Re: [Paddlewise] Rolling Side Choice

    I have found there to be little effect with regard to Eskimo rolling from 
winds less that 30 knots or from non-breaking waves. While I have heard and 
understood the logic of rolling up on one side versus the other I just don't 
find that for me it's that big of a deal. During my first year as a roller, 
each minor loss of balance became another excuse to roll. So I rolled based 
on however I was set up. Later I learned to deal with the always amusing 
failure-to-completely-invert position. Here too, one can learn to come up on 
either side. After about a year of such foolishness I adopted the "To need to 
roll is a measure of failure." attitude and started working on my bracing. 
    Now the commitment is to keep my head above water while still paddling 
interesting conditions. This means I am sometimes forced to high brace on the 
downwind or down-wave side. This is the ocean version of a WW upstream brace, 
something that is not supposed to be done and yet I have had good success 
with it. I don't profess that my way is the right or only way, but I offer it 
as an illustration that we should always question conventional wisdom. 
Develop your own understanding of what is possible and don't discount 
anything just because some other technique might be preferred by someone else 
or even most other people. So while conventional wisdom says to roll up on 
the windward / seaward side, that doesn't mean you can't roll up on the other 
side. The ability to handle any problem with multiple solutions leads to a 
clearer understanding of the nature of the challenge.

Jed
(Certified non-Expert Paddler)
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