Kayak Roll Techniques

Learning to roll your kayak is not only a fun way to impress your friends, it can literally save your life. There are several techniques for rolling a kayak, and no one method is better than another as long as it sees you safely back upright in your boat. Kayak schools generally teach the C to C and sweep rolls as the basics, and these are a good first place to start for someone new to kayaking and the kayak roll. Advanced techniques include hybrid rolls, rodeo rolls, and even hand rolling, in case you've lost your paddle.

  1. Basic Rolls

    • The two most common basic roll types are the C to C roll and the sweep or screw roll. Which is easier or better has been the subject of debate for years, but the better one is the one that's easier for you. After all, the goal of the two is the same, it's just accomplished in two different manners.

      The C to C roll is so named because your body literally forms a C in one direction, and then crunches over to a C shape in the other direction as the roll is executed. With the boat upside down, you bend sideways into a C shape, reaching the paddle up to the top of the water and swinging it outward to form a 90-degree angle with the boat. A strong hip snap then rights the boat as your body crunches over to form a C shape in the other direction, the paddle position providing the light purchase on the water's surface needed to help in this snapping motion. Your body finally rights itself from the waist up, with your head being the last thing to come fully upright. Through the course of the roll, your body transitions through three distinct movements, first going into the initial C with your paddle at the surface alongside the boat, then sweeping the paddle out into that 90-degree angle, and finally snapping the hips to roll up.

      The sweep or screw roll, by contrast, is accomplished all in one motion. The starting position is with the paddle alongside the boat, at the surface of the water and your body leaning forward and up toward the surface. To execute the roll, move the paddle in a long sweep stroke from front to back while simultaneously executing a hip snap to right the boat as the paddle sweeps through. Again your body snakes its way upright, with your head being the last thing to right itself.

    Advanced Rolling

    • There are, of course, more advanced rolling techniques used in certain situations, or rolls which are simply hybrids of the basic rolls as outlined above.

      A very good advanced technique to learn is the hand roll. Hand rolling involves using your hands for purchase against the water instead of a paddle, and can save your life in situations where your paddle has been lost or torn away from you by rocks or violent current. The most common hand roll technique is similar to the C to C roll, but instead of using the paddle, your near side hand slaps against the water while the opposite hand is thrown across to aid in the momentum of the hip snap to right the boat. A good way to practice hand rolling is to purchase a set of hand paddles, as these will provide more purchase in the water while your technique is perfected.

      Rodeo rolls or back deck rolls are quick and easy rolls often used by play boaters in known safe areas. It is executed much like the screw roll, only your body lays against the back deck as the motion is completed. It is very easy to right the boat this way, but carries the hazard of exposing your face during the roll, so be careful in shallow and rocky areas where face hits are possible.

      Hybrid rolls are simply a combination of different techniques. Common hybrids include the sweep to C roll and the C to front deck roll. If you are rolling successfully and not following one of the basic techniques to the letter, chances are you are still using a hybrid combination of sound rolling principles. The possibilities are endless. It is not advised, however, for beginners to develop their own techniques before mastering the basics.