PaddleWise by thread

From: Tina <tina_at_bentobuggy.com>
subject: [Paddlewise] bombproof roll
Date: Thu, 5 Oct 2000 18:10:10 -0700
The expression "bombproof" implies that a roll is absolutely failproof. In
my experience, there ain't no such thing as a failproof roll, and that the
more one doesn't want to swim in a particular river, the better the chances
are of it happening!  :>)

tina


Rick Sylvia wrote:
 >> Yes - acquiring and honing a "bombproof" roll (I'm trying to come up
>> with a non-military replacement phrase for this.  I'll let you know
>> when I think of a good one) may take time and concentration, but what
>> would you rather be doing during that time?

>	With the ever growing popularity and importance of  technology, how
>about sharing "bug free" or "bug proof"?  It's not a "sexy" phrase, but it
>gets the point across.

-------------------------------------------------------------------
     _____________
    / -()-()-()-()-()-  / I
   / -()-()-()-()-()- /  /
  /___________/ /
  I___________I /

What? No Bento Buggy on weekends this summer?
See what the bento-meister's been up to at.....
http://www.pcez.com/BentoBuggy/bevents.htm
-------------------------------------------------------------------



***************************************************************************
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/
***************************************************************************
From: <LedJube_at_aol.com>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] bombproof roll
Date: Thu, 5 Oct 2000 22:03:07 EDT
In a message dated 10/6/00 1:39:36 AM, tina_at_bentobuggy.com writes:

<< The expression "bombproof" implies that a roll is absolutely failproof. In
my experience, there ain't no such thing as a failproof roll, and that the
more one doesn't want to swim in a particular river, the better the chances
are of it happening!  :>) >>

Well,......

    Some bombs are bigger than others.... How should a modest paddler refer 
to a 99.9% reliable roll if not "Bombproof"? We can (and do) split some 
mighty fine hairs around here. Semantics aside, I would consider anything 
over 95% reliable a great roll and somewhere around 99% reliable (in combat 
conditions) can be considered "Bombproof" thought not "Thermo Nuclear 
Tested".  Remember, it's only an opinion. Everyone has a different take on 
the subject, but I bet there are several if not several dozen list members 
with "Bombproof" rolls as I define "Bombproof". Sorry for the military 
language, but it seems to be the common descriptive language these days in 
the USA.

Jed
***************************************************************************
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/
***************************************************************************
From: Rich Kulawiec <rsk_at_gsp.org>
subject: Re: [Paddlewise] bombproof roll
Date: Thu, 5 Oct 2000 22:05:34 -0400
On Thu, Oct 05, 2000 at 06:10:10PM -0700, Tina wrote:
> The expression "bombproof" implies that a roll is absolutely failproof. In
> my experience, there ain't no such thing as a failproof roll, and that the
> more one doesn't want to swim in a particular river, the better the chances
> are of it happening!  :>)

Do I swim?  Sometimes, yes: got ripped out of my boat on the Deschutes
two years ago despite trying very hard to stay in it.  Sploosh.  Splutter.
Thud.  Thud thud.  Cough.  Oops!

But I have enough confidence in my roll (mostly because I practice it
under varied circumstances) to put myself in situations where a
swim could mean loss of equipment and/or serious injury.  I believe...
I *have* to believe that I (a) I will not flip and (b) if I flip,
I will roll because if I stop believing those two things, I will
hesitate -- and that is definitely not a good thing.

To put it another way: I do my hesitating before I get to the river
("Do I really want to run this?") and before I enter the rapid ("Do I
want to walk around this one?").  Once I'm in it, I can't afford
to hesitate, and in order to do that, I need to believe in my roll...
and in order to do that *that*, I have to practice it thousands
of times.

Which is exactly what I've done, and will probably continue to do
as long as I paddle.

I'm *not* claiming that I or anyone else should believe they'll
never ever miss.  But I suppose what I'm advocating is that a
Saturday morning spent doing 100 rolls may be a better investment
than a piece of gear.  Or, more generally, that OVER-reliance on gear
to either help make the roll or compensate when it's blown is not
as good an idea as a heck of a lot of practice.

---Rsk
***************************************************************************
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/
***************************************************************************

This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:33:18 PDT