Mark, As an ocean kayaker and kayak surfer of twenty years and a kayak instructor of ten who can do a variety of rolls onside and off, including the hand roll my take on it is this; <<1. What are the benefits of having both an onside and offside roll?>> While some folks will no doubt try to impress you with heroic tales of circumstances where their offside roll saved their lives, the truth of the matter is that one good roll on one side of the boat is more then adequate. Understand that we try NOT to capsize in the first place. Needing to perform any rescue at all is a result of a failure on your part. So learning multiple variations of a single rescue is more for fun then practicality. <<Is it worth the effort?>> Is exposing yourself to a potentially dangerous situation by going to sea in a tiny boat propelled by a paddle worth the effort? I enjoy collecting rolls and other various rescue techniques. I feel it makes me at least a more confident if not competent paddler. But is it really worth the effort? Probably not. <<2. Is a hand roll really useable in the kind of conditions in which you would likely get turned over?>> No! <<Would it take an inordinate amount of practice to develop the hand roll to this point?>> Possibly. Some of us pick this stuff up more quickly then others. Even then, some boats are easier to hand roll then others. While I can do a hand roll in a variety of boats, I still have not managed it in the boat I use the most for touring. I think the greatest benefit of learning a hand roll is that it will help you develop a really strong hip flick which will in turn make your other rolls rock solid. <<3. Are there conditions where the so called standard Greenland roll will not work well?>> I imagine there are hypothetical situations which defy any rescue. Why go there? <<4. Is there another roll that I should be working on and why?>> I think one good solid roll is far better then a number of weaker rolls. However learning a number of rolls can be fun and challenging and can help to make your primary roll stronger. The Pawlata, which I think is what your working on, is good. The screw roll is a little better since it does not require shifting the hands. One more I like I think is called the Kelp roll. The Kelp roll is not really a true roll as you go over and come up on the same side. It is performed with the paddle floating flat on the surface of the water. You turn over towards the paddle, placing both hands on the paddle shaft. Using the resistance of the paddle in the water you hip flick up, throwing your offside hand across the boat and over to the other side in the process. I like this roll because it helps put the emphasis on the hip flick rather then on the paddle sweep. Good luck, Scott So.Cal. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Thu Feb 17 2000 - 05:22:36 PST
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