Paddlewisers, I thought I'd add my pool session report to the growing list of these, as I actually enjoy reading them. Some short(ish) background: last year I started to get into whitewater kayaking, after paddling a touring boat for a couple of years. Most of the boaters around here (NW Arkansas) paddle WW exclusively, and some friends got me to try it. I think if I had started when I was 20 (I'm now 30), I would have loved it, but I no longer consider myself invisible and/or bulletproof, and I just don't seem to need the adrenaline fix like I used to (though I do need it on occasion, but not nearly as often). Also, WW paddling in Arkansas means paddling when it's cold, as many of the runs get REALLY bony in the summer (most folks start road tripping east or west at that point). I had a couple of really fun trips, and then a couple of really bad ones, with some scary upside down with no roll action and one pin/strainer situation. I decided to stick to flatter water. I've been paddling my now-departed and being-replaced touring boat for a year more, though I never learned to roll it. Last night I went to a local pool roll session (every Tuesday night, 7-9pm, $2.00; can't beat that) to finally learn to roll. Even in the pool, I was VERY nervous in my borrowed WW boat at first. I did a couple of wet exits for practice, then started working on my on-side hip snap on the edge of the pool while the instructor worked with the other two beginners (while the more experienced paddlers were in the deep end of the pool, throwing ends in their rodeo boats!). I eventually got really comfortable being upside down, knowing I could roll up on the wall or just wet exit if I drifted away from the wall. I actually got to enjoy hanging upside down in the boat. Eventually, the instructor got back to me, and I started working with a paddle (a really short WW paddle) on a C-to-C roll. My initial problems were (1) raising my head and (2) diving the paddle. The water was shallow enough that if I blew my roll a couple of times, I could bottom brace and grab enough air to set up again without help. I finally quit raising my head, but I'm still having problems with my paddle position. I did actually hit 3 or 4 sloppy rolls completely by myself, though, so I sortof figured it out. Now I need to work on my technique (then offside, then extended paddle, THEN in my new touring boat when it arrives). Rolling is an insanely powerful ego boost, and if nothing else, it's going to increase my comfort and confidence on the water. When my new boat arrives, I'm going to work on self-rescues in the deep end, too, since there are usually only 5-8 boats in the whole pool. Thanks for listening. Cheers, Steve =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Steven Jarvis sjarvis_at_dicksonstreet.com Fayetteville, Arkansas USA =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
"Steven W. Jarvis" wrote: > Paddlewisers, > > I thought I'd add my pool session report to the growing list of these, as I > actually enjoy reading them. > > Last night I went to a local pool roll session (every Tuesday night, 7-9pm, > $2.00; can't beat that) to finally learn to roll. Even in the pool, I was > VERY nervous in my borrowed WW boat at first. I did a couple of wet exits > for practice, then started working on my on-side hip snap on the edge of the > pool while the instructor worked with the other two beginners (while the > more experienced paddlers were in the deep end of the pool, throwing ends in > their rodeo boats!). I eventually got really comfortable being upside down, > knowing I could roll up on the wall or just wet exit if I drifted away from > the wall. I actually got to enjoy hanging upside down in the boat. > > Eventually, the instructor got back to me, and I started working with a > paddle (a really short WW paddle) on a C-to-C roll. My initial problems > were (1) raising my head and (2) diving the paddle. The water was shallow > enough that if I blew my roll a couple of times, I could bottom brace and > grab enough air to set up again without help. I finally quit raising my > head, but I'm still having problems with my paddle position. > > I did actually hit 3 or 4 sloppy rolls completely by myself, though, so I > sortof figured it out. Now I need to work on my technique (then offside, > then extended paddle, THEN in my new touring boat when it arrives). Rolling > is an insanely powerful ego boost, and if nothing else, it's going to > increase my comfort and confidence on the water. When my new boat arrives, > I'm going to work on self-rescues in the deep end, too, since there are > usually only 5-8 boats in the whole pool. > > Thanks for listening. > > Cheers, > > Steve Hi Steve! Congratulations on the roll! You are right about it being an ego boost. I got such a boost out of it that even my friends who could care less about paddling had to listen to me talk about how it felt. Yes, believe it or not, I do have friends (one or two) who don't care about paddling. There are a couple deviants in every group. :-) Although there are others here much more qualified to give you advice on rolling, from the perspective of someone who has just gone through it I would like to make a couple comments. On the paddle dive issue there are usually two causes. The first is putting too much weight on the paddle. This is a common problem when first learning, I did it big time for my first few rolls. Basically I was using the power of my hip snap to lever my way up to the surface before the paddle hit bottom. When I got up my paddle was almost vertical, no reserve left at all. The second cause is blade angle. It was hard for me at first to twist my wrist the "wrong" way (down) to get the proper blade angle. For the first couple of my good rolls I actually rotated the paddle in my control hand rather than twist my wrist. Once I got the rest of the roll down I went back and worked on my wrist action. The easiest way to find out if you are putting too much weight on the paddle is to exchange your paddle for your spotters hands. Have your spotter hold his (generic his here) hands out about six inches under water. Roll over and grab the spotters hands then roll up using the hands as a brace. Your spotter can tell you quickly if you are putting too much pressure on. This method helped me a lot. I hope this helps. And congratulations on your new boat, too! The Magellan looks to be a real nice boat. I was looking seriously at one myself before I succumbed to the dreaded fiberglass itch. Mike -- Paddling along through fog so thick that only one's thoughts are visible, your reverie is abruptly shattered by the ancient cry of a great blue heron as she lifts uncertainly from the brilliant blue of a mussel-shell beach witnessed only by the brooding, wet spruce....your passage home seems as much back through time as it does through space. Mark H Hunt *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Paddlewisers, Thanks for all the support and advice on rolling. I can't wait to get back in the pool next Tuesday and put some of it to use. Now, if my inner thighs would just quit aching after gripping the boat so tight for two and a half hours.... ;) Cheers, Steve =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Steven Jarvis sjarvis_at_dicksonstreet.com Fayetteville, Arkansas USA =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
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