Teaching the Roll

I’m fairly new to the Greenland paddle thing. I’m finding it so easy to brace and roll with an extended gp that it feels like I’m cheating.



Any of you instructors use the Greenland to teach first-timers? Seems like it would be a good confidence builder.

GP is cheating
Real men use Euro blades


Hi Rex
It very easy. Assuming the the person can capsize and wetexit, I now teach the standard greenland roll as follows:



–Prep: check outfitting, boat fit, modify if necessary.



–Step 1: sculling, then balance brace

–Step 2: sculling, then balance brace, the scull or balance brace into finish, can add full high brace into finish (ej method)

–Step 3: capsize into setup

–Step 4: capsize into setup into sweep into finish



I’m in the water instructing and spotting either (1) at the coming to help support the paddler arch the back / rotate the kayak away from them or (2) supporting the tip of the paddle during step 4. Most frequent comments: arch your back and push the boat away from you, relax and let yourself breathe.



Using this method, I had someone who failed to learn to roll in 2 years, hit her first roll in 15 minutes the other day.




Very good for it
Anything that builds confidence will facilitate faster learning… Another advantage to an extended GP roll is that you can have the student concentrate on doing the roll as slow as possible. That helps refine technique a lot faster.



And then you can get to the fun rolls!



Wayne

GP users all know this
You discovered something that the originators of the GP discovered hundreds of years ago. Many paddlers get permanently converted to the GP once they roll with it. I always give people a GP to try when I teach rolling. Always works. (I wonder why?)



As far as cheating … you are cheating because you don’t have to twist it back and forth to deny the wind too. You’re also cheating because you always know what the blade end is doing.



Welcome to the club.

There isn’t any cheating
when your learning new techniques like rolling. The greenland paddle can help you learn many techniques that will allow to learn others. The nice part is that many of these greenalnd paddle techniques can be transfered over to other types of paddles once they are developed. It’s amazing to see the reactions of people who have been struggling trying to learn to roll with a euro paddle and with the proper instructions can be rolling in 15 minutes with a greenland paddle.

Thanks
Thank you, John and Bill, for introducing me to the GP.

Yes!
The paddle never dives! Can’t help but keep it at the right angle.