As a crossover whitewater paddler, I've been intrigued by the recent discussions of rolling. Among whitewater paddlers, rolling is considered a necessary skill. It would be nearly impossible to develop more advanced (whitewater) boat handling skills without first mastering a roll. Clearly it isn't as much of a necessity for touring paddlers who only paddle in benign conditions. On the other hand, at least among whitewater paddlers I'm familiar with, almost anyone can learn to roll with some instruction and some perserverance. If you're comfortable enough hanging upside down in your boat to perform a wet exit, there's no reason to be apprehensive about learning to roll. I learned to roll before I had solid high and low braces, and I think having the roll first helped me develop these skills more quickly and confidently. Even folks who never plan to need a roll can use it as a stepping stone to more confident boat handling in general. It's sort of the ultimate demonstration of what you can do with your body to control the boat. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
Brian I am a whitewater paddler as well and strongly encourage people to learn how to roll. However I strongly believe everyone should have a paddle float as a back-up to either use to aid in a reentry roll or to use in an outrigger rescue. I know a lot of people who have rolls that I am quite certain would bail out if they capsized in rough water. A pool roll or a pond roll just does not cut it. You need to practice rolling in rough water on a regular basis if you are going to count on having a rough water roll. When I first learned to roll I was attending pool sessions at the Universtiy of Michigan twice a week as part of a whitewater club. Before ever getting on a whitewater river I was able to hand roll my kayak one-handed with one hand literally behind my back. However when I encountered my first real capsize in rapids that spring in 35 degree water, with my helmet bouncing along the bottom my technique consisted of lifting my head, making sort of a barking seal noise and bailing out. Not the proudest moment of my life but and important lesson learned. I have since learned to relax deal with the cold-shock, and roll up in " combat conditons " However I was obviously not as prepared as I thought I was for that first real capsize in rapids. I have done a lot of good combat rolls in whitewater since then, but if I really had to roll or die I would have been dead a few dozen times over. We always need to have a plan B, whether it is a team rescue with a trusted friend or paddle float assisted rescue, just knowing the technique is not enough. You need to practice it in realistic conditions. At the risk of starting the debate again, I am confident that an expert paddler could do a paddle float rescue in virtually all conditions. However as an instructor I have witnessed beginners doing paddle float rescues for the first time on calm water and I would give them a zero chance of success in any kind of seas. Whether you are counting on a roll or a paddle float rescue there are a lot of smug paddlers out there with a false sense of security, who have never really practiced their techniques in realistic conditions. We all need to be able to get back in our boats in rough water in one or two minutes for our chosen self-rescue methods to be of any use. Brian Jernigan wrote: > As a crossover whitewater paddler, I've been intrigued by the recent > discussions of rolling. Among whitewater paddlers, rolling is considered a > necessary skill. It would be nearly impossible to develop more advanced > (whitewater) boat handling skills without first mastering a roll. Clearly it > isn't as much of a necessity for touring paddlers who only paddle in benign > conditions. On the other hand, at least among whitewater paddlers I'm > familiar with, almost anyone can learn to roll with some instruction and > some perserverance. If you're comfortable enough hanging upside down in > your boat to perform a wet exit, there's no reason to be apprehensive about > learning to roll. I learned to roll before I had solid high and low braces, > and I think having the roll first helped me develop these skills more > quickly and confidently. Even folks who never plan to need a roll can use it > as a stepping stone to more confident boat handling in general. It's sort > of the ultimate demonstration of what you can do with your body to control > the boat. > > *************************************************************************** > PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List > Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net > Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net > Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ > *************************************************************************** *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
I agree with your assessment of rolling being an advanced skill. I personally don't believe that rolling is an advanced skill, but many sea kayakers seem to think that it is. I found that once I learned to roll, I was much more open to trying and learning more advanced skills and more difficult conditions. 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 *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
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 > ************************************************************** > ************* > PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List > Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net > Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net > Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ > ************************************************************** > ************* > *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************
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