C-Forum

was in my zephyr for the first time this year ,about my 6th time
ever. I went to a beach to try and roll. After about 10-12 attempts
I was getting no where , disoriented, discouraged ,tired. I took a time
out and just mentally replayed fullgnarlz"s roll video in my head.
setup, sweep back to front, then bow to stern and head down. Also I
was pretty sure I was relying on my paddle to much, I know some guys
can roll with their hands. Anyhow 2 more try"s and BAM ! got it !!!
Just had to tell someone! the wife is only marginally impressed. also
Thanks for the roll video and info on this site.
Can't wait to go practice some more ! Mark

Cool!

Congrats!!

It's not easy teaching yourself how to roll with no one giving you pointers in person!

One word of warning for the future - a large percentage of folks lose their roll a little while after they nail it. Work at it again and usually it's solid from then on (EVERYONE can always use a few tweaks on their roll, but if it works I consider it solid). So don't get discouraged if that happens.... it's kind of normal. I only mention it now as it sounds like you don't have someone local to help you out. It's all part of the progression.

Have fun, be safe, and let us know when you make your first combat roll:)

Agree on keep practicing. After I first learned I went to the lake and did it over and overtill I had the muscle memory. After then I still practiced but the moves themselves were more automatic. A tip; when you first flip stop for a second and calm yourself. I've missed a lot of rolls thru being in to big a hurry.
Bill

+1 on the 'hurry up to miss the roll' thing. In a C1 I can smash one out without worry but the OC1 it helps to focus on technique each time.

One thing that helps me it that I try to get a roll in every day I paddle, even if having a dry hair day I'll usually pull into an eddy and pop one out. Helps with the confidence if you do that and helps build and maintain the muscle memory.

+1 to Smurf's comment. With my canoe and kayak friends alike, people seem to do better when they have already banged out a successful roll in an eddy or somewhere for fun, before it becomes serious.

congrates on that.. next i would play w/ the air in the bags.. most boats roll better or worse w/ different air pressure.. i can roll my 15 ft. sunburst w/ alot of air in bags, yet my nitro seems to roll better w/ just a little air.

Thanks for the encouragement guys , I was at the beach again today
and got another 20 or so rolls in, maybe half on my first attempt.
tried a few going over on my offside. It's definitely gratifying when you
pull one off. It will probably be a while before I get into any current,
But the beach is a nice place to practice and the waves made it a little
harder today. Anyhow thanks again for the tips and encouragement.

mark.

Well done.

I have not paddled in 30yr but went through the same thing, taught myself in a lake.

Things have changed a lot since then but I think the basics are still the same. The pros in here will correct me if not.

One thing that helped me was to understand that 90% of rolling a boat is in the hip turn.

You only need a paddle as a lever to give the hips something to move aganist.
That is why you can roll a boat without a paddle, ITS IN THE HIP TURN.

One good way to learn the hip turn is to practice in a pool. Get in boat put both hands on the pool edge, lay out in the water and just turn your hips to turn the boat.

You can also do a lot of reps this way without wearing yourself out.

This practice technique helps instill that thought in your mind and not depend so much on the paddle.

ie THINK - HIP TURN, not paddle move.

Another practice technique we used was to hold a PFD in your hands, flip and use it like a paddle.

I have also practiced this on dry land. Get in boat, flip, lay on ground, turn hips to get boat flat.

Worked for me anyway, had an absolute bullet proof roll in very serious water.

Welcome to C Boating - its like the mafia, once your in, you cant get out