Re: [Paddlewise] Is the roll good?

Hi Mark,

Sounds like you have gottent to the point where you can do a lot of rolls to
practice without having bail out.  It doesn't hurt to have a spotter handy to do
and eskimo rescue just in case.  Going from a pool or a "pond roll" to a reliable
combat roll is the hardest trick.  There is a big difference between deliberately
capsizing (even in rough conditions) and actually being flipped unexpectedly in
cold violent water.

When I first learned to roll reliably I was at college and the local whitewater
club had pool sessions twice a week all winter.  I got so I could do a hand roll
with just one hand consistently.  What happened when I flipped for the first time
in whitewater in March in 35 F water?  Well all the training didn't help prepare
me for the shock of the cold and having my helmut bumping along the bottom.  I
lifted my head, made one of those cold water barking noises and became a squirmin
hatch blower.

Good drills for getting a good combat roll include rolling in current or surf.
Once you get an offside roll a great drill is to practice setting up on one side
then switch under the boat to roll up on the opposite side.  Doing half rolls on
alternate sides and switching back and forth under the boat kills the advantage
you get from the momentum of doing a full roll and simulates that nasty feeling
when you set up on the wrong side of wind or wave and have to switch to the other
side.

The more you capsize for practice in cold bumpy water for practice the more
likely you are to feel calm and confident when you flip by accident.  Having good
technique is only half of the equation, you gotta believe in your roll.  Take it
from a squirmin hatch blower who knows.

Bill Newman

MJAkayaker_at_aol.com wrote:

> Thanks again to all the people who answered my questions about which rolls I
> should be working on.  I am 20 for 20 over the last week.  A little over half
> were extended paddle and the rest regular screw rolls (both types with my
> Greenland paddle).  I even did some out in the bay.  It really was not much
> rougher than the pool, but it was a psychological barrier.
>
> This Sunday we are doing a pool session and I really want to work on
> technique.  I am trying to get past the "good roll = up and bad roll = upside
> down stage" and learn to feel the difference between a really solid roll and
> one that just barely gets me up (and probably would not get me up in real
> conditions). What sort of things should I be paying attention to?
>
> 1) Less force on the paddle = better roll  ?
> 2) Almost going over the other way = better roll ?
> 3) Paddle blade depth at finish of roll - shallower = better roll?
> 4) You just know it when you feel it you over analytical dummy
>
> I am not sure if the above actually are better or worse but they are some of
> the differences I do seem to notice. Should I be paying attention to any of
> these or to something else? Is there something that someone working with me
> would notice?  One of the paddlers is going to videotape us so that may help
> a lot.
>
> I am not feeling a "hip snap" the way it has been described to me.  I am
> aware of a change of pressure from one knee to the other and I feel my
> lay-back, but I do not feel the bending from one side to the other that I
> think I should feel.  Is it just happening so quickly that I miss it (I am
> getting up) or should I really be aware of the bending?
>
> I was thinking of trying some rolls with just half a paddle to help me check
> my technique.  Is this a good way to improve?  Should I be working longer
> with a full paddle before I try this (ie can it hurt my technique)?
>
> I will also be trying my first offside rolls this weekend.  I hope its easier
> than going from a stern rudder to a cross-draw.
>
> I would appreciate any advice you would be willing to share.
>
> Mark J. Arnold
> MJAkayaker_at_aol.com
>
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