Re: [Paddlewise] Roll or Die?

From: John Waddington <waddinj_at_recorder.ca>
Date: Wed, 12 May 1999 07:25:43 -0400
VajraT_at_aol.com wrote:

> You are spot-on about rolling.  It's irresponsible of senior paddlers and
> instructors to not encourage people to learn to roll. 

I don't agree.  I can roll easily on both sides and do so if I need to
and also to cool off, but many of the people that I often paddle with
don't need a roll.  About a quarter of this group could be described as
seniors and they paddle on calm rivers and lakes within a couple hundred
metres of shore, in good conditions. If the weather is bad (or predicted
to be bad) or the water is lumpy, they don't go out. For a lot of them,
learning to roll a sea kayak at their age is just not there for someone
who mainly wants to take a quiet paddle on a nice day. They wear their
PFDs, carry all the necessary safety equipment, and paddle safely. If
any are interested in rolling I would certainly help them learn, but I
am not going to tell them they should be rolling. Would they be safer
with a roll? Probably, but for their purposes it is not a necessity.  

John
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Received on Wed May 12 1999 - 04:27:07 PDT

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