Eskimo Roll

"How to get up-right when you're up-tight"

Contrary to popular belief, one does not need to know how to Eskimo Roll in order to kayak. However, it comes in very handy when paddling in cold water or when several miles from shore. It looks easy, but can be complicated to learn. Many chapters in many books have been written about rolling, all lacking one thing - success. The "Bushnell Method", described below, has proven successful over and over with experienced as well as beginner paddlers. It is important to follow the steps in order until they are executed comfortably without brute strength before proceeding to the next step.

Step 1 : Find a pool or calm body of water which is shallow enough to permit someone to stand next to the student. Be sure you fit snugly in your boat. It may be necessary to pad the seat and adjust the footrest so when you are up-side down you won't fall out. You should be able to hold yourself in your boat with your knees up under the deck, so you could "chin yourself" up out of the water "wearing" your kayak. Nose plugs are helpful as are goggles.

Step 2 : While sitting in the boat, with spray cover on, grab the side of the pool or another person's hands with one or both hands. Tip the boat over half way, and using your hips only, flip the boat flat again, then tip it over again. Your face does not need to go under water. It is important to only use your hips and knees. No arm strength is needed or should be used. Keep your hands and body in front or perpendicular to the boat - never let them drift behind. Keep practicing this hip motion until you feel comfortable with it. You should not use any arm strength.

Step 3 : Once the hip motion is perfected using the side of a pool or another person's hands, you can use a piece of ethafoam, or a swimming pool kickboard or anything that floats and is not too bulky or heavy. Hold the foam with both hands. Tip the boat over all the way. Holding the foam with both hands, keeping it in front or perpendicular to your body, you will float to the surface of the water. The boat can remain upside-down. With your body floating with the foam, lift your head out of the water to breathe. Use the foam like you used the pool side, and with your hips, flip the boat upright. A slight downward push on the foam is needed, but no strength is required. Practice this step until you are comfortable. Also, practice being upside-down in a kayak. When you lose the fear of being upside-down, rolling becomes easier and more relaxed.




Step 4 : Once the hip motion with the foam is perfected and you feel comfortable upside-down, you can begin using the paddle. Attach the foam or kickboard to the paddle using a rubber strap made from an old bicycle inner tube. Holding the paddle in the paddling position, you can lean the boat over, and catch yourself with the paddle blade which has the foam on it, before you tip over. Since the blade will not sink, you can tip the boat over, and by letting the foam float to the surface and using your hips again, the boat can be brought upright. Pull down on the shaft with the hand closest to the foam blade and push up with the other hand. Use the same hip motion, again keeping the paddle blade with the foam on it in front or perpendicular to your body ( never let the paddle/foam float behind you). This push/pull action with the paddle replaces the small piece of foam and the downward push used in Step 3. Remember, no brute strength is needed. It might be helpful for someone to hold the paddle blade stationary while you get accustomed to the hip movement and paddle position. This also lends confidence to the student.

Step 5 : When Step 4 can be executed successfully, you can learn to roll using the foam on the paddle. Hold the paddle alongside the boat(it is necessary to twist your body sideways slightly and lean forward, almost touching the deck with your nose if possible). The paddle/foam should be at the bow end of the boat. Keep the power face, or concave face, of the blade's surface toward the ceiling. For this, the foam should be on the convex side of the blade. Take a deep breath and while in this positron, tip the boat all the way over and remain in this position until the boat stops moving. Be sure that the paddle blades are out of the water (you can feel your hands in the air). Sweep the foam/blade across the surface of the water (someone can guide the blade for you) until the foam is perpendicular to your body, or slightly forward. This is the same position you were in for Step 4. Using the same push/pull motion and hip snap, flip the boat upright. Some helpful hits: 1) Your head should be the last thing to come out of the water. Keep it low and it will be much easier, because all the weight is close to the center/pivot point. 2) Have a piece of foam floating nearby. If you miss or need air, grab the foam and roll up as in Step 3. This teaches you to stay in the boat and boosts confidence. 3) Someone to guide the blade across the surface is also helpful. This lets you feel the movement the paddle should take.



Step 6 : Now you are "ready to roll". Remove the foam from the blade. Use the same position as in Step 5, paddle alongside the boat, lean forward. It is important to keep the front blade perfectly flat or tipped away from the boat (curl the hand toward the inside of the wrist). This prevents the blade from "diving" toward the bottom, making rolling impossible. The blade should remain on or close to Step 5, sliding the blade across the surface until it is slightly forward of the perpendicular. Use the push/pull motion and hip snap-bringing your head up last, and right the boat.

Have someone help you so the blade doesn't dive and is in the correct position.

The position assumed above the water and before you start the paddle moving is most important. You must get into this position to roll in all situations. Practice tipping over in different paddling positions and bring the paddle back to this position before you try to roll. Always remember to use the hip snap, and less arm strength. When your arms are tired from paddling all day, it will still be possible to roll.

It is important to keep calm when you do tip over. Always remember that you can bail out, but try to roll a few times before you do. Sometimes you can get up enough to cover a breathe in the first try, then go back under and roll up. Using the "Bushnell Method" to teach or learn the eskimo roll lends confidence to the student and breaks down the roll in to various steps. Learning one step at a time makes rolling easy and something you won't forget.