand. 

I'd recommend learning first in a white water boat if possible. Do you have the instructional video "Grace Under Pressure"? There is some real nice footage of hand rolling in this video. Also the book "The Bombproof Roll and Beyond!" by Paul Dutky has a chapter on hand rolling. He describes a couple techniques. The one I use is two hands, two strokes, backward-leaning. 

I also learned the No-Hipsnap Hand Roll.  You'll need a low profile boat with a low back deck. This is only for fun, you would never use it a river because it's not that reliable and there is no protection for your face. In this roll you lean back and capsize the boat. Immediately bring your head to the back deck and leave it there until the roll is complete. All of the boat rotation is from the "swimming" action of the arms and from throwing one arm across the boat as the first shoulder comes out of the water. Keeping your head on the deck prevents the use of a hip-snap. See page 98 and 99 for a description and illustrations.  I didn't see the vanilla roll in the book.  :) 

Rex 



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