Anybody know if you can roll an OT Sport Rush (9.6 foot)? The cockpit is 19" by 38". I was looking for a cheap screw around boat I can roll, but most rec yaks have the huge cockpit that makes it impossible. None of the reviews of this yak mention rolling.
Thanks!
Lngshadow can do it faster & smoother…
Than any of the boats he has…
Yes, you can do it. Yes, it is a fun boat. I bought one for Country Girl when we were together. Have been thinking about getting one for mysself. They are only $300 or so. I think I paid $350 for the first one I bought.
Paddle easy,
Coffee
Just get a used dancer
– Last Updated: May-21-05 10:52 PM EST –
or other old school ww boat. Yes you can roll almost anything, but I would not want to learn a roll in a rush. Can you roll well already? Well if you are kayak surfing maybe so.
yeah an old WW kayak
you can pick them up cheap and they roll great.
Don’t Get A Boat Just For "Rolling…"
get a boat that you want to use that can also be “rolled.” If the OT fits the bill, since Coffee and Longshadow said the boat can be rolled, then it is a better bet for the money than some old ww boat (unless you are looking to do white water specifically).
The cockpit coaming size is a larger size of some white water and touring boats but not overly large. What you may need to do is to outfit with foam the hip and knee areas to ensure contact. This makes a big difference for someone just learning to roll.
sing
Outfitting
My buddy paddled my Rush around(his first time in a yak) and managed to roll it after about 30 seconds on the water. He only made it half way though. So, I knew then that the boat could be rolled - over at least . 
On the padding issue: Where can I buy the padding that I need, and how do I secure it into the boat? Do I need to use some kind of moulded braces for the thigh padding? I’ve done some studying on different roll techniques, and wouldn’t mind putting the boat into a pool and seeing what happens. Wish me luck.
Is bracing for your thighs the most important part?
Zippo
Most Kayak Shops
will carry aftermarket thigh braces that you can screw into the coaming if thigh braces are lacking. Bring the boat along so you can see which brace works best.
Padding is usually minicell foam shaped to desired thickness and contour around the hips and under the thigh braces.
Connection to thigh braces and hips are important to transfer energy to the hull to do the roll. Doing a C2C roll, the back band is slightly important. Doing a sweep lay back roll, the back band needs to be low and out of the way to being able to lie on the back deck.
sing
For the record,
I have not been successful in rolling a Rush yet. Anybody can roll a boat 180 degrees; I got it about 300 degrees. The only difference between them is I got about five breaths before giving up (five attempts on one roll). It is definitely rollable though. If your serious about it, you’ll need to find something to plug the deck cord holes, and maybe even fill those deck ridges with foam. Also, see this thread:
http://www.paddling.net/message/showThread.html?fid=advice&tid=314942
I see you like WW and surf by your profile; what are you paddling now?
Jim
Back band
Well, then maybe I’ll pick up a used WW boat. The seat back on the Rush is higher than most WW boats that I’ve seen, and being able to lay on the back deck is all but impossible.
Zippo
More like 335-340 degrees…
All you needed was another little “umphhh”. I bet if you had one of those fancy paddles with the curved tips & bent shaft …lol… You would’ve had it.
Paddle easy,
Coffee
Or maybe a little more lead in my arse!
Ballast, ya know.