[Paddlewise] Rolling Side Choice

Peter Treby wrote:

> Victoria writes:
> "can you say this again in kindergarten language for beginners?  AS I come
> up
> out of the water... do I want to be moving the same direction as the waves?
> or against them?"

Not that you have the choice of maneuvering the bow into the oncoming waves
(unless you're using a cockpit breathing tube, rebreather, or other like device
and paddle better than Maligiaq inverted),
and that more often than not your boat boat will be washed beam to the waves if
they pack enough energy in their break,
it is still more pleasant in my view, anyway, to see and dig in on what's
bearin' down on your hide (holding position through the next wave - upright or
reinverted)
than to roll up facing down wave and suddenly be picked up surfed, pearled, and
looped
- or broached, bounced, and maytagged for a cycle or two.
But like I said, if it's an accident, what choice do you have whether you face
toward or away from the wave??

As for which side (oh, that's what you wanted to know, wasn't it),
always roll up up wave (unless you're caught up in your own loose tow line
during a rescue and have to rotate the opposite way to unwrap, but that's
another story ;-).
Learn to have enough patience with your roll that you can "hang out" and enjoy
the scenery (inverted) while a wave passes over (just for practice - nice
regular wave sets).  Feel its energy and get a sense of its movement over you.
If you can time your roll to the "punch" of the wave, even a lousy (or maybe
formerly non existent) off side roll will bring you right around, rolling up
wave.
As far as getting a nasty green water slap in the face (from rolling up wave), I
have not had it happen to me during the last few years of progressing in the
surf zone - probably due to timing the roll to the passing of the wave (thus
using its energy to help rotate) and by slowing the roll to match the speed at
which the wave passes over.  This brings me up on the back of the wave unless,
of course, my broached boat has been grabbed and dragged halfway back to the
beach in the soup - still broached (where's that cockpit breathing tube when you
need it, anyway??).
And as far as rolling back up facing into high winds or irregular breaking waves
(such as in clapotis zones), you can stall your roll near the surface, keeping a
low, tight tuck recovery position to "feel out" the surface conditions.  This
isn't nearly as difficult when using the wave energy to roll with as on flat
water, so don't be disappointed if you sink back down to soon when trying it in
the pool or on calm water.  If you want to take a look at what's "next on the
menu" (comin' at you), invest now in a pair of clear plastic wrap around glasses
(biking or safety glasses) and a tight fitting floating keeper strap.  They work
wonders in preventing the sting of wind driven rain / spray as you take that
first glance.


I'll try, but first, a warning. I'm an intermediate learner with a long way

> to go before I should be telling others how to do things. I posted this
> little theory in order to draw comment from those better able to give
> advice. Come on in you storm rollers, where are you when I need you?

Wish I could say "Out paddling" like our storm paddling chairman on this list
serve, but in reality I've been busy doing weird and un-natural things (besides
Holiday time spent with family).
Spent last Saturday knuckling my way across a couple hundred yards of sea ice
against 25~30 mph. (locally higher??) head winds.
Ice of every variety:
slick "floes" (on which the Anas would spin like a weather vane as it would be
slid backwards by the winds - only purchase to be had being the ice ridges
between the "floes"),
slick to crusty textured ice (still ~ 4" thick and impossible to break through
with my "basher" spare paddle),
softening crusty ice on which the Anas would slowly sink into place if stopped
for a break (had to mix knuckling with separate paddle halves as makeshift ice
axes to achieve forward progress),
and rind ice (?) where the wave action could be clearly seen throughout (fun
stuff - always felt safe and stable, even rotated backwards trying to put the
spare halves away or moving through to achieve the open water beyond).
As working my way out to open water cost me about an hour to hour and a half,
considerable skin off my knuckles under a new pair of NRS Reactor Gloves (worked
flawlessly - no connection to the co., yada, yada), and about 50 % of my
strength reserves, my much anticipated lee shore paddling in the short, fast,
piled up 3' chop was cut very short, about 20~30 minutes and another 10 % or so
of my strength.  Slid back across the ice to the put in in another 20~30 minutes
with 40 % of my strength still intact.  Oh, and none of my regular end of paddle
rolling this trip - being solo, I didn't want my ear sticking to the ice with
nobody around to ask if I was "listening for fish".
Still though, it was a strangely satisfying "paddle" - or should I call it
alternative exercise?  #;->

Vince
knuckle paddler
or is that knuckle headed?

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