C-Forum

hi
i have been lent a spanish fly after paddling a very long candian canoe
and i wont to learn how to roll the spanish fly
the thing is that the only person that rolls one in the pool has only ever done it once
also i have never done kayaking
how do i roll a OC1

First, I'd recommend looking for books and videos like "Thrill of the Paddle" by P. Mason and M. Scriver (book) and "Solo Playboating" by Kent Ford (video) - these will also help with lots of other form & stroke info that's probably more important than rolling.

There may also be some info and even video if you search this site and the Internet for existing threads. Canoe clubs may have such links, or even classes.

Shouldn't matter much that you haven't kayaked - but how's your low brace from the bigger canoe??

Good luck, Pat.

Question - where are you located? Someone else may be near that can help you.
Also there are some online videos out there and here is one site I think is still out there (its blocked at work so I can tell).
members.lycos.co.uk/canadianrivers/id19.htm
If that doesn't work post again and I can zip the file off to you!
PS: Don't get frustrated if you don't get it quickly - it will come!

The videos worked for me, as long as I righ-clicked and opened them in a new window, and they took a while to load. I don't have speakers, so don't know if they talked through it - but, without instruction those clips probably won't be much help, especially because they were flipping to their offside. It's more intuitive for someone just learning to tip and roll up all to the onside.

P.

A man that paddles a SF showed me how he had cut some holes into the foam saddle between the knees and feet that allows the water to go from side to side. He explained that this had really benefited his ability to consistantly roll the boat. He used PVC pipe, 3-3.5 " with one end sharped to cut in to the foam. You want the pipe flush with the foam. He had two holes and intended to cut a third.

Chuck

You may also want to think about learning to roll in a C1 first then working on OC. I found it alot eaiser to learn the mechanics in a C! without having to wory about the timing and finishing sweep in an OC.

just my $.02

hi
my low braces on big canoes are good, i can get the side right down to the water
i live in nottingham and the pool sessions are at ken martin swimming pool
theres no classes i dont think
but thats what we use the pool foe
look at it in to books
the other problem is that i dont have a C1 to use
only a OC1 and i dont think the person wonts me to put pipe bits in his saddle
i have also got it hard as he doesnt have strapes, he only has the blocks at the front og the boat(too far forward for me as i am only small)
thanks alot
grinner

I've never been in a spanish fly but I would think the principle of being fixed into the canoe is the same as with my prelude.

If you don't fit in well, If your not part of the boat then you have no control. If the owner of the canoe is not willing to have the outfitting changed to suit you then to boat is useless to you. Don't waste your time, give it back.

If your first thought on getting into a canoe is how can I roll it then you fell over too soon and you should be thinking how do I paddle this? If you are a loose fit you will always fall over and the roll will never happen.

Sandie

hi
i have been paddling canoes for about a year
i have learnt the most of the strokes i need and been taught when to use them
i dont wont to give it back as i enjoy paddling it and its the only freestyle boat that i can use
the only other boats are very long with no air bags
but i can push my knees to the side and dangle there for a bit
but hopefully when i can get on to white water i will have my own boat
but hopefully i shud be able to learn to roll in it
if not then i am very much scrud untill i have my own boat

i have been paddling canoes for about 4-6 years(mostly tandem), and i only last year began to try to learn a roll, so i agree with what sandie said on both accounts the outfitting, and the paddling, if youre not connected you also lose the maneuvering abilities of the boat as well.
-isaac

It may be possible to add foam that will hold you in the boat, without changing the existing outfitting. When you give the boat back to its owner, you can remove the temporary outfitting. I agree that it is probably best to not horse around with your roll until you improve the outfitting.

If you have a decent low brace, try this once you are better connected to the boat: during a low brace, rotate your shoulders and tip the boat all the way towards your onside. Fall clear over until your forehead touches back of your shaft hand. Your head will be in the water. Let the boat fill with water, just ignore that. Right when your head touches the back of your hand, push down with only your head and your offside knee at the same time. The boat will rotate back upright and you will have just completed a pretty good first roll. If you keep your head as low as it can be while bringing it back over the front of the boat, you are likely to succeed in this approach. Try to scrape the front of the boat with your head and paddle.

When you can do this exaggerated low brace, start asking about a more typical set up - that's all you will need for a complete roll.

The thing that most helped me learn to roll was working on my low brace. I was paddling OC-1 at the time. While paddling with one of my C-1 buddies, he just dipped his head & braced back up to cool off. I thought is was a cool idea. He didn't think it was possible in the OC, but I tried it. It greatly improved my brace (which just happens to be the last part of the roll) & I think helped me learn to roll.

I also agree with MShelton. If at all posible, learn to roll in a boat that's easy to roll. It teaches the technique & builds confidence. Then it's easier to transfer to the OC.

i learnt to roll in a kayak.... i just did that same roll in my c1 then tweaked it to make a different roll

is there anything that could help me stay in the booat that i could remove when i give it back
i will have a go with the roll when i can get in the pool
unfortunetly this is the only boat i have that i can use
but i wont be goin down down white water yet

Buy one of those yellow or blue foam sleeping pads (the kind of foam that doesn't hold water) and use double sided sticky tape (carpet tape?) to hold the stuff in. You may have to re-stick it every few sessions, but better than nothing. You want minimal movement between you and the boat.