Successful roll

A long time ago, on another continent...

Imagine it's 1998. Some mates challenge you to try an "Eskimo roll" (yeah, that's what we called it back then). You're comfy in the water, pretty fit for a 30-something, and you've been kayaking since you were 9. But rolling? Nobody taught that where you grew up in Sweden.

It takes a bunch of tries, but after 20 minutes in that calm river pool, you nail it. Multiple times, both sides. High fives all round. You feel like a natural. This is it, you think: you're a proper kayaker now, and you can roll.

Fast-forward a couple of weeks. Same continent, decent surf spot. First time kayaking waves. They look small, but damn, they pack a helluva punch. Who needs to understand wave physics when the fun is waiting on the other side?

Consequences? Not your strong suit. You charge in with your best gung-ho yell. Next thing: waves smash you, paddle flies out (or smacks your face), you tumble upside down, bounce headfirst toward shore (helmet? Can't remember. Bad sign?). Underwater? Just sand. Stings eyes, fills mouth, blasts out nose. Kayak swamped, spraydeck dangling like a necklace. Then you empty the tub, paddle out, try again. Then again...some of us are slow learners, ya know.

Btw, thanks Gary (Stevenson) for the world’s quickest kayak-surfing masterclass: "You'll be right, mate!" Haha, I'm laughing out loud remembering this :) That’s it. Four words. No technique tips to weigh me down. No lecture about boring safety, edging, bracing, or how not to get "worked by a dumper". Just pure, undiluted Australian optimism. Legend.

Next thing you know, you’re grinning like an idiot as you catch your first green-faced roller, the kayak surfs like a dream, and you’re yelling “Waooo!” heading all the way to the beach. For 3 seconds.

Your thought: "What good is this bloody roll? It all turns to shite anyway!"

Oh, and that massive landslide outside Meråker, Norway, five years later, where someone had the first paddle in the "interesting" river beneath it? That can't have been me...

Sound familiar? Horror story, epic ignorance or a hilarious memory of Nature bitch-slapping you into respect? Maybe not surf, but your own brand of chaos? Translate it to your world and your conditions, then read on.

Why bother learning to roll a kayak?

Simple: it's the fastest, safest self-rescue there is. Nothing else gets you upright in a hairy spot as quick and clean. Cowboy scramble or T-rescue in 2-3 seconds? Good luck.

Real-world nightmares...ahem, situations, where rolling shines:

• Icy cold water (shock hits fast)

• Rocks closing in

• Boats or traffic bearing down

• Dodgy shoulder, bad back, [insert body part here]

• Totally knackered

In those spots, waiting for help or fumbling other rescues can turn bad quick. Sure, practise T-rescues, paddle floats and all that. They're solid backups for when your roll fails.

But let's be real: I call those alternatives "cute" at best in serious conditions. A bombproof roll should be your go-to. The rest? Fallbacks.

Feathers ruffled? Excellent. If your crew swears by non-rolling rescues practiced in warm, flat water with empty boats... challenge them to try it mid-winter, loaded gear, rough seas. Would you trust their fitness to haul your ass back in?

Practice like your life depends on it. Because it damn well does.

Consider kayaking as a water sport, not just boating

View it less like captaining a cargo ship, more like swimming with a float. Water sports get you wet. Deal with it.

The old Inuit hunters nailed it: respect the water, but don't fear it as an enemy. Embrace flipping, relax underwater, float up still seated.

(Of course, easier in a playful kayak built for this, not a barge. Digress over.)

Why you should give a damn

We all hit plateaus and get stuck, frustrated as hell.

A reliable roll (and solid braces) smashes most barriers. Suddenly you're comfy in rougher, colder water, you have way more fun, and longer trips feel relaxed.

The excuses never run out: "Too tired." "Don't wanna get wet again." "The sea is cold." Don't feed the excuse factory.

Roll like a seal, not like a "man overboard"

Seals don't freak underwater, they flow.

Shift from "Oh shit, upside down!" to "A-ight, sweep, hips, up and away."

That's why Greenland-style rolling is gold: very little brute force, lots of body, and you learn to relax underwater. You teach yourself and the kayak to float up together.

I don't float naturally when submerged. No one does. Took work but even I learned, still taking every opportunity to practice. If I can, you can.

The payoff

Just nailed a hand roll in chop, loaded boat, smirk intact?

That's the ancient Inuit hunter grinning through you. He just saved another life. Maybe yours.

Give him a high five next time.

What's your story? Rolled yet? What's holding you back: fear, bad teaching, or excuses (fair ones or the other kind)? Drop it below. This community is worldwide, so let's hear all sides. No judgment (well, not much).

//Tibor