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How To Techniques Learning to Roll
How To Techniques Learning to Roll
| Learning to Roll |
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| Written by Kent Ford |
| Monday, 01 January 2001 02:37 |
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Concepts that ease the learning curve Whether you're in a sea kayak or a playboat, a roll is the most reliable way to recover from a capsize. And even if you already have one, you can always make it better. Working on it is also excellent practice for maintaining balance and boat control. The objective is to get the boat right side up, so your body can follow. The key is doing this with very little support from the paddle. Minimizing paddle involvement depends on a good hip snap, the torso, and knee motion that rights the boat. To roll, you'll need your torso working independently of your lower body. This motion has to be well refined before you do anything with the paddle. The best way to learn is with an instructor helping you with the motion, in the warmth and comfort of a swimming pool. Your instructor will stand waist deep in the water, and support your head and torso at water level. Practice rotating the boat through the full range of motion. With your torso suspended near the surface, only one knee does the work of righting the boat. Your other knee relaxes, barely even touching the deck. If you're hanging onto the boat with both knees, you defeat the hip action, and the entire motion will feel strained. It is possible to practice rotating the boat through this motion by holding onto the side of the pool. But this isn't as good as having an instructor who can force you to use the correct muscles by supporting your head and leaving your arms crossed across your chest. The problem: every student has the natural tendency to use his or her arms to help right the boat. This contradicts the motion that you're trying to learn. Instead, keep your torso weight floating near the surface and rotate the boat up with your hips, knees and torso. When you've demonstrated a smooth hip snap, get started with the paddle (it’s helpful to have a swim mask and noseplugs for this part). First get into the set-up position: this is a protected, forward tucked position, with the paddle held on the water along one side of the boat. From the set-up, you’ll flip, and wait until your boat settles upside down. Once you're upside down, move the working blade in an arc near the surface. Keep the blade near the surface by leaving the tuck position, and rolling your torso and working blade out to the side. As you start this motion, minimize the force on the blade and bring the boat up with your hip snap. Pulling down on the paddle and lifting your head to breathe are the most common mistakes. If your head goes up for air, the boat stays upside down. Finally, finish your roll in a safe position. To avoid injury, keep the paddle shaft low and in front of your shoulders. Use smooth finesse rather than power. Paddlers can be quite passionate about their own way of rolling, so don't let different explanations confuse you. Quality rolls have a lot in common. Rolling is a weird, counterintuitive motion, so don't worry if it takes a while to learn. --Contributing editor Kent Ford is the author, host and lead instructor in several instructional videos, including: Performance Sea Kayaking, and The Kayaker’s Edge. Find more tips at www.performancevideo.com. Originally Published, Paddler January-February 2001 |
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