Sea Kayaks Techniques Bulletin Board

The "best roll?? . . .depends on the situation

Posted By: Jed
Date: Wednesday, 15 November 2000, at 11:53 a.m.

In Response To: Which roll ? (risto lappalainen)

: But I wonder, is it worth while asking the question: "what roll for a
: particular situation?". And to narrow it down a bit, I'd like to ask:
: "how should one roll a sea-kayak loaded with 2 weeks' supplies, below
: and on deck, after a non-voluntary capsize".

Hi all, again !!?!!         ;-)

Short answer (from a non-expert):

Use whatever roll has as it's starting position, whatever position you find yourself in when you first realize you've capsized. The "Best" roll for any particular situation is the one the rights your boat with the least expenditure of energy and time.

Long answer (from a late-to-rolling roller):

As Greg said, the weight of the gear is less of a problem than the bulk of the gear stored top-side. A heavily laden boat will accelerate and roll more slowly and so would indicate a strong and slow roll. A boat with a bunch of stuff stored top-side may not completely capsize and might best be righted with a scull to a hip-snap on the high-side. Those with a one-sided roll will be at a disadvantage here since they will often set-up for the roll just before capsize, only to be frustrated when the boat stops rotating and leaves your hands and paddle below the water line. But all is not lost, you can still scull to the surface based on whichever side your paddle is on and then hip-snap up.

These days if I cannot save myself from a capsize I often sweep whichever paddle blade is in the water towards the bow as my head hits the water. Then I do either a half-roll or, more commonly, a very deep high brace to right the boat. It's not as pretty as a roll, but it eliminates the problem of stalling part-way through the roll and having your paddle too deep for the normal set-up.

This could go on and on though since it's also possible to perform a deep paddle roll when the boat stalls partway through the capsize. Bottom line is that there are so many ways to right a boat that the more techniques you know the easier it will be to deal with the unexpected. Significant practice will make even rarely used rolls so reliable that there is no time lost determining which roll to use. Further, mastery of the plethora of possible rolls will eventually lead you to discover that all of the hard and fast rules regarding set-up and timing for a particular roll are situational truths at best. You may even find yourself inventing rolls, in combat, all from an instinctive response to being inverted with your air supply 180° away. Or you may find that the one second delay required to set-up for your favorite roll is not too high a price to pay for simplicity.

The possession of one, very reliable roll, will put you in the 90th percentile of kayakers. Add the offside and you are probably in the 95th percentile. Add as many trick, back deck, forward leaning and hand rolls as you can find desciptions for and your find your self in the 99th percentile of rollers. Some people almost approach rolling as a seperate sport. All of these other rolls are not neccessary skills any more than rolling itself is required for safe paddling. But they sure are a lot of fun, build confidence and enhance many people's enjoyment of the sport.

As Derek the Great has said: "To be able to roll is a measure of success. To need to roll is a measure of failure."

As Jed the Opinionated has said: "Friends don't let friends swim!"

Whatever truths you find, enjoy yourself, honor your craft and respect the sea.

Messages In This Thread

Less is More When Rolling.
Ian Johnston -- Monday, 13 November 2000, at 8:19 p.m.

wel,.... more or less.....
Jed -- Monday, 13 November 2000, at 9:43 p.m.

What Jed said
Wayne Smith -- Tuesday, 14 November 2000, at 8:41 a.m.

Re: What Jed said
M. Hamilton -- Tuesday, 14 November 2000, at 3:12 p.m.

Re: What Jed said
Ian Johnston -- Tuesday, 14 November 2000, at 10:15 p.m.

Re: What Jed said
M. Hamilton -- Wednesday, 15 November 2000, at 12:09 a.m.

Re: Rolling Unnecessary!
Ian Johnston -- Wednesday, 15 November 2000, at 1:43 a.m.

Re: Rolling Unnecessary!
Brian Nystrom -- Wednesday, 15 November 2000, at 12:09 p.m.

Re: Rolling Unnecessary!
Ian Johnston -- Thursday, 16 November 2000, at 3:43 a.m.

Re: Rolling Unnecessary!
Brian Nystrom -- Thursday, 16 November 2000, at 12:38 p.m.

Re: Rolling Unnecessary!
Robert Woodard -- Friday, 17 November 2000, at 7:02 a.m.

Re: Rolling Unnecessary!
Brian Nystrom -- Friday, 17 November 2000, at 2:15 p.m.

Re: Rolling Unnecessary!
Rod Estvan -- Saturday, 18 November 2000, at 9:14 a.m.

Re: Uneducated!
Ian Johnston -- Saturday, 18 November 2000, at 8:06 p.m.

Re: Uneducated!
mike M -- Sunday, 19 November 2000, at 12:43 p.m.

There is room on the sea for all of us.
Jed -- Sunday, 19 November 2000, at 1:50 p.m.

Re: There is room on the sea for all of us.
mike M -- Sunday, 19 November 2000, at 6:29 p.m.

Re: You Already Have It!
Ian Johnston -- Sunday, 19 November 2000, at 6:56 p.m.

Re: You Already Have It!
M. Hamilton -- Sunday, 19 November 2000, at 9:37 p.m.

Re: There is room on the sea for all of us.
FBC -- Monday, 20 November 2000, at 8:25 p.m.

Re: There is room on the sea for all of us.
M. Hamilton -- Tuesday, 21 November 2000, at 1:34 a.m.

Re: There is room on the sea for all of us.
FBC -- Wednesday, 22 November 2000, at 6:28 p.m.

Re: You Are Alone Out There!
Ian Johnston -- Tuesday, 21 November 2000, at 2:04 a.m.

Not entirely
Brian Nystrom -- Tuesday, 21 November 2000, at 3:02 p.m.

Re: You Are Alone Out There!
Robert Woodard -- Wednesday, 22 November 2000, at 7:10 a.m.

Re: You Are Alone Out There!
Robert Woodard -- Wednesday, 22 November 2000, at 2:02 p.m.

Re: You Are Alone Out There!
FBC -- Wednesday, 22 November 2000, at 7:37 p.m.

Beliefs
Carl Tjerandsen -- Sunday, 19 November 2000, at 8:02 p.m.

Re: Beliefs
mike M -- Sunday, 19 November 2000, at 10:10 p.m.

Re: Beliefs
M. Hamilton -- Monday, 20 November 2000, at 10:42 a.m.

Re: Uneducated!
BERT -- Monday, 20 November 2000, at 7:54 a.m.

Re: What Jed said
Wayne Smith -- Wednesday, 15 November 2000, at 6:35 a.m.

Which roll ?
risto lappalainen -- Wednesday, 15 November 2000, at 8:55 a.m.

Re: Which roll ?
Greg Stamer -- Wednesday, 15 November 2000, at 10:20 a.m.

The "best roll?? . . .depends on the situation
Jed -- Wednesday, 15 November 2000, at 11:53 a.m.

Re: Uh oh--here we go again!!
Shawn Baker -- Wednesday, 15 November 2000, at 3:43 p.m.

thanks
risto -- Thursday, 16 November 2000, at 10:31 a.m.

Karate - defense
mike allen ---> -- Wednesday, 15 November 2000, at 2:17 p.m.

Re: Karate - defense
M. Hamilton -- Wednesday, 15 November 2000, at 9:51 p.m.

Re: Karate - defense
Shawn Baker -- Thursday, 16 November 2000, at 1:37 p.m.

Inside joke,...please excuse
Jed -- Thursday, 16 November 2000, at 5:43 p.m.

Re: Inside joke...nothing more
Shawn Baker -- Thursday, 16 November 2000, at 6:02 p.m.

Re: Inside joke...nothing more
M. Hamilton -- Thursday, 16 November 2000, at 7:06 p.m.

Re: Typing under the influence of microbrews
Shawn Baker -- Friday, 17 November 2000, at 1:32 p.m.

Re: Inside joke...nothing more
FBC -- Saturday, 18 November 2000, at 12:07 a.m.

Re: Karate - defense
Ian Johnston -- Thursday, 16 November 2000, at 3:32 a.m.

I misunderstood you point
mike allen ---> -- Thursday, 16 November 2000, at 12:53 p.m.

Re: Less is More When Rolling.
Don Beale -- Thursday, 16 November 2000, at 3:04 p.m.

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