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To help reach with the goal of successfully rolling /  how to practice your roll / the technique behind rolling.. the Endless River Adventures Team and I have spent years writing articles about every aspect of rolling.

But today we are going to talk about the not-rolling-up part of kayaking –
and I am going to use my recent swim as fodder for this.

There are two general reasons you end up swimming out of your Kayak

One is pilot error resulting in doing something like surfing in a big hole that just does not want to let you out.
The second reason is falling over for whatever reason and not coming up.
Of those two scenarios, only one can be directly attributed to the roll not working: that’s falling over and not rolling up.
There came a day recently when that’s just what happened to me.

Even the Best Can Swim out of their Kayak

Yep – the one who always rolls, who has a beautiful roll, who teaches hundreds of people to roll and fixes just as many people who are struggling with their roll, had a swim.  And not because of falling into some huge hole.  While the whole thing started after inadvertently dropping into a hole, it was such a silly hole that you could have heard me laughing about it if you had paddled by.  It was funny. It was a Class III rapid. There was nothing particularly threatening about surfing in the hole, or rolling after.  So when I set up to roll and nothing happened, I casually switched to the other side, and was a bit surprised when I did not roll up.  Five rolls later, it was time to accept that the “bombproof roll” was not there.

Of course I had to over-analyze the whole situation and I want to share with you why I think what happened happened.

Rolling your kayak is easy

Once you learn how to do it, you realize rolling a kayak is actually very easy.   The mental aptitude to actually fire off that roll in the chaos of whitewater can take additional time, but there comes a day after you’ve learned to roll that you just do not like to swim.   You focus and just do it.  So what happens when after years of a “bombproof roll” you do not roll up?  I am going to grossly generalize here and sum it up with two scenarios.

Scenario #1: Poor Technique when Rolling

You can watch a river full of people roll and see so many variations of getting up.  You can listen to kayakers swear that their version of rolling is the bomb – even when their version contains some pretty poor technique.  Inevitably rolls that involve poor technique are going to fail no matter how awesome the paddler.  The bottom line is: if you do not learn/use good technique, or if you fall into bad technique – eventually the roll will not work for you.  We have all sorts of articles about this for you and that’s without even going into why you should roll on both sides here!!

Bombproofing Your Roll: Use it or lose it

The irony about whitewater kayaking is that you start out tipping over frequently. Falling over frequently and swimming motivates one to learn how to roll. About the time you learn to roll, you also learn how to not fall over so frequently. And before you know it, you are bragging about “dry hair days” on the river.  I will use myself as an example: I work on the river 200+ days/year. This does not include my play time.  Of those 200+ days/year, it is unusual if I accidently tip over one or two times a year.  It is so infrequent that people are rather surprised when I do tip over.

Rolling a Kayak is so very mental.

You can have the best roll in the world, but if you do not have the mental aptitude to use it, it’s not going to be there for you when you most need it.  What do you do to keep your bombproof roll bombproof?  Roll.  All the time.  If playboating is not your cup of tea, then make sure you spend time rolling on the river – but not just in an eddy or winter pool rolling sessions.  Rarely does a good boater inadvertently fall over in an eddy.  You’ve got to head out into a wave train/on a squirrely eddy line/somewhere you really do not want to be upside down, and roll.  Not just on one side, but both sides so that switching is reinforced (I could not resist adding that).

Keeping things positive on the river

Reinforce rolling with positive energy on the river.  When you are on the river, makes sure and leave negative energy behind – yours and/or other people’s.  Kayaking is supposed to be a wonderfully positive experience. If you surround yourself in negative energy, it can affect your paddling state of mind.

Upside down time = rolling = having fun kayaking!

If I was my own coach, I would suggest that a play boat was needed. Why? Because I do not spend enough time upside down.  Playboating gets you upside down – maybe not in in a Class iV+ rapid, but surfing a hole or stern squirting.  When one heads out to playboat, the upside down time is not a “mistake” but part of having fun on the river. Upside down is fun. Rolling is fun. Lots of upside down time = more rolling = more fun.  This then helps for when you do inevitably do flip in a rapid… you just roll up. It’s called a bombproof roll – and it is attainable.

If you’ve had a swim recently that was not about poor technique, but about any of the above, do what I am going to do:  don’t waste time dwelling on that silly swim.  Go find opportunities to reinforce the positive about rolling up. Paddle out and tip over with a smile.  And not just every once in a while, but a bunch.   Even better!!  Plan on dusting off that playboat as soon as it warms up and go have fun doing things that get you upside down.  Remember:  upside down time = rolling = fun.

The post When a Bombproof Roll is not Bombproof appeared first on Endless River Adventures.

During the winter, it is tempting to save all your roll practice for the pool.   And for some – the winter pool sessions are the only time a roll is really ever practiced intentionally.  True, winter paddling is not really conducive to lots of roll practice for most of us, given the tendency to strive for dry, ice-free hair days on the river. It is tempting to save roll practice for the nice warm swimming pool. So there you go, diligently practicing your roll all winter long at weekly pool sessions. Big confidence booster when that roll is working. If you used your time well, you made sure to practice rolling on both sides. Maybe a hand roll was added over the winter. Feeling good about all that work, you are now heading back to the river for spring paddling, only to find that the first time you unexpectedly tip over, your roll is not there. Swimming in cold water – dry suit or not, is a shock to the system. And a confidence killer. What’s that about?? And were all those nights at pool sessions over the winter a waste of time?

Rolling is the one kayak technique that is not like “riding a bike”

Practicing your roll is essential. So the short answer about rolling at pool sessions: no, you did not waste your time going to pool sessions all winter. But if that’s true, what’s with having an awesome pool/flat water roll but not rolling up on the river?

First off, rolling is extremely mental. If you learned to roll/practiced your roll all winter in a warm swimming pool, dressed only in a pair of shorts and bikini top and now you waddle your way down to the river in a dry suit plus multi layers and skull cap and pogies and and and…. When you tip over it’s just not going to feel the same. So the tendency is to rush – because the water is darned cold if nothing else. If your roll doesn’t work on the first try, that full-fledged ice cream headache you end up with drives you to promptly rush the second roll even more. And then you swim.

Practice makes permanent with the kayak roll

Practice does not always make perfect. Practice does always make permanent. If you “practiced” your roll, which happens to be a pretty bad roll but gets you up all winter, or were taught a roll that got you up in the pool, but was not really good technique, that is the roll you are going to take to the river. Once you take away that warm cuddly pool water and your roll doesn’t work so well, you go back to rushing your roll. And then you swim. Practice is good. But you have to be practicing good technique.

Why doesn’t my pool roll work on the river

You worked all winter fixing/learning your roll. Technique-wise everyone was giving you big thumbs up. But as soon as you are upside down on the river, you revert to your pre-pool-sessions roll. And swim. Don’t throw your hands up in despair. You have the makings for a new-you roll. The problem is that when you were practicing the new-you roll, it was in the pool. The water was warm, you were surrounded by helpful folks ready to t-rescue you, and you only tipped over when you were good and ready. Nose plugs were on, your support staff was lined up, the side of the pool was close at hand, and after a nudge or two, you were upside down. That’s not how the whole upside down thing works on the river is it! So until you take the time to practice rolling in moving water, when you tip over you are going to default to the old bad roll/no roll at all. It is muscle memory – but that muscle memory is not stored in your muscles, but in your brain. That old roll is still stubbornly locked away in your cerebellum. It takes time to move that muscle memory out and replace it with the new-you roll. Replacing will not happen if you never tip over on the river. Or if you only practice in an eddy.

How to get your river roll

Dress appropriately on the river and take time to roll. In an eddy. Peeling out in the current. Have support on hand so that you do not have to swim every time. If it is not working, don’t beat yourself up. Get some instruction. The longer you practice bad rolling the more permanent it becomes. Or the less you practice your roll, the less likely it will work for you.

Rolling is an essential component to having fun on the river. And it is well within everyone’s abilities to roll on the river. You have to give the roll the time and the coaching needed to see it working for you. Once you are there, embrace being upside down as something fun on the river rather than a painful result of accidently tipping over.  Want more beta on better rolling? Check out our library of roll-specific articles.

The above sounding like what you are dealing with?
Let’s get you set up for a day of coaching with one of our hand-picked instructors.

The post Why A Pool Roll Is Not Always A Whitewater Roll appeared first on Endless River Adventures.

Is a “bombproof roll” too much to ask for? Doesn’t everyone, well—nearly everyone, eventually go for a swim? Which would mean to say that there is “no such thing” as a bomb-proof roll. We say not true.

It is time to differentiate between the inevitability of having an “out of boat experience” and the potential of having a bombproof roll.

It is true. At some point most paddlers end up having an out of boat experience.   Is it possible to never-or almost never, in many years, go for a swim? Possible – I personally know several amazing paddlers who I have never seen/seen only once in many years swim…but it was not because of a lack of a bombproof roll.

So what is the difference?

An out of boat experience. Shit happens. That can include:

• Hitting hard while upside down (or right side up). Easy to say “stay in your boat” but when your brain says “ouch” you may just decide to get out of your boat. No apology needed.
• Breaking/losing a paddle. Sure you should work on your hand roll. But sometimes in the middle of the gnar, a hand roll just might not be there for you.
• Falling into the wrong hole. Yep, sometimes it happens. You end up surfing around in a hole that just does not seem interested in your exit. Do everything in your playbook and nothing seems to help. You may end up swimming out of that hole – regardless of how awesome your roll is.

The above are examples, not excuses,  of when–regardless of how awesome your roll is, you might end up out of the boat.

On the other hand, should you swim because of a bad roll/lack of roll?   Not if you can help it!! And if you do swim because of a bad roll, that should motivate you to have the goal of a bombproof roll. Here’s your path to a bomb proof roll:

1. Learn a roll that is solid on technique. Not the roll that “gets you up.” Getting up is good. Breathing oxygen is a good thing. But don’t be ok with just “getting up.” Use your check list to always be monitoring your roll:

When you came up a) where was your paddle, 2) where was your head 3) where was your weight. Three things. Missing one of those three are harbingers for problems to come. And practicing bad technique in a roll just makes for permanent bad habits – or at least, ones hard to break.

2. Get professional help. Sure your buddy can roll up. But is he the right one to teach you how to roll any more than your neighbor diagnosing your kidney stones because he took biology in college? Why would you not take advantage of professional help when it is available? Professional instructors spend a lot of time thinking of how to do a better job – not just teaching the roll, but diagnosing what is not correct with someone’s roll (and it is often not “the head.”) Kayaking is a technique-orientated sport, and the best way to learn good technique is to get a coach.

3. Learn a roll on both sides. There is really no excuse for not rolling on both sides. If you can roll on one side, you can roll on the other. The scientific term is “contextual interference.”  Why both sides?

First – directional rolling. Yep, you hear it from us all the time. Roll in the direction you are falling. Falling to the right? Set up and go with it. And vice versa. You gain momentum and it makes rolling infinitely easier.

Second: Sometimes the water is working against you. If you keep setting up on the same side, you continue to work against the water. Get the water to help you out! How? SWITCH to the other side. Even if that “other side” is not your favorite, what a nice surprise to roll up. And if you miss a roll on one side, switch to the other side. Automatically. Without thinking about it. Not comfortable with switching? Practice…

4. O yea, practice. Why do good boaters swim and/or lose their roll? Well, when a newer boater, you tip over frequently, you are working on your skills and you are practicing all the time. And being upside down is not that big of a deal because it is part of learning. But the better you get, the better your balance…hence, less tipping over. And soon you are paddling in harder water, where “tipping over” has more consequences; therefore, more work is spent staying right side up. Experienced boaters gloat on their “dry hair days.” Stop that!!!! Get out there and tip over!! Maybe not on a Class IV creek run. But how about in a playboat, on squirrely eddy lines and big ol’ fluffy holes/wave trains. Being upside down should not be a ‘mistake” but just part of the fun of paddling. Go out and find some sense of humor with rolling again.

And by the way – if the only place you practice rolling is in the pool or in an eddy, you are not helping yourself out. Who tips over in a pool/in an eddy? There is a reason that a pool roll does not always translate to a whitewater roll.  Go out in the current and roll! Of course you will peel out thinking “I don’t really want to do this.” But do it any way.

Will the above “guarantee” a bombproof roll? “Guarantee” no, but these are some key things that will get you a lot closer. That way, the next time you find yourself upside down, you will feel more confident knowing that if it boils down to whether your roll is there for you, it will be!

And if this has you intrigued, we have plenty more articles on rolling!  Read on….

The post Is a “Bombproof Roll” too Much to Ask for? appeared first on Endless River Adventures.

Whether a canoe or a kayak, one of the more challenging techniques to learn is rolling back up (the falling over can be very easy!!).  It is because rolling is technique and muscle memory. Trying to learn technique/develop muscle memory is a bit more challenging when you are upside down (aka: in a low oxygen environment).  Rolling is the foundation of our instruction program (our company founder, Ken Kastorff, developed the C-to-C roll).  Along with the remarkable instruction we have for teaching rolling are a number of articles that can help you out when you are back home following up on what you learned.  Check them out…..

The post Falling over is Easy…It’s the rolling back up appeared first on Endless River Adventures.

Well while y’all were styl’n the Upper Ocoee and the Gauley I got to spend an awesome weekend with Olivia on the Nanty as she took part in the slalom Clinic with the Nantahala Racing Club. This is a great clinic and is the second one she has taken. The NRC has really put together a great program and the kids really seem to enjoy it and get alot out of it.

My role was to act as safety and while they do the river run later in the day give a few pointers here and there.

The first part of the day started with Slalom and the kids were all looking good. Olivia was making the gates and working hard. After the gates session we took a break and then made our way up river and began a trip of catching eddies and doing ferries. Olivia was having a great day with everyone and especially her friend Jenna. Something in the back of head was telling me this would be the day that Olivia would get the opportunity to try for a combat roll.

After stylin some of the rapids Olivia and Jenna were doing a great job selling thier instructor Scott on the benefits of launching thier bodies off of the jumping rock into 50 degree water. Scott looked at me and I quickly came up with a test that if they attempted then they could jump off the rock. See I know what you all are thinking, the dad comes up with the challenge and this is where she flips and the dad lets out an evil laugh! Well that is not what happened – all the kids styled it and the girls were thrilled at the thought of jumping off the rock. So a few hundred jumps later the shivering and slightly blue girls got back in thier boats.

After working our way through the next rapid I lead all the kids into an eddy behind a big old rock. And that is where it happened; the beast (Olivia) peeled out and dropped her up stream edge and the river present the opportunity – I knew it and by the look on Olivia’s face she knew it too! Quickly I paddled to her and as soon as I reached her she was up and all smiles! Her smile was met with cheers and a paddle 5 from Dad.

Olivia beamed all the way down river and then today while surfing the river gods put her to the test again and just damn she pulled it off again!

So I look back over this summer and think about the missed runs on the Ocoee or the new rivers left unexplored and I really am glad I missed all that! No river run could ever be better than time on the river with your kid and watching her grow into a strong paddler and confident person!

The post My Daughter’s First Combat Roll appeared first on Endless River Adventures.

We have found that to not be true based on a couple of thoughts:

1. Learning the first side wasn’t just about learning muscle memory, but learning what the hip snap/sweep/head dink/finish concepts are all about. You have to start from scratch. Often the first roll learned carries a lot of baggage picked up during the initial learning period. Moving on to the other side, there is not the concept baggage–you already know the steps; it is just a matter of learning the muscle memory.

2. Due to the learning process, the second side learned is often the better roll (note: better is different than familiar/more used).

3. The most common reason the “otherside” does not work is just from lack of use, not lack of ability.

During instruction, we often use learning the “other side” as a way to fix issues with the first roll. Learning the “other side” is a distraction from a nagging issue with the on-side roll. Learning that other side helps reinforce the stages of the roll–which makes it easier to transfer from one side to the other.

We are kayak instructors, not scientists, so our theories are all based on experiential application. But scientists are now spending more time looking at the same concept – called contextual interference in the learning of motor skills. Sounds much more scientific than our term “switching” and “learning both sides!”

Want more on contextual interference and learning to roll? Read on….

The post Contextual Interference And Rolling Your Kayak on Both Sides appeared first on Endless River Adventures.

During instruction, we often use learning the “other side” as a way to fix issues with the first roll. Learning the “other side” is a distraction from a nagging issue with the on-side roll. Learning that other side helps reinforce the stages of the roll–which makes it easier to transfer from one side to the other.

We are kayak instructors, not scientists, so our theories are all based on experiential application. But scientists are now spending more time looking at the same concept – called contextual interference in the learning of motor skills. Sounds much more scientific than our term “switching” and “learning both sides!”

The post Directional Rolling-It is Not a One-Sided Affair appeared first on Endless River Adventures.

Question: Why do we think that onside should be called the righty roll, and offside a lefty roll?

How about this for an answer: The baggage that an “offside” roll carries is almost so weighty that many do not even try using their “offside roll”-sometimes let alone even learning their “offside” roll.  The irony is that typically the second roll you learn is often the better roll. Why?

• there is not the left over “learning curve” of figuring out what in the world it is to set up, sweep, hip snap, finish
• it takes a bit to realize it is just switching from one set of muscle memory to the other
• more importantly–there is not the realization that the roll happens after going upside down!

Question:  So why directional rolling/switching when you roll?

Answer: our friend Todd had a great answer: “So you asked for a report on the progress on the offside. After a week and practicing it [switching]  Tuesday & Thursday night and then again today I am happy to report we have only switched to the onside 4 times out of about 40 or so offside rolls. All practice has been on the river. Thank you again.”

Clarification; Todd now does not really have an “on side” or an “off side.” He is now rolling in the direction he happens to fall (directional rolling) AND if he misses on one side, he switches to the other (switching).

Way to go Todd!!

Read more on directional rolling…

The post What’s the big deal about Directional Rolling? appeared first on Endless River Adventures.

When a kayaker sets up to roll, it does not take too long to figure out it is much more efficient to fall towards the paddle and roll in a circle rather than falling away from the paddle.  Why? Because of the momentum gained going with the fall.  It gets your body and paddle to the surface much more efficiently. It speeds up the rolling process. Momentum is a plus.

If directional rolling makes sense when setting up to execute a practice roll then it should make just as much sense when applied on the river.  The idea behind directional rolling is that you should always roll in the direction you are falling.  The advantage is that you then have the momentum of your “fall” to help you in the roll.   You will most likely also have the downstream flowing current creating even more momentum because most often, kayakers fall to the upstream because of catch an upstream edge. Instead of hard bracing that can hurt the shoulder, when you feel yourself tipping over past the point of no return, aggressively go into the directional roll and get it over with.

The major obstacle to directional rolling is not having a roll on both sides.  If you can only roll on one side, then you’d best hope that you only tip over in one direction.  Solution: learn to roll on both sides.  And use both sides until there is no such thing as “onside/off side.” In fact we term it right hand roll and left hand roll. No more on side/off side!

Advantages to rolling on both sides:

• You can roll directionally. Whichever side you fall to is an automatic set up. There is no need to wait until you are upside down and then struggle to get your paddle to the set up position on the one side you know how to use.
• If you miss a roll on one side, you are more than likely going to fall in the opposite direction. Translation: if, for example, you miss your right hand/on-side roll, you are most likely going to fall back to the right, setting you up for a lefty/off-side roll.  Directional rolling menas you just switch and go with the side you are falling towards.
• If you have a good roll and you miss your roll, chances are that the water is working against you. By immediately switching you grab the water that is working with you or get set up away from the obstacle you are up against or switch to being set up on the upstream side of the hole you are upside down surfing in….
• Directionally rolling in any play boating scenario is super efficient and helps keep you in the feature. And stern squirting is the best place to have to learn to aggressively roll directionally.

How to Start Directional Rolling?
Learn to roll on your second side.  There is absolutely no reason to not roll on both sides. And in fact, most paddlers have a better roll on the second side they learn because the learning process is shorter. You do not have the baggage of learning what a hip snap is, what it means to have your paddle at the surface, how to keep your head down  because these are all concepts you worked through in your original roll learning. Most people are surprised how well their second side works when they give it a chance. And if you miss one side you are automatically set up to switch back to the more-familiar side, which in turn builds more confidence in your roll and your ability to try more than once.

When is it time to learn the second side?
As soon as you are successfully rolling on your first side.  And nay nay to the idea that it will mess you up on your original roll-not if you have some muscle memory in that first side.  In fact, if the first side is just not getting anywhere, try learning to roll on the other side and it might just help break through whatever it was holding you back from successfully rolling.

Every whitewater kayaker should have the following as a goal:

• Having a roll on both sides (even if you favor one side over the other—most of us do)
• Switching from one side to the next automatically
• Never rolling twice in a row on the same side
• Rolling directionally so that whichever way you are falling is the side you go to set up on.
• Instead of thinking you have an “on side and off side” it is a rightly and lefty roll. That takes away the stigma that one side is easy and the other hard to execute.
• And finally – on the river don’t fight the fall. Once you reach a certain point-you are beyond balance recovery. Instead of slapping the water with that brace and putting a huge strain on your shoulder, just commit and roll!

Directional rolling might not mean drier hair, but it will mean less-wet hair! And more efficient technique on the river–which will make your shoulders happy.

The post What is Directional Rolling? appeared first on Endless River Adventures.