Show us where you paddled today thread:

[Cataboo]

I've been playing a lot in the surf this summer and a couple times in whitewater. I was surprised to find my roll pretty bombproof everytime I've inadvertently gone over (if I don't get it the first time, the 2nd works). Yes, it does suck if you don't have your noseplugs in & get a nose douche. I just concentrate on starting to hum or blow out of your nose when you're going in... If you hum, water can't go up your nose. Close your eyes as well.

If I'm playing in the surf, I just keep my nose plugs in - Even paddling into the waves, when they break in your face, you get a ton of salt water in your eyes/nose. They get pulled off & i get enough salt water nose douches like that. I lost a pair of prescription sunglasses in the surf, so now I've started tethering my sunglass tether to the back of my pfd & my hat. I can't tell you how many times I've had to grab my hat while underwater & roll up holding it.


I've never practiced with a mask on, so I'm not use to that.

Oregon looks gorgeous to paddle in, as does Norway. I've been doing a ton of paddling this season, but mostly east coast of the US - midatlantic states & Florida. I got some paddling in over in Scotland back in June.

pics as always are over on picasaweb.google.com/immunogirl (I'd spam you guys if I tried to post pics)

GLC - generally it's easiest to learn a roll in a pool or somewhere where it's about 4 feet deep, with someone helping you or not. But next time you try it - put a paddle float on the end of your paddle, and use that to get the hip snap motion and the sweep motion with your paddle... It's actually pretty easy to roll up with a paddle float on your paddle, so if you do blow the roll, just climb into your kayak upside down, and roll up with the paddle float on your paddle... The paddle float will keep the paddle on the surface and you just have to pull upwards on it.

And given the water temps in Oregon, I wouldn't get myself wet for the fun of it. I roll all the time here, but the water temp is like 80 degrees & the air temp is 90-100 degrees. I'm usually wearing dry gear or neoprene when paddling in water temps like you guys have. I've had the cold water safety & hypothermia safety routines completely drilled into me. Which is somewhat funny, because I know I can do at least 5 self rescue techniques and another god knows how many group rescue techniques.

[GLC1968]

One of the other experienced folks mentioned using a paddle float. I'll have to try that the next time. As I was working on it, another guy came over to offer tips. His tips were EXCELLENT for helping me get the idea of what it would feel like, so I was thankful for that. I think he might have been an instructor when not on vacation because he was really good at explaining things and helping me do little things while upright to kind of learn. Oh, and I was doing this in a sheltered bay, so the water was very calm and less than 5 ft deep (I could just barely touch with my head above water once I'd exited).

The water was pretty cold, but I swim in water that cold all the time and it doesn't bother me. I was wearing a sleeveless tri wetsuit and a pfd that day, so I was plenty warm enough. I think the water temps were mid 50's in that bay so it wasn't that bad. Honestly, 80F water would probably kill me. I don't even like pools that warm!

[Cataboo]

There is nothing in life that I hate more than a soggy wetsuit. I avoid it all costs Especially if i'm on a multi-day trip, 'cause there's nothing worse than waking up in the morning to put on a cold wet wetsuit & have to paddle around in it all day and to repeat the next day.

My hair is long and takes a couple hours to dry and won't dry if it's braided or in a bun... So if I'm in a drysuit or a dry top, I'll roll if i know I'm getting off the water before the sun goes down or the wind picks up. 'cause it's freezing being out with wet hair in cold water.

80 degree water is quite refreshing when it's 100 degrees outside.

They probably should have started you off with doing hip snaps off the front of someone's boat, and then moving to doing those with a paddle float... let's you get the hip snap motion & the coming up with your head up last motion (that trips up a lot of people)