RE: [Paddlewise] Roll-aid

Same comments I posted on Buzz, for the same question posted by Ingrid:

Way more fun than dying of hypothermia.
I met a paddler a few years ago at Morro Bay who had one. The guy had an
exceptionally smooth and effortless sweep role. He told me he had missed a
practice roll one day on a solo paddle in open water and used device.
Apparently, it worked well for him. He practiced rolling constantly (why he
was so good at it), but viewed this device as a useful emergency backup for
solo paddles.

A couple of observations:
A viewing of the photo sequence reveals that the tester does a very good job
of keeping his head in the water (head dink) until the boat is up and is
therefore probably an excellent roller. For someone who doesn't roll this
will not come easily or naturally. By the time it does, you will be able to
roll with your paddle.
If you don't use it with one hand, you loose your paddle. IMO the chances of
a non-roller using this successfully with one hand is very low. Most
non-rollers have a lot of difficulty with Eskimo rescues and the motion is
very similar.

Before buying, why not try it with and inflated paddle float to get the feel
for it? I have heard of some people carrying an inflated paddle float (or
foam PF) on their deck in rough water just for this purpose.

Steve Brown

-----Original Message-----

Has anyone tried this product and/or heard good things about this
righting aid that lets you recover from a capsize without leaving the
boat? This CO2 powered can also be used a paddle float. It costs $123
and extra cartridges are $12.50. Check it out at: www.roll-aid.com.
Thanks for your feedback, June _
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