RE: [Paddlewise] Why is rolling considered and advanced skill?

  A solid grounding in WW skills and paddling certainly does tend to teach
one a lot of "in the water" skills.  As a beginning OC-1 paddler I swam one
or two (maybe more<g>) class II-III rapids.  (Just couldn't seem to roll
that canoe).  What I learned from those experiences was to dress for comfort
in the water. (and eventually a repertoire of strong braces)
  And yes - WW does tend to attract a very different breed of human.  What
other sport offers the attraction of riding upside down, face first, with
your sinus's full of water, through a bunch of rocks?  It's the rare sea
kayaker that's not smart enough to know to avoid that particular kind of
fun<g>. 
  Thinking about this a little bit more - I've participated in several
Whitewater Rescue courses - do any of the instructors on the list ever teach
similar courses oriented towards sea kayaking?  Maybe something that
includes rolling, re-entries of various types, towing, surf rescue
scenarios, etc.....

Dave Seng
Juneau, Alaska
  


> From: Greg Hollingsworth wrote:
snip
> I'm guessing that it's because sea kayaking caters to a 
> different breed
> of person than WW boating does.  As an example, I led a beginners trip
> this weekend and asked if everyone had adequate flotation in 
> their boats
> (air bags and/or bulkheads).  One couple responded that they did not. 
> When I describe the problem they would have should they tip, their
> response was that they never intended to get wet, so they didn't
> consider the air bags important.
> 
> I see this a lot and I'd bet that this attitude is true of at 
> least 25%
> of the people who own "sea kayaks".  They're out there to enjoy nature
> or to get some exercise - it just happens that they're doing it in a
> boat, one that they believe is so stable that tipping and 
> getting wet is
> out of the question (in their minds).
> 
> 	Greg Hollingsworth
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