Rolling Without the Beating?

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TommyC1
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Rolling Without the Beating?

Post by TommyC1 »

Blew my roll 3 times Saturday. Got a shiner to show for it. All three times I got banged up by rocks trying to get set up.
Makes me think I'm doing something wrong.
Flip, Tuck, Sweep out, and Roll up. Yes?
On the sweep out facing the surface or the bottom?
Any other tips for not getting beat up when inverted?

Anybody know where I can buy a rock guard/ face mask for my Cascade hemet?

Thanks,
Tommy
creek1r
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Sweep..

Post by creek1r »

out facing surface then roll your upper rtorso over the paddle. My helmet has brusies on he back only. Get a Cascade face guard from NOC.
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sbroam
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Post by sbroam »

I usually stay tucked until things settle down, then roll up. There have been a couple of times when it was shallow and that wasn't going to happen any time soon and I just grabbed a rock with my hand and pulled myself up. Also, I keep my face behind my paddle shaft during the whole process. Never got a shiner, but have gotten some bruises to my back and the occasional banged up knuckles.
John Coraor
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Post by John Coraor »

Tommy:

In addition to the above useful tips, just remember the old adage (just so you don't beat yourself up too hard about missing): "all boaters are between swims." We all started our boating careers swimming, and at some point in our future a swim is waiting for all of us, no matter how skilled and determined.

Getting beat-up on rocks can really screw-up your mental concentration and result in rolls being rushed. Been there, done that. In addition to rushing the roll, when under pressure I also have a tendency to think too much about the paddle movement and not enough about rolling the boat with my knees. Typically my best rolls are when I don't think about it at all, but that's why getting bounced on rocks can really screw things up, as you're no longer in the zone operating on automatic and the intrusion of conscious thought can mess things up.

John
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yarnellboat
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Post by yarnellboat »

I don't think that I could contort my body to be facing the surface when I sweep out to set up; so, personally, I'm always looking at the bottom.

I also believe that there are busy times and shallow places where rolling isn't the best option (at least if you don't nail it quickly). If you tuck & wait, and your still getting bounced around, I don't like the beating, and if you're on your downstream side, I don't like the idea of sticking my blade or my head into oncoming rocks.

So, if your set-up wrong in a shallow, rocky place, maybe just decide that the roll isn't the best rescue?

PY.
Open Gate
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Post by Open Gate »

Knowing the river bottom really helps. If in a shallow area, I'll wait for it to pass and then roll, some other times shallow is just close dowstream, I'll then rush to roll.

I also try to keep my grip hand and elbows lower in the water then my face so they(knuckles, elbows and paddle shaft) will hit the bottom before my face does and I can use them to push off the rocks and protect my face/head.

Not fun anyways(ripped knuckles, bruised elbows) but better then a kick in the face.

Take care !
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MrTgrips
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creek1r
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If you are always...

Post by creek1r »

facing the bottom, are you doing a back deck roll? When I flip, I bend fwd at waist with helmet against paddle shaft which is extended fwd against boat. Sweep out still facing up then rotate to face down and snap.
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yarnellboat
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Post by yarnellboat »

Not a back deck roll, I'll have to think about it now... obviously when I'm tucked under, my face is toward the air bag - but when I'm set up, I'm facing the river bottom, and I'm not exactly sure when along the way my face does its flip from up to down. It might depend whether I'm using a high-brace sweep (easier to keep the face protected) or already a low-brace sweep (more likely to look down early). Anyway, blows to the face haven't been a problem for me (possibly because I'd rather swim than hang in there over shallow rapids).

As others described, I try to wait it out while I'm protected, but eventually the risky part is when you stick out your blade and head for the set up.

PY.
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knu2xs
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Post by knu2xs »

Yes, it sounds stupid and possibly trite, but roll fast and tuck tight. Situational awareness pays dividends in this regard. If you know where you are at, it is much easier to know when to tuck and when to roll. This is good...equals less bumps, bruises and general beatings.
-Joel

You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club. -Jack London
wetnobby

Post by wetnobby »

Sounds to me like just plain bad luck.....
If you have a good roll stick to it, back deck rolls can be risky in shallow rapids!!... but the fact is quite often the fun is to be had in shallower waters......and every now and again this is going to happen...
3 times in a day.....must be your turn to buy the beer!! :D
cbcboat
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Post by cbcboat »

Think about it, which way is your face looking when you do a low brace, hopefully looking at the water, therefore you should probably be looking at the bottom when you start your roll.
B
Open Gate
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Post by Open Gate »

Once set up and ready to roll I'm facing down but looking up(arching back) at my blade out of the water, this brings my body close to the surface minimizing drag(rock hits) with my grip hand deeper in the water then my face, using the shaft and arms to block(push off) rocks.

Scariest is tipping offside in steep creeks...if shallow enough I'll push off the bottom doing a one hand roll and avoid going under to set up a standard roll. If not, that 1 second going under and setting up is sure a LONG one !
Open Gate
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Post by Open Gate »

MrTgrips wrote::lol:
[img][img]http://i125.photobucket.com/albums/p55/ ... est054.jpg[/img][/img]
Mick
Ummm, that bar looks good ! Bon appétit ! :lol:
eubie
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Post by eubie »

Personally, I'd rather take a swim than get a broken nose. If I go over on my offside, odds are I'm coming out. Maybe more pool practice will help me get around quicker.

Any old Prophet paddlers out there? My Outrage was "easy" to roll from the offside. Prophet seemed much more difficult on first pool session. Advice?
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