[Paddlewise] Unwanted Article

Hi All!  I haven't succeeded in finding a publisher for the following article,
so I thought I'd publish it on Paddlewise.  I hope some of you will enjoy it.

best wishes,

Ken Rasmussen



LEARN FAST--PADDLE WELL


Creating a Foundation for Skill Building


In Greenland the traditional method of kayak instruction begins with the
sculling brace, progresses to the roll, then the strokes, and finally, the
student can go paddling. In our culture we begin by going paddling, and often
progress no further. That is why we tend to be inefficient and vulnerable
paddlers. Those of us who get training often stop short of learning to roll,
and very few learn to brace effectively.

If you want to learn to paddle effectively in a short period of time it would
be good to base your training program upon the Greenland method, with a couple
of modifications. The Greenland boats are very low volume, and the paddles are
buoyant. Consequently, the Greenland boats are much easier to learn to brace
and roll than ours. Our boats can be rolled easily enough, but the sculling
brace is more difficult, and should be learned after rolling.

I have taught a number of people to roll. Some learn in a few minutes, some
never learn. You might suppose that athletic ability and coordination would be
the difference, but surprisingly, it is not. There are two reasons why many
people fail to learn to roll easily. Rolling is physically easy, but mentally
tricky. Cultivating a confident state of mind is the most important aspect of
rolling. It is crucial that the student be able to function comfortably under
water before trying to learn to roll. I no longer attempt to teach rolling
until I have had the student perform some underwater tasks. The student must
be able to swim underwater with eyes open. (A facemask or nose plugs may be
worn.) I like to have the student locate and pick up items from the bottom and
bring them to the surface. I have the student tie knots underwater, reenter
his kayak upside down, and capsize and slip a paddle float onto his paddle
before exiting the cockpit. When the student can demonstrate proficiency at
these tasks he is ready to roll. A student who is uncomfortable in the water
needs to become comfortable by means of swimming lessons, water polo,
snorkeling, scuba diving or similar activities before he learns to roll.

An unsuitable boat is an almost universal barrier to rolling. Most kayaks can
be rolled up if they are properly fit to the paddler. Even boats that fit
fairly well can be dramatically improved by making hip and knee braces out of
foam. The hip braces prevent the paddler from slipping sideways in the seat.
The knee braces provide a secure grip on the underside of the deck. The seat
back may prevent the paddler from being able to stretch onto the rear deck,
making some braces and rolls difficult to do. Many paddlers install backbands
to correct the problem. I removed the original seat from my kayak, and built
my own seat, hip braces, knee braces, and installed a backband. Creating the
entire cockpit enabled me to control all elements of comfort, fit, and trim. I
covered all the surfaces with a high friction fabric for additional grip. My
wife, Kathea, has created a web site that has detailed information and
photographs devoted to the subject. The address is www.kayakfit.com .  A good
job of custom fitting makes rolling, bracing, and leaned turns much easier.
Rough weather paddling, surf, and strong currents become less daunting. Don’t
waste your time or money on rolling classes until you’ve done a good job of
outfitting your cockpit. All aspects of paddling improve with custom
outfitting. It is the most significant performance improvement that can be
made to an otherwise good boat.

When choosing a kayak for advanced paddling, avoid boats in which the back of
the coaming is too high or too far forward, making it hard to lay back on the
rear deck. Such a coaming can be a hazard in waves. I’ve been pounded flat
onto the rear deck by a breaking wave. I might have broken my spine if my
combing had been high in back. The front of the cockpit needs to cover enough
of the knee and thigh to make it possible to attach good knee braces. Avoid
excessively stable boats because they require more effort to roll upright.
They can be rolled, but it is difficult to be certain that they will roll
every time. You want to be certain that your roll will always work. If you
can’t be confident in your roll it will not be reliable in emergency
situations. Any kayak can be knocked over, regardless of the stability
designed into the boat. You want to be certain that you can recover. Since you
are planning to become a skillful paddler you will be able to defend yourself
with technique. A medium or low stability boat will be safest because it will
be impossible to keep you down if you should be knocked over. A low volume
boat with a low rear deck is the easiest for learning to do the sculling
brace. Large boats are much harder to scull. Sometimes it helps to leave the
skirt off so the cockpit will take on water, making the boat less buoyant.
Rolling and bracing are not your only concerns, so you may need something
bigger, but it is better not to get too large a boat. Size is relative. To a
big person with a high center of gravity, a medium stability boat might be
rather large. A small person with a low center of gravity might find medium
stability in a small, narrow boat that would seem tippy to a larger person.

It is easiest to learn rolling from a good instructor. John Meyer of Northwest
Outdoor Center in Seattle taught me. I was getting rolls in about 10 minutes.
I am not a particularly fast learner, but I am very comfortable in the water.
A person who is genuinely comfortable in the water, working with a good
instructor, can expect to make rapid progress. It is important for the student
and instructor to understand the normal learning curve. When performing a new
task the student will improve for a few minutes, then he will reach a plateau,
and, after a few more minutes, will get worse. It is important to rest or work
on a different exercise when progress ceases. If the effort continues too long
the student will become discouraged. Confidence will be undermined, and
confidence is the primary ingredient in the rolling recipe. Rescues make good
alternative activities to practice when a rest from rolling or bracing is
needed.

Many of us quit practicing after we succeed in getting a few rolls in the
pool. That is a serious mistake! Continue to practice until you can roll
equally well on either side. Perfect your technique until the motion is easy
and natural. The roll should require no more effort that getting off of the
sofa, and should be just as certain. Learn to roll with the paddle in extended
and normal positions. The extended paddle roll will be your secret weapon,
giving you a huge surplus of extra support (and confidence) in case you need
to make a 2nd attempt. Even after you can roll perfectly, continue to practice
to maintain the roll. The roll doesn’t require practice, but you have to
maintain your level of confidence in order to perform it properly in an
emergency. I roll a few times whenever I paddle. If this sounds uncomfortable
to you, you may not be dressing adequately, a mistake that has claimed the
lives of many paddlers. If you are paddling in cold water you can keep cool on
a hot day by rolling periodically. That way you’ll be able to stay comfortable
and safe, and you won’t die of skin cancer (from too much exposure to strong
sunlight).

As soon as you can roll fairly well you can begin to learn how to brace. It is
much easier to learn bracing when you can roll because you can recover from
failed braces with a roll. People who can’t roll are reluctant to jeopardize
their balance, so their braces don’t amount to much. When you know how to roll
you can learn to brace back up from a knocked down position by means of a high
brace. The sculling brace can be used to recover even if the head and torso
are submerged. The sculling brace and the roll complement each other. The
sculling brace enables one to recover from some capsizes without the necessity
of rolling. The sculling brace also can be used to salvage a bad sweep, saving
a roll that would not work otherwise. If you are rolling, and realize that
your sweep was marginal or poor, instead of trying to come up, do a couple of
sculls until the paddle and your torso are near the surface, then finish your
roll. If you get good at this technique you may never miss another roll! 

It is very important to learn to brace and roll without overextending the
shoulder joint. Many of us figure this out too late, after we’ve already
injured a shoulder. Don’t let your elbows get too far from your ribs and
you’ll be safe. I don’t try to prevent a capsize if I’m falling fast. It is
better to allow your body to strike the water than to strain yourself. The
water will decelerate you painlessly, and then you can bounce back up,
uninjured. Don’t allow your ear to come down flat against the water when
falling. If you land exactly wrong you will hear a monumental clap that sounds
like a bomb exploding in your head. You might rupture an eardrum. Avoid
immersing your ears repeatedly in very cold water. It thickens some of the
tissues in the ears, which may result in diminished hearing. Wear a neoprene
hood or earplugs to protect your ears from cold water.

After you’ve learned to roll and brace you won’t have much difficulty in
learning strokes, leaned turns, and low braces. With your closely fitted
cockpit and your confidence, you will be the star of the Advanced Strokes
class. When you’ve completed your Strokes class you will be ready to take
advanced classes in surf paddling, paddling in strong currents, or whitewater
paddling. You will find that the excellent foundation you’ve laid will make
these activities easy for you to learn. You’ll be amazed to discover how well
the skills you learned in a swimming pool have prepared you to learn to paddle
rough water. Beginning your training with the roll seems like a backward way
to approach kayaking, but bracing can’t be learned properly without a
foundation in rolling. The fitted cockpit and bracing skills are essential for
developing fluidity in any of the maneuvers that require leaning. The
Greenlanders had it right: You need to learn the foundation skills right away
in order to be a safe and effective paddler.


Copyright © 2001 [Kayakfit]. All rights reserved.

Ken Rasmussen works as a machinist by day, and runs a bicycle repair and kayak
customizing shop after hours. His other interests include sailing, cycling,
archery, clarinet, cross country skiing and gardening. He can be reached at
kayakfit_at_fidalgo.net, phoned at (360) 766-8720, or by mail at 6290 Ershig
Road, Bow, Washington 98232.  


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