Well said, Sean.

My favorite kayak activity is surfing my sea kayak. I get a few memorable rides each time I'm out, but I get many, many more carnage situations. The masochist in me seems to like a well executed combat roll more than the ride. Besides that, getting out of the boat is not a consideration.

In some situations where you end up out of the boat the only self rescue possible is hoping to retain your boat and swim it to shore. This can be ugly at least and fatal at worst. Where I live I could end up slammed into unforgiving coral. The impact might not kill me , but I could bleed out from the death-of-a-thousand-cuts.

I realize that most kayakers will not willingly go into such situations, but someday they may unintentionally find themselves "inconvenienced". It can happen even in flat water. As Mr. Murphy said,"Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong."

I know how terrifying it is sitting in your boat, looking down into the water at your side and trying to get yourself to take the plunge into your first roll attempt. I'll never forget that feeling of dread and helplessness. But if you have a friend or instructor to help you can get over it and learn to roll.

A comment about the standard Greenland (layback) roll which must be the easiest roll to learn. This is not a roll which requires a young person's strength or agility. The technique is what brings you back up. Simply starting from the normal setup for a roll and unwinding your body to the rear will twist the boat right side up. This happens so easily that you can take five or six seconds to complete your roll. The best tutorial I have found for this roll is at http://qajaqrolls.com/rolls/layback/standard.

One last comment: Just because a kayak is a sleek watercraft with a cockpit opening on the bottom does not mean you need to get out underwater. Turn that puppy over and get out at your leisure.

~Bob