I found the mask better than goggles
I used goggles last year, but they weren’t as clear. This mask is very cool. I could see everything very clearly and that made me feel much better and understand the instructor’s feedback on each attempt, as I was clearly able to see what she was talking about.
Lou
Scull up to grab air?
More air is good - I don’t have great capacity. But if you are really jammed up in the soup, it may be safer to be able to scull up and grab another breath (before initiating another roll attempt) than to rely on a device. The exception would be if doing that will tire you out badly.
In that case, I really think that you’d be ahead with the RollAid BackUp device or equivalent - where you could pull the tab and have a highly effective float in your hands to help get you up. If the situation is serious, being able to get up faster may be a lot more important than making it pretty. Or come out of the cockpit, attach the paddle float then wet re-entry and up with that extra margin of safety assuring getting up.
Could Be
I thought of this idea after attempting (with no success) a re-enter and roll. The instructor told me that there’s plenty of air in the cockpit to last for a while in the event of a wet exit in heavy conditions. When I tried it, I found that I could hang out under there for a while. Maybe there was some air coming in. I would think that the coaming is submerged, ergo no additional air.
Lou
scull up to grab air
>But if you are really jammed up in the soup, it may be safer to be able to scull up and grab another breath (before initiating another roll attempt) than to rely on a device.<
I think if you can scull well enough to get your head above water, you’re already there to roll up with a very mild hip snap. Often times, the exact reason for a failed roll is precisely because the paddle didn’t get enough purchase in the boiling water. That’s not the most ideal environment to scull up for air.
Even the combination of a weak scull and a weak hip snap is good enough to the get the head up to grab some air. With air in the lung, you can do a proper setup AND wait for a better opportunity to execute a roll.
Been done but the manufacturer
was scared about liability issues. If the interior does not stink, go for it! My three year old Seaward shadoe is still heavily outgassing, no way would I breath that unless if was life and death.
Bobbing for air
I was working with a hand rolling student the other day developing increased down time (underwater hang time). We came up with an exercise that had her hang upside down as long as possible exhaling slowly and then she did a two handed dog paddle to lift her head up to the surface for another gulp of air. (A paddlers version of survival bobbing?)
She was able to continue like this for 5 or 6 minutes. Probably could have gone longer but I’m sure it got boring after a while. We thought it might provide an useful alternative to a wet exit if she had trouble rolling. (It might be useful as a way to inflate a paddle float post-capsize?) We also worked on swimming to a support after a capsize instead of a wet exit. Imagine capsizing 15-30 feet from the pool side, leaning straight back and doing a breast-stroke to get to the pool side. You have to turn sideways at the end or the boat will hold you off the edge of the pool.
Like others who have posted, I’m a fan of using all of your senses to learn to roll, vision can be a powerful aid to learning to roll. Regarding nose-plugs: I don’t know anyone that actually enjoys water (fresh or salt) in their sinuses so I consider nose plugs perfectly legitimate for practice. Ultimately, learning to exhale slowly through the nose will keep water from getting into a roller’s sinuses and still afford them a bunch of hang time.
Ultimately rolling is about feel, not vision, so while you are watching things happen with goggles or a face mask, concentrate of the sensations so your body can learn how to move. If it hurts, it wrong. If it’s strenuous, it’s wrong. Rolling with minimal effort and maximum grace is completely possible if you know how to move your body and your boat. All of the top Greenland style rollers understand and use these facts to help them find “their” proper technique. Fortunately for Euro paddlers, the Greenland rollers are so excited when they learn something new that they are eager to share their “discovery”. In the telling there is also learning . . .
Don’t forget ear hygiene. Ears that are constantly wet from frequent rolling practice will promote bacteria growth regardless of how or what you wash regularly. The classic persistent feeling of water in the ear or punky ear-wax is the precursor to full blown otitis. Sport swimmers us a 50/50 mix of white vinegar and isopropyl alcohol. A quick few drops after rolling practice will allow the ears to dry quickly and the acid from the vinegar creates an environment that is not conducive to bacterial growth.
Cheers, keep it fun!
Jed
Do Your Students Wear PFDs?
when practicing the dog paddle and swim maneuver?
I think one of the reasons I like both Judo & Kayaking so much is the technique, the many mechanical pieces that have to come together, and the progression of working from sight to feel. It’s such a refreshing change from office work.
Lou
Yes
My students always where PFD’s. But I have practiced the same stuff with and without a PFD and haven’t noticed significant differences.
Cheers,
Jed
Dog paddling
Amazing how easy this is.
Last practice session I was thinking of things to try - and it occurred to me I’d never done the swim the boat to the paddle thing.
I just flung the paddle about 10 feet away, flopped over, and started dog paddling (breast stroke good too). Amazingly easy!!! About half way to the paddle I noticed I could pop my face up and breath as needed (similar to chest sculling where face is immersed - but you can pop up for air) - so a longer swim would not be a big deal. It’s extra easy to pop up when you reach the paddle and can push down on it. Extra wind at that point helps after swimming exertion - and then you can tuck into setup with full lungs and roll relaxed.
Getting a breath in textured water may be a bit more hit and miss. In that case I’d more like be using the spare to roll up first and then paddle over to retrieve my main paddle.
Anyway - staying in the kayak and swimming with it is another good confidence builder. If this stuff feels like play it comes easy. If it feels like work - relax and work on intermediate steps to build comfort/confidence level.
DragoRossi creek boat has this
built in. The tube draws air from a sealed hatch.
I bought one . .LOL
. . to learn to roll and later for an upside down paddling event.
As it turns out there is a bit of pressure on the lungs when hanging upside down and in water. You’ll need some strong lungs to get the air but it’s there.
Any concerns about air quality are quickly replaced by gratitude for oxygen. Besides, it’s the nose that provides the sense of smell and I’m guessing the nose in this case is blocked off anyway, yeah?
I think I used mine (by Radical Gear?) no more than 6 times. As a rolling learning aide it’s a bit less than optimal. Don’t forget to exhale sharply to purge water from the snorkel!
Cheers,
Jed
Maybe, maybe not
>I think you WILL find that using the mask without closing your eyes will actually impede your progress<
Well, I didn’t find the transition difficult at all. I think I rolled up on the second or third try with my eyes closed.
I learned with my eyes open. I didn’t even know one can roll with eyes closed. A lot of people I talked to said they roll with their eyes open. But then some other people told me they can do it with eyes closed. So I tried and the transition was just a peice of cake.
Same with nose clip. When I took it off, the water did go in. But I can easily block out the discomfort and just concentrate at the job in hand.