I have been kayaking for around 12 months in a Wilderness Rec and just purchased my first Touring Kayak (17' Wilderness). I really want to practice rolls in a place I can focus and be fully relaxed underwater to start. I would prefer a swimming pool as I have seen in many training videos. Does anyone in the Dallas / Fort Worth area know of a pool where this can be done? There does not seem to be a lot of training in this area for people wanting to get serious about kayaking.
Thanks for any advice!
Look into local clubs
Look into local kayak clubs. What ours does here is rents out the local pool for 90 minutes and each pays their share. Unfortunately we only do it in the winter to get us through and they are done for the season, which means some chilly 48-degree water rolls yesterday haha.
In DFW
There’s a few places right now that will do rescue classes and intro. I’ve emailed a few and they do their training out in Whiterock lake and in lake lewisville. Just got myself a Jackson Journey a couple of weeks ago.
Go outside by now
The pools are mostly useful in areas like the northeast and around the Great Lakes, where the water in winter is way too cold to think about learning to roll. If most of us who use pools could do it in nice water outside we would.
Once the water starts warming up, wowrking outside is fine. You just may need something like a wet suit to be comfortable earlier in the season.
I am starting to do kayak
Support for the tri-group my wife is part of. They are swimming ion lighter Wet suits. Many are sleeveless. It’s getting to be warm here pretty soon. I think it was 91°f yesterday…before the storms rolled in.