Re: [Paddlewise] Rolling, rolling, keep them kayaks . . .

>"Then there's flatwater canoeing & canoe tripping.  Very few if any of us
>can roll our canoes, yet we are in far less seaworthy craft than sea
>kayaks.  If sea kayakers need a roll, are we canoeists totally unsafe?"
>                                     -- Lloyd Bowles, "The Mad Canoeist"
>
    No.  In a kayak you are in a decked boat which is difficult to get out
of compared to a canoe.  You are also in a boat that you "wear" and your
feet, knees, thighs, etc. are in contact.  Thus a kayaker can exert force
against the boat to make it roll.  A whitewater open canoeist often has
thigh straps and foot braces which first of all keep him in the boat when
it's upside down, and allow the paddler to exert force against the canoe.
    ACA and ARC training for non-whitewater paddling emphasize techniques
for getting back into your canoe rather than rolling it...  The usual canoe
for these purposes does not have footbraces or thighstraps so rolling's not
a practical thing to learn.  There's one person I know who can roll a canoe
without those things, but he's exceptional in other ways too.
JP


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