: just amazed that you had soo much trouble with your spray deck.
Me, too. That's why I would like to remeasure Andy's boat and, if he'd permit it, try sitting in his Spyder again (on land) and releasing my skirt. No doubt I got worked. No doubt I panicked, but only after I couldn't get the skirt to release. Was my failure to release the skirt due to sloppy technique? Too much force required for my strength? Or what combination of the two? I'm sure you understand why I'd like to know this for certain.
Glad you can repair the boat. Poor Andy! Good thing he's soo laid back.
: Sure are a lot of swimmers at those gatherings of ACA guys etc!!! 
Yes, there were, including my survival swim, but I'm happy to see it because that's what it takes to truly develop (and maintain) a combat roll. No amount of flat water practice will do it. Never in a million years.
That's why I think rivers are such a great place to work on your combat roll. If you can learn to roll up when you're exhausted, flipped over with a half a breath, banged in the helmet by rocks, held under by strong eddies, knowing that you're just about to drop into a nasty hole or off a waterfall... then you can feel fairly confident in your ability to roll under pressure. And even then, you're not immune from an occasional swim. It WILL happen... given the right set of circumstances. (I even saw Alex swim once, but it was because he ran Englishmen River Falls with too much water. I've still got the pictures.)
Anyhow, that's what I love about this sport... it ain't easy. Cheers! John
