Do the Buddy Roll

Have the Confidence of Knowing That You Don't Have to Swim Out of Your Boat.

Every beginning kayaker knows the anxiety of being on a river with less than a perfect roll. The buddy roll is the perfect technique to employ in these situations. Whether you flip over by accident or you are intentionally practicing your roll, you can be confident in your ability to roll back up as long as you have a friend nearby.

Difficulty: Average

Time Required: 15 minutes to perfect

Here's How:

1. Tuck Close to the Boat
As soon as you are upside down you must bring your head and body as close to the deck of the boat as possible. This is so your body does not hit any rocks while traveling upside down under water. Any rocks that you do come in contact with will push off of your life jacket and the back of your helmet and not your face.

2. Reach for the Sky
Once tucked you want to reach both arms up and out of the water. This is so that your friend can see that you are waiting to be rescued. The rescuing boat should paddle as fast as he or she can toward the upside down boat.

3. Wave and Look
At this point you want to wave your arms back and forth so as to feel for your friend’s boat who should be coming to rescue you at this point. You also want to be looking toward the surface of the water so that you can see what side of your boat your friend is approaching. The rescuing boat should make contact with the upside down boat as close to the waving hands as possible.

4. Grab Your Friend's Boat
Once you feel your friend's boat strike your boat or you see your friend's boat nearby, you need to reach up and grab the bow of your friend's boat. The grab loop provides a good place to hold if you can feel for it on the bow of the rescuing boat.

5. Roll Yourself Up
Firmly holding on to your friend’s boat, begin to pull yourself up using your hips to flip the boat around.

6. Find Your Paddle
Your paddle should be near your boat as you roll back up. If it isn’t, send your friend to get it for you. Keep your hands in the water and paddle with them until you get your paddle.

Tips:

1. Practice this in calm water such as a pool or a lake before you try this on a river.

2. You can now practice your unassisted role with the confidence of knowing that you can resort to a buddy roll if your unassisted roll fails.

3. Be sure to warn your friend how many practice attempts you will try on your own before you want to resort to the buddy roll.

4. Never intentionally practice your roll if you are approaching a dangerous river feature such as a hole, ledge, or strainer.

Learn to Eskimo Roll Your Kayak

Every whitewater kayaker will flip over at some point early in their paddling career, probably even on the first day. Sea kayakers are even susceptible to a potential mishap and will find themselves upside down on occasion. Flipping over in a kayak is really just part of the game and can actually be fun. There are other times when being upside down in a kayak can lead to a life or death situation. It is for this reason that every kayaker should learn how to right themselves, that is flip back over. Here are the steps to one method of doing what is known as the Eskimo roll.

The Setup: The Tuck and Paddle Position

The first thing you must do upon flipping over is to bring your body forward and up against the front deck of the kayak. This is to ensure that you don't smack any rocks with your face. In the event that you do make contact with the river bottom, it should brush past your helmet and life jacket. Once fully tucked to the kayak, position your paddle parallel to the kayak (on one side) and reach your hands out of the water. This is the setup position of the Eskimo Roll.

The Sweep: Rotate the Paddle Perpendicular to the Kayak

When you are sure that your paddle is up as high as it can go, rotate it around so that it is perpendicular to the kayak. Reach your top arm as far over the kayak as you can. Your bottom arm should be extended out as far as it can be. The idea is to get the outer blade up to the surface of the water. Rest your head on the shoulder of your outer arm that is holding the paddle on the surface of the water. You are now in the middle of the Eskimo Roll.

Contrary to what you may think, the ability to roll the kayak back over is driven by your hips. The paddle placement on top of the water is used for support. Keep your head down and on the shoulder of your outer arm. Snap your hips and begin to drive the kayak back over while applying pressure to the paddle blade on the surface of the water. The hip-snap is the driving force behind the Eskimo Roll.

The Recovery: Follow Through with the Roll

As your kayak begins to break the plane of the water it is imperative that you follow through completely and into a stabile position. Keep looking at your paddle blade and the surface of the water throughout the Eskimo Roll. This will ensure that you don't lift your head up too quick which can often ruin your roll attempt even up until you are stable. Quickly regain your composure as you may still be in rough water or approaching an obstacle.

Tuck When Upside-Down in a Kayak

It is important that this kayaker tuck toward the kayak so he doesn't hit any rocks while upside-down.

Every whitewater kayaker will be upside down in a kayak at some point early in their paddling career. Even experts find themselves underwater at times, sometimes even on purpose. It is for this reason that kayakers need to know what to do as soon as they flip over, lest they smack their face or head on the river bottom. While it is not natural to tuck when upside down in a kayak, this quick how-to will guide you through the steps of tucking when you are upside-down so that you can either wet-exit or roll back up.

Difficulty: Average

Time Required: 5 minutes

Here's How:

1. Have a Spotter in the Water:
The first time you practice this you should have an experienced kayaker standing in the water next to your kayak. This way they can aid you in the event you need help wet-exiting the kayak.

2. Flip Over:
Keep your kayak paddle in front of you, lean to one side and flip over. Some people like to wear ear plugs and nose plugs when practicing flipping over, wet-exiting, or rolling their kayak.

3. Tuck Toward the Kayak:
Once upside-down in your kayak, your body will be hanging underwater. Keep your paddle close to your body. Bring your head up toward the deck and tuck toward the kayak. You will do this by leaning forward almost like a sit-up except that you will be upside-down.

4. Keep Your Head as Close to the Kayak as You Can:
The goal is to be as close to the kayak as you can. This will ensure that any rocks you may hit while traveling down the river upside-down will brush off your helmet and your pfd (life jacket) and not hit you in the face or pin you underneath anything.

5. Decide What is Next:
From the tucked position you can either wet-exit the kayak, roll the kayak, or buddy-roll. The tucked position is the first stage for each of these techniques.

Tips:

1. Practice this with all of your gear on as tucking when upside-down will feel different depending what you are wearing.

2. Look around while underwater to get comfortable and acclimated to being upside-down.

3. Don't panic!

Practice and Learn to Hip Snap You Kayak

While proper paddle position greatly aids in being able to roll a kayak, the main skill that is employed while rolling a kayak is known as the hip-snap. The hip-snap is the driving force behind being able to flip a kayak back over once it is upside down.

A properly executed hip snap will enable a kayaker to be able to roll his or her kayak back over with the paddle in almost any position, or with no paddle at all. But, like anything else, the hip snap requires practice with the aim of it feeling comfortable and ultimately becoming second nature.

Difficulty: Average

Time Required: 5 minutes each session

Here's How:

1. Fulfill the Prerequisites: This how-to should only be performed by paddlers who are comfortable with being upside down in their kayaks and are easily able to self-rescue, by performing a wet-exit, if needed.
2. Decide Where You Will Practice: The best way to practice the hip-snap is to do so in a pool or on a calm body of water with a dock nearby. The water should be deep enough for you to flip over. The dock or pool edge should be within one foot of the surface of the water.
3. Grab the Dock of Pool Edge: Using your outside arm, grab hold of the stationary item that you will be using for support. Holding the dock is only for leverage. Try to apply as little pressure to it as possible while allowing the hips to do the work.
4. Lean the Kayak Over: Lean your kayak as far toward the dock as you feel comfortable without flipping over. As you begin to tip the kayak keep your head down and toward your shoulder.
5. Lean the Kayak Back: Keeping your head on your lower shoulder, bring the kayak back to an upright position. Try to use your hips and midsection to bring the kayak back into position and not your arm or grip.
6. Repeat steps 4 and 5: Each time you do step 4, try to lean the kayak further over. Each time you do step 5, try to use more and more hips, abs, and midsection while using your arm less and less.
7. Concentrate on the Hip-Snap: Once you are comfortable with rocking the kayak onto its side and then flipping it back upright, really begin to focus on snapping the kayak back into position using the hips.
8. Loosen Your Grip: Once you feel like you are mainly using your hips to bring the kayak back around, loosen your grip on the dock or pool edge. Try to snap the kayak back into position while applying the least amount of pressure that you can to your arm.

Tips:

1. Be sure to keep your head down on your lower shoulder during the hip-snap.
2. When leaning to the side, try to get the kayak as far upside down as you can while still maintaining your hand on the dock.
3. Once you have perfected the hip-snap on one side, begin practicing on the other.

Whitewater Kayaking Split Rock Creek by Garretson South Dakota

Split Rock Creek is by far the best place to go whitewater kayaking that is close to Sioux Falls South Dakota. This stretch we usually take is about 3-5 river miles. It is rated at class I-II (III) rapids depending on the flow rate. A good rate is 750 CFS or more. When you get over 1000 CFS this stretch turns into a class III rapids with swells and standing waves six feet tall. We recommend wearing a helmet for this adventure. Palisades Park has very hard rock on the walls and floor of the river. We usually start north of Garretson South Dakota. If you are driving northbound on Highway 11/485^th Avenue from Brandon South Dakota turn right(east) on 5^th street right out of town, after you pass the creek turn left(north) on Park Road (you enter Split Rock Park. We usually park and start at the low head dam they have for swimming. From entering the creek to Palisades Park you need to watch out for a couple of electric fences but for the most part it is pretty easy going with about 4 sets of rapids. Now the fun starts once you enter the Palisades Park. Here you will go through longer stretches of rapids and bigger waves and standing walls. And if you have time to look at the view it is most spectacular. Please scout the route around the park to see where you could have issues and where to drop off. You will need a South Dakota State Park permit to enter the Park. We usually end at the swimming area inside Palisades Park since there is good parking and easy to get out. We have gone down further but the water needs to be really high and rapids decrease. With all these suggestions the number one suggest is to be safe. Always wear a life jacket and go with a buddy. A good plus is a helmet, throw bag, and first aid kit.

"Support the Sioux Falls Whitewater Park"

Whitewater Kayaking Skunk Creek by Hartford South Dakota

A place I paddle about 5 to 10 times a year is Skunk Creek by Hartford South Dakota. When the water reaches higher than 600 CFS on Skunk it makes a fun whitewater trip. Starting at 257^th Street northeast of Hartford just east of County Highway 149/464^th Avenue. We park on the side of the gravel road or we park in the field driveway if not planting/harvest season. This stretch last anywhere from 1.5 to 5 hours depending how much we mess around and the water levels. The first set of rapids is about .25 miles from the starting point. If you get there when water is at a good level higher than 600 CFS this stretch makes great waves from the jasper rock river floor. We have gone over 6 foot swells before. The river is mainly calm but there are a few sets of class I-II rapids. In the middle of the stretch there is even a manmade rock dam which makes it a fun trip if we stop for a swim. We end our trip usually on Benton Street straight East of Hartford. This stretch is a good starter for newer kayakers and new to the whitewater world. Fast enough not to be boring but not crazy enough to ever be frightened by big waves. With all these suggestions the number one suggest is to be safe. Always wear a life jacket and go with a buddy. A good plus is a helmet, throw bag, and first aid kit.

Whitewater Kayaking Falls Park in Sioux Falls South Dakota

One place you wouldn’t think of kayaking is the Falls Park located by East Falls Park Drive and N Weber Avenue in the downtown district. The Falls Park is suggested as a class V difficulty and about 1 mile in length located on the Big Sioux River. This is suggested only for the very experienced paddler. Many have said it is illegal to kayak the Falls but in reality it is not illegal to kayak the Falls at all. Authorities do highly suggest not doing it but if you are well trained and have intermediate to expert kayak level you can attempt the Falls. With choosing to kayak this beware that it is illegal to swim there so make sure you are capable or rolling (which if you can’t roll you should not be doing this stretch). In the past years people have done this stretch successfully with a well-trained group in whitewater kayaking. I hope to do this stretch someday but as of right now I need more experience on my belt and want to have rolling a second nature. With all these suggestions the number one suggest is to be safe. Always wear a life jacket and go with a buddy. A good plus is a helmet, throw bag, and first aid kit.

“pictures are not taking by blog authors they are found on the following site: http://www.americanwhitewater.org/content/River/detail/id/4081 ”