Interesting to observe that they’re all on the left side. Is this common for single blade, open boat or just a coincidence? In the first two it looks like you were trying to brace upstream, which rarely ends well. I’m not a canoe guy, but can’t help from wondering if you’d have rolled right back up holding that position, given some thigh straps to keep you in the boat.
I wish there were some nice, safe moving water play spots near me for stuff like this. But alas, I only have a huge lake.
Double bladed paddlers have a big advantage over single bladed paddlers when either bow surfing or side surfing. When a canoe or C-1 with a paddler using a single blade turns to a side-surfing position with the on-side upstream, it is much harder to exit the hole or turn back to a bow surfing position.
You are correct in that strokes and braces taken on the upstream side of a hole or hydraulic are usually ineffective, and can be quite dangerous in a shallow feature, since they can lead to a shoulder injury if the paddler does not quickly tuck The water pouring over into the hole provides no support and quickly submerges the paddle. The best move is to switch to cross strokes, or even switch paddling sides if you have time (which you usually don’t). But the cross-high brace and effective forward and reverse cross strokes are not all that easy to execute when balancing in a side surf.
I’m quite sure Erik had thigh straps in those boats (I can see them in the second and third upsets) but they do not hold you into an open boat as effectively as thigh braces and hip pads do in a decked boat. Yes, it is possible to capsize upstream, tuck, and window shade back up in an open boat, but an open boat usually fills up with enough water that it washes out of the hole before you are back up.
@Sparky961 said:
Interesting to observe that they’re all on the left side. Is this common for single blade, open boat or just a coincidence?
I’m pretty much a dedicated lefty paddler. Other than sit and switch flatwater paddling, or tandem paddling with with other lefty partner, I almost never switch sides - meaning I’ll do a cross forward on the right side of the boat (my offside) rather than switching the paddle to the right side. For whitewater paddlers it is pretty typical to have a dominant side.
In the first two it looks like you were trying to brace upstream, which rarely ends well.
Nope - never ends well, and I do it all the time. I try to go into the hole with the paddle on the downstream side, but it doesn’t alway work that way. When I go in with the paddle on the upstream side I should really switch sides quickly rather than trying to tough it out, but I never do…
I’m not a canoe guy, but can’t help from wondering if you’d have rolled right back up holding that position, given some thigh straps to keep you in the boat.
The boat has thigh straps and foot pegs, so rolling is possible - just not by me. Even for someone without a roll, straps and pegs keep you connected to the boat which makes paddle strokes and bracing more effective (not that I showed good bracing skills in this video).
Well, I’m glad all you guys with one blade and an open boat enjoy what you do. I’m firmly entrenched in the double blade and decked boat. 
Call it cheating if it makes you feel better. 
@Sparky961 said:
Well, I’m glad all you guys with one blade and an open boat enjoy what you do. I’m firmly entrenched in the double blade and decked boat.
Nah, it’s all good. I do both but prefer to be in a canoe in white water.
Here is an old video of capsizing fun. Or as the saying goes, “let the good times roll.” (The “fun” starts around the 3 minute mark.)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVbibCf4Xhg
sing
Impressive rotation. Noticed a white strap across your (?) lap. Does it have a quick release in the event a roll fails or you get smushed into the shallows?
@eckilson said:
Three swims at the same spot in three different years - maybe it’s no longer accidental if you know it going to happen - like going into a hole with the paddle on the upstream side. I do it all the time…
Playing in the surf often ends in a roll, swimm, or Charlie Brown on the Mound configuration. This does not count as an accident.
Impressive rotation. Noticed a white strap across your (?) lap. Does it have a quick release in the event a roll fails or you get smushed into the shallows?
Yes. Lap belt with quick release buckle. There are two types of buckle being used for waveskis. For owners of multiple waveskis, make sure to use the same buckle type, with release lever oriented in the same direction, and to practice releases periodically (even those with good rolling skills). I learned this the hard way, upside down, getting trashed against a rock jetty while trying for a release with the buckle oriented in a different direction than my usual setup. (Fun time, as long as long as you don’t die.)
sing