the FOLBOT roll…
I’ll trade this for a Khats…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8jsjxVRu-4c
19 seconds…
The Roll is in You, not the Kayak
The most difficult things to learn in learning to roll:
-Staying calm and suppressing any panic while pinned upside-down underwater
-Doing something physical without breathing
-Orientating yourself upside-down in water
-Learning to use the core to power to roll, and not relying on pulling yourself up with your arms
-Keeping your head underwater until you’re most of the way up
-Co-ordinating and timing movements of legs, core, torso, and arms
These skills are transferable from roll to roll. As the instructor said, the best roll to learn first is the roll you can learn easiest. That depends on body type, flexibility, personal quirks, etc, so there’s no point in getting religious about which roll is best.
Ultimately we should all learn a number of rolls, so we can roll successfully in any situation. Real condition rolls are rarely the ideal form we practice in the pool.
I’m a sea kayaker, and learned to roll in a WW kayak. Once I had a solid roll I tried in a large sea kayak, and nailed 10 in a row. No harder at all, but the boat moves a bit slower, so your movements need to be a bit slower. After that I tried with a GP - again nailed 10 in a row. It’s not the kayak or the paddle , but that paddler that makes the roll successful.
Next I want to start learning different rolling variations.
At first I worked on learning to roll as a safety skill, now I see rolling as a fun and challenging physical activity on its own. I can’t wait for my pool session each week. I can see how ppl get so into Greenland rolling.
Whatever boat or technique you use, just get out and have fun rolling!!