Do you roll with your eyes open or closed?

[pmp]

Just curious how many people roll with their eyes open vs closed.
paul

[Todhunter]

I never open my eyes underwater in any situation - I think it stems from some childhood fear of chlorine in pool water burning my eyes. Even though a river is chlorine free, everything's just too blurry to be of any help anyhow. I did wear a diving mask some when learning how to roll in a pool, and that was very helpful.

[TNbound]

I always roll with em closed. Learned that way and now it is all just muscle memory.
I have, however, opened my eyes while being recirculated in a hole to try to figure out which way was up. That works ok, as long as you aren't too deep.

[KNeal]

I wear contact lenses so opening my eyes underwater will certainly leave me pretty well screwed after I roll.

And Todd, here is something to add to your childhood fears. Think of all the organisms floating around in the chlorine-free river water that can swim around your eyeballs.

[cheajack]

Open like the top of the boat

[drrpm]

Open. It helps with orientation and also allows you to see if there's something to grab and help roll after a missed attempt. I've been shoved up against rock walls and grabbed them to roll up a couple times where trying a paddle roll would not have been possible. I'm not above rolling off a buddies bow/stern either if they're within reach.

[arhdc]

Closed I'm afraid.

I too wear contacts when paddling. Better to be able to see when upright without fogged gasses than to try to see underwater.

[truckeeboater]

+1 on contact lenses. I've had situations where I've lost one but not the other, and boy does THAT spice things up a bit!

[TheKrikkitWars]

Open, I swim with eyes open underwater too (and avoid swimming indoors like the plague, lakes are just so much nicer)...

It can be mighty useful when you're getting a trashing and need to know when you're clear of the white bit, or when you're approaching an underwater obstacle (if fear gives men wings, shallow water looming gives us a snappy roll).

[Kelly-Rand]

Open, like to see daylight. Doesn't have an effect on my roll though. I think rolling with your eyes closed is better for your concentration.

The real question is how many people use nose plugs? I don't cause I haven't found the right match for my nose.

[jakke]

Open when needed, closed most of the times... .

Same goes for hole combat, if you're underwater for too long, it's interesting to see where the light and the air is located.

[Walsh]

I generally roll with my eyes open, although I had to go to the river and go through the motions last night to see if this was still the case. I suspect that if I'm not relaxed enough to peek at where I am, I'm probably not relaxed enough to execute a roll.

I have lost exactly one contact in whitewater in ten years of boating. I have a stash of daily use lenses for the river, and they do a really nice job of staying put. Weldwood in the red can helps when they start to dry out a bit.

[keez]

I learned to paddle in muddy rivers like the Credit, so opening your eyes was pointless.
I go by feel and muscle memory mostly, but have opened my eyes like jakke to assist in orientation.

[Yukon]

Good question. Last winter in the pool it was one thing I focused on and found it to make a big difference. Opening my eyes and counting tiles on the bottom of the pool. I notice the difference in the river and lakes now and feel more relaxed and comfortable. It takes less time to set up, or do an underwater scull if I need to flatten the boat out to see where things are at instead of just feeling first. A lot of our water up here is pretty clear so can be pretty neat to see the bottom. Also a lot of paddling is in 2 feet of water so I want to see what is coming

[FullGnarlzOC]

If your thinking about whats in the water, or seeing where body orientation is - ur already a step behind


muscle memory/instinctual is where its at imo.