Folks, I almost hesitate to ask this question because there are soooo many factors which could play into your decisions. But, I'd like to hear your thoughts in order to help me formulate mine --- how often do you practice self rescues? Just to cut down on factors, let's assume that you CAN self rescue and aren't in the learning stage, and lets also assume that there aren't prohibiting factors like frozen water 1/4 of the year, etc. That is, if conditions were suitable for practicing, how often do you or should you? I'm considering a personal rule of thumb such as 1 hour of practice for every 25 on the water, or some such ratio, with an unwritten rule that says if I haven't been on the water for "nn" days/weeks, I have to get in "nn" hours of practice before I do anything other than very easy conditions (kind of like re-certifying for myself). That is, if I can't get on the water in January and February, then I have to practice for 5 hours before I do anything else. Right now, I'm just pulling the numbers out of the air as an example. Or, as an alternative, I'm considering 4 hours of practice every month, or perhaps 2 half-day nothing but practice sessions every quarter, regardless of how many hours I've been on the water. Everybody is different, so, what do you do? And better yet, what do you think you "should" do? Rick "dying is no way to live" Sylvia *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
-----Original Message----- From: Rick Sylvia [SMTP:Rick.Sylvia_at_ferginc.com] Folks, I almost hesitate to ask this question because there are soooo many factors which could play into your decisions. But, I'd like to hear your thoughts in order to help me formulate mine --- how often do you practice self rescues? Rick Heres my self Rescue training To give some background I have been sea kayaking for about six years but flat water paddling for a lot longer than that. I have been able to roll for about 5 years. Most of my sea kayaking is down on the south cost of NSW, Australia with reasonable water temperatures. In summer its magic but in winter with a good wetsuit on you can still surf for a couple of hours before becoming too cold. I live in Canberra (about 200k from the coast) which has a small lake which I just do training paddles on. Training system I don't usually practice any rolling on the Canberra Lake as it seems a bit murky and in winter is far too cold. When I go down to the coast for a sea kayak trip I nearly always do a few rolls just before I land. I try to have around 1 weekend a month at the coast and if I am lucky a week trip once a year. This year was exceptional as I had a 5 week expedition in March. I also do regular surf sessions (about 6 days a year) and I find this by far the best training for rolling and bracing. I push it pretty hard in the surf (upto 7feet) and often end up upside down. I find this the best arena for practicing my rolling as you have been tossed around, out of breath, disorientated etc. I occasionally bomb my rolls in the surf and will also practice re-enter and rolls in the surf zone. I look at my surfing sessions as my main training area plus its a lot of fun. In summer I spend several weeks on a lake and here I practice my rolls, re-enter and rolls and cowboy entries. Over a two week period I would practice for about 5-7 days each time around a couple of hours. My cockpit is pretty small and cowboy entries require a good bit of balance as you have to put your feet in first. I often practice this by simply putting my kayak in the water before hopping in on trips. What should I practice?? For me I think the main one is rolls in adverse conditions and I find the surf the best place for this. Often if we are on an easy weekend trip and there is surf near the camping area we will unpack and play in the surf for an hour. To highlight the importance of regular training I was on a spring paddle a few years ago without having done any rolling practice during winter. At the end of the paddle Dave (whose a senior instructor and strong advocate of practicing a roll at the end of every trip) said we should all do a roll before landing. "Its too cold" I said. "plus I have a bomb proof roll". When everyone else did one I felt guilty so did one as well but imagine my embarrassement when I failed even after 3 attemps and had to wet exit. I even failed my re-enter and roll. I had become complacent. Someone pointed out what I was doing wrong, Failed to lean back far enough, and soon had it back. But if I had needed this roll for real it may have been more than embassing. Since then I always try and do a roll on each trip if its not a training session. I hope this helps David *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Personally, I think practicing rolls and rescues is half the fun of the sport. Sure I enjoy just paddling, but it is great when the warm days come around and I can get wet, splash around, and play with my boat. Your body can forget the mechanics of a roll pretty quick and I think this justifies having a smaller boat to take to the indoor pool sessions during the winter. Here in Missouri, a loose knit group of paddlers (mostly WW) gather Thursday night of every week at a local lake or indoor pool for the sole purpose of practicing rolls and providing feedback and instruction, not mention good conversation! Some of the participants are certified instructors who will gladly help when asked. None of us make it every week, but we try. These social outtings keep us in practice without having to think much about it... Tim *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
In a message dated 8/28/00 2:46:49 PM, Rick.Sylvia_at_ferginc.com writes: << Or, as an alternative, I'm considering 4 hours of practice every month, or perhaps 2 half-day nothing but practice sessions every quarter, regardless of how many hours I've been on the water. >> My own feeling is that once a month keeps my skills and equipment checked out. I can't see where the amount of time I spend sitting in my boat has a lot to do with being able to get back into it if I come out. I don't include rolling in this category. I've just gotten mine and I'd suspect that needs more attention because of the nature of rolling. You body has to remember it and the timing, which you will loose over time not practicing. That said, another note to practicing: I actually do practice more because I have a strength/weight problem. I can rescue myself with my equipment but my most regular paddling partners have real problems helping me back into a dry boat. That means inventing ways each of them can help me and practicing those with them. The assisted rescue I find the easiest for me is the between the boats and hoisting myself with my legs rather than attempting to pull myself up with my arms from the outside. Woody did that one with me this past weekend and he found a way to give me a really stable platform to come up onto. Now, I need to get him to teach others how to do that for me. He described it to me but I'm not sure I quite got the, "Hold the bow of the boat in your arm pit." I was so thrilled that I could just slide back into the boat that I didn't get him to actually SHOW me what he did differently than in the past. My mistake. I'll correct that next weekend. If you can roll, do it in every kind of water you paddle in. The worse the conditions, the more you will learn and the sharper your skills will be. It really isn't the hours spent practicing but the expanding on the basics. Start each session with the basics and go a few steps beyond. Challenge yourself so you don't get bored but don't do so much that is beyond your skills that you get frustrated. If you can do an extended paddle roll learn to roll with the paddle held a bit shorter. If you have a great roll, learn to scull up. Learn new skills but never neglect the basics. Joan Spinner Winter user of the pool, who has yet to try to roll in really cold water. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
JSpinner_at_aol.com wrote: > > That said, another note to practicing: I actually do practice more > because I have a strength/weight problem. I can rescue myself with my > equipment but my most regular paddling partners have real problems helping me > back into a dry boat. That means inventing ways each of them can help me and > practicing those with them. The assisted rescue I find the easiest for me is > the between the boats and hoisting myself with my legs rather than attempting > to pull myself up with my arms from the outside. Have you tried a stirrup? Tie a 12' (more or less) piece of nylon into a loop. While a partner stabilizes your boat, toss the loop around your coaming and boost yourself up with your foot in the loop. You can also wrap it various ways around paddles held across the two boats. Don't use floating line. > Woody did that one with me this past weekend and he found a way to give > me a really stable platform to come up onto. Now, I need to get him to teach > others how to do that for me. He described it to me but I'm not sure I quite > got the, "Hold the bow of the boat in your arm pit." I was so thrilled that I > could just slide back into the boat that I didn't get him to actually SHOW me > what he did differently than in the past. The pit-to-pit (armpit to cockpit, except it's really pit to deck) rescue. It's no more complicated than he told you, except that you don't want to be very far forward. You need a confident partner, because he really has to commit all his upper body weight to your boat. Not that he's in any danger; it's almost impossible to flip from this position, even in waves. Steve *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - All postings copyright the author and not to be reproduced/forwarded outside PaddleWise without author's permission Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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