Can’t roll a kayak consistently? Try these tips.
If you feel like you can’t roll a kayak–you aren’t alone.
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard people just learning how to paddle say those words. Fortunately, there are a few simple things you can focus on to make your kayak roll more consistent.
Basically, the role has three parts (you probably know this, but it might help to break it down a bit): the setup, the hip-snap, and the finish.
Kayak Roll Set Up
Are you getting your paddle all the way to the surface when you set up? If not, bend your body towards the surface to get your paddle up there.
Is your paddle flat against the surface of the water? If not, experiment with your wrist angle to maximize the surface area of the paddle that pulls on the water as you come up.
Is your paddle at a 90-degree angle to your boat when you set up? If not, “twist” your arms up a little more so that it is. It may feel strange at first but usually helps.
One thing that sometimes helps if you can’t seem to roll your kayak is trying to get your head as close to the surface as possible before you hip-snap (not to be confused with bringing your head up first after the hip-snap; your head comes up last).
The Hip-Snap
Put as little pressure as you can on the paddle when you hip-snap. Just as you get to the end of your hip-snap, smoothly transition into bringing your stomach, then your torso, then your shoulders, then your head onto the top of the boat.
Keep practicing your hip snap without a paddle on a pool edge or rock or with the help of a friend. Focus on moving your hips without moving the rest of your body. Keep your head close to the water and your hands still. See if you can go from having the boat almost upside-down to right-side-up while moving your torso and head as little as possible.
The Finish
Use your paddle just at the end of the roll, when you need that little push to get your shoulders and head over the boat. The hip snap built the foundation for your shoulders and head to roll onto.
If you are finding it difficult to come up, try coming up with the back of your head close to your back deck. You can learn to come up upright later when you have learned the basic roll.
Think of your body like a whip. Once set up, the hip-snap starts the movement, then the stomach and chest follow in turn, and the head is the end of the whip. Continue the momentum from the set-up to the hip-snap to bring your torso and head out of the water, so that the roll is one continuous motion.
Hope that helps. My experience has been that when people are learning to roll the most important thing is to focus on getting a good set-up and learning to relax so that the hip snap and the finish become one continuous motion. Also, trying to come up laying back on the back-deck a bit often helps.