When my life is through
and the angels ask me to recall
the thrill of them all,
then I will tell them I remember,
tell them I remember you.

I have to say, it was great to get back in the water. I worked through the rolls that I know. Many of them I have not tried since spring, and some I’d never tried in the Alaw Bach. In the end it’s like “falling off a bicycle” as they say. Of course the picture is at the end of a “behind the head” roll. If you are just learning this one, note that I am starting to sit up. The actual recovery should be flat on the back deck. The further your head is off the deck, the more the paddle will dive and with it goes your chance of success. I have to admit my first couple reverse sweep rolls were a bit rough, thank God for my Novorca paddle which is forgiving when I don’t have it quite right. You may remember I broke a couple paddles learning that roll in the beginning. The only downside of your local pool is that it can get a bit cold if you are in the water long enough. Last year Gryphon would start turning blue after about an hour and we’d have to put him in Hydroskins. I wear my Reeds and a thermal underneath. (Low blood pressure is good for somethings, but not for staying warm!)

After a nice long rolling session Gryphon and I worked on our balance skills including standing. If you are into this sort of thing, you can start by standing in your cockpit and using your paddle for support ala “Nigel Foster”. When you have that down, work on standing in the cockpit without a paddle. The next step is to move up to standing on the back deck. Again you may find using a paddle in the beginning will help, but in the end try to do it without a paddle.

Now you may find all this silly acrobatics a big waste of time for a sea kayaker, but in the process you are learning a lot. Not just when you are on your feet, but all the while you are working your way up to it. In the process you will perfect your cowboy recoveries, (it’s too much work to get out a paddle float each time you go over) getting water out of your cockpit in deep water, (who wants to keep going to the shallow end?) and most of all, balance. If you spend enough time on these silly pool skills, you’ll be amazed how quickly your balance in rough water will improve. Well, at least I was.

Related Posts:

1. Night talk
2. Wind
3. Smell Ya Later
4. Rain & Snow On Devil’s Lake
5. Canoecopia 08 – Pool Shots