| |
What's News This Month
October, 2009
Where can I
buy guide maps to rivers around the country? Check no
further, the "All
About Rivers.com" website is an excellent source of
guides, maps, books, gear and more. They have their own
on-line store front, stream flow site, and other river resources
that are of interest to white-water enthusiasts. Check
them out at: www.allaboutrivers.com
Highlight item for September 2009 is the Desert
Explorer Website: This site provides us with
a great resource and database of myriad locations, maps,
guides, trip reports/photo journals and a hundred other useful
guides to camping, backpacking, floating, hiking, paddling,
etc. that have been practiced by its leaders and contributors
throughout the years in the great southwest. There is
something here for anyone who aspires to explore by land or
water especially in the wilderness. A wealth of
up-to-date information that's always being augmented.
Check it out at: www.desertexplorer.us
|
The ice has melted, you have checked out the water levels
and you're ready to dip your paddle for the first time this
season. They're calling for nice weather right through the
weekend and your best paddling buddy wants to take a two-day
trip around a large lake you've never explored. Your kayaks are
set to go. But what about cooking gear? Since it's the start of
a new season, take a few minutes to insure you've got everything
you'll need for your weekend expedition and for the rest of the
kayak season.
The essentials according to your paddling style
First, you want to consider the type of kayaker you are and the
type of boat you use. There's no sense in buying a camping dutch
oven if you are content to paddle on the pond in front of your
house in your cute recreational 7-foot boat tossing a line at
dawn, hoping to catch a trout or two for supper. And if you
prefer weekend trips, you'll need different equipment than
someone who plans only day-long trips, with a picnic en route
and a snack or two carefully tucked into a dry bag... After you
assess your needs based on the type of journeys you usually
organize, then, you can think about the kind of food you like to
take on board with you. Again, if you are vegetarian, you won't
probably need a fish paring knife...
The quintessential picnic tools for a day trip
Since 90% of the paddling community leaves for day trips, let's
start there. This kind of paddling usually calls for food that
has been prepared at home. So the most important tool remains a
good collapsible cooler (or two for a party of four) with a foil
liner for a more efficient cooling process, that helps avoid
food poisoning. Before buying, make sure that the cooler will
easily fit either in your front cockpit or in your rear
bulkhead. Usually, placing a cooler in the front results in a
lack of balance and poor manoeuvrability,
unless the weight is equally distributed between the two
bulkheads. With the cooler comes the essential "ice
packs": you can buy some at any hardware store or make your
own by freezing water in watertight containers such as
double-lined freezer bags (large ones are better and will keep
food safer). Small juice jugs are good too, but don’t forget
you'll need room for the food... Ice packs should be placed in
the bottom and on top to keep your favourite
salad and sandwiches at safe temperatures.
Containers
Square, flat, thin stackable plastic food containers with a good
lid are extremely handy for kayakers because they take less room
than round ones. For day trips, I prefer to prepare individual
portions that I place in stackable containers. Anything goes:
pasta salad with Feta cheese, bell peppers and cucumbers;
lentils and broccoli salad with a touch of curry, rice and
salmon salad with diced mango all travel very well. But when you
prepare your meal, don't forget forks and spoons plus paper
towels and some wet hand towels. The good news is that with this
system of individual containers you won't need more plates: for
hot days, why not make a refreshing cucumber-buttermilk-mint
cold soup and serve it with a nice egg or tofu salad sandwich on
a bun? Since sandwiches are another interesting option for a
paddling picnic, the best way to wrap them is first individually
in plastic wrap and then in a plastic bag to prevent any
moisture. The best bread for kayaking remains baguette, buns or
wraps rather than the traditional soft slices.
Don't forget your fluids!
To complete your meal, you will also need a drink: tomato or
fruit juice or, why not a glass of wine... Your paddling
companions will be impressed if you manage to bring along a nice
bottle of cool Riesling to serve in elegant stainless steel
glasses to accompany your Asian soba noodles, tofu and
vegetables salad! These are little details that make a big
difference in terms of creating nice memories for your kayak
adventures. Many wine companies now make unbreakable containers
and you can find elegant glasses at any kitchen or camping store
for 2 dollars each. For regular juice, it's worth the expense to
buy unbreakable individual bottles and to fill them with your favourite
liquid. Or simply go for unbreakable, individual juice bottles.
Any paddling trip requires that you bring along a lot of
water: so as well as your day lexan
water bottle or your hydration backpack system, you need to
carry extra water that can be placed behind your seat. Again,
small, square collapsible plastic water jugs come in handy for
carrying extra water. On hot days, you will need as much as four
glasses of liquid per hour per person. For a change, you can
also prepare homemade iced tea with lemon and a drop of honey;
it's ideal for paddlers!
...And the snacks!
Any paddler needs to refuel on a regular basis for good
performances and to avoid fatigue. So when launching season, it
is wise to stock your pantry and fridge with efficient snacks
such as: dried fruit (mangoes, cranberries, raisins, dates,
apricots), fig bars, unsalted soy nuts and peanuts, raw almonds,
individual cheeses wrapped in wax, granola bars made with no
trans fat and not too much sugar. Again, each paddler should
have some quick snacks ready to eat in his PFD pocket before
leaving in the morning. If there's rough weather, you will need
that extra boost of energy and if the waters are calm, then you
can take a nice break peeking at a cormoran
or great heron, with your snack in one hand and your binoculars
in the other.
For the weekend paddler
(for up to one week)
Of course, the weekender will need the same tools as the
picnicker, which will provide his needs for the first day of
camping. But for the second and, perhaps the third night,
specialized kitchen tools are essential. Here is a basic list of
what you will need to prepare for that overnight trip.
- more
water jugs (or a water purifier)
- can
opener
- large
serving bowls (more handy than plates)
- coffee
or tea mugs with coffee or tea and coffee or tea makers
- set
of forks, knives, spoons and a small cutting board
- basic
cooking ustensils : wood spoon,
good paring knife, small spatula
- small
one to two burner camp stove with fuel and waterproof matches
or a lighter in a watertight container
- one
or two small to medium size pot(s) for each couple of paddlers
- basic condiments: salt, pepper, mix of dry herbs,
olive oil in lexan bottle, honey,
etc.
- small
cans of tuna, salmon, chicken, chick peas, tofu, etc. for easy
proteins
(4 oz per person per meal; don’t forget to bring extras for
at least one more day of camping for each person, just in
case)
- UHT
milk
- oatmeal,
peanut butter and English muffins or bagels for 2 breakfasts
- 2
quick vegetables for each meal of the second day: bell
peppers, zuchini, cherry tomatoes,
celery, cucumbers, fennel, baby carrots, broccoli or
cauliflower. They will all travel well for 48 to 72 hours
without refrigeration.
- phosphate-free
dishwashing soap, nylon scrubbing tool, collapsible sink,
cleaning cloth and dish towel
- a
plastic table cloth will always add a nice touch to your
picnic table
- a lantern or two with candles will also work
their magic when supper time comes…
- aluminium foil, ziploc
bags, garbage bags
- cotton
rope, multitasking knife (like a good Swiss knife)
For
longer trips
add this to the previous list:
- more
one or two burner(s) stoves with fuel, depending of the size
of your group
- a
large non-stick frying pan and more larger pots (at least two)
- more
cooking tools: bread knife, soup ladle, collapsible colander
- larger
foldable cutting boards
- cooking
grill if you travel to places that allow camp fires
- more
cans and dry goods such as niblet
corn, mackerel, sardines, crab, pastas, rice, couscous,
cracked wheat, coral lentils, tofu, soy proteins, eggs, dried
fruit and vegetables, broth in cubes, nuts
Last
tips
For long trips, always plan each of your meals and the number of
portions required for each member of the party beforehand; add
to those numbers at least 25% more food and adjust your list
accordingly for each day of the trip. This will prevent frequent
mistakes such as bigger-than expected appetites, loss of some
food, etc. Then translate the information from your menus into a
very detailed grocery list; finally go shopping and enjoy your
planning!
December, 2008
|
I’ve
always struggled with how to store kayaks, so I wanted to
share something I recently built.
A
neighbor put his kids old trampoline at the curb for bulk and
brushy pick up. I took all the hardware and reconfigured the
frame into a very sturdy and efficent boat rack.
There
is no cutting or welding involved although you may want to
drill and bolt everything together. The steel frame is plenty
solid and it looks good, all the parts are small enough
to fit in your trunk. It will handle everything from my Squirt
boats to my K-2’s with ease. (I have the Pamlico XL K-2 on
wheels because it is so long it blocks my work bench when the
garage door is down. I simply open the door and roll it back
out of the way.)
The
whole rig cost me nothing, it set up in minutes, and I always
feel good about recycling. I even have enough parts left over
for a kid’s bike rack and some HD poles for a dining
fly. Just watch the curb or put an ad in
Craigslist.
Let
it snow! Peace,
Paul
Tuohy p2e1042@yahoo.com |
Sept, 2008
"In The
Same Boat" - Excerpt taken from PaddleNews
at
http://www.paddling.net/nl.html
Every member of the Over-the-Hill Gang notices it
sometime or other.
We just don't seem to have the stamina we once had. It
takes more time to recover than when we were younger, too. The
remedy? Fight back! In this week's In the Same Boat,
Tamia suggests a simple prescription for "Beating the
Bonk!" The good news? It's an easy pill to swallow.
http://www.paddling.net/sameboat/ |
July, 2008
|
The Paddle Boating Experience
Another
item inclusive in our Blue Ride experience is worthy of note
here. How different it was to find oneself on a body of water
where paddle craft of one kind or another outnumbered power
boats 3 to 1. Yes, there is an engine size restriction in
place for
Blue Ridge
which of course defines usage. Yet some how it felt that the
whole scene was beyond a boundary set by rules and regulation.
All up and down the run of the Blue folks seemed truly happy
to be making their way about under their own power. All
of them with time to smile and offer up some passing
conversation. This vibe was as real as anything and set
the tone for our entire stay.
Just across
the way from our encampment was what could only be defined as
a small village.
Numerous tents and shelters housing what had to be no less
than some 20 or 30 folks. With the exception of one motorized
aluminum row boat (undoubtedly the supply barge), all had
arrived by kayak. Twenty or thirty folks gathered on any
shore line doth nothing but a party make! And party they
did well in to the night. Yes, possibly a little annoying for
some of us more environmentally sensitive, but in the words of
Dan Reese our most practical option was probably to join
them. What the experience pointed out to me was that this
sport is really changing. No longer the sanctified domain of a
small group of environmental ecologists, maverick outbound
loners, and smattering of Eskimos some where north of
Nome
. No way baby. Paddle craft are easing in to the main stream!
My
then ensuing thought was; "well, there goes the
neighborhood". Not so…not so at all. While there will
be more watercraft out there, loaded to the gunwales
with Bud Light, headed off somewhere to party
till they puke (hopefully down stream), it still has us
all headed in a good direction. The positives far outweigh the
negatives on this one; it's built in to the sport. Thanks for
giving this a read, now go get out your Az. map and trace
a route to the Blue Ridge Reservoir.
Your Paddle Pal, Royce
|
The Passing
of a Pioneer
Volker
Beer
1937 - 2008
On
June 22, 2008 Volker Beer was taken by the
Arkansas River
north
of Buena Vista, CO. while doing what he loved
best. He lived as he died
with exuberance and an unyielding sense of
adventure. Even at 70,
Volker was an active kayaker and accomplished
triathlete as well as a
pioneer in the white water paddling sport back in
Europe
where it all
started. In
the mid fifties he and fellow adventurers began kayaking
uncharted white water canyons like the
Tara
River
Gorge in
Montenegro
(second largest in the world).
Volker had recently
produced a video documenting the early days of
white water paddling
many in
which he participated. His
video, "A Chapter in Paddle
Sport History, How the Sport Changed", is a
factual and historic
document containing incredible old film clips and
photos of those early
sporting days. Volker was among the first to
tackle these rivers single
handed in a
foldable, wood framed, canvas covered kayak.
As
an active member of the
Southern Arizona
Paddlers, Volker was
always willing to share his experience and
enthusiasm for river running
with us. He participated in and photographed several
white water river
adventures over recent years with club members and
friends and left us
with many fine memories, most recently from last May
while sharing
time on the beautiful
Dolores
River
in
Colorado. Volker was always out
front stopping to take photos of his companions on the
river. He will be
sorely
missed by all the paddling community, family and friends. |
March,
2008
This 5-min.
video by club member Volker Beer deserves recognition and is
getting it.
Hear and see it on YouTube by going to the
following web link.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kEy0HoEZ9M4
You will be impressed by the quality of video taken over
40 years ago.
This visualizes the Paddle Sport History article
Volker wrote for us
and is featured below (January, 2008).
February, 2008
|
HOW TO LOAD A KAYAK
by
Rick Johnson
Ultimately,
the easiest way to carry a kayak is on a low trailer. It
is easy to load and unload, but few cars have a tow hitch.
This is a small bike trailer I converted to carry two kayaks.
Carry
your boats on their side if possible. That is the strongest
part of the kayak.  
Note the carabiner to hold the bow of the kayak
to the tongue of the trailer. It keeps the wind from
pushing the boat off the trailer and if the trailer breaks (it
happened to me) it saves your boat until you can pull off the
road.
BUT, if you
must car-top, the one rule I found to be true is
this: NEVER
buy more boat than you can lift onto the roof of your car
after a long paddle day. One thing I learned from a
small woman
is this invention. All I did was improve one thing.
The
device (aka the Rod) consists of a simple pipe that will fit
into your roof rack. This version has a washer to
prevent the boat from slipping off the rod, a piece of pool
noodle to prevent the Rod from damaging the kayak and a piece
of steel rod to strengthen the Rod. My first version
made of electrical conduit, bent under load and dropped the
kayak. Thus the internal support.
The
Rod assembled.
PROCEDURE:
Lay the boat next to the car with the bow forward. It is bad
luck to carry a boat to the water stern-first. Also
boats like to see where they are going.
Slide
the Rod into the roof rack. It does not matter which
rack you slide the Rod into. Front or back is the same.
I chose the back for no good reason at all. 
Lift the stern of the boat and place it onto the Rod.
Note
that I placed some foam under the bow of the boat. 
This
does two things:
A)
It cushions the boat so it doesn’t get damaged from the
ground.
B)
It prevents the boat from sliding along the ground. Some
experimentation will show you how long the Rod should be.
The
bow of the boat has a strip of Gorilla-Tape. This is a
skid-guard to protect the boat when I hit sand or a rock or
beach the boat. Tape is easier to replace than repair
hull damage.
With
the stern still on the Rod, lift the bow and place it on the
roof-rack. Finally,
lift the stern off the Rod onto the Roof Rack. 
Remove
the Rod and place it in the trunk for when you have to
unload. Strap the kayak down and go. 
It
is not a good idea to toss the Rod into the boat as that means
you have to climb onto the top of the car to find the Rod when
you want to unload the boat.
The
nice thing here is that it allows a very small person lift a
very large boat since you are only lifting half of the boat at
a time and not struggling with the entire kayak.
|
January, 2008
Paddle
Sport History / Highlights
In
recognition of the 100 Year Anniversary of White Water (WW)
Kayaking
by Volker Beer, December
2007
Paddling
on rivers, lakes and oceans is as old as the stone ages. The
raft, the catamaran, the canoe and the Eskimo kayak evolved
depending on the needs and environment of the indigent people
in different parts of the world.
With the Leisure Time Revolution in the middle of the 19th
century, people in Europe started to enjoy floating down rivers
in all kinds of contraptions taking in nature previously only
available to a selected few.
1905
Alfred Heurich, a student from Leipzig, Germany,
invented the “Faltboot”, a folding Kayak in English called
Folboat.
1907
Alfred
Klepper, a seamster from Rosenheim, bought the patent, improved
the rigidity with a lever system and started production. The
design was suitable for WW
and easy to travel with but WW I stopped any progress.
In the 1920s boating on WW with Folboats slowly developed. During that time Eddi
Hans Pawlata reinvented the Eskimo-roll.
1927
Franz von Alber was next and Klaus and Arndt von Rautenfeld
most likely have a justified claim to have developed a roll
independently with their sea kayaks.
Early
1930s,
Walter Frentz, Herbert Rittlinger and a handful of others
became pioneers and advocates of WW Kayaking with documentaries and books.
Starting
in 1933 Hitler
banned the newly founded Kayak Clubs. They did not serve his
plan. World War II brought the paddle sport to a total halt.
1948
The British lifted the ban on river travel in Germany. Paddle
Clubs were again allowed to form.
1952
Walter Frentz, published an inspiring book “In den Schluchten
Europas” (In the Canyons of Europe) that gained popularity.
The book was based on his river trips from around 1930.
Publications in those days told great stories with awesome
pictures of first descents made without river information to go
by.
The
tough times of the post war era had come to an end and people
traveled abroad again looking for adventures with Folboats and
Canoes.
1959
Baschin in Stuttgart built the first Polyester/Fiber Kayak
raising the paddle sport to a new level. WW
kayaking spread around the world and converted from WW adventure trips into a hard core sport. With it came
safety consciousness and protective gear.
1980
Prijon in Rosenheim introduced Polyethylene making WW
boating virtually maintenance and repair free - a giant
contrast to the old Folboat .
November, 2008
You may not see this
avid white water enthusiast at many SAPC meetings
but none less this photo shows Juanita Davenport's love of fast
moving water
is enough to put a smile on her face any day.
October, 2008
"In The Same
Boat" (Taken from this month's article from Paddling.net)
"Edmund Burke said it best:
"Early and provident fear is the mother of safety."
And while no paddler wants to be reduced to a shaking jelly on
the river, there's little doubt that intelligent anticipation of
the many things that could go wrong has kept a lot of canoeists
and kayakers out of trouble. In other words, safety on
fast-moving water begins while you're still on shore, and in
this week's In the Same Boat, Tamia Nelson makes
"The Case for Scouting." << Please go to
the link below for the complete article and photos>>
http://www.paddling.net/sameboat/
September, 2007
| Kayak
tarp-tent 101 by
Norma Miller:
This plan
illustrates a quick and easy way to set up a shelter when
wind and or rain comes in and necessitates a need to get out
of the elements while having all your equipment close at hand
and dry. It provides a way to set up a sheltered area
big enough to cook in and sit or even sleep in with another
companion while keeping the rain or sand out of your kitchen
and protecting you.
The idea is to set
the closed, back part of the tent (lower end) into the wind
and then set out a large plastic ground cloth big enough to
roll-up against the tent/kayak inner side walls and also
partially barricade the open side. The plastic tarps
can easily be stowed in your kayak hatch folded flat on the
bottom (along with the collapsed hiking staffs) or just
folded up and bungeed to the back of your kayak. We've
used this tarp-tent method with either one or two kayaks (if
you have a larger tarp) several times on the sandy beaches
and rocky shores of Lake Powell where winds can suddenly
cause havoc. Early on we used an 11x17 tarp & split
kayak paddles (as shown in the photo) but they were about
equal in length and it was hard if not impossible to close
down the windward side of the tent from blowing sand (note
the unusual use of the sleeping pad). Two people can
carry one or two full kayaks up on shore a short way without
too much difficulty.
Use cord and large
rocks to replace the stakes if you are on a rock
surface. As noted, one of the key components to get the
right shape and structure of the tent are the two adjustable
hiking sticks. They work well for fitting through a
standard grommet hole on the open end and standing point down
and handle up in the middle of the tent. A staked
length of rope or cord holds the front staff and tent erect
while other stakes or rocks and bungee cords (around the
kayak hull) anchor the rest of the tarp surfaces to the
ground and kayak.
Fold the lower end
of the tarp around the end of the kayak and stake the
remainder to the ground. Then, set in the ground cloth
last, sliding it under the center staff and positioning it to
roll up around the inside perimeters. You get cozy and
protected from blowing sand. Your clothes, food and
cooking equipment are close behind you in the protected
hatches or open cockpit so you don't have to run out into the
elements to get stuff. And, the kayak hull provides you
a sturdy back rest. Of course this isn't a replacement
for a personal 3-season tent, one can't always find a good
place to set up on a flat or dry surface near the shore
line. But it's quick and roomy when you have to wait
out some time in bad weather. Play around with this at
home with your kayak before getting out in the wilderness
till you get the knack of setting it up just right for your
needs. |
July, 2007
June, 2007
|
2007 FibArk Raft Rodeo Champion
SAPC President - Tommy James
The
"Duck-Man" wins big !
A
group of rafting aficionados and spectators judged this rodeo
contest by who performed with the best skill while staying in
the hole (tricks & time up got points) and also finished
with the required end-over splash down into the river.
They couldn't believe someone from Southern Arizona
("There's ain't no water in Southern AZ") could be
doing this and even paddling away as the winner. Tommy
quacked he practiced in a pool with a bunch of Girl Scouts (I
have pictures to prove it's true). Several SAPC members
& friends where there to cheer for and support Tommy at
his first Fibark raft rodeo. He had the best two runs
among several contestants most of who were younger than Tommy
whose age matched his number. The trick that put him
over the top was the "whirly-bird". Great job
Tommy - Congratulations !
|
|
Raft Rodeo Trials sequence
|
In the final FibArk
event, SAPC member, Steve Kanner, participated in his
first 26-mile down river raft race. Steve was the only
solo rafter competing in a race full of teams of at least six
paddlers. Much to his credit, strong-man Steve finished
sixth overall just minutes behind the winners. No
trophy but lots of kudos from his friends, a cool 2007 FibArk
Finisher's t-shirt and a great Italian dinner at Amica's. |
May 2007
Riding Through Wave Trains
by
Ken Whiting
The
following is a modified excerpt from Ken Whiting's book,
'The Ultimate Guide to Whitewater Kayaking' and
appeared on the "Paddling.net" newsletter.
When
learning to whitewater kayak, it's often taught that while
running through a rapid your best course of action is to
just keep on paddling.
The reason is simple.
Every
paddle stroke that you take effectively acts as a brace.
This is important in the early stages because you don't
have enough experience to anticipate how the river will
push you around. As you gain experience and confidence, you
gain the capacity to foresee the effects that waves and
currents will have on your boat. As this happens, your
approach to running rapids should change. Continuous
downstream paddling should no longer be your
"default" action. Instead, your default action
should be floating downstream sideways with your eyes
scanning ahead for obstacles.
There are a number of reasons for this change in approach.
Firstly, a river's current is usually carrying you
downstream at a horse's pace without any forward paddling.
Unless you're in a hurry or need to build forward speed to
clear an obstacle, then there's no real use in speeding up
your descent. Secondly, if you do see an obstacle or a
danger ahead, paddling forward is just taking you there
more quickly! It also means that you have to turn your
kayak almost a full 180 degrees to establish an effective
ferry angle, whereas if you're floating sideways, just a
small sweep stroke will move you onto a powerful ferry
angle in either direction. Another benefit of the change in
tactics is that you'll now be moving the same speed as the
main current. This means that catching waves to surf or to
help your ferry will be much easier.
The
key to floating sideways through waves is staying loose at
the hips, so that your kayak can follow the contours of the
river while your body stays balanced over top.
If the waves start breaking, you need to get a bit more
aggressive to pull yourself through it. There are a couple
of different ways to deal with breaking waves.  You
can "jump" the wave, or you can pull yourself
through. The method that you choose will depend on your
personal preference, as well as on your need to set up for
future moves. Jumping a wave involves using a small pivot
turn to pull your bow up on top of the break so that you
skip over it. It's preferable to have some speed when doing
this to prevent your stern from catching and sending you
into a vertical stern squirt.
Here are pictures in movie form to help you
see what is being explained:
·
Boof
Sequence Movie (407k - large download)
It's
also preferable to approach the wave on an angle in such a
way that when it's time to pull your bow up, that sweep
stroke pulls your kayak to face directly downstream. A
potential drawback from using this technique is that you
are usually carried very quickly into the following waves,
making any quick moves difficult to make.
Pulling
through a wave is a slower, but often more controlled,
means of getting through a breaking wave. The idea is to
float into the wave on an angle, ready with a powerful
stroke on the downstream side that will pull you through
the break. In this case, you actually use the breaking part
of the wave to slow yourself down. You can then come
through with more control and more time to prepare yourself
for the next move. Float into the wave with a downstream
angle and with your boat tilted downstream. In this way,
you prevent water from piling up on your stern and
squirting you up when you hit the break. This also lets you
pre-establish which stroke you'll be using to pull yourself
through the wave.
Ken
is a World Champion Kayaker and the author and producer of
an award winning series of instructional kayaking books and
videos. For more info, check out www.helipress.com
|
April, 2007
|
The following
is an excerpt from World Champion, Ken Whiting's new book,
"Rolling a Kayak"
Teaching the kayak roll is an
exercise in patience and communication. For many instructors,
it is the most enjoyable kayak skill to teach for the
challenges involved, and for the feeling of satisfaction that
comes from successfully helping a paddler learn to roll.
Before looking at
some of the ways to teach the roll, it's important that I
preface this section by making it clear that the techniques
presented here come from my years spent teaching the roll,
and working and learning from other instructors. Although
they are time-tested and proven methods, they certainly don't
represent the only way to teach the kayak roll.
One of the most
important things to do as an instructor is to keep in
perspective how difficult and emotionally taxing things-which
may seem simple to an experienced paddler-can be for new
paddlers. Fear and frustration can be powerful hindrances to
learning. For these reasons, it should be a priority to
develop and support the beginner paddler's comfort in being
upside-down underwater-before they have an opportunity to
flip unexpectedly and scare themselves-and it is why I
recommend starting with the wet exit.
Every paddler has a different comfort level on the water.
Some paddlers won't mind flipping and swimming on their own
accord. For others, flipping upside-down will be a terrifying
experience, even with you standing right beside them in the
water. For more anxious paddlers, try the following
progression. Start by standing in waist-deep water with the
paddler facing you in their kayak. Ask the paddler to hug
their deck while you flip them over and then immediately flip
them back upright. As they gain confidence, you can ask them
to slap the hull of their kayak when they want to be rolled
up so they can safely experiment with being upside-down a
little longer. It won't be long before they will have the
confidence to try the wet exit with you holding onto their
kayak, ready to roll them upright in case they suddenly feel
like they "can't get out". After a few wet exits
with you on hand, they'll be ready to flip over themselves
and perform the wet exit with your more distant supervision.
Once a paddler is
comfortable with the idea of being underwater, you can start
teaching the hip snap. Ask the paddler to first practice
rocking their boat back and forth while keeping their upper
body still and upright. This teaches them to stay loose at
the hips, which allows their upper and lower bodies to work
separately and cooperatively with each other. Next, ask the
paddler to practice their hip snap while on their side and
holding something stable, such as the side of a pool, a low
dock, or the bow of a friend's boat. Once they have developed
a full hip snap and learned to keep the head down throughout,
try a few T-rescues. When a T-rescue can be performed
competently on both sides, a paddler is ready to learn to
roll.
As with teaching
any skill, remember that different people learn in different
ways, and no one way is better than another. On one end of
the spectrum you have people who learn visually and through
action. No matter how effectively you break down the
technique verbally, this type of person really needs to see
it and/or attempt it to fully understand it. On the other end
of the spectrum you have people who learn in a very technical
fashion and who need to be given clear verbal breakdown of
the method with obvious landmarks. Most people fall somewhere
in between these two ends and will need the roll to be both
demonstrated and broken down in a clear and simple manner.
This is not only important when introducing the roll, but it
is equally important when working with a paddler one-on-one,
while standing in the water. As clearly as you may be
verbally communicating what you would like them to do, you
may have to hop into your kayak and demonstrate it.
With regards to
which roll is the best to teach a learning paddler, there is
no correct answer. As I mentioned earlier, some instructors
will very successfully teach the Pawlata roll first. The
Pawlata is much more common among sea kayakers and much less
so among whitewater kayakers because the latter need to be
ready to go immediately after rolling up, making it
preferable to not move the hands around on the paddle. I
prefer to teach a standard C-to-C or sweep roll because it
promotes good rolling technique from the very beginning and
it helps to develop paddle dexterity.
Whichever roll you
decide to teach, don't give the paddler any options early on.
The simpler you can keep it, the better chance they have at
rolling successfully. If after working on a particular type
of roll for a while, you decide that it would be best to try
a different style, no problem. In the interests of being
attentive and flexible, feel free to adapt your teaching
technique as necessary, but understand that you want to limit
how often you switch techniques.
Here are
pictures in movie form to help you see what is being
explained:
I have always found
the most successful teaching progression starts with me
standing in the water with the paddler. I ask them to focus
on setting up with their paddle high out of the water, and
their head and body leaning far out to the side. I ask them
beforehand to let me guide their paddle, while they focus
their attention on making a complete and powerful hip snap
and keeping their head down. By repeating these motions, the
paddler learns how their paddle should move through its
set-up and catch phase. Once they are setting their paddle up
nice and high out of the water, hip snapping effectively, and
keeping their head down throughout the roll, they are ready
to start taking more control of their own paddle. At this
point I stand right behind their body while they are still
upright. While supporting them either under their arm or by
grabbing hold of their PFD, I have them slowly fall towards
me. They can now completely right their kayak while I keep
their head just above water. If required, I talk them through
the paddle motion and even use one of my hands to help guide
them. The key, as mentioned earlier, is to support the
paddler not the blade, so that they do not have to put too
much pressure on their paddle.
These assisted
rolling practice drills will develop good technique over
time. Some paddlers will catch on right away, while other
paddlers may need a number of sessions before it clicks. Just
stay patient, attentive, flexible, and positive. Another
thing to keep in mind is that rolling uses muscles in ways
that a learning paddler isn't used to. This fact, combined
with the mental challenges of picking up a new skill, mean
that there is a point at which "learning fatigue"
will set in, so don't expect to spend more than an hour or
two teaching to roll on any given day. By going longer than
this, I can guarantee you that the learning curve will
quickly plateau, or even reverse.
Ken Whiting was the 1997/98 World Whitewater Freestyle
Champion. He has produced an award-winning series of
instructional kayaking books and DVDs, and leads kayaking
trips to Chile. Check out www.helipress.com |
March,
2007
|
I'm often faced with the
problem of getting in and out of a kayak at docks that sit high
in the water. It can be a very awkward and intimidating
process. The kayak tends to move away from the dock, and
it's all too easy to dump yourself into the water.
