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I've tried a L'Edge a couple of times and can't roll it. I have a good roll in my Prelude and Ocoee, though. My friend Whit (who just bought the boat after paddling Ocoees for years) is having the same trouble. It has the Bob Britt saddle in it with a big square water tunnel beneath so it's not a matter of water stuck on one side. Any suggestions? Another tunnel? Better roll technique? We're both frustrated. Help!

I'll/we'll try to help you as much as possible... but we're going to need a bit more information to go off of than what's posted here.

http://vimeo.com/15413675
http://vimeo.com/20908206
http://vimeo.com/26362295

Not sure if those will help you at all or not but for me it rolls easier than some other boats I've had over the years by far.

There's about 12,837 "rolling" threads here on Cboats.net but without people posting videos of them trying to roll and not getting it... it's sort've hard to say where the problems lie. Jus' sayin...

Works for me.

Is the saddle in your L'edge any higher than in your other boats?

How tight is your bulkhead?

Ocoees (and preludes too, I think) tend to sit on their sides which makes it possible to muscle the boat up with your arms/shoulders because the boat is half upright to begin with. Boats like the Taureau, Sfly, and (I think) l'edge tend to sit upside down. I think it makes these boats easier to roll reliably but you need a well-defined hip snap.

If you had a video clip, I m sure the good folks here could set you straight in a matter of minutes.

actually Bob Britt made a good point in the facecrack version of this question... for those not accustomed to a bulkhead style saddle... you have no (let's call it a) 'tuck pocket'... I guess that's part of the reason I sweep to the side/surface I'm going to roll up on right away... there's no place to tuck and hideout in.

who knows though...

Thanks, Craig. The videos will help. Busterblue, that's a good question. I don't think the saddle is higher, but I'll check. I'm sure that could make a difference. I suspect it's our technique, perhaps a weak hip snap.

powerface


it's the new Weldwood if anyone cares

(A Theory) The difference in rolling boats with Thigh straps or knee boots Vs. Bulkheads can be substantial, once a person gets use to rolling a certain way with certain equipment that Motion becomes locked into muscle memory and it is challenging to modify ones roll to compensate for the Loss of the "Ballast Effect" when rolling with the area in front of you open as you roll water rushes in and fills that empty space, thus acting as a Ballast and making the roll easier, the boat also sinks under water more, thereby it easier for one to get their body back over the center of the boat easier. That's all fine and dandy, only problem now is you have a LOT more water in the boat that would normally get displaced by the Bulkhead, translating into having to muscle 400 or more pounds of water to shore to dump.
My suggestion is to work on a Harder more powerful hip snap to get the Boat moving, and Get the Paddle closer to the surface before beginning the roll, Extend the torso out a little farther than u normally would for the extra umph. Hope this explains or helps and Remember its Just a Theory of mine as I struggled with the same issues when switching from Straps to a Bulkhead, if you just can't get the hang of the bulkhead I'm sure you can come up with some creative solution to add Thigh Straps or knee boot to the L"edge.

I had a guy (from Kentucky) that paddles an Ocoee with the saddle about 12" further back than normal (let's call him Joe) that said he'd never paddle a canoe with a bulkhead because there wasn't an "air pocket" (he grows the best shiitake mushrooms I've ever eaten) for him to hang out upside down in. Once saw him go 50 yards upside down on the Upper Yough bouncing off twenty two rocks while hanging out upside down in his air pocket. Man do I miss seeing that guy...

As you are trying to get your paddle and shoulders to the surface and ready for the hip snap...try concentrating on really pushing with your offside knee and pulling with the onside knee and doing your snap. Oh, and keep your head down

Eddy Mcgnarlz roll more resembles the way I Roll than does Mr. Smerda's
http://www.fullgnarlz.com/index.php?opt ... ideo&id=13

can't be Bob... it's nearly impossible to flip a L'edge.

Here's a vid of me rolling the L'Edge a bunch in a pool. It should be available to watch shortly after it processes.

http://vimeo.com/26611427

I find it really easy to roll the L'Edge, but not quite as easy as the Spark or Zoom. I find I am more consistent when I break the roll into three parts; setup, hipsnap, head sweep over bow. If I try to head sweep early I find it blocks the hipsnap a bit and I don't get a solid roll, even though I might get up. A key to the bulkhead is having it fit so your butt doesn't come off the saddle. For me, I put my toes under the pegs.

Hope this helps!

There's even a fancy back deck roll in there

Craig Smerda wrote:can't be Bob... it's nearly impossible to flip a L'edge.

Depends on the Guidance System (me)