Kayak Rolling lessons-3 is the magic number

Rolling. That oft mystified kayaking skill that eludes, amazes and delights. People want to learn it. But how many sessions should it take?

Working on your own? This is fine for some folks. Some can watch a video and nail it on their first try.

For most people, a bit of instruction is needed to guide their attempts, provide concepts, and a critical eye on where things went wrong, or what is working.

There is no completely right or wrong answer, but I will say that the basic concepts can be broken down into a few simple components.

  • setup (wind up)
  • leg drive (hip flick)
  • brace (unwind and paddle support)
  • timing (putting it all together)

Focusing on breaking down these components into multiple sessions eases the burden on the poor students head, and let’s them progress once they have demonstrated the mechanics of one core piece. This is of course not prohibitive, and many students will “get” it pretty quickly. But my observation has been that it takes an average of three sessions to get “a” roll in the pool.

My own experience was somewhat longer. 🙁

I had a roll in the pool when I learned 12 years ago. But it took me another six months to really “get” it. I still practice rolling to this day.

I would encourage students, considering a lesson to actually consider threethe average.

Our package for three lessons for $100.00 is still available.

We still have plenty of lessons to get you on your way to success come spring.