Sea Kayaks Techniques Bulletin Board

There is room on the sea for all of us.

Posted By: Jed
Date: Sunday, 19 November 2000, at 1:50 p.m.

In Response To: Re: Uneducated! (mike M)

Hi Mike,

I'd like to take a stab at this since I have some differences with the recent tone of this thread. Firstly It is not true that one must have a roll be become a considered a competant kayaker. It is possible to perform a self-rescue via other methods. In addition the conditions that people choose to paddle in are an important part of the equation.

: I realized a long time ago that I would never learn to roll,and even if I
: could roll I could never depend upon it so I have never even thought of
: practicing this technique.

: So, what do I do? (Note: I usually go out solo). Although I normally stay
: away from rough seas, and try to stay no more than two miles from land, I
: always bring sponsons with me, lashed to the deck, and a dual chamber
: paddle float. This will get me back in the boat. I also carry a strobe
: light, cell phone, spare paddle, a very loud whistle, etc.

I wonder why you say that you could never learn to roll. I learned to roll 10 months after I started paddling at the age of 43. I was then and am still a 6'1" 240# out-of-shape guy with overly tight hamstrings and hips. I quite literally learned to roll before I knew how to paddle. I took my first lesson just after I learned to roll and had to perform my first combat roll at that lesson. The conditions weren't rough, I just was so poorly balanced that I could not stay upright in a 21.5" beamed boat.

Rolling is not difficult to perform even though it can by a challenge to learn. Being an expert roller and being an expert paddler are two completely different things. Being one does not make you the other. So if you don't want to learn to roll, that's OK. But please practice your self rescues so that you will be around when I finally get to Florida. I will be looking for paddling partners there someday.

Could you share with us why you think you could never learn to roll? I have worked with several older / stiffer / larger paddlers that took a while but eventually did learn to roll, and they are very proud of their new skill. I personally believe that while having a roll doesn't automatically make you a better paddler, the ability to self-rescue quickly and easily does afford a student the opportunity to learn more easily and more quickly those skills that are normally considered more advanced.

The confidence that comes with a reliable roll will allow a paddler to experience conditions closer to their limits more safely. You may decide not to push yourself into rougher conditions, maybe you will just be more confident and more relaxed in the conditions that you paddle now. But you may find that you have greatly enhance your paddle experience by having another tool available for self rescue. Rolling is and will always be the prefered self-rescue because of it's simplicity, lack of additional equipment and speed of exocution. Rolling is simply the ultimate self-rescue.

I look forward to your comments and thoughts.

Jed Luby

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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