Technique: Greenland vs CtoC rolling

It has been a few years since I have swapped my Euro paddle for an Aleut and Greenland one.
Some initial adjustment was necessary to my stroke to gain the maximum benefit from these new tools.
My forward stroke no longer needed to be so high and I had to learn how to cant the Greenland paddle to achieve a quiet and efficient stroke.
Eventually I started to venture into the surf with the traditional paddles and I now find them easier to use than the big bladed Euro.

The biggest difference however came when I started rolling with a skinny paddle.
I was thought the typical CtoC kayak roll where the emphasis is on the blade and much less on kayak rotation to execute the roll.
Only now that I use traditional paddles I can notice the marked difference between a graceful roll and a forced roll.
The revelation came when a very proficient paddler, surf kayaker and roller could not execute a roll when handed one of my Aleut paddles.
Why could he not roll with my paddle when he was so good with his wing paddle?

I could not figure it out at the time but looking back at pictures of my style then and now I see what was happening.


Sea kayak instructors all over Australia teach the explosive white water style roll where momentum and support from the paddle are essential.
Once I started to roll regularly with my new skinny paddles I looked at my rolls (video footage) and noticed a problem: my paddle would end up vertically before the kayak was rolled.
Through mentoring of the selfless dedicated self taught Greenland roller Greg Schwarz I started to correct my poor style and progress into a direction where body pressure on the deck/thigh braces of the kayak is way more important than pressure on the paddle.
Slowly I gained the knowledge and confidence to roll Greenland style. I watched a lot of videos and started to notice that all good rollers executed their rolls with such grace and finesse, never rushing and never forcing their rolls.
Since there is no formally qualified Greenland technique instructor in Australia most rollers are self taught.
While self teaching has great merits often leads to bad habits if one is not referencing his/her style to the one of the masters.
One such master is Helen Wilson. Her style is incredibly graceful.

Luckily for aspiring G rollers, Helen has produced an outstanding video that specifically looks at the technique of basic G rolls.
Her video might not be the most technically produced footage (some of the audio is rather erratic and hard to hear) but her explanation on how to execute Greenland rolls has helped me and my friends to correct some of our mistakes.
Helen Wilson’s video is available in Australia through :
Sydney Harbour Kayaks (NSW)
Blue Earth Paddle Sports (NSW)
Adventure Outlet (QLD)
and Fat Paddler direct for the other states.
I know that there has been resistance from some instructors in embracing the fast growing following of Greenland rolling but I assume that the reason behind is ignorance in the technique.
I have seen several videos lately where local kayakers have started to explore the use of the stick but are having the same problems I had myself: powering those rolls instead of finessing them.
It seems apparent that they are willing to try the stick but have not understood the fundamental difference between a white water roll and a Greenland Roll.
A well executed G roll will not show force or momentum. The emphasys is on controlling and rotating the kayak to come back up, not on the support offered by the paddle.
If a roll with a skinny paddle is marginal in calm waters it certainly will not work in the surf where aerated water will not offer enough resistance on the pressure applied to the paddle.

Some examples of forced rolls using a Greenland paddle:

Adventuretess in her early rolling days


source: Queensland Sea Kayak Club



I am lucky to have a dedicated group of kayakers that mentor each other with rolling and criticize and correct each other’s mistakes with the goal to gain better boat control and overall performance out of our crafts.
And here is Adventuretess a few months ago:

It looks like her style has improved...

PS Gnarlydog and Team are away on safari right now and will return to MEI Headquarter in early May...

Most eventful moment of 2010

There was a question on the local kayaking forum: Best Moments of 2010?
Gosh, there were so many great paddling moments in 2010.
There were some awsome surfing fun with my partner and other kayaking buddies.

Some great rolling sessions with the selfless ever inspiring brilliant coach Greg Schwarz.

Numerous great kayak sailing and camping outings too.
And then there was the two week self supported remote paddling along the East Australia Coast: what a trip.

In reflection I have to say that there have been some great moments for the advancements of my skills and enrichment of my paddling life. More than any other year.
I have concluded that the reason for such an eventful year is the ability to finally actually do what I really want: paddle free. I now realize that the previous year I spent too much time in the constraints of paddling within an environment that was becoming toxic.
The really most memorable moment of 2010 was getting expelled by the Queensland Sea Kayak Club.

Following my whistle blowing, trying to expose a sexual harassment case by an instructor/member of the Club, I had a campaign launched against me, by his friends serving on the committee, to expel me .
At the time I viewed their action as autocratic and despotic.
They managed to dismiss me on unfounded grounds and manipulated* the supposedly democratic vote of dismissal by members of the Club In the end it was actually a relief, but I didn't know it at the time. I was suddenly free from the burden of having to always paddle in conditions that were not advancing my skills, always held back by red tape.

For those men who, sooner or later, are lucky enough to break away from the pack, the most intoxicating moment comes when they cease being bodies in other men's command and find that they control their own time, when they learn their own voice and authority.
- Theodore H. White
Since then my surfing has improved out of sight and so has my rolling.
I now paddle with trusted friends and pass on my knowledge to people that are actively seeking to improve their skills and are willing to share, free of charge.

* procedure of dismassal has been voice recorder and is availiable to the public for review. Please contact me if you wish to listen to the recordings.

Missing telemarking

Half of the Northern hemisphere is in the grip a real cold snap and snow is creating havoc from London to Paris to metropolis of North America.
On the other hand the early winter is bringing the coveted white Christmas to so many snow loving skiers.
Ski resorts are having mother nature provide the magical white blanket for the exceptional powder experience early in the season.


Mammoth Lakes, CA.   File Image provided by MEI SoCal_Edgard Peralta

























There was a time when I lived in US and A that skiing was a real passion of mine.
Longtime downhiller skier I grew bored with just ripping the slopes at reckless speed; I wanted to try something different: I converted to telemarking.
More difficult and more tiring then downhill I found telemarking initially way more challenging. To telemark I had to relearn how to ski: the weight distribution occurs on the exact opposite ski than alpine style. Once perfected I never returned to conventional skis.


A few rusty free-heel turns in the Australian Alps.  MEI archives_Tess Dodd

It looks like there is a correlation between telemarking and Greenland paddles: both have ancient roots.
So why transition to tools that are harder to use?
Because just like Greenland paddling, to me telemarking is way more graceful than alpine skiing.
The focus is not on speed but on the fluid motion of the turns and graceful dance-like feeling when perfected; telemarking suits more my style.

Technique: Vegemite roll

Kayak rolling can be a very serious matter.
Competition rolling has very strict rules and events are held around the world to crown the rolling champions.
Our little group of dedicated kayakers is lucky to have a highly skilled mentor who selflessly offers us his help to improve our skills even if we might never get to compete.
He practices yoga daily to keep his body supple and trains rolling several times a week.
Every time I meet up with him he shows me a new way to roll his kayak.
Most of his rolls are internationally recognised official Greenland style rolls used in competitions.
Lately he has been working on a roll all of his own that would make Australians proud: the Vegemite roll.



This roll complements the growing repertoir of Australian rolls that now inlcude the Magnum and the Thong roll.

SAFETY: training for accident avoidance

Sea kayak surfing poses inherit risks of capsize and trashing from the force of large waves.

Controlling a relatively large craft (compared to a surf board) on steep waves is often very difficult.

I really enjoy sea kayak surfing with my friends and occasionally we come in close proximity to each other when careering down a wave.

My natural reaction when facing harsh contact with an other kayaker is to roll my kayak and avoid collision.

The immersion of my body into to sea stops the speed of my kayak in a split of a second.

Recently, at a training session I asked my instructor what would be the best way to minimize the impact of a kayaker heading my way at great speed.

To really best explain the occurrence my instructor wanted to demonstrated the action.

I was asked to voluntarily "spear" him.

Although initially apprehensive, I have however great respect for Craig McSween as an instructor and proceeded to give my best in "running him over"

A waited for a decent sized wave and surfed towards him with purpose.

Just before collision Craig rolled his kayak away from me offering his hull instead.

My fast moving kayak hit his hull but my sloping bow slid over it with almost no force exerted to Craig's kayak.

I was surprised that I barely felt the impact when running over him.

A second later I peeled off the wave and facing back to sea I saw Craig had rolled back up and was smiling at me.

After his demonstration I was totally convinced that learning this safety technique will help avoid future injuries in instances of unavoidable collisions.

I believe that giving each other space when surfing is probably the best tactic however in the heat of the battle things occasionally do go wrong.

I hope I will have the presence of mind to execute this safety move next time somebody is racing towards me, fails to bail and proceeds to spear me.

Buying your first kayak

Chances are that while reading this post you already have bought your first kayak, and maybe your second one (or third...) too.
I often read/hear about the pertinent questions that a newcomer to the sport has while trying to select his/her kayak.
It has been some years since I bought my first kayak and honestly I had none of the questions that I see others have.
My first kayak was an impulse buy: I heard that somebody was selling one, it tickled my mind and made me pause and fantasise on the places I could explore with a kayak and the fun I could have. Summer was approaching and soon it would be too hot to backpack (bushwalk) so I needed a diversion.
I inspected the kayak, knew nothing about it, it kind of fitted me and I bought it.
Was that the right kayak for me?
Heck yeah! It was the perfect kayak!

my first kayak
How come I was lucky to buy the perfect kayak with so little knowledge and research?
My luck was that I did not agonize for days, weeks and months over the purchase of something that most likely will not be used for long.
So, was I going to kayak just for one summer?
Maybe. I did not know kayaking from jetski-ing from scuba diving.
It was new to me and maybe it was not meant to be.
In reality though I knew that I was going to use the boat but I had no skills.
So, what would be the point to fret over something that I knew little about and most likely be persuaded by somebody (often the retailer) that a particular kayak would be the right one for me.
Think about it, your first kayak most likely will not be your last one!
Unless you don't take kayaking seriously, there is a very strong probability that your first boat will only last a year, maybe two.
How come? will it get trashed?
Not really: good kayaks last a very long time, your skill level (at the time of purchase) does not.
If you make kayaking a serious hobby/sport for yourself your skill level will increase and so will your demand for performance from a craft.
A kayak that is perfect for a beginner is usually a dog for an advance paddlers.
As with most things while you gain balance and maneuverability you desire a more responsive tool.
A beginner's kayak will probably be (painfully) stable, have a very wide cockpit (most of us fear getting "trapped" inside the kayak, if tipped) and probably handle like a bus.
My first kayak was the best because it was inexpensive.
I bought a used composite ruddered kayak that came with a sail, spraydeck (what would I need that thing for? :-) paddle and PFD.
I was ready to hit the water the next day.
Thankfully my skills progressed and soon I desired a kayak that was more maneuverable and that would fit me better: that wide cockpit was doing nothing for my boat control, I had to rely simply on the little inefficient rudder.
So I bought my second kayak and after that my third one and so on.
With each new kayak I learned new skills and pushed my boundaries.
I hear you say: a good tradesman never blames his tools. And probably you are right, I have seen kayaker handle the same boats that I eventually upgrade from much better than I did. I probably would now too, if I had to paddle my old kayaks but I would be frustrated in paddling something that just does not perform as well as other kayaks.

So, would it be wise for a beginner to demo boats before they buy?
Yes and no.
Anybody should try to fit a boat first before buying it.
A novice will probably fall for a kayak with a wide cockpit, so called comfortable seat (often with a great large back rest) and often a kayak way too large for them.

cockpit too wide for a small paddler; modified (black carbon braces) by Greg Schwarz

A large kayak is often stable (on flat water) and gives a reassuring feeling to a paddler that has not developed the balance for a more responsive kayak.
A beginner will often discard a performance kayak in a line up of demo boats: admittedly they are a bit tippy for the first timer.
Little do they know that within a few weeks that "tippiness" will be gone and they could have ended up with a better kayak if they chose the performance one.
However if the kayak is really narrow and seriously challenges one's ability to stay upright than probably will be too much of a hindrance to confidently develop better skills.
Hence my point: your first kayak should not be your last one.
Your first kayak should be something that gives you good contact with your body and maybe just a bit "tender" if demo paddled: you will overcome that initial instability usually pretty quickly.
What a demo day will NOT give you is a good understanding of how a kayak will perform for you.
To really learn what a kayak does (or does not) often takes a few weeks.
Unless you are really an expert and have paddled hundreds of kayaks you will rarely know what a kayak is capable of doing in just a couple of minute, or hours.
It could take a year (sometimes longer) to really get the full potential out of a kayak if your skills are not brilliant.
I, for example, purchased a kayak that initially I regarded way too advanced for me and totally disliked it. If I just demoed that kayak, I probably would have not purchased it.
It took many months (admittedly a few mods too :-) to learn how to really get the best out of that kayak. That kayak is now my favorite boat.
I know of proficient kayakers that owned a kayak, paddled it for a while, found it too demanding, sold it and a few years later, as their skills advanced, purchased the same model again.
So, I find no real point in doing endless researches on hull speed, boat performance and statistics for your first kayak.
Buy one that fits you (possibly snugly) and that keep you upright.
All the rest will come to you after a while and chances are that your "first love" will not be your last.

SAFETY: surviving a summer storm.

As a leader (among peers) of sea kayak trips I have often pondered at scenarios that I might be involved in while paddling in a group.
I usually paddle with sea kayakers that have a minimum standard of proficiency (self rescue in mild conditions) and rarely with novices.

Some stretches of water involve crossings of semi protected waters (no ocean swell) of 15-20 Km.
Living in a subtropical locale the possibility of sudden storms, occasionally violent, unexpected and usually brief is feasible.
While the weather forecast is religiously checked and observed before leaving shore, on multi day trips sometimes the only forecast available is via VHF radio bulletins on the morning schedule.
I have been caught out before on sudden changes of weather but luckily close enough to shore to make a hasty easy retreat.

hand towing kayaks to camp in 30+ knots wind
To better my skills and be able to handle unexpected though scenarios I sometimes seek conditions where I never see any other user on the water, let alone a kayaker.
Obviously in those conditions I chose an on-shore wind location where in case of trouble I can be blown back to safety in a short time.

training with Greg Schwarz in 30 knots wind
In the unlikely but possible event that I should be caught out on the water in a group of 6-8 paddlers (too far from shore to be reached in time) what would be my best way to ride out a short storm (1 hour duration, for example) ?
I have asked this question on a couple of Forums and I got replies of limited value and some abusive ones too ("you should have checked the forecast", "paddle close to shore", "don't go out in bad weather" or "if you are that stupid to be out there in a storm is serves you right").
A local instructor replied to me:

click on image to enlarge
While stating the obvious, I really did not learn much from his comment.
Relying purely on the weather bureau's forecast is very shortsighted.
I believe that knowledge, skills and being prepared for the situation is my best defense.

windy conditions (1)
So I asked the question directly to highly regarded sea kayakers Nigel Dennis (of SKUK) Eric Soares (from the Tsunami Rangers) and Nigel Foster (of Nigel Foster kayaks):
"Since I believe that you have had a fair share of bad weather experience on the water, what is, in your opinion, the best way to ride out such event when paddling in a group of medium skilled paddlers?
Winds would not exceed 40 knots and waves would be of max 1.5 meter with probably braking tops.
I believe that rafting up would be hard and holding together dangerous? clipping the perimeter lines of the kayaks together to raft and leave the hands off the edge of the kayak?
I am open to suggestions"
Thankfully their replies were outstanding first hand knowledge of possible solutions for my sticky scenario.
Nigel Dennis replied:
-----
Hi Damiano,

Thanks for the e-mail. I am not sure there is a one answer. If it was me and I was caught out in strong winds with a group the best thing would be to run down wind. As the wind gets stronger this will become more and more your only option. The problem is that people will be at different levels. It will be very hard to keep the group together. Someone will need to lead from the front so they have a little control over the direction and speed of the group. Another will have to stay at the rear and be in charge of rescues. As the wind picks up you will have problem with people falling in. You can't afford for this to happen. Your only option left is to raft up. I would advise two small rafts rather than one big one but only if you have sufficient competent leaders to go in each group. Finally it would help if you used a small drogue on each raft or clipped helmets on tow lines to each raft. This will be difficult but it’s the only thing you can do. I have had to do this in the past.

Nigel
-----

sea kayaks in wind waves (2)
Eric, more specific to different levels of storm gravity and participants skill level, said:
-----
Greetings Damiano,
Here is my reply to your scenario.

1. Of course, all your friends are right who say "You shouldn't be there." Right. But as you said, you can't always forecast sudden squalls that only last an hour or so.

2. I do not recommend rafting up unless someone is very ill. The reason is as you said. Even in somewhat brisk conditions such as you describe, boats that are rafted bang together, which can hurt boaters and damage boats. It's especially risky to tie boats together, as they may get entangled, which can cause all sorts of problems, as you can imagine.

3. Form a diamond formation of four boats. If there are more than four boats, form more diamonds or parts of diamonds. A diamond formation has one boat in front, leading, another boat in the back, sweeping, and one boat on each side. Each keeps a safe distance from each other, about ten meters or so, so they don't bang into each other, but the paddlers can communicate and watch out for each other. Also, for your weaker paddlers, the formation provides a psychological structure so they feel safer and protected in a "pod". If there are say, two diamond formations, have one follow the other with the lead of the second diamond maintaining a distance of about ten meters or so behind the sweep of the first diamond.

4. From the diamond formation, (assuming the wind is 30-40 knots, w/seas below 2 meters in a semi-protected environment), FACE the wind directly and have everyone put their heads as low and forward (to reduce windage) as possible, so they are looking up to see forward. Arms (elbows especially) should be close into the body to reduce windage. This will give you a low physical profile so you are less effected by gusts and the strong prevailing wind. The leader should paddle just hard enough to make nominal forward movement, so slower paddlers can keep up. Do this for an hour until the squall passes, then resume your course. Facing the wind like this provides the most stable feel for inexperienced paddlers.

5. A formation variant: Should you have one or two truly weak paddlers, make a column formation, either by itself, or within the diamond. A column formation is a straight line. The weak paddlers draft on the strong lead paddler, so their workload is reduced.

7. Another solution: Should you have all strong paddlers, just continue on course with the wind at your flank in a diamond formation and ignore the beam seas, while doing correction strokes as needed. Or, turn with the wind, fan out (row formation), so you don't run into each other, and run with the wind for the storm's duration, then turn back toward your destination, assuming it's to the side and not behind you! These two solutions are preferred, if your paddlers are strong and bold. This is what we do!

8. If someone is unable to stay up for any reason, have a diamond of four or five paddlers raft up, all facing the same direction (ideally, into the wind and swells). Put the weakest paddlers in the middle and the two best on the outside. Hold the boats together tightly by placing paddles on your laps, with the blades extended to the boater next to you, so he can grab your paddle. Everyone holds onto the paddles, and that keeps the boats (roughly) in place, with everyone pressing toward the center.

9. These solutions to this scenario should be rehearsed, first in mild conditions, then in rough conditions--but near shore!

Happy paddling!
Eric
-----

Vanilla practising in 30 knots wind (according to BOM records)

Nigel Foster addresses the training for the unexpected.
Only by being prepared and having trained in harsher conditions will give me the chance to survive a possible storm.
>>
Hi Damiano,Thanks for your patience. Recovered thanks and back on the water... and last weekend running kayak incident management courses.
Re your questions; If I could start with the concept; "fail to prepare; prepare to fail" and suggest that for the individual paddler who faces a real possibility of encountering certain conditions on open water, then the best advice is preparation. If you want to know what it's like to control your kayak in strong winds, then practice in strong winds in a safe place (such as just a short distance from shore when the wind will quickly blow you to shore if you get out of control)
If you can paddle circles or figure-of-eights in the wind, can edge and brace for balance against a side wind and make forward progress in all directions... then you are in a better position to meet similar conditions unexpectedly while on a trip or on a crossing. It's neither safe nor as much fun for the individual or the leader to play Russian Roulette on open water, knowing that there's a good chance of meeting conditions that group members have never experienced even closer to shore. But... it's really fun to learn techniques in a safe place in wild conditions that get close to or exceed your experience and current ability, especially if you're doing it with paddlers who know what to do and can offer help and advice. It makes you a better paddler.

Ideally each paddler should be confident and able to rescue others, and to perform self-rescues in conditions they might expect on any trip they choose to go on. Ideally that means practicing in similar conditions in a safer place before signing on for an open water trip where those conditions are a possibility.
What do paddlers generally find easiest? Heading straight into the wind until it reaches a certain strength... ( beyond that wind strength the kayak will prefer to be sideways to the wind.) So in the first instance, paddling against the wind through a squall will offer more ease of control for individuals, and therefore more safety so long as they can keep together as a group.
So a good practice session might include heading out from a safe shore against the wind to a nearby anchored float and paddling steadily to remain as close as possible to the float for the duration of a violent squall. Try it with a small group and try it with a larger group. If anyone gets tired, they'll be blown onto the safe beach behind.

Another useful practice session in similar conditions is to paddle a figure-of-eight path around two anchored floats. (Anchored floats can be as simple as a plastic bottle on a line anchored with a brick.) It gives practice in turning in every direction to the wind and shows how effectively you can control the kayak in that strength of wind. The more practice, usually the quicker and more effectively you can do it without getting blown onto the beach.

Other skills that are useful? Techniques for balancing while looking behind at fixed objects or other paddlers, the ability to slow down your paddling pace to match someone else's pace, the ability to turn your kayak around and position yourself to rescue someone in the conditions... and practicing anchored rescues in those conditions, which require positioning skill, tow-line skills and rescue skills... and awareness of what happens if you let go of your kayak... again practice in a safe place first.

Finally, in wind, communication gets more difficult. Practice using eye contact and head gestures rather than shouting, and keeping close as a group. Then... the squalls on open water become a treat rather than a potential hazard, and if someone capsizes, your role becomes one of making use of the situation as a useful practice session for everyone, rather than it falling on you to perform the rescue. Hope these comments help! Get back to me if you need to, and have fun out there!

nigel

There you have it.
I very much value their advice that will help me to become a more prepared leader with wiser knowledge.
Please feel free to comment on their advice and if you have anything to add, my readers would love to hear from you.

PS AUG10: a very informative discussion thread on QajaqUSA forum here.

1,2 published under Creative Commons license

Paddling license

Sea kayaking is an emerging sport in Australia.
Most of the population lives around the coastline of this great island and it was only a matter of time that sea kayaking would see an explosion in popularity.
A few years ago I started sea kayaking as diversion to my bushwalking (backpacking) passion that was put on hold during the hottest months of summer.
And like most of paddlers I taught myself the basic handling on the kayak.
I have respect for the water (used to windsurf years ago) and I realized that staying close to shore and always wearing my life jacket was imperative if I wanted to stay safe.
The passion increased and eventually I started to have company on the water.
I figured it would be safer to have somebody there if I eventually capsized. However, to learn good skills before something would happen, I needed to hook up with better paddlers.

A newly formed sea kayak Club was the perfect environment for me to meet paddlers of higher skill level and seek instruction from them.
The Club was a very friendly place with many paddlers offering their knowledge to me for the love of the sport.

Club training day (without instructor)
I started to venture further away from the shore and eventually wanted to tackle the surf.
I still remember the bliss experience when two senior Club members took me in the (baby) surf and looked after me. Needless to say I did capsize on my second wave ride. Within a few seconds they were there and quickly helped me to reenter my kayak. Suddenly I was back again and learning how to prevent my kayak from broaching.
All that was done in a controlled environment and the two paddlers were not instructors: they just wanted to pass on their skill for the joy of seeing another person advance.
I am still thankful to them for giving me their time and help in gaining essential skills that would make me a safer paddler.
I joined that Club and continued to advance.
Some formal training with a certified instructor was undertaken and eventually I started leading trips on the water for my fellow Club members.

Club member learning formal skills from instructor
The policy in our Club is that a leader must be qualified to lead others and depending on conditions, environment and distance of paddle, a different level of skill is needed.
Participants on Club trips were always welcome.
Easier paddles will require low skills levels while only demanding paddles (in surf conditions) would require the paddler being formally certified to be able to participate.
It kind made sense to me: easy paddles are suitable for beginners where skills can be acquired before having to venture out in the “big stuff”. The sheltered waters of the bay interspersed with many islands allow for trips of low skill level. Beginner trips can be safely conducted when conditions are benign. On calm days many kayakers can be found in the safe channels between the islands: if conditions deteriorate the shore is usually not more than ½ hour paddle’s away.

typical day on the Bay (Southern area)
Lately there have been some rumors about the need to license all paddlers.
It was speculated that all kayakers that belong to a Club should be licensed (just like a driving license) to be able to be on the water.
A local instructor, after a day of tuition at one of the kayaking clubs pronounced that the members of that Club should not paddle anywhere but the rivers, until they gained the necessary instructions (incidentally probably from him) to paddle again in the bay (where they have been doing it for years).
That made me question: if the instructor is pushing for a formal license for a paddler to be able to participate in ANY paddle in the sea he probably will generate himself substantial work and revenue (the instructions obviously will not be free of charge).
While formal assessment and skills are surely needed in demanding environments, in my opinion, a paddling license (certification) to undertake the simplest and safe paddle in a structured group of paddlers (with a recognized suitable leader) is probably overkill.
I do advocate for safe paddling and applaud when individuals want to step up and gain better skills and possible certifications but it should be left to the individuals to make that choice.
A policy where ALL paddlers will suddenly have to hold a license to be able to be on the water, or to paddle with a Club in mild conditions is just ludicrous.
If the national body that oversees the development of the kayaking sport and promotes safe paddling will enforce this rumored “license” I have the feeling that current and future members will be driven away from joining formal Clubs and prefer to paddle in informal groups (something that seems to be growing in popularity).
While the threat of legal action in case of an incident is one of the reasons for me joining a Club (and therefore be insured) I believe that the introduction of forced licensing will probably result in a decline of membership and possible lower the skill level of the paddling community.

The camaraderie of helping each other out and learning from each other is obviously one of the basic forms of skill development.
At a lower level paddles in sheltered waters is probably all it’s needed as long as safety and group dynamics are observed.
I don’t believe that forced licensing is the answer to a better paddling community.

Sea kayak for skills development

I have experienced it myself and observed it over time in others but last weekend paddle certainly cemented my opinion: a good kayak will improve your skills.



Occasionally there is a paddler skilled and talented enough to make any kayak perform well but for the more common mortal often a decent kayak will improve things out of sight.
That moment for me occurred when I switched from a ruddered kayak to a skegged one.
Now, I know that a good tradesman never blames his tools but I don't call myself a good tradesman, actually an average one. I will seek the best tool I can get.
At the time there were only a handful of rudderless kayaks in my area.
All of them were too small and I could not test paddle them.
Finally I found a kayak that fitted me and had a skeg.

The skeg alone is not the ultimate component in a great kayak but generally is associated with tighter fitting cockpit complemented with decent thigh braces.
I found that if a kayak is loose it generally can not be edged and consequently is a dog to control (I am talking mongrel kind of dog here...).
I had enough of just cruising paddling. Speed has never been my goal nor have been bragging rights of how fast I can go (no GPS speed readings for me).
I see a kayak as a vessel for adventure and fun.
Since I regard adventure as a long trip that often my time constraints won't allow it, the fun factor has to be high when paddling a kayak.
Enter the surf zone.

Since the local conditions don't offer rebound and rock gardens I have to content myself with surf alone.
In my ruddered kayaks I could not surf; they just were not built for that.
The design of a ruddered boat is such that even by retracting the rudder on the deck those kayaks just were not happy in rough conditions.
Needless to say that some were built too light and the surf would damage them easily but I never felt right in my ruddered kayaks.
So, when finally I came across a kayak that would fit me and that was a true British style kayak I bought it without test paddling.
I still remember my first paddle in it: bloody brilliant.
I have never looked back.

So, when a paddling buddy's skills started to improve in his considerably well fitted kayak I took him in conditions that were slightly beyond his skill level.
I would be there to pull him out of the drink, if necessary.
He did great but could only go so far in his ruddered kayak. *
He wanted more but eventually realized that he needed a better kayak to get there.
My buddy then paddled one of my boats and found it much more responsive than his ruddered one.
He wanted one.
And he was lucky to get the very last for sale in Australia.
Last Sunday we all met at our local surfing spot, him in his new Impex.
The conditions were gentle and very suited for a maiden voyage in a new boat, a new style of boat too.
I was expecting some initial embarrassment for him while trying to work out the skeg concept and the higher maneuverability of his new kayak.
It was amazing to witness the marked improvement in skills almost immediately.
He started to surf the gentle waves and quickly progressed to steeped and bigger ones.
Something I have not seen him do in his old kayak.
His comment after a short time paddling in the gentle surf:
"...I can't believe how much more maneuverable this kayak is and how much more fun I can have..."

I don't have any pictures of him surfing the bigger waves because that smile was worth a thousand words.

PS Readers have questioned my wisdom in selecting such low waters for skill development for my buddy. I am no expert but that's how I was taught by instructor Gary Forrest as seen in this video here

* PS MAY10: a very good article on how to improve skills in a ruddered kayak: here