: I totally agree...no exit is the best. I have tried to learn to
: roll but I have an ear imbalance that sends my underwater sense
: of awareness awry. That said, some day I think I will get it,
: just have to figure out how to compensate for the ear issue. I
: managed to get 3/4 of the way around last summer but failed to
: go completely over because I was so excited to make it that far
: that I forgot to do my hip snap...didn't help that I had a
: broken hip brace. I get a little tired of bailing and losing my
: cameras so sooner or later I know that I will nail the roll and
: stop donating cameras to Neptune. I do plan on using goggles
: next time I go out there to try. The weather is supposed to be
: good this weekend so perhaps this will be the weekend for me to
: give it another shot.

: Robert N Pruden

Hi Robert,

I'm glad to hear that you are still trying. Goggles will help - so would a good instructor. From my attempts to teach (some actually successful, although my wife still doesn't get it), it helps to break the process down into component parts, get each under control before putting it all together. Also, it seems easier to learn an extended paddle roll initially, and then transfer to a normal roll later. I wouldn't worry about your ear issues too much, I think that a successful roll depends more on learning the motions than on a sense of balance.

In case you don't already know about the extended paddle roll, you execute it with one hand gripping a blade, and the other hand gripping the shaft about half or less of the way out. Gripping the blade grip gives you a positive and unambiguous control of paddle angle, ie. the angle of the blade you use to "pull" the boat upright, and the extra length of the "lever" gives you a much stiffer resistance when pulling on the paddle to execute the roll. These differences make the extended paddle roll more forgiving than a standard c to c or layback roll.

Anyway, good luck with it. Once it starts to come together, practice lots, and it can actually be fun.

Best regards,

Allan Edie