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Sea Kayaks Techniques Bulletin Board
Rolling? The boat fit matters
Posted By: Ray In Response To: Rolling? Does the boat matter? (Craig Bumgarner)
Date: Thursday, 7 September 2000, at 8:30 a.m.
More generally do width, weight, shape and volume effect
: "rollability"? What effect might other design aspects have?Craig,
I'm in the same "boat", ie learning to roll. I have found one very important factor is good fit in the boat, specifically no side movement in the hips, and good grip with the thighs to get the snap to work.
I'm working with two boats, a Mariner I, and a Boreal Ellesmere, both of which are easy rollers, due to good seat fit especially in the Ellesmere which feels moulded to me (yet its very comfortable for two hours at least), plus having a narrow hull, low flat rear deck, and upswept ends. I have tried other narrow hulls but if the seat fit is not snug, its a lot harder.
All else being the same, a wider higher deck boat will be harder, and usually these have loose fit seats, compounding the problem. So, get a snug fit above all else.
Derek Hutchinson's rolling book even suggests a piece of wood wedged across the thighs or knees to help holding on, but I'd make sure you can exit before trying this. His point is clear though. BTW its a good book and very helpful. His land drill excercise really works to build muscle memory and instinct, which easily translates to under water.
I can do an extended Pawlata roll now, and its a lot of fun.
Ray
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