Flipping over in your kayak is just part of the fun, but it’s even better once you learn to do a good Kayak Eskimo Roll to get yourself upright in the water!
Being upside down in your kayak can also be a scary feeling and lead to a dangerous situation, so learning how to Kayak Eskimo Roll is the first step to becoming a confident paddler.
Suresh Krishnan, Founder and Owner of Desafio Adventure Company enjoys sharing his love of paddling with staff and friends. Suresh recently gave a general paddling and safety talk to his guides so they could then go out and train others.
Mauricio, lead guide for our Desafio Sarapiqui Rafting operation, has a knack for teaching. We caught up with him in the middle of a lesson with a young female paddler from a local university.
He explained to the student the 4 Universal Steps to Learning How to do a Kayak Eskimo Roll:
STEP 1: Tuck your Paddle and Lean Forward The first thing is to lean completely forward across the deck of the kayak when you are upside down to avoid bumping your head on a rock or other obstacle in the river. Now put your paddle parallel to the side of the kayak and then reach straight up out of the water.
STEP 2: The Paddle Swoosh When you are sure your paddle is up as high as it can go out of the water above your kayak, swoosh it around so that it is perpendicular to the kayak along the side. Reach your top arm as far over the kayak as you can. Your bottom arm should also be extended out as far as it can to get the outer blade of your paddle out of the surface of the water. Tilt your head toward the shoulder on the side of the upper arm with the paddle out of the water.
STEP 3: The Hip-Snap The hip-snap is THE most important part of doing a successful Kayak Eskimo Roll. Women are by nature better at this move, but with a little practice, everyone should be able to get the hang of it. Your paddle being out of the water is basically for support as you push/pull yourself over. As you do the hip snap, be sure to place your head down along the shoulder of the upper arm. Now make a quick move to snap the top hip down to roll the kayak back over, at the same time you put pressure on the paddle that’s toward the surface of the water.
STEP 4: The Roll Follow-Through Your kayak will start to tilt back upright when it turns over so you have to make sure you stabilize it. It’s a good idea to keep an eye on your extended paddle blade toward the top of the water. This way you’ll keep your head down to make your roll go smoother. If you pop your head up, it can make the kayak unstable. Be sure to do all of this as quickly as possible because you never know what else you may encounter downstream.
And if all of the above fails, eat your pride, and don’t be afraid to pull the spray skirt tab and swim. Even the best kayakers have had their share of “swims.”
NOTE: One thing I found difficult is getting water up my nose, so a nose clip is often helpful. And it is usually best to practice your Kayak Eskimo Roll in a waist-height pool to get started.
