re: [Paddlewise] teaching rolling

From: Bay and Beyond Sea Kayak Tours <bayandbeyond_at_ozemail.com.au>
Date: Fri, 15 Feb 2002 23:13:59 +1100
Here is a quick summary of some of what I have received back 
regarding teaching rolling. Thanks everybody. If anyone else has 
ideas about teaching rolling to sea kayakers using Euro style paddles 
(ie: not Greenland style) the ideas are welcome.

cheers
Phil

Sid wrote:   Kent Ford has recently released a new video tape called 
the Kayak Roll. He presents a good progression for teaching rolling. 
You can order it from www.performancevideo.com


John wrote: practicing hip flicks - spend a little more time here. 
get parallel to the edge of the pool, grab hold of it.  Put head near 
hands, or  ear in the water.  Then try doing again but try to keep 
the bottom of the boat flat to the water. Once in that position, 
slowly rotate the boat with the hips as far as you can, then rotate 
it back up flat, then bring your head back up.  This isn't really a 
"hip flick" but  it  helps loosen the hips.  This is good for 
beginners who are usually very stiff in the hips.  Slowly rotating 
the boat with the hips gives a better idea of what they're trying to 
accomplish.

Once turning the boat over and back with the hips  progressively move 
the head deeper into the water until able to turn completely upside 
down, holding onto the edge of the pool with one hand (the hand away 
from the edge of the pool), and then hip snap the boat back up.  One 
trick to keep the head coming up last is to look at the bottom of the 
pool until the boat is completely back under you.


  I use the term "check point positions".
The first checkpoint - paddle parallel to the boat on the side 
opposite the side that they'll be coming up. - hold the paddle next 
to the hull until  completely upside down.

The second checkpoint when upside down with  paddle parallel to boat 
check the position by pushing  paddle toward the sky and bending at 
the waist, stretching their side out as much as they can.  (Assuming 
doing to do a  C-to-C roll)

  the third checkpoint is achieved by bringing the paddle 
perpendicular to the boat with the hand that is closest to the boat 
reaching around the bottom as much as they can.  If  blade angle is 
correct the outside blade should remain on the surface.  Slapping the 
surface of the water with the outside blade confirms the third 
checkpoint position.  Now do hip snap and roll up.

When teaching a sweep roll one  common failure when sweeping the 
paddle from parallel to perpendicular is the inability to keep the 
outside blade near the surface due to the angle of the blade.   If 
rolling up on the right, make sure that right wrist is cocked 
forward while sweeping.

paddle floats - Personally, I think they're useful if they're only 
used to demonstrate paddle positions.

  Bill wrote: For books, I suggest the Paul Dutky book  "The Bombproof 
Roll and Beyond".


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Received on Sat Feb 16 2002 - 05:08:05 PST

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