BaffinPaddler - http://baffinpaddler.blogspot.com

Here she is, your warm, dry, happy, puppy pic. There is nothing better than being warm and dry after you've gotten a little (or a lot!) cold and shivery during a rolling lesson or practice and find yourself getting even colder soon after you've gotten out of your boat as you pack up your gear. At the very least, this is your top concern of the moment. Even on what seemed like a fairly warm day when you started, in a not so cold lake in which others are swimming in Speedos, you can get pretty cold during a rolling lesson. A rolling lesson for the rolling challenged is not the same thing as rolling practice for those who can roll. We, the "rolling challenged", tend to spend more time in the water, which is usually cooler than our body temps, and so do our great coaches in the shallows at our decklines! (Mine are getting pretty stretched out . . . ! I mean the decklines!) Why do we get cold? At least me. I don't know about you. Because we aren't really...

Here's your "Wet Puppy" pic. She doesn't seem to like it either . . . getting used to water. Is this how you feel sometimes after a rolling lesson, whether you have successfully rolled or not. . . when you get out of your nice snug boat? And she hasn't even experienced upside down underwater. But, she's a happy pup just the same . . . a little surprised, a bit confused, sometimes worried and whiney, needing a bit of support, love and understanding, and trying to get used to a whole new world, just like us! You gotta love a newbie to something. I just wish she wouldn't sip my coffee! A warm dry happy puppy pic will appear soon. The same way I feel after rolling practice and a great big towel! Why puppies? They just make you feel better don't they? And they share some of the same emotions we do. Even if you are feeling great, they make you smile harder. Happy rolling practice and staying warm and dry! The BaffinPaddler

The Half Roll I'm starting to be able to half roll my new Maelstrom Vital . What a nice feeling, especially when the coach says, "you did that by yourself." And despite a weak sweep, and a barely there hip flick, I can get up in my Maelstrom with a half roll. "It's the sea kayak," I say. "It is very forgiving. I don't need much. It will spoil me." To practice a half roll, my coach pulls me over, asks me to count to three while I'm upside down, then start my sweep and hip flick. What I like about the guy in this video, is that he actually smacks the side of his boat with his leading blade before the sweep. Cool! That little move might just help me figure out where my leading blade should be, as I tend to let it drift away from the boat before I start my sweep, which leaves me with only a weak half sweep. Why Practice Half Rolling? Finding your way with half rolling builds confidence and helps you get the feel of the paddle swe...