Sculling roll with paddle held under the kayak

http://www.qajaqusa.org/cgi-bin/GreenlandTechniqueForum_config.pl/read/2641

A low volume kayak and very flexible hamstrings are a requirement as you need to keep your head pressed to the foredeck. I can perform the under-the-hull-roll fairly well in a kayak such as a Valkyrie. For my Anas, I have to flood it, to make it sit lower in the water.

First a note on the sculling motion. You use the same sculling motion from start to finish. Start with a diving paddle angle (leading edge-down). This will pull you under the surface and once you reach the halfway point, this same motion will translate to a climbing paddle angle (leading edge-up), and will lift you to the surface on the opposite side. Note that the change from a diving angle to a climbing angle is entirely due to your orientation underwater, and you do not change the manner by which you initially start to scull. Once you are almost upright you can allow the paddle to rise upward and lever it off the hull downward, to recover (but this is not necessary).

Learning these sculling rolls that "pull you under" with a diving angle, may take some practice, since a climbing angle may be hard-wired into your muscle memory, as it was for me.

Pavia Lumholt gave me some tips on this one, he likes to place the paddle as far forward as possible, and capsizes with the paddle angled so that it doesn't hit broadside and stop you on the surface. He mentions that some Greenlanders feel more force in the stern to bow "push" during the scull and others the "pull". He writes, "I personally grab the paddle firmly with the hand at the sculling side, and let the paddle rotate freely in the hand on the side. But again; others may do the opposite".

Pavia and some of the Greenlanders can perform this roll with only three sweeps of the paddle, I have to saw for much longer. The flat deck of the Greenland kayaks makes them sometimes "stick" on the surface and difficult to get started to turn, for this maneuver. Greg Stamer

Pavia also told me to lean well forward, and place the paddle as far forward as possible, and keep your head tight to the deck. He also had me hook my inboard arm under the chine to free my outboard arm up more. I have some strange bruises. Shawn Baker

http://www.qajaqusa.org/common_images/Maligiaq_Padilla_underhullscull_thumb.jpg QajaqUSA Photo

http://www.qajaqusa.org/common_images/gp_roll_underhullscull.mpg

Maligiaq Padilla. This sculling roll starts using a diving paddle angle (leading edge down) that pulls the kayak under and around. Once the paddle passes vertical this diving angle becomes a climbing paddle angle (without any change on your part). Footage courtesy and copyright of KNR Radio and TV Greenland.