[Paddlewise] Anxiety, Wet Exits and Rolling

In a message dated 3/8/01 11:43:21 AM, wiestn_at_tamug.tamu.edu writes:

<< rather than feed the panic reflex that many of us have, teach to a 
solution rather than set up for failure (panic). >>

Hi Natalie,

    I'm not sure I understand you. With regard to wet exits, the only 
approach I know is to work to desensitize the student to the anxiety 
associated with being upside down in an enclosed kayak. I work with various 
students in a variety of ways depending on their relative anxiety level. 

    For the worst ones we develop a trust in the instructor first by having 
them lower themselves into the water and pulling themselves back up while 
holding into my arm. Later we work towards letting go of my arm while upside 
down before grabbing my arm again and pulling themselves up. Then we might 
have them capsize with arms wrapped around the boat and I right them 
immediately. Later we'll have them capsize and bang on the bottom of the boat 
as a signal to right them. Only after their confidence in the instructor is 
established do we move on to wet exits.

    Eventually I have them perform a wet exit, which we practice slowly and 
deliberately, believing that the rushing only feeds into the anxiety levels.  
My wet exit model matches quite closely the model that John Fereira 
described. I know of no other method to calm a panicky paddler, but I am open 
to suggestions since this is not an uncommon problem.

    When it comes time to learn to roll we work backwards from lowering 
themselves into the water then hipsnap while I support the paddle blade, to 
lower and sweep to the bow, sweep and hipsnap and on and on until they have a 
roll.  It's not quite that simple but this is the basic idea.

    I always found the reentry and roll more stressful that just a simple 
roll. And I personally I would not teach the reenter and roll before the 
student had at least a somewhat reliable standard roll.

     I try to instill in my students a sense that a reliable roll is so 
superior to all other self-rescues that they should strive to master "the 
roll", and not just be satisfied with learning one roll or two rolls but 
dedicate themselves to learning all conceivable rolls.  We most often start 
to teach people to hand roll in the belief that this skill will teach them 
proper body position and proper hipsnap movement from the beginning. 

    The beauty of the kayak is that it *can* be self-righted. This is in 
large part what makes the kayak so seaworthy since almost nothing, not even a 
capsize will stop it. All proficient rollers will tell you that a good roll 
requires almost no effort at all. Since a well performed roll requires so 
little effort there is much spare energy / rolling capacity available to 
handle strange and unusual conditions like current, wind or even seaweed, ice 
and other obstacles.

    Let me offer one last thought to the list in general. Rather than rolling 
being complicated and difficult to learn and unreliable once learned, maybe 
the issue is that the instruction the student has received was not as 
effective as it might have been. Maybe the solution is to seek out another 
instructor and not stopping the learning process until the student has 
mastered the roll.  I see a lot of people with less that reliable rolls and I 
work with as many as time permits. Some improve quickly while others seem to 
struggle for every bit of improvement. But I assure you of this, the problem 
with an unreliable roll is not due to any limited value of the Eskimo Roll 
itself, but with the technique of the paddler performing that unreliable roll.

Jed
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