The Backdeck Roll
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- čas přidán 24. 10. 2023
- The rule is simple, stay in the box and keep your elbows down. If you do that, the backdeck roll is faster, safer, and better for shallow water and rocks than any other type of roll. In this video, I'll not only teach you how to do the standard backdeck roll, but I'll also teach you a modified version that I've used for decades in some of the biggest, hardest, and scariest whitewater in the world safely. Even more, I'll demonstrate how to use it when the hits keep coming in shallow water, just don't forget those elbow pads.
This video is for people who already know how to roll. If you're still just learning how to roll, I highly recommend you check out the Rolling Basics video here:
• How to Roll Your Kayak...
![How to Back Deck Roll [Whitewater Kayak]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/Qz7L75eYp9I/mqdefault.jpg)
The back deck roll is my go to roll also. I have a slight disability that impacts my hip flexors so a standard roll is almost impossible for me. Once I figured out that I could back deck roll and that the back deck roll was safe (despite my friends warning me that it was so dangerous that it could threaten the existence of the universe) it opened up my kayaking to another level.
I'm stoked you found something that works! Thanks for watching and be sure to show this one to those friends! 🤙
Boyd, thank you for making these tutorials. They are very comprehensive and well delivered, it seems that you're a natural educator. By far, the best backdeck roll video that I've come across on the web.
One of the best roll videos I've seen. Well done.
Awesome video!
The backdeck roll is the easiest roll I have, but only use it while in a playboat. I always wear elbow pads while creeking, and agree that the backdeck does protect your face. When I teach teh backdeck, the key for new students sucess was constant sweeping motion and cocking the wrist. The most common problem I see is the students paddle diving at the 5 O'Clock position. Thanks for putting this one out. Watching your shallow water backdeck sells me on using it more in creeking when not in the playboat. You should see my helmet with all the rock hits from this season!!
Back deck rolling is a super important progression to rolling from pretty much any position. When sea kayaking I practice what I call "wet cement" rolling. Put simply, you start out from lots of different positions and manipulate your paddle till you feel that feedback on your paddle face that lets you hip snap and finally pull your head out. The standard roll is a whole body dynamic roll and you don't necessarily feel the sense of pressure on the paddle face in isolation. I can even roll from a position with the paddle vertical. By moving the paddle face back and forth or in a figure 8 while vertical you will get a feeling that your paddle face is moving through a denser fluid. That's not true of course, but it is that "wet cement" feeling you want to get. Once you have the paddle face in wet cement, up you come. From a standard roll position you can also do a partial sweep and then reverse forward again like a white water canoe roll - very useful as you are already in position for a power stroke. By practicing in a safe lake or ocean environment without rocks, you'll become familiar with the sense of pressure on your paddle face in many different positions which transfers to really rapid white water rolls without having to set up in the standard manner. This roll is the door to so much fun (oh and fun techniques). Thanks for your videos.
Back deck roll in creaking was shot really cool
Great, clear instruction. I'm appreciating all your rolling videos.
Thanks! I'm stoked to finally be getting these out there. I occasionally have to focus on paying projects instead, but love it when the creative shares can flow.
Great video! Just started snowing here but I'm saving this for when I'm on the water next to practice. Maybe I'll brave the cold before the nearby water freezes over :P
Learned this roll back in 1976, by progressing from holding the full length of the paddle & sweeping it under the back deck of the kayak, automatically generating a strong hip flick. This roll is called the Pawlata roll. From this I progressed to rolling under the back deck holding the paddles normally with my right dominant hand/paddle blade rotating to bring me upright ready to take a paddle stroke. We called this roll in the UK, the Reverse Screw roll. Being a slalom kayak competitor at a national level, I used this roll if I fell in in a slalom run, as I lost so little time coming upright straight into a paddle stroke. I have used this roll in Scotland & across European on river running in high grade rapids successfully. The speed of the roll, lying flat close to the longitudinal rotation of the kayak (less likely to hit anything underwater) & being ready for a paddle stroke immediately means yo do not lose position in the rapid. If the Reverse Screw fails you the can recover immediately using a Screw roll as you are already in the position to execute this roll. Doesn’t matter about the name, it is a more natural rolling position. The only downside with the Reverse Screw is the rotation of the shoulder if you have any shoulder mobility issues (from dislocation or a previous subluxation - when the shoulder pops out & back in again, tearing the shoulder rotator cuff muscles)
Excellent instruction with this one Boyd, and I really like how you break down the safety aspect in such a logical way, with footage to prove it. Well done sir!
Thanks! 🤙🏻
awesome videos man!:D
thanks!
I've also heard people refer to the modified backdeck roll as the reverse screw roll
If you've kayaked long enough, this will/should be in your repertoire.
I use numerous variations of front and back rolls. I don't have to think about which to use, as wherever my blade ends up during a capsize will dictate the roll, and it all happens subconsciously from decades of mind-muscle connection.
This makes for a fast roll with minimal time underwater in which to hit something.
Aah the endless roll discussion... (I'm highly favouring the back deck roll too, mostly because of my freestyle background). I do have a couple of adaptions I factored in to improve safety on WW: Roll up body forward by continuing the pushing movement with the powerface of the blade, instead of switching to a pulling motion and you're completely golden to use it in creeking situations. This is the only downside to me (for every roll), leaving yourself exposed by leaning far back. Keep the elbows in during the back deck roll and you'll be able to protect your face with your elbow(pads) too, while being closer to the surface as a whole.
Another cool video. I find I do my back deck roll very differently. I notice with yours, your body is at the side of the boat before the boat starts to roll. Whereas I start to roll the boat up while I'm effectively still under the back deck by starting to push the boat away from me using my left foot (assuming I'm coming up on the right), then adding in the hip snap, so my boat is pretty much upright by the time my body is at the side. I tend to find this makes it easier for me to roll up bigger boats as well and I'm minimising any pressure on my paddle blade. I go through phases though, since my original back deck roll had me coming up all the way forwards, whereas these days I'm coming up on my back deck before sitting up. I guess both methods have their plusses and minuses.
We're all a bit different and changes with the boat and body type too. I like bringing your body up first when possible to wind up the hip-snap for more power, but what actually happens or needs to happen will change with your deck design and sidewall height/shape. Some creek boats even need to be pre-rolled, tilted a bit before you hip-snap. Honestly though in most of these clips I was pretty tired. Thanks for watching! 🤙
Every time I watch this I get a little more out of it, seems like you have a bit of a sculling finish. Still struggling with it on my creeker but it's coming along. Thanks Boyd!
I learnt both front- and back-deck rolls. For many years WW kayaking, i'd use back-deck more often, and, i agree, there's a bit of high-brace sculling to finish the roll. These days i do much more sea kayaking and do 'conventional' rolls. I guess i should try more back-deck rolls in my sea kayak.
The first really clear instructions for the back deck roll. I had a lady teach me a variation called the sit-up roll. I was upside down, face down with the back of my head on the back deck, paddle in position and she told me to sit up. I did, and I have no clue what happened, but I was utterly upright when I reached the sitting position.
we need a video of this technique. Could it be that its a bdr but instead of focusing on paddle position etc, you instructor got you do the same motions simply by telling you to sit up ?
I had no instructor. The gal in the kayak store just told me how to do it. The main instruction was to keep the blade flat to the water before standing up. I just threw my torso back to the back deck, and a second later, I was looking up at the sky. I am guessing it was some kind of backdeck roll.@@paulgriffiths531
These rolling videos have been fantastic. My only complaint is that you did not release them while the water was warm. Can't wait to try the modified BDR. Thank you.
Thanks for watching! In the southeast, winter is roll session season… indoor, heated pools all the way. 🤙🏻
Thank you so much for all of these instructional videos.
I so hope one day to connect and take some courses with you.
Is there a way to connect in this manner, and set something up?
I'll be doing another signature week in Ottawa and likely more in Chile and some clinics around the southeastern US, just stay tuned and keep an eye out. 🤙
@@SendSchool Sounds good! I will keep an eye out for when you will be in the SE US. I’m not sure my budget would go for an international trip to learn to roll. 😄👍🏼
@@absoluteelectricandmainten7432 I'm based primarily in the SE now, in TN. Clinics coming up will likely be at Rock Island or at the Montgomery WW Center... the others are just more where I devote my primary instruction opportunities
@@SendSchool Please send a PM of dates when you might be able to offer roll clinics, especially. I would like to get my roll this winter.
I would like to take some further training on the Ocoee in the early spring. After I have the roll.
Any hints for how you might use someone in the pool to help learn this roll? I seem to have the sweep down but somehow to position of my body is inhibiting the hip snap. I get about halfway up then fail.
I have a solid sweep roll. Last year I was able to fairly consistently back deck roll.
The problem is I could only back deck roll from the up position - thru the roll - and back up.
Not sure how to back deck roll if starting upside down.
Every back deck roll vid I have seen starts up and ends up. Never starts from the upside down/ under water part.
the modified version I show works as a pretty great set up for those situations. Most of us just go immediately into it if we feel we're rolling and our brace isn't working. One thing you could do is start switching sides half way through... start a backdeck roll to the left, but roll using it on the right. Having someone help you find/feel the setup after waiting a second or two under water could help too. If my roll fails, I tend to go to whatever is available depending on where my paddle is... so I wouldn't worry too much, but practice can definitely help.
Need your help sir, I have a 3m crossover kajak...what kind of roll would you suggest for bigger boats?
Can you explain the best way to find pressure on the paddle? Do you mean feather it back and forth?
Check out the bombproof roll video for a better explanation… it’s nothing you have to create. Either roll like normal or if something hits you, give an opportunistic hip snap to capitalize on it. hope this helps. 🤙🏻
I have a question: Looking at your back deck roll, you’re essentially setting yourself up for a C-to-C roll, unless I see it wrong. I thought that the back deck roll is a forward-finishing roll by continuing the upper body motion all the way forward while keeping the active blade on a climbing angle, in other words not stopping the forward motion of the torso at around 90 degree angle but much more forward. I may have misunderstood the back deck roll, though.
The difference is really that the sweep is from back to front instead of front to back. The backdeck roll is not inherently forward finishing and leaning that forward isn’t necessary and isn’t always what you want. Ideally, you’ll feel where you need to be positioned in the next move and go there. Check out the quadrant video from more on where you may want to have your weight at the end of your roll and why 🤙🏻
I use a zero degree paddle to practice these, and I keep the top (non-rolling) blade out of the water.
the catch with zero degree and low feather paddles is that they’re great for that, but you lose significant river running performance because they don’t allow for proper torso rotation. It’s all about priorities, but unless you just park and play, there’s a significant sacrifice 🤙🏻
@@SendSchoolYeah, I use a 45R when river running and either a 45R or a zero degree for park and play. I mainly use a zero degree setting in the pool during the winter months to work on symmetry of technique. I find it easier to then transition my "on/off" back deck rolls, etc to the 45R when river running -- just a tiny step I've found helpful for myself.
Two knees surgeries.. back elbow and corpal tunnel surgery on right wrist and. A neck fusion. ..i find it safer and easier just to swim
never safer to swim. swimming makes all of your body vulnerable for the duration of the swim. When you roll only half your body is vulnerable for the duration of your roll. Having those injuries, and I have many of those myself, it’s even more important to roll well and learn the fastest roll possible. 🤙🏻
@@SendSchool you may be correct for most kayakers. But my neck surgeon told Me if I flip to get out of boat quickly and swim to safety
@@jam7547 just know that "safer" and swimming aren't to be used in the same sentence for whitewater... 🤙
@@SendSchoolmaybe so my neck fusion don't snap while underwater..
@@SendSchool or maybe the rivers I do are easier than the ones you do.
My river have rafters and inflatables kayaks that go swimming daily
Are you sculling at 4:32?
not really… it was blade flutter caused by something unrelated I was doing… multitasking on the clips but just liked that angle. 🤙🏻