----- Original Message ----- From: "Blaauw, Niels" <nblaauw_at_foxboro.com> To: "paddlewise (E-mail)" <paddlewise_at_paddlewise.net> Sent: Monday, January 28, 2002 6:31 AM Subject: RE: [Paddlewise] Teaching a rolling class: Dealing with fear > Julie wrote: <<<I'm impressed!!! But that is because I'm one of those full > of the fear. Areyour classes on the East Coast or West Coast? Sounds like > a great way to teach to me!!>>> > > Hi Julie, > > My classes are in the Netherlands, Europe. A little out of the way for you, >>Hi Julie! I was so scared doing wet-exits, I feared that that was the beginning and end of my paddling career. Work with a qualified instructor and take it slow. I would now rather attempt the roll, miss it, re-setup, and miss it again--than be asked to do a wet-exit. I can feel my heart race increase when someone says "wet exit." I still don't know how I get out of the boat, but I always do. I think learning the roll will help a lot--you will become more comfortable just "hanging" under water and might want to try some "Eskimo Rescues" where you go over, bang on your boat and have an experience paddler with good boat control skills approach you, gentle bang into your hull so you know they're there, and then learn to grab their bow and pull yourself up. It will help you built poise while being under. I also got benefit from using a dive mask, so I could see... Jolie > *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
Jolie Smilowicz wrote: snip > I can feel my heart race increase > when someone says "wet exit." I still don't know how I get out of the boat, > but I always do. snip > Jolie Hi, Jolie. If your fear regards getting the spray cover off, let us know and someone more knowlegdable than me can help there. If your fear regards why do you fall out of the boat when the spray cover is removed, that's simple, gravity. If you were to jump out of a perfectly good airplane you needant worry about being able to make it back to earth. Once you capsize, your lower abdomien, hips, etc are right over the cockpit hole and in air, with gravity acting on that heavy part of your body. At the same time your feet and knees will thump against the deck. But the heavier part of the part of your body that is in air, is right over the hole. The part of your body that is in the water is more or less neutrally balanced, so the big effect is gravity acting on your butt. This will have you hanging from the sprayskirt. It's holding you in by the shoulders. Now you pop the sprayskirt and you fall out just as surely as if you stepped out of the bombbay door of an aircraft. You cannot fear being unable to fall. Gravity will never, ever, fail you. Let's say a small boy is hanging by his knees from a horizontal bar and you walk by and he says, "hey Ms, I'm afraid if I let go with my knees that I won't bump my head on the ground." The point is water will not provide support to keep you from falling. If it did, fish that jumped up out of the water might never be able to get back in. Now wouldn't that be terrible? This whole visuallization should not be used to minimize the concerns regarding entrapment as a result of inability to remove the sprayskirt. You have to be able to pop the sprayskirt or be able to scull up to take a breath while in the cockpit. That is the fear, not that you won't come out of the boat when you pop the sprayskirt. I hope that helps. mike *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
>Jolie Smilowicz wrote: > snip > > I can feel my heart race increase > > when someone says "wet exit." I still don't know how I get out of the > boat, > > but I always do. > snip > > Jolie Just so that you know that you're not alone... I am associated with a local club associated with the University I work at called the "Cornell Outing Club". It's primarily students but it's actually open to anyone in the community. They do pretty much every recreational outdoor activity imaginable and kayaking is one of the most popular. They've got a dozen or so white water kayaks for use by club members. Before a member of the club is allowed to use them, and in fact before they're given a paddle, they must demonstrate two wet exits performed in a calm and deliberate manner. For the past couple of years I have been called upon as a "witness" for new members. Last fall there were about 15 new members one day that had to do their wet exits. I was the guinea pig for the initial demonstration. First, I did a capsize so that the new boating "chair" could do a hand of god rescue (he had never done one before) to show the new members that the "spotter" could easily tip the boat back up if they had trouble. Then I explained the sequence of events for the wet exit and told them that I was going to really take my time to show them that the wet exit need not be rushed. I also told them that when they did theirs that they would have to keep on doing it until they did it in a calm and deliberate manner. I tipped over, slapped the bottom of the boat a few times, slide my hands back and forth along the side, reached across the bottom of the boat and clasped my finger and wiggled them, did a parade wave, then slowly released the spray skirt, making sure that it was free all the way around the cockpit, then tumbled out of the kayak, coming up with my hand on the cockpit. I would say that at least 75% of them showed quite a bit of apprehension for the first attempt. A couple of them were halfway out of the boat before it got completely upside down. There was one particular woman that had to do it about five times before she didn't look like she was panicking when she went upside down. I asked her if she had spent much time just swimming underwater. Yes, she had quite a bit of experience. She was a registered lifeguard. It's not just being underwater that seems to bother people but going under water while still in the cockpit with a sprayskirt attached. Niels was mentioning several games/exercises that would make it a bit easier. I've been thinking about some games for the pool sessions for the COC that are starting this weekend. One of them might be a relay race with two person teams that would involve a variety of techniques from getting from one end of the pool to the other. For example, it would be a good balance exercise to paddle down and back with your partner laying on the rear deck, and then once a lap has been completed to switch places (which would require a wet exit), then switch places again and do the same with your partner on the front deck. *************************************************************************** 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/ ***************************************************************************
One thing that I have had success with is flipping the boat while they are standing beside it, demonstrating a somersault into the cockpit as if doing a reentry and roll, then doing the arm stuff and coming backup again. Seemed to have good success even with the additional encumberence of a spraydeck after they had done it a couple of times. John Fereira wrote: > > It's not just being underwater that seems to bother people but going under > water while still in the cockpit with a sprayskirt attached. -- ø gabriel l romeu ø http://studiofurniture.com ø http://journalphoto.com ø http://kayakoutfitting.org *************************************************************************** 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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