C-Forum

I've lost the plot. I've been rolling my Wheelboy really easily. I've been rolling my i4 really easily. I've just got a Spanish Fly with a 10 inch saddle and even that on its first outing rolled 5 out of 10 times. I got back in my Wheelboy and although my backdeck roll is bomber, I no longer have the ability to roll with a normal set up. The i4 is the same.

Is it too many different boats confusing my muscle memory or something else? Has the huge saddle cocked me up? I'm back in the water tonight so will practice, practice, practice, but I just seem to run out of paddle, where as a backdeck roll barely uses any.

Does this happen to anybody else?

10 inch saddle is way too high for the Spanish Fly! Cut it down to 8 inches, then give your roll a try...should help a great deal!!!

How is it failing? Those are all moderately short boats... Are you (not quite) coming up in a bow stall? the other issue might just be the timing... I find the timing on a backdeck roll to be different than a traditional setup since I have more momentum on the boat.

Shep

I can't really tell exactly what has gone wrong. My timing seems to have gone off, and my paddle ends up really deep. I can't remember what I was doing differently before.

The Spanish Fly saddle is really high. It feels like I'm on stilts compared to the 5 and 6 inch saddles Ive got used to. I was surprised it rolled as it did. My roll got lost getting back into the low saddled boats.

Here's my thought - with the higher saddle you are used to getting your head out of the water quicker, and are trying to replicate that in your short boats, and what is happening is you are not following through with your hip snap and are actually bringing your head UP and hips DOWN... while still bracing and the paddle just keeps getting deeper and deeper.

Concentrate and waiting for your body to float to the surface, then hip snap / brace and push your head DOWN - let your hips lead and body, and lastly head, follow.

Keep us posted, and post video if you can't get someone who knows how to roll to watch you.

This is from someone with a 9.5" saddle in both Prelude and WheelBoy (its all about my knees) so take if for what its worth.

You need 3 things.... head down through the roll... strong follow through with the hip snap... and.... keep the paddle blade perpendicular to the boat during the process. The last is hardest when in the smaller boats if you are not dialed into them after being in something "bigger". My $.01

PS: Commend you on jumping back in forth - over time when you dial them both back in you'll be the "it"!

I don't know if this is your problem, but my roll went bad after I forgot to wind up in the opposite director of the hip snap just before the hip snap. But I roll a much bigger boat however, a Viper 12.

To follow up on the previous post by Johnd......look UP at the surface before executing your hip snap THEN look down as you begin the snap. This gets your paddle closer to the surface on setup and then helps get that 8 lb head of yours involved in the snap .
SYOTRiver

If you had a roll then lost it I would say you are having a mental problem. This can be harder than starting fresh and not having a roll. I would say that a lot of visualizing, the steps then a little flat water rolling then flipping in moving current and rolling. You kinda have to start over, and relearn the whole process

OKay. So I've been back out in lots of boats. The Spanish fly rolls fine. I've cut the saddle down to 8 1/2 inches and feels good. The Pyranha I4 conversion rolls, just. My Wheelboy back deck roll is sorted. Normal onside roll has vanished. Last night I was messing about and when trying to roll, i came up on a bow stall and then my paddle sunk. I think my head is lifting too early causing my paddle to plummt to the depths.

Is it a timing thing? or maybe it is mental. I do seem to overthink it when I'm upside down. Its fust weird that the easiest ever boat to roll is now impossible.

If you are coming up in a bow stall, try starting with your paddle slightly behind perpendicular to your boat. I find that helps many people end up actually perpendicular during the hip-snap.

Hope this helps,
Shep