Re: [Paddlewise] Your rolling stories

on 24/1/08 14:12, Mark Sanders at sandmarks_at_ca.rr.com wrote:
> 
> I was wondering, with the list being so quiet, maybe some one out there
> would like to share their tales of unexplained capsizes and rolling
> success!?!

Not unexplained, but here's a couple that were unexpected:

Years ago, while taking a beginner course, we had stopped for lunch and I
had applied more sun screen. On leaving the beach one of the students asked
me something, which I didn't hear so I did a hanging draw to close in to his
kayak.

My hand, slick with sun screen, slid up the vertical paddle shaft and I
dropped straight into the water.

After the world's fastest roll I asked him what he had said, trying to
pretend that nothing out of the ordinary had happened. His strange look
confirmed that it had!

Another time, while being an assessed for a guide's qualification, I had to
rescue a double kayak, while being timed.

I was presented with two paddlers hanging onto their upside down, enormous,
kayak while an assessor floated close by, beady eyes, notebook and stopwatch
ready. Both of the "victims" were also assessors, just to add to the
pressure.

The time started as soon as I made contact with the situation and so I made
visual and verbal contact, etc, glided in on a draw, and ordered them to
assist me to right their beast.

As they helped I reached over and grabbed the deck lines and pulled.

At this point they both stopped helping and let go, part of their role as
cold-effected, my hand slipped on the freshly polished fibreglass and I was
upside down with my paddle floating somewhere in the mess.

Cursing silently (I was upside down!) I found my paddle, orientated and
rolled up, only to do it too fast and go straight over the over side.

Once again I tried, only for the same thing to happen.

Third time, on the same breath, I slowed down and did a textbook sweep roll,
coming up on a low brace.

Looking over I saw three assessors laughing fit to bust, before in a blink
they regained composure and assumed their roles.

I muddled through the rest of the scenario, going well over time.

I passed the course, despite failing this part, as my grace (!) under
pressure was deemed to be significant.

Cheers

JKA

-- 
John Kirk-Anderson
Banks Peninsula
NEW ZEALAND
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