Twist and Slice Kayak Roll Identifier

[buckethead]

[stripermania]

Here is some instruction on a roll from a Kayaking school.

Kayak Roll

The kayak roll is the most reliable ways to recover from a capsize, and can be a fun (and frustrating) challenge to learn and master. Working on your roll is also excellent practice for maintaining balance and boat control.

The objective of a roll is to get the boat right side up, so your body can follow. The key is doing this with very little support from the paddle.
Minimizing the paddle involvement in the roll depends on a good "hip snap," which is the torso and knee motion that rights the boat. To roll, you'll need your torso working independently of your lower body. This motion has to be well refined before you do anything with the paddle.

How a friend can help
The best way to learn this is with an instructor helping you with themotion, in the warmth and comfort of a swimming pool. Your instructor will stand waist deep in the water, and support your head and torso at water level. Practice rotating the boat through the full range of motion.
To become acquainted with the body's position in a roll, turn your boat over while your friend stands behind your cockpit holding your torso out to the side while your head remains just above the water's surface.
Practice rotating the boat through the full 180 degrees range of motion. Curve your torso tothe surface to wind up. Your left knee pulls the your head up near the surface.

Then, follow through by gently pressing your right ear toward your shoulder and tugging up on your right knee. Your left knee relaxes, barely even touching the deck, and you should have almost no pressure on that foot pedal. If you are hanging onto the boat with both knees, you defeat the knee action and the entire motion will feel strained. Think of the pressure changing from one side of your butt to the other.

With your torso suspended near the surface, only one knee does the work of righting the boat. Your other knee relaxes, barely even touching the deck. If you are hanging onto the boat with both knees, you defeat the hip action, and the entire motion will feel strained. To activate one leg, you will pressure your toes on that leg. Avoid pushing with your heel if you have a bulkhead style brace, since that will defeat the righting action.
Tip: It is possible to practice rotating the boat through this motion by holding onto the side of the pool. But this is a far inferior to having the help of an instructor, because your instructor can force you to use the correct muscles by supporting your head torso. You keep your arms out of the action by leaving your arms crossed across your chest.

The problem is that every student has the natural tendency to use their arms to help right the boat. This actually contradicts the motion that you are trying to learn. Instead, keep your torso weight floating near the surface and rotate the boat up with your knees, and torso. Note how little effort it takes to right the boat when you keep your weight floating near the surface and rotate the boat up with your knees and torso. Think light! Be sure not to push your body up with your arms or lift your head. This "knee lift" motion should feel very natural before you try rolling with a paddle.


Whitewater Kayaking E-School