Bombproof

A bombproof roll is a combat roll that you can depend on in the worst condintions you are likely to encounter. When you have a bombproof roll, you KNOW that you will come up barring strange circumstances (such as broken equipment or entrapment). Notice that the difference between a good roll and a bombproof roll is largely mental. To have a bombproof roll, you must be able to relax and calmly execute a flawless combat roll in the worst conditions you'll expose yourself to.

You can only develop a bombproof roll by constant practice in rough water. Flatwater workouts will help you nail down the basic elements of the roll, but to "go bombproof" you must work on rolls in rough, frigid water and scarey conditions.

Having a bombproof roll will radically change how you think about kayaking. With a bombproof roll, you can "push the stability envelope" and not fear a capsize. White water kayakers make developing a bombproof roll a top priority. In my humble opinion, sea kayakers should as well -- though the overwhelming majority never do so.

See the book The Bomb Proof Roll And Beyond