Even if you can’t do a balance brace, when you practice what you’re about to learn
in this video, you will still be relaxed and breathing if you capsize.
There is no need to end up with your head underwater, feeling disoriented.
There’s no setting up for a roll while wondering “will it succeed?”.
In most cases a capsize simply means that you end up comfortably on the surface of the
water for a split second.
Or longer if you like.
You can even take advantage of the moment to relax and stretch a little.
That’s what the uncapsize method is all about.
The third video of this series will show you how to put it all together to make capsizing
a non issue.
So you can paddle in waves without any fear.
The beauty of this technique is that it doesn’t require any special talent.
And you don’t have to be an experienced kayaker to learn this.
If you have average flexibility, and a good fit with your kayak it’s really just a matter
of having the correct blade angle.
It just takes a little practice.
By the end of this video you will also know how to use the side scull to give you a very
reliable roll.
You won’t believe how easy rolling up can be.
This video focuses on side sculling.
You will develop the perfect blade angle that ensures you get a lot of support from your
paddle.
And avoid the diving blade that can pull you underwater.
Side sculling is simply being on the water in the balance brace position, and using the
sculling motion of the paddle for support.
Even if you can do a perfect balance brace in calm water, you still want to be able to
use your paddle for extra support when you capsize in the waves.
Or in currents.
When people practice this for the first time, it’s very common to see the wrong blade
angle.
They can end up pulling themselves underwater.
The good news is that with a little practice, you will not only have a very stable side
scull, but also it’s very likely that you will eventually be able to do the balance
brace, even if you can’t do it yet.
Sounds easy right?
But there are a few things to be careful about.
When we have a paddle in our hands, our focus tends to go to the paddle.
And we can lose our body position.
A lot of the time, you see the paddle start to dive because the angle is not good.
If your blade angle is too steep, it will not give you any support.
If your blade has a diving angle, it will actually pull you underwater.
You will feel out of control.
You may even panic.
It may feel like “it’s not working, I can’t do this”.
But all you really need to do is make a slight adjustment to the blade angle.
The most effective way I know of to have the perfect angle every time, is to hold the paddle
loosely in your hands.
Let the blade find it’s own angle, naturally.
When you have the perfect angle, you can feel it.
It moves through the water with ease.
And it’s quiet.
You can feel the support it provides.
As you can probably imagine, these techniques only work when you are wearing your kayak.
That’s when kayaking goes from trying to control a boat, to moving your body naturally…and
the result is a lot more ease and elegance with everything you do in your kayak.
If you want to learn how to adjust the fit of your kayak to unlock your agility, just
click on the link in the description to sign up for the free mini course I made for you.
Now that you have the perfect blade angle for maximum support, you may notice that you
can stay on the surface of the water with very little effort, even in waves.
You don’t even need to think about doing a wet exit if you fall over.
And even if you do find yourself upside down, I wonder if you realize how easily you now
can bring yourself into a solid side scull.
The first scull will almost certainly get your head on the surface where you can relax
and breathe.
You can assess and decide if it’s a good time to come up.
If it is, the second scull will take you back over your kayak with ease.
It’s secure.
You feel in control every step of the way.
When you get good with this technique, you may find you have a lot more confidence
when paddling in rough conditions.
People notice your confidence, and they know you’re not someone who is likely to need
any help.
They may even feel safer having you around, so don’t be surprised if you start to get
invited to some really nice trips.
After learning the side scull, you may realize how much kayaking is about moving your body.
And not so much about the kayak.
It’s like when you put pants on.
You don’t think “now I better learn some techniques to keep these pants under control”.
You just know that you move, and the pants follow.
And you may start to think of your kayak this way also.
Ofcourse this will only work when you have the right fit with your kayak.
If you want to “wear ” your kayak, just click the link in the description below and
sign up for the free mini course.
Thanks for watching.