Re: [Paddlewise] Rolling - was (Definitely Semantics)

At 06:28 PM 12/1/99 -0800, "burnt out bobby" Bob wrote:

(Doug had said "I should add that I taught myself to roll.)

>How did you go about this?
>My schedule doesn't allow "classes"
>Neither does my temperment.

Hey Bob, how's our favorite beat cop? Be careful out there!

To your question: I started river kayaking first, but didn't have a roll.
The guy that tried to teach me just didn't have the patience to help me
develop this thing called a "hip flick". I kept to Class II and III and
perfected the wet exit (we call it a cold exit here in Canada :-)). Tired
of the endless drives to put-ins, the cold/wet/rainey winter weather
attendant with WW kayaking, and due mostly to shuttling/group availability
requirements, I decided to head to sea. I was deathly afraid of the ocean -
of its depths. I had a livid fear of being trapped under the surface, and
an irrational fear of "things" under the surface. One day I just decided
that was it, I was going to conquer my childhood-onset phobia. 

I headed out to a big tide race, and set out, returning white knuckled. I
should have died. I then waited for a big storm, and went to Port Renfrew
(a large land indentation on the open, West Coast of the Island. The swell
was running at an honest 20 feet. I launched my diminutive WW kayak up a
river bed that the swell came surging up around the corner from, and rode
it back out to sea. I was swallowed up in moving mountains of water. Once
out in the bay, every log from every beach had been pulled off the
shoreline, and dangerously collided in the rampant barrage of moving
haystacks. The kayak was squished and pinched. I returned back white-faced,
but exhilarated - and lucky to be alive.

I immediately looked up the local kayak shop; said I needed some
instruction and a kayak that tracked well and could carry gear. A shiny new
Nordkapp was on the rack, with a glossy trip report about exploits around
Cape Horn by its designer. I wrote a cheque then and there, and was hooked
for life and well on my way to reaching a point where I had little or no
fear of the ocean (not a good thing).

The store keeper at Pacific Canoe Base said classes were being offered and
if I wanted, a coach from the UK was coming out. Well, we won't go into all
that again, but I did learn how to eventually scull very well from Hutchy.
Just prior to that, a wonderful, knowledgable man by the name of Fred
Potter took us through a basic sea kayak course. I learned things about
tides, waves, boat handling, rescues, and all the plethora of details that
we needed to know. Fred hated kayak wannabees, and sought those who wanted
to really learn. 

Anyway, learning to scull is the first thing one should learn after the
normal bracing lessons. Some will disagreed, but it was just the ticket for
me, and made learning the Brace Roll on my own very easy. At the pool, I
would use a swim-float aid and isolate the various components, such as
laying well back as you come up. A mask was also a big help. 

I should also say that with few exceptions, a "sculling recovery" has been
my modus operandi for dealing with almost all my knockdowns in heavy
conditions. I know I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for Derek Hutchinson who
taught me to scull so well - so I will give him that. Dramatic statements
yes, but you PW'ers don't even know the half-of-it.

At symposiums, I get talked into filling in for teaching if someone doesn't
make it. I always manage in the end to drop what I was supposed to be
teaching, and convince the student(s) to let me teach them sculling first -
I really can't help myself. Guess it's a case of "scullDouggery" or something.

If you are really serious and want to teach yourself, buy the book "The
Bombproof Roll and Beyond" by Paul Dutky. Just bear in mind that
professional and/or qualified instruction is still a more safe and
efficient way to learn. I'm a weird cat, so I wouldn't necessarily follow
my route.         

BTW, Fred Potter died this last weekend of a heart attack. We were supposed
to kayak together this past summer, but I had taken the summer off from
kayaking. He was one of the few who "understood" me. Certainly, he was one
who greatly influenced me. Fred will be missed. He was the original "Mr
Ocean Paddler" on Vancouver Island, and fought hard in the early days to
establish a Canadian BCU equivalent. Politics finished him off in the end
in that regard about 7 years ago.  I will miss him dearly.

Sorry for rambling Bob - funeral is this week. Good luck. Don't roll your
cop car!

BC'in Ya
Doug Lloyd
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