Re: [Paddlewise] eskimo roll - long, sorry

    I was one of the lucky ones, I guess.  After two failed attempts in the 
late fall, I gave up for the year. It might have had something to do with my 
mother-in-law calling me a geek after seeing me all geared up complete with 
mask and kayak snorkel flailing hopelessly in the pool. That winter, I spent 
a significant amount of time reading everything I could get my hands on with 
regard to rolling.
    In early summer, once the pool was warm enough, I practiced the motions 
with a paddle float. I was too new of a paddler (two months) to feel 
justified paying someone to teach me. So I just went through the motions with 
a paddle float and holding the paddle in the extended position.
    Day one was just practicing the hip rotation and moving gracefully into 
the Layback position. Two hours of laying over on my side trying to capsize 
the boat as much as possible, rotating the hips to bring the boat upright, 
then a smooth transition to laying on the back deck. All the while feeling to 
minimize the pressure on the paddle. I don't know how many times I actually 
did this maneuver but I'm guessing somewhere around 100 repetitions.
    Day two was fun, after laying over on my side, I swept the paddle towards 
the bow so I would fully capsize. From this position, you guessed it, I swept 
the paddle out, feeling myself stretch towards the surface, until my paddle 
was at 90 degrees to the boat where I would hip rotate and layback.  This is 
the day I learned to roll. Not that I actually rolled that day, but all of 
the components of the roll are there. Sweep slowly, pulling your face to the 
surface all the while watching the paddle blade, rotate the hips, pulling the 
boat beneath you, then an easy layback and your up. As I said I didn't roll 
that day, but rather I saw each component and felt how my body should move.  
I repeated the motion each time trying to reduce pressure on the paddle. It 
was a fun motion, great for my old and stiff back. That night I dreamed I was 
rolling in Lloydesque conditions with Duane Strosaker cheering me on.
    Day three was tense. Several attempts to capsize into a roll with the 
paddle float failed because I couldn't control the float. I'd capsize OK, but 
the paddle was on the wrong side of the boat and I couldn't get it to the 
proper side. After 15 minutes of this I gave up and tried capsizing on the 
right and rolling up on the right, again with the float.  It all felt so 
natural now that I wanted to try it without the float, but being of 
gelatinous spine I flipped the paddle end-for-end, holding the float with my 
left hand. After falling over on the right and proving to myself that I could 
switch the paddle back and still have time to roll with the float, It was 
time for the real thing.
    My first roll was only a half roll (up on the same side as capsize), but 
I could not have cared less. I righted myself from an inverted position! The 
smell of testosterone was thick in the air as I let out an ungodly loud 
"YEAH!!!"  That first roll sucked for technique, but it didn't matter because 
I had finally made it!  It was time to up the ante, a full, complete, legal, 
capsize-left-and-roll-up-right roll. I felt like Kayak Man, defender of the 
whole freaking universe!!  I was amazed how easy it was, all that practice 
(two days seemed like a lot at the time) had really paid off, I was feeling 
the roll. Not just performing a sequence of events but actually feeling 
myself moving over the boat.
    Being the modest type, I had to show my roll to anyone that would watch. 
I promised myself to roll everytime I paddled, so I could test my roll in 
varying conditions. Then I started to work on other types of rolls. Rolling 
is, for me, one of the most fun things you can do in a kayak. I love using it 
to cool off when I've dressed too warmly for the air temp. I never, ever 
consider paddling without rolling. Now it's time to actually learn how to 
paddle this darn thing. Rolling is easy, moving forward efficiently and 
learning to control the boat is the tricky stuff.

    Moral of the story:
    Don't give up, don't get mad, just get even. Get your mother-in-law to 
insult you, it's a great motivator. Practice, practice, practice correct 
technique. Minimize paddle pressure. Learn with your body, not your mind. 
Don't analyze it, just feel it. Learn by yourself slowly or with an 
instructor quickly, but learn correctly. Bad habits take a long time to 
unlearn. While a roll is a great self-rescue technique and a fun trick to 
impress your friends, expert kayakers almost never roll, because they are 
good enough to avoid capsizing. Don't buy the gadgets to help you learn to 
roll, practice with a float or a friend or an instructor. Rolling a kayak 
doesn't make you an expert, but it's still a fun thing to do.

Just one man's story/opinion/view/insert_whatever_here
Jed
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