How to Roll a Canoe (for whitewater)

Rolling an open canoe may seem to be a much harder skill to master than rolling a kayak since the open canoe will be full of water, and unwieldy, but there are some things you can do that make it much easier than you would think.

Things You'll Need

• A typical solo whitewater canoe is essential, but it is possible to roll a long, two person canoe if outfitted for whitewater. Tight outfitting for the canoe is critical.

Instructions

1. 

   These directions start always from the upside down position, of course. Bring the blade of your paddle up to the bow, front of the canoe and position it on the surface of the water on the opposite side that you paddle on. This makes the paddle shaft parallel to the canoe side, and feels awkward.

2. 

   There are several assumptions here, and one is that you already have a good knowledge of the names of various canoe stokes and how to do them. Next sweep the paddle in a one quarter circle out from the canoe sculling the power face of the blade over the water so that the blade stays on the surface.

3. 

   As the paddle approaches a perpendicular angle to the canoe, you must, quickly and smoothly, flip the blade over so that the back side of the blade is now the power face, and rotate your legs and seat as quickly and smoothly as possible toward the paddle blade. You create momentum with this rotating motion, commonly called a low brace hip snap, and that momentum will bring you up.

4. 

   It is essential to keep your head down on the shoulder that is on the paddle side, looking down at the paddle blade and shaft as your momentum brings you up. You can practice this motion on the side of a pool, holding on the side of the pool or with someone holding your paddle and hands in shallow water in a lake or pond.

5. I usually break the roll down into three steps. The paddle set-up, the sweep out, and then the low brace-up. The position of the head during the low brace-up must be way out over the side of the boat on the paddle side, looking very much down. It can also help to skull forward a little toward the bow on the back side of the paddle as you low brace up.

6. 

   I like to visualize my paddle like a knife spreading peanut butter on bread as it moves over the surface of the water during the roll, using my back on the sweep out and my stomach on the low brace-up.

Tips & Warnings

• Being upside down in water can seem very confusing at first, especially if you have water going up your nose, in your eyes, and in your ears. So you can wear goggles, a nose plug, and ear plugs as you learn. The roll only takes a second, so these items are not usually necessary once you learn the roll.

• Learn this well in calm water before trying it on moving water. Be very careful of rolling while your head and torso are hitting rocks on the bottom of the river. I usually stay calmly upside down, with my head almost in the canoe if I am hitting stuff, and it usually calms down in a few seconds. I will add pictures later.

• If your canoe gets sideways in current and lodged on anything, get out of your boat as quickly as possible and swim with a fast crawl stoke away from the possible entrapment.