Elusive Elbow Roll

Encouraged by success with the cross arm roll I thought I'd try the elbow roll. I can brace easily in the elbow roll position but can't get back on the deck. So when I tried it 'on the move' I was hopeful of a bit of help from the momentum of the body movement. I managed a few,  maybe one out of every ten, only on one side, but its a start. It looks better on the video than it felt!

Dreaming about rolling.

At one end of the pool Donna and Jack were building up a solid foundation to rolling, thinking carefully about body and head movement, keeping it slow. Upside down and the wrong way round had proved challenging the week before, but Donna had done her homework - she had been dreaming about rolling, and it had worked!

building muscle memory

Meanwhile at the other end of the pool Northern Kayaker tested rolling in her new helmet and... it worked with and without a paddle! Her shiny surf  boat in Orkney flag colours is just dazzling! Next week it is going up to Shetland in its stripy sock, hopeful of another northern adventure.

shiny smiley Northern Kayaker

Have fun!

Follow NK's Shetland adventure at Paddling Orkney and Beyond.

A break in the weather

Ready for off at Inganess

After what has been weeks of driving rain and storm force winds a break in the weather meant an opportunity to get out for a relaxing paddle. It was also a great chance for beginners and 'returners' to get out of the pool and paddle in agreeable conditions on the sea. Thirteen paddlers in all met at Inganess in the morning and we set off on a gentle paddle towards Yinstay.

...and away we go!

It was very pleasant to have everyone together for a 'social' paddle - an opportunity to put names to faces and catch up with paddling buddies.

Peedie caves at Yinstay

Stacks were just big enough to squeeze a boat round.

 

Taking a break and discussing each others' Christmas  paddles  presents.

 After a poke about the caves it was time for a break - good practice at landing and launching.

Heading back...

on a glassy sea.

At the wreck.

Finishing in sunshine.

Its good to get out!

(back indoors tonight).

Aspirant

Normally I edit out the tantrums and add music for fun. This time there is a hint of frustration left in and the music is essential to mask the hysterical laughter at my bendy 'invisible paddle'. Luckily Santa brought me a new more robust invisible paddle to practice with when the pool opens for kayaking business again in January. Typically it was the first thing I did when I got in and it worked OK but after  I had picked up the real paddle I lost the way of it.

The music is by some talented young Orkney folk Broken Strings who have won a prestigious prize for their music already. They played at our Paddle Orkney Symposium and everyone was impressed at how accomplished they were. They have their first album out called Halda. Check out their Facebook band page and find them on itunes and amazon uk. The track I chose is called 'The Duggid Yowe' (the stubborn or determined female sheep) for obvious (non-sheep related!) reasons.

Paddling with spoons and playing with sticks

In an attempt to create cards which follow up from coached skills we have been working on in the pool with beginners, I found myself referring to Christopher Crowhurst's Rolling with Sticks for inspiration.

The idea was to support folk to go practice the strokes in their own time, and seek out one to one guidance on the particular areas they wanted to work on while being a bit more independent. The advantage being that it is the same langauge and same points emphasised as in the original coached sessions with us.

My 'paddling with spoons' cards.

I ended up really wanting to have a simple illustration to go with the instructions so I invented my own prototype paddler. It made me think very hard about how many things we were asking folk to do at once and forced me to describe it in clear language.

Meanwhile back in a sea boat session in the pool, I was playing around with a vertical paddle. Could I hold the paddle vertical in a static brace? Its really hard to know when the paddle is vertical, though I think I did manage it. Unfortunately, and not surprisingly, the photographer did not know what I was aiming for so random photos of a waggling paddle were taken.

I later realised that other folk set the end of the paddle in the water. That would have been easier!

Happy with storm and reverse sweep I turned upside down with norsaq in hand to attempt a forward finish norsaq roll, experienced extreme disorientation and mental confusion, and returned to the surface none the wiser!