"Failure!!"

Well when I"m out there learning rolls I'd love to say I always have total success. Sometimes I do. Other times, like learning the hand roll.....not so good. I try to teach myself which may be a source of error right from the get go. So here I am at a second attempt to do a hand roll and my paddle gets away on me. For those of you who've never swam to a paddle to roll up here it is. I'm not sure how far a person could actually swim while sideways in their kayak. Maybe someone should put themselves in the Guinness Book of Records. It certainly won't be me. lol

Part of learning something new, especially when you have it on digital, is to learn from your mistakes. I approach new rolls as being a source of fun and therefore have very little pressure to succeed immediately. Now I am a creature of challenges so I will have to get it eventually, but I will have fun with it in the mean time. Rest assured when I get the hand roll. You'll be seeing that too. lol And all the misses in the process! So without out a little bit of "failure" there would not be a little bit of success and after all, it is that initial failure, that will allow you to perform that successful roll when you need it. 

Roll On!

"Vertical Sculling Roll and Back Deck Roll"

You just have to like the tunes to this one...or not. The music is from the Glover Point Drifters a Blue Grass Band out of Victoria British Columbia. I saw them at a folk festival one year when I lived in BC and they were an excellent group. Got to listen to them Jam afterwards at their trailer. They were forced from the stage as a intense thunder and lightening storm was rolling in during their outdoor performance in Dawson Creek BC. It was kind of funny because they kept playing right off the stage as the lightening was firing in the background and continued to play in a huddle down in front of the stage as the thunder pounded.

This was after a couple of attempts at the vertical roll. We and a couple others had a bit of fun playing with this roll. The flotation property of the Superior Paddle is amazing. The back deck roll I got in the pool last year. 

"Rolling Along"

I had a couple sessions at the pool lately. I've been trying some rolls that are new to me. Focusing on some Greenland style ones with mixed success. It has been enjoyable though.

Of course if you are practising rolling you tend to spend as much time under water as you do above. Just thought I'd say hello from under water at the Aquarena in ST. John's. I took a bunch of video and the underwater component looks great however in the above water component there is always a water droplet in the centre of the frame. So when I do edit some of my rolls for the site you'll have to excuse the H2O drops. I had the camera on deck in the bow and it was out of reach for wiping the droplet off. Some of the rolls I was trying needed the sticky pod camera attachment almost a paddle length away.

"Pool Night Tonight"

I like getting to the pool when I get a chance. I always try to get there just before I do major ocean paddling so as to firm up rolls and learn new stuff if I can. Tonight it was rolling with my GP. At first of course I tried different things with mixed success and then just relaxed and let the paddle do it's work and that worked fine. Sometimes when I rush I loose sight of the basics. It always comes down to basics. But walking through the pool entrance corridor always gets the anticipation factor going for me as well does leaving always feeling better. Like the gym. No matter how hard I have to drag my butt to get there sometimes, I always, always feel better leaving. Good to keep those doors open.

"Pool Action"

Wasn't really planning on the pool this evening but it was the last pool session before the new year. There was lots of action. Darren doing playboat flips and Dave doing enders in what looked to me like a slalom boat. Always good to see the talent that our White Water crowd has. For me it was lots of rolling and sculling braces and I am sorry that I missed the opportunity to try Malcolm's fleet of Valley Seas. Another time perhaps. It was Merry Christmas to all and more in the New Year.

"Pool Yaks"

 Well tonight these boats can be called pool kayaks I guess. I just think kayaks look so sleek and esthetically pleasing to the eye. Of course it is always a treat to try different boats but it is also nice to see how each boater handles his kayak. Not only the skills that one draws on, excuse the pun, when on the water but the affirmation that this is "my" boat and it is my toy of sorts and one we can own as adults or at least appreciate as adults to a degree maybe not there when we are young. Maybe it is just possession of a material good and a a carnal knowledge that , yes I can control one of these. Maybe it is just the dream state you lapse into when you stare upon one for any length of time when you imagine the trips you've had or the trips yet to be taken. It could be the anticipation of adventure that rips thru your skull when those deck colors gleam at you or maybe it is just the peace you feel when you loath for that next escape from everything but the quiet sound of paddle through water and the receding drops down the shaft of the paddle and the odd drop that hits your brow and you know that you are where you are supposed to be.

"Sign Says, Ya Gotta Get A ...."

Kayak Club is looking forward to the upcoming Kids Day. Hoping to impart a day of fun and memory thru paddling.

"Stirrup Re-entry"

 
Although it looks like alot is going on in this picture, a stirrup re-entry is being executed by the Derek on the right in green. Mark during Friday evening's workshop, on assisted capsize re-entry, demonstarted his use of the webbing stirrup to KNL members to assist a bailed kayaker. His "no-tie knot" attached to the rescuer's deckline and held in place with one hand and then web loop thrown over the foredeck/combing of the rescuee's kayak for him to step in. One of the great successes with this "no-tie knot" is that it was so easy to adjust on the fly that paddlers of all leg lengths and shapes could easily be accommodated. We soon discovered as Mark pointed out that it is a more stable arrangement to have the webbing attached to the rescuers deck line and not to the decklines of the rescuee's boat, which we tried. Lelsie and Sue performed most of the capsizes and rescues and they tried a number of them, including the scoop, T-rescue, and so on but it was pretty much unanimous by workshop end that the most practical for many situations would be, the stirrup rescue with Mark's "no-tie knot" securing the stirrup.
Assisting in the rescue also was Dwayne holding on to Mark's boat and Tony, Des and Brian wanting a good angle on the securing technique.

"Kayak Polo"

Back in the pool for more play. Tonight I tuned my offside roll, did a few re-enters and roll and practise some skulling in water braces, need a bit of work yet. I hope to paddle in Hibbs Cove area on Friday as I plan to take a day off work. The forecast looks very good so far but it is only Wednesday and that can change fast. Hopefully I'll have some good photo opps.

"Roll Your Own"

Brian in the sea kayak and Dan in the river kayak. The boys rolling their own.

"Saturday Pool Night, Newfoundland"

 

It was a beautiful night to be at the pool. The temp outside was about -17 oC with no wind, not that it mattered to us but it is always nice to have no wind when loading the boats afterwards and then off to the Govenor's Pub for a quick brew. It is always good to hone the skills for the coming year.

"Paddler In The Mist"

 
This is Dave on his way from the pool. As we opend the side doors we let in the approx. -17 degrees celsius outside. Nice and toasty in the pool though. Jan 27th, 2008.

"Sit-On-Top"

 

Well not really. This is Alex after he just climbed aboard from the water, totally unassisted I might add.

You know you are a kayaker when you can't go over a bridge without looking for water under it.

"Pool'in"

 
Saturday Night Pool Session on Jan. 27th,2008 at the Aquaarena of The Memorial University Campus. Pictured are Dan, Brian and Sue adn thanks for all the tips.