Re: [Paddlewise] Roll or Die?

From: Greg Hollingsworth <Gregh_at_abs.net>
Date: Wed, 12 May 1999 20:40:53 -0400
> Rolling is not really a necessary skill for a Klepper paddler, wouldn't
> you agree?

I guess, if you paddle the Klepper on a small pond in your backyard... 

Seriously, it depends on the conditions that you expect (or don't
expect) to encounter.  Are you saying that a Klepper is so stable that
it will <never ever> tip?  If you tip, then a roll is the best method to
recover.  I can't imagine that a Klepper (or any other boat) is
tip-proof given the right conditions.  Around here thunderstorms arrive
with little advance warning, I've seen dead calm conditions turn into
40-50 MPH gusts in a matter of minutes.  

Rolling is easy <and> fun to learn.  Anybody can do it!!

Learning to roll requires more finesse than physical strength.  The
biggest inhibitor to learning to roll seems to be the fear of being
upside-down in the boat.  This fear seems to revolve around unexpected
encounters with sea critters.  I guess that people think that a snake or
shark is going to bite their face while being downside up.

Greg

-
Greg Hollingsworth 

EMAIL: gregh_at_abs.net   PHONE: 240-228-6065 WWW: abs.net/~gregh/kayaking
LIVES: Sykesville, Maryland   WORKS:  Johns Hopkins/Applied Physics Lab
PADDLES: Red Nordkapp usually on Chesapeake tributaries
-
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Received on Wed May 12 1999 - 17:51:42 PDT

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