"Paula Johnson" wrote in message ...
Thanks Steve - your post has made me feel much more "OK" with it.

Thistleback
AKA Paula

"Steve Cramer" wrote in message
...
Paula Johnson wrote:

I am a new paddler, and really want to learn to roll. I'm mostly
comfortable
with submersion when wearing nose clips - but how to you get comfortable
with a nose full of water? I hate getting water up my nose, and I think
this
fear is holding me back from being comfortable upside down under my
boat,
which is where I want to learn to spend time calmly. What helps one get
over
this fear?

Let's not treat this as a psychological or moral failing, OK? You want
to learn to roll, fine, get the nose clips and go to it. If I'm
practicing rolls, or just hanging out under water, I always wear mine.
Not having had a childhood that included swimming lessons, I get water
up my nose and in my sinuses too, as you do.

Lots of people use nose clips. Watch the videos of the rodeo boaters.
They almost all wear them. I often do, too, when surfing in white water.
But never when running a rapid or surfing in the ocean, because I think
that wearing them then shows a bad attitude and fear of flipping.
Besides, I can't breathe.

But here's the neat part. When I flip and do a combat roll, I just do
it, and I rarely get any water in my nose at all.

Good luck!

--
Steve Cramer
Athens, GA


I am a sea kayaker and put more time on the water than my wife and
family like. When learning to roll I would (and did) get a GOOD diving
mask and work on the roll without the pain. When the action becomes
reflexive or "muscle memory" then do it a few times in water with out
the mask if you must. I would look for a place with clean brackish
water (Salt and fresh mix) say in a close cove or behind a barichous.
Salt water does not bother me as much as fresh water.
Ocean salt water (about 3 % Salt) stings but it is nothing like
chlirine, Brackish water 2 % is closer to your bodys salt content and
is not painfull at all.
Once you have gone this far you can try to control your breath and
gently exhale all through a roll. This works for me in a pool showing
off but if I need to do a "combat" roll the gloves are off and i don't
notice my nose at all. I have only ever had to do two of them and I
have wet exited twice as well. All these were conciouse decisions,
rocks and the boat being dragged by waves with me attached was not a
good time to roll up.
I practice rolls all the time. Sea kayakers need then too, except we
need them less often; but when we need then we need them more urgently
that ww.
Oh, I can't swim...

Good Luck
Alex
It is good to have a couple of other tricks to get yourself back in
the boat as well.