June 19, 1999

Learning How To (Finally) Roll

Trip #28

~6 miles

Today I have but a single goal - Practice and hopefully achieve a roll. I launch from Mason Neck State Park and head south about a half mile. After finding a good depth to practice I went over without much thought to the setup. Hip snap and BOOM! I'm up! That was just too easy. Did my paddle hit bottom? I'm not sure, but I don't think so.

I try again, this time paying more attention to the setup. This time I miss terribly and wet exit. After climbing back in, I give it a little more thought. To make sure I don't hit bottom with my paddle I move to deeper water. Over I go and I remember "Look at the sky, Woody". Greg Welker had said this to me several times while showing me the Pawlata roll. I turn my head towards the sky, hip snap and lean towards the back deck. I'm up again, and I'm sure this time I did not hit bottom.

For a good 20 minutes I practice, probably hitting it the first time on 90% of the attempts. I always nail the second attempt if the first failed. The one wet exit performed earlier will be my last for the day. While practicing a lone kayak passes by to destinations unknown. After a while I decided to head down to Kanes Creek and poke around back in there. As I'm paddling north I remember seeing Greg cut a sharp turn that looked really cool while on the beginner's trip. Since I'm on a roll (pun intended) I attempt to lean hard on my paddle and turn around it in place.

Needless to say, I'm quickly upside down. My hands are not in position but I try to roll up anyway. I get about a 1/2 breath before ducking back under water. This time I try to quickly set up for the Pawlata. This gets me up for a full breath of air, but I'm over again. Once more I set up, taking my time. This time I easily roll up. I had never expected my first unintentional roll to follow so closely behind me learning how to do it intentionally.

It wasn't until I was under way again that I noticed the spray skirt's grab loop was not visible. I can only hope had the roll failed that I would have had the wits about me to push the kayak away from me and pop the skirt after finding no grab loop. I was more shaken about having seen this than anything that has happened to me while in a kayak yet. I free the grab loop and head toward Kanes.

The 1-mile trip into Kanes is just the calming effect I need. The Osprey, Heron, and Bald Eagle's are a wonderful thing to watch. I paddle all the way back to the restricted area signs and then paddle back to the launch site, rolling once back out in deep water for good measure.

After beaching and grabbing some lunch I head out to roll some more. I stay in deep water and find this gives me extra room to push my paddle through the water if my hip snap is weak. Looking at the sky and keeping the head back is key. Almost everyone walking the park trail during this rolling session stops to watch the rolling fool in the kayak.

Again I'm ready to paddle off somewhere so I head out to Conrad Island and slowly circumnavigate it. This set of 3 closely grouped small chunks of land is haven to a lot of birds including a pair of Osprey. One of the Ospreys appears hungry as he dives after some type of water bird flying away. The bird survives by dumping in the water at the last moment.

I'm finally tired enough to head back home. After paddling back to the launch (I didn't roll because I wanted my clothes to dry a little) I load up the boat. I'm about to drive off when 2 guys come up in a canoe and ask to look at the boat. I chat with them for a few minutes when the wife of one of the guys comes up and we chat about her kayak. It is a CLC boat what has had the deck stained with a water dye to give it a beautiful red color.

I'm still psyched about learning to roll as I write this. Special thanks to Greg Welker for teaching me the basics. I wished I had stayed a little longer today. I wonder if I will find an offside roll or a roll without the paddle extended before the season is over....