Hit the Alabama River today for a couple hours of fine tuning the basics. Worked on some 4-star requirements -- braces, rolling, reverse figure eights, stern rudder moves, etc. [Getting prepped for some 4-star training at Tybee Island this coming weekend -- and possible certification!!!] I hit every on-side roll -- 30-plus in all -- and then took it one step further. Managed to pull off my first off-side roll as well! Not once, but twice!!! Came up out of the water hootin' and hollerin'!!! Just don't think the people back on the bank understood my excitement. But I did!!! Interestingly enough, you can miss your roll during the 4-star test and still pass. Regardless, I don't plan on taking any chances!!! And if you were to ask me if my roll is now bomb-proof, my answer would be, "I don't know -- and won't until I find myself in another on-the-edge situation. Then I'll know!" A few months back I was feeling pretty cocky about my rolling abilities. Went for a six-mile night paddle in the Gulf [south of Panama City, FL]. It was a windy night [8-10 knot winds] with lots of chop! Not much light, except for a wedge of the moon. The night had an unforgettable eerie feel to it, especially considering the fact that this was my first first nighttime paddle in open water. And, yes, I was enjoying every minute of it immmensely. We were getting ready to hit the beach through some three-foot breakers. In the near pitch dark I put down my paddle [tethered to the boat] started fumbling around with my headlamp. Didn't want to lose it and was trying to wedge it down under my PFD. But it was too late. Got broadsided by a wave and capsized in the surf. For some odd reason, I got a little "stage fright." As I was fumbling around under there I grabbed for paddle and it suddenly hit the sandy bottom. Instead of setting up for a roll like I should have, I frantically tried to right my boat by pushing the paddle into the sand and raising my self up and out of the water. It didn't work -- got pummeled by another wave -- and wound up bailing out in the surf. The only good news here is I managed to save the headlamp! Needless to say, I swore to myself later that night that the next time anything like that happend again I would be ready and the outcome would be different --even in the dark of night! Guess we'll just have to wait and see! Hope everyone had a fine weekend! Jim Tynan Pike Road AL *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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