Re: [Paddlewise] eskimo roll - long, sorry

    Please forgive the public response to Steve Cramer's post responding to 
my response to the "eskimo roll" post. Steve brought up some very good points 
that I felt the need to defend, er.. address,  er...respond to.  Thank you 
all for your patients, er..patience

I said:
>>> I was too new of a paddler (two months) to feel
>>> justified paying someone to teach me. 

Steve Cramer wrote:
>Huh? Who better to pay for instruction. After you know some stuff, you
>can teach yourself out of books. When you're new, find some help.
>Doesn't have to be a $$$ instructor. Lot's of clubs have roll sessions.
>You're not a member? We can fix that.

My response:
    At the time neither my pride nor my wife would allow me to spend more 
money. Since I was a lone wolf paddler, I thought there *were* no clubs. 
Things have changed quite a bit, now I run pool sessions and skill sessions 
for a club that I joined. But the wife still doesn't want me to spend the 
money on instruction. The few lessons that I could get her to agree to pay for
 were great! You are absolutely right on this point! Newbies should take 
lessons to learn correctly *and* quickly.

I said:
>>> Day three was tense. Several attempts to capsize into a roll with the
>>> paddle float failed.

Steve Cramer wrote:
>Day 3 as in Monday, then Tuesday, then Wednesday, or just the third time
>you tried it? New, demanding physical activities take a lot out of you
>and shouldn't be done 3 days straight. Ask Ski Patrolers when folks on a
>5-day vacation are most likely to get hurt.

My response:
    *Now* you tell me!!  Yes, it was day three as in the third in a series of 
 consecutive days.  No one told me it was a bad idea, not that I would have 
listened anyway.  Who knew ??  Of course you are right, three days straight 
is probably a bad idea, but it did make it easier to remember. My memory 
isn't what it used to be, and I needed all the help I could get.

I said:
>>> Don't buy the gadgets to help you learn to
>>> roll, practice with a float or a friend or an instructor. 

Steve Cramer wrote:
>Gadgets? Like Canadian Ballast Rocks taped to the keel?

My response:
    No, more like a certain kayak snorkel that let's you breath the air 
inside your boat while upside down. It works just fine, it's just not 
necessary to learn to roll with a paddle. If I had been smart enough to do 
some research and "discover" Genuine Canadian Ballast Rocks, then I would 
never have wasted my time learning to roll, what would be the point. Everyone 
knows that Genuine Canadian Ballast Rocks eliminate that whole pesky capsize 
issue altogether.  Oh well, live and learn.

Jed


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