I paddle a Booster 55
Among other boats. It is actually relatively easy to roll. But it requires that you delay your highest burst of energy during the roll. Think about some pro tennis players who grunt when they hit the ball. They swing and then add a little burst of energy just before contact with the ball (that is what the grunt is about). The analogy to rolling is that if you put a burst of energy at the beginning your effort will naturally tail off for the rest of the roll. In a boat with flat sides that will kill your roll. I suggest to students that they practice saying “wooooooooooooOOOOF!” as they roll. That helps locate the energy burst later in the sequence. The change is dramatic.
My biggest struggle
was that I was trying to punch down with the paddle vs. stay high on th surface of the water and use my torso. I found that can muscle my head above the water, but just barely. Interesting comment of Cecilia’s regarding cockpit fit. I think I’m in there fairly snug, but I need to give it another go and really feel where my butt and thighs are. I guess the real question is: Can I learn this alone? Seems like some have, but it also seems that many have chosen instruction to ensure proper technique.
Dont’ Be Discouraged
I learned to roll in planning Hull Necky Jive (fairly easy to roll I think) and when I swithced to a Mike Johnson surf kayak, the difference in hull shape made it really hard to roll, very similar to a waveski. The person who taught me to roll in the first place suggested I stop trying the C to C or ordinary sweep and do an exagerated layback sweep roll with extended paddle … and foop I came right up. I think it helps if you have a good instructor that can tell what you are doing wrong. Lot’s of free advice here, but the advice about delaying the active hip snap may help. And although I’m not sure how to visualize it and describe the unwinding of the body … its is more of a strong torso rotation than a snapping of the hips, but in driving the knee the hips are very active and practicing flipping the boat just using the knee and hips really hard and fast on the side of the pool helped me the most.
as with many people with large torsos
the problem may be that you are not getting your torso contorted towards the deck, and you probably aren’t getting your body close enough to the surface. If i had to take a guess without watching you.
Hip flick is also a serious part of a lot of rolls. You have to be able to bring the boat back under you almost completely with your body before doing your sweep and brace.
But this is all guess work without seeing you do it.
I would work on high bracing or sculling to work towards having a better hipsnap. You can scull or high brace and then practice your hipsnap.
KJW
Locating an Instructor
While I’ve captured your attention, I might as well ask if anyone has recommendations for a good roll instructor in the Seattle area. I’d be willing to go down to Oregon, but would much prefer to stay in the Seattle area with a reputable instructor.
where in seattle?
if you are willing to do a bit of travel
why not learn from some of the best kayaking nuts in the world:
http://bodyboatblade.com
they are in the orca’s
Go for the instructor
There are people out there who can learn by watching a video and practicing, there are some who will walk into a kayak rolling class and be doing 360 degree rolls by the end of their first one. (My first class had one like that.) I try to resist jealousy…
Talking sea kayaking, I’d guess these fast starters are very much in the minority. While many who have posted on this thread would make it look very easy, there are probably at least five kayakers for each person posting here that gave up after having had more bad starts than you.
An instructor can be hugely helpful in two ways. The first is that they can spot places where you are doing something wrong better than you can, the other is that they have experience in providing partial support thru the motion so that you can focus on learning the pieces rather than worry about cascading problems.
There’ll be a time for you to go out and mess around on your own, but first you have to get the motion into your body and your head relaxed enough about it so you can feel when and where to fix something.
For what it’s worth, you’ll likely hit that a lot sooner than I did. To get to the successful pool session I had last Wednesday, it only took 6 instructors in two pools and three ponds over about 3 years. Also two boats, to get to one that is super forgiving and tight. Granted a lot of that time was whittling away at claustrophobia, but regardless it’s been an unusually long haul. You are likely to go a lot faster.
thanks for the encouragement!
Of course, knowing the Booster is relatively easy to roll - I’m not sure if that makes me hopeful that I’ll get it, or depressed that I haven’t gotten it yet!
Yes - that RPM covers a multitude of sins when it comes to rolling. Even when I knew some part of my form was off, I was still rolling up. The Booster’s not so forgiving. I’ll have to look into that whole timing issue thing. With any luck I’ll get some instructor pointers again in the next month or so.
Hey - it’s a process, it’s a journey. It’s all good.
Cheers,
Lupe
Seattle Pool Sessions
The Washington Kayak Club sponsors pool sessions throughout the greater Seattle area. Although the club doesn’t provide formal rolling instruction at the pool sessions, there are usually experienced paddlers willing to help if you ask. Check with the pool session coordinators listed on the club web site for more information.
http://www.washingtonkayakclub.org/
Yea…
you can learn it alone. I and others here have done that. It helps to have good kinetic body awareness though…
An instructor will definitely shorten the learning curve and shortcut the development of bad habits. If you’re muscling your head up, you are already do something wrong and that can be ingrained as a bad habit if you keep at it the same way. If roll right, you don’t even think of bringing the head up. I comes up last and it is effortless.
Aside from an instructor, you can also find someone who knows how to roll and have him/her spot you to to give you feedback. That also speeds up the process. I am not an instructor but have spotted and coached more than several folks to a roll (I don’t even know the count anymore).
Whatever you choose, don’t give up on learning the roll. It’s a basic as well as “gateway” skill that opens and speeds up your skills development in other areas.
sing
Seattle
For some folks who live in area without a lot of outfitters/clubs, learning to roll on their own maybe neccessarily the only way to start. But for someone living in area with a lot of clubs and outfitters, I think an instructor will save you a lot of time. If money is an issue, join a club and they’re bound to have pool sessions you can participate. You can easily enlist helps of others in the pratice. A.K.A. volunteer instructors!
Another thing about rolling, if you haven’t figure that one out on your own: it’s NOT about bringing the body up, it’s about ROTATING the boat 180 degree while your body stay in the water (supported by the water). Only AFTER the boat is mostly right side up that you bring your body upright.
Thanks
again everyone for your help. I will let you when I get my roll nailed. Just to summarize what everyone has said, I should keep my hips rigid, brace with both thighs at all times and use everyone ounce of energy I have so I can muscle my head up first - then my body will follow. Excuse the humor…I got some great tips here and they are, of course, not as I just described!!
Try using a paddle float
It’s just like a set of training wheels. It forces your sweep to follow the correct arc whilst you concentrate on your hip snap. You can gradually deflate the paddle float with each subsequent turn until it is empty, at which time you will have arrived. I did this last weekend in the pool and it was the missing ingredient.