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, discussed in “The Fundamentals” chapter of this book. 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.
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 and has produced an award winning series of instructional kayaking books and videos Look for his latest book ‘Rolling a Kayak’, and the award winning DVD ‘The Ultimate Guide to Sea Kayaking’ in our book and DVD store.
The back deck roll evolved from the need to roll as quickly as possible, which facilitates by skipping the set up step that other rolls require. It’s not uncommon to hear people comment that though it’s a quick roll, it’s a dangerous one that leaves a paddler’s face exposed, and puts the shoulder at risk. It’s true that your face isn’t as well protected, but you spend a LOT less time underwater, and your head stays much closer to the surface throughout the roll. Also, for much of the time you are under water, your arms are actually in front of your face. With regard to shoulder safety, there is the potential for the shoulder to be put in an awkward position, but if you keep your hands in front of your body and don’t overextend your arms, this roll won’t pose any more risk to your shoulder than the standard C-to-C or sweeping rolls. So when should you use the back deck roll? We use it virtually all the time, and once you master it, it just might become your standard roll as well.
The key to the back deck roll is committing yourself to flipping once you’ve passed the point of no return (the point at which no brace will save you efficiently or safely). This commitment involves throwing yourself on the back deck of your kayak and leading the way with your paddle and body. If you can do these two things before you’ve completely turned upside down, then you can start the process of rolling yourself upright before your kayak has even finished flipping over!
Because of the right-handed offset on most kayak paddles, it’s easiest to perform the back deck roll flipping to the left, with your right blade doing the work. Start with your paddle held comfortably in front of your chest, with elbows hanging down and wrists cocked back so that your right paddle blade is facing directly down. You’ve now formed a rectangle with your arms, paddle and chest. This rectangle should stay relatively intact throughout the roll. Now lean back and aggressively turn your head and upper body to the left. As weird as this sounds (or maybe not for some), think about trying to kiss the stern of your kayak! This keeps your head turned and your neck cocked back. With your head and body aggressively leading the way and your kayak committed to flipping, plant the power face of your left paddle blade at the stern of your boat. As you continue to flip, keep turning your body and get your right blade in the water as quickly as possible. This right blade will be providing the support/brace needed to roll the kayak.
You should now be lying on the back deck of your boat, which should be almost completely upside down. Continuing to lead the way with your head and body, push your right blade out in a wide arc over your head, and then out to the side and all the way to your toes. If your wrists remain cocked back as they should be, then your right blade will be on a sculling angle that keeps it near the surface and provides the brace your hips need to roll the kayak upright.
Still keeping that rectangle between your arms, chest, and paddle intact, your body will need to swing forward through the last part of the roll. When your right blade finally reaches your toes, your boat should be completely upright and your body should be in an aggressive position, ready for the next stroke. This may take a while to master, but with enough aggression, commitment and practice, it will eventually click and open the door to new possibilities for your roll.
Ken Whiting was the 1997/98 World Whitewater Freestyle Champion. He has produced an award winning series of instructional kayaking books and videos, and leads kayaking trips to
Chile. Look for his latest book ‘The Ultimate Guide to Whitewater Kayaking’, and DVD ‘The Ultimate Guide to Sea Kayaking’. Check out www.helipress.com
In whitewater kayaking, the paddle becomes an extension of your upper body, so the most logical choice is to use one that feels good to you. Designs vary slightly, but the general anatomy of whitewater paddles is the same. The two blades are attached to a shaft that can be straight or bent in various ways. The blades may be symmetrical or asymmetrical in shape, but all have a slightly concave power (front) face and a non-power (back) face.
The most influential factor in choosing a paddle is your size. You need to consider the length of the paddle, the width of the shaft, and the size of the blades. Smaller paddlers should look for a paddle with slightly smaller blades and with a narrower shaft that makes it easier to grip. The stronger you are, the larger the paddle blades you will be able to control. Using a paddle that is too long or too large will cost you some control and could put an undue amount of stress on your body.
Paddles are conventionally measured in centimetres. In general, a paddle 196–200 cm in length is good for paddlers between 5′8″ and 6′1″. For paddlers between 5′3″ and 5′8″, a paddle 192–196 cm in length should work great. For paddlers taller than 6’1”, a paddle between 200 and 204 cm’s will be of ample length. Next, you will need to consider the offset of your blades. The offset, or “twist,” refers to the difference in angles between the two blades. Traditional kayak paddles have blades that are offset at ninety degrees so that as one blade pulls through the water, the other slices efficiently through the air. For whitewater kayaking, a thirty- or forty-five-degree twist is most popular, although many of us are now using paddles with no offset at all. A lower offset means less repetitive twisting of the wrist, which can help prevent tendonitis and can facilitate some moves. For general whitewater paddling, I would personally recommend trying a paddle with blades offset at 30-degrees.
Paddles come in a variety of materials, ranging from aluminum and plastic to fibreglass and carbon fibre. Finding the right one for you is a personal choice that depends on your budget and weight preference. The price range for dependable paddles is in the neighbourhood of $150 to $400. Durability is also a concern, so we would recommend staying away from aluminum for whitewater paddling. The problem with choosing a paddle, is that quite often you’ll have to buy a paddle in order to test the particular model and size you’re interested in. For this reason, I would highly recommend buying a less expensive paddle in the beginning, as there is a good chance that you’ll learn about elements that you like and don’t like. When the time comes, you can shop for a new paddle, armed with the knowledge to make the best decision.
This is an excerpt from Ken Whiting’s new book, ‘The Ultimate Guide to Whitewater Kayaking – 2nd Edition’.
Ken Whiting is a World Champion Kayaker and the author and producer of an award winning series of instructional kayaking books and videos. He was recognized by Paddler Magazine as one of their ‘Paddlers of the Century’. For more information, visit www.helipress.com
It’s been long overdue, but I’ve finally got around to starting my first weblog. I decided that the time was truly right while down in Hollywood, CA this past weekend–which is quite a distance from my home in the small town of Beachburg, Ontario. I was in LA on behalf of TRAK Kayaks, to participate in the Elevate Film and Music Festival, which took place in the famed Kodak Center (for those, like me, who don’t read PEOPLE magazine, the Kodak Center is the home of the Academy Awards and the epicenter of Hollywood). The Festival is an annual event that is designed to unify through art and media by bringing awareness to organizations and individuals who are making a positive impact on our world. The way it does this, is that it challenges some of the world’s most talented directors to create a complete short film, documentary or music video in only 48 hours. To make the task even more challenging, the directors have no clue as to what they’ll be shooting until they pull their project from the hat and the stop watch gets started.
In the end, the 
Elevate Festival was indeed and elevating experience. The production team put on a great show and the artists blew me away. As a film director of sorts myself, it was impossible not to be inspired, both creatively, and with the idea that we can indeed have a profound impact on our world through our work.
On a more raw level, I gotta say that Hollywood was quite a let-down. Aside from the immediate area surrounding the Kodak Center, the place seemed a cheap, theme park imitation from back in the ’80’s. I can’t imagine ever visiting the place for the sake of visiting Hollywood. It certainly left me feeling incredibly thankful for the life that I’ve managed to settle into in the small town of Beachburg. Sure… we might not have much (OK… anything) in the way of night life, but how many city folk can say that they watched the sunrise while kayak fishing on mist covered water, and then went hiking in some beautiful trails over lunch with their dog, and then finished the day with a playboating session on the Ottawa River. Life in Beachburg sure seems simple against the life of the stars in Hollywood… but I can tell you that I wouldn’t trade with them for anything!