Re: [Paddlewise] Rolling Side Choice (was Reasons to wear coldwater gear)

Matt Broze wrote:

> Peter Treby <ptreby_at_ozemail.com.au> wrote:
> >
> >Now, how do you rationally decide which side to roll up on, in this
> >situation. You want to come up on the side the weather is coming from, so
> >as to get any wind assistance coming up, and to brace into waves...
> >Rules of thumb for rolling up:
> >1. When surfing to the left on a wave, set up on the right and roll up on
> >the left. Conversely,
> >2. When surfing to the right on a wave, set up on the left and roll up on
> >the right.
> >3. When dumped unexpectedly, look up hanging upside down. Waves from the
> >left, set up on the right. Waves from the right, set up on the left. Or,
> >set up on the side away from the wave direction.
> >4. Aaaah, I'm running out of air fast, roll up desperately on the strong
> >side as quickly as possible!
> >Upside down, down under,
>
> I've rolled a lot in surf and also while whitewater kayaking. Spatial
> ability is the ability to manipulate objects in ones mind, keeping track of
> the twists and turns and rotations.<snip>
> I have read several times that one should roll up one particular way or
> another on the river or in surf depending on particular factors. I may be
> off base here or totally blind (because I keep my eyes closed) but I
> question whether this is something that the authors actually do or is it
> something they have theorized about and/or just repeated from another source
> so as not to seem as incompetent as I apparently am in this situation. When
> caught by surprise and given a tumble in the surf or a river souse hole I
> can't tell which way is upstream, or up wind, or up wave. I get disoriented
> and don't want to sit around thinking about it too long under the
> circumstances (while my sinuses fill up).

When in the surf zone (or any steady conditions from a particular direction), I
make it a habit of going through the "what ifs", including the direction I would
need to roll up in in order to utilize the wave's energy - and thus pre-plan the
side I would roll up on if I should find myself on the 100% side of the sea/sky
interface.
If I take a spill surfing straight down wave and am not broached in a particular
direction (hasn't happened to me yet), then theoretically I would try to get a
sense of which way the waves are coming from (or the last one has gone), if I'm
doing okay on air, and wait for the next one to move over before rolling up.  In
rolling up on the back of the wave, you're giving yourself the maximum amount of
time to maneuver before the next waves strikes.  This technique does work in
practice on the shorter period wave sets we get around the Mid Atlantic, having
surfed straight down storm chop, wound up and rolled under, then hung out to
determine which direction the boat has been subtly broached to - then roll up on
that side.
Having said that, when in doubt or the air runs out, shelve the theories and
just roll up on your strong side.  Worse that could happen (hopefully) is you'll
get picked up by the next wave and rolled over your recovery side, barely having
caught a breath before getting trashed again.  Depending on you and the waves,
there may be no real alternative but to become a "squirming hatch blower" and
return to the world of the gill-less.

> Maybe if I opened my eyes and
> looked around on the river I could figure it out first but why wait. I have
> heard that the swirling sand in a near shore breaker can sear your eyeballs,
> and have prudently decided I wouldn't test out that possibility (#3)for
> myself so I keep my eyes closed.

I wouldn't be too keen on trying Peter Treby's #3, either - I feel everything I
need to feel with my eyes shut.  Only had my eyes open one time in a combat roll
situation, and there was no sand for many miles - just a big slab of rock about
15~20 feet away, tons of green water, and the backwash of the wave off the rock
below (overhead) - didn't own a helmet at that time.  It was a neat sensation to
experience in real life, but once was definitely enough.

> I roll up on whatever side I can and if
> that fails I'll try whatever side looks best from the position I next find
> myself in. If the wind pushed me back down the way I came up I would try the
> other side next time (but I have never rolled in that extreme of wind).
> Since one is quickly moving at the speed of the current once capsized in
> current I don't see how it makes any difference which side I roll up on
> then.

Agreed.  I got yelled at during a WW lesson for taking way too much time to set
up and roll (as my helmet and shoulders were dredging a new channel), due
completely to trying to figure out which side would be best to roll back up on.
According to the instructor, I had been moving at current speed for a while and
thus didn't matter one bit.

> When in surf there is a big advantage to rolling up "as quickly as possible"
> as in option #4. I'm usually back upright and sorted out in relatively calm
> water well before the next breaker has reached me. The more time I have to
> get pointed in the right direction (and maybe find and reach the lowest pass
> in the next breaker--if going out) the better.

Agreed.  If you know you can roll up quickly (whatever side) and be free of
anything breaking on you during recover, then go for it!  If really unsure about
side or wave period, yet comfortable enough hanging out, then wait it out for a
round inverted.  But that's just me.
Also, when I say "hanging out", I do not mean hanging straight upside down
waiting to be pile driven into the sand bar.  I mean loosen the tuck up a bit
(relax the body, but not the grip on the paddle or its wind up position - strong
side by default) which will allow you to feel out what it going on around you
better.  If you're set up on your strong side while inverted but the wave is
moving across from the other side, switch your wind-up to that side, wait a few
seconds for the next wave and slowly roll up.  The wave will help bring you on
around so be ready to stall the roll out through the recovery, if need be, to
keep from getting re-rolled with the wave, spy the next wave, present a minimal
profile to the wind, etc.

Thoughts?

Vince
who couldn't resist dodging work for another chance to stir the pot
so much for lurking, huh

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