RE: [Paddlewise] snippings/suggestions

Rob wrote:  
 
> I have a hard time reading a book and then going out and 
> repeating a skill.  

Darryl,

Like Rob, I find it hard to read a book and then know the skill. I also had
a difficult time learning to roll. I had friends try to teach me, took some
pool sessions in a ww boat, but nothing really worked until I got some first
class instruction.

Wayne Horodowich took pity on me and taught me to roll my sea kayak in about
an hour. After I bought a new boat I found that my roll went south so to
speak, and unfortunately, Wayne moved to Seattle.

The kayak shop where I bought my new boat, supports our local club by
offering classes at a discounted rate and the club chips in a rebate as
well. The owner of the shop, Jen Kleck, offered to do a rolling session
after one of her classes and I inquired if I could just enroll in the
rolling help. I don't get to Aqua-Adventures frequently, because it is about
200 miles away from where I live.

Jen told me that the class was full, but that if I would just show up, she
would give me 10 minutes after the class ended and I'd have my roll back.
She was right.

While friends had been telling me slow my sweep down, stop diving the blade,
etc, nothing was working. Jen told me to speed up my sweep and corrected a
problem I had with my left wrist position. All of a sudden, my roll is back
and consistently works now.

I can't emphasize enough the need to find a GOOD instructor. You need
someone who really knows how to teach. The roll is really easy, once you get
the hang of it - but everything seems wrong at first.

Good luck,

Steve Holtzman
Southern Calif.
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