Rolling

Thursday, February 18, 2010

Today our group goes with Beth and Kate to the Hampshire College pool to learn to roll kayaks. We get there about 9 and the sun pours in through the glass walls. Some start watching the video while 3 or 4 get into white water kayaks (the little bitty ones), stretch the skirts onto the boat and push off into the pool, paddling with their hands. I had talked with people yesterday when they returned from this class and Anna said to make sure I have extra clothing because she was cold and wore a long sleeve shirt and socks in the water. Ian said it was helpful to have goggles to see what was happening under water. Since I'm not at all comfortable under water, I stopped on the way home and picked up some nose plugs (Beth said we could borrow some there if we didn't have any) and bigger than I wanted goggles trying to make sure I'd get suction on my face. . .the little ones didn't seem to work in the store.

We start with wet exit reviews and Kate tells me that I pulled the skirt tab off before I was actually under water so I had to try it again. I have yet to need to push my hips out since I seem to slide right out of the boat while I'm under. Yay. Erin busts me for the goggle look but if it helps, I don't care what I look like. Generally, people are amused and tolerant of the fashion deviations I make. Age advantage. Eventually I toss the $25 goggles on the deck because they're leaking and foggy. So much for suction. Everyone's using nose plugs so no problem there.

Then we lean over and hold onto the side of the pool, relax with our head on our hands, and tip the boats over so that they're on their sides at a 90 degree angle. With upper body relaxed, we need to thrust up with one knee (closest to the water) but keep our upper body relaxed and rising only after we are righted. . . bowling ball heads should come up last. Keep repeating until we feel comfortable and then reverse it flipping the opposite direction and using the other knee action to see which feels strongest--though Beth says we'll be rolling all which ways before the paddling courses are done. 

Others have been working to flip their boats and find Beth's or Kate's hands as guides since it can feel so disorienting upside down in water. They move on to T-rescues--flipping and coming up to find the bow of the partner's boat and trying to right themselves. Mike uses my boat for practice, has it down well and he and Aaron graduate to using little styro-foam floats to "lean on" with their hands.

Beth starts to work with me and I'm doing well until she nearly drowns me a few times. She apologizes but come on Beth! She was testing the styro-foam floats with me but the test failed when it sank with my head on it and I sucked in water. She got me flailing my arms a few times, too. Good thing I like her. I let her continue helping me flip. Eventually, I was flipping under, finding her hands for security and righting myself over with a pretty good follow through. She thinks I might even do a whole roll with paddle tomorrow and I'm counting on it.

On the way home we stop at Bueno Y Sano in Amherst for lunch and the Black Sheep for coffee or a treat. I leave my PB&J in the van. Back on campus I get stuff out of my car and put on my sunglasses and walk to the group. Joe asks what the deal is with my missing lens. Huh? I've walked about 1000' without realizing that the right lens had popped out. I start laughing and Aaron just shakes his head and says, "Eileeeen." I continue to blow up any possible image of cool into little shreds. "Can't take me anywhere," I laugh.  Joe said he thought it was purposeful--maybe some kind of meaningful protest. Thanks, Joe. I think on it a couple of times in the afternoon and just start laughing again. I'm happy I can entertain myself and others.