How To Roll A Canoe or C1 / the easy way

This is a quick video on how to roll a canoe the easy way. Rolling a C1 or rolling a canoe is super easy. This video shows the right way to roll a canoe. This is the technique I learned around 20 years ago. I'm not sure why this technique is not the standard compared to the more popular way.

[@bonasa99]

Great job. What you show is the proper OC1/C1 setup. I learned it in the 80s from people who were there when these techniques were developed, when most people learned to paddle in a canoe before they moved to a kayak. It's by far the most stable, strongest setup position, particularly in rough water. It's the setup Kent Ford shows in his video "The C-1 Challenge", which you can find on vimeo with a search. It's an excellent video. Setting up on the side was developed for the kayak roll--the setup you show was developed from the start to roll an OC1/C1. It's nice to finally see somebody showing a proper canoe roll setup on KZbin. If you really want to learn how to roll from any position, get a low volume C-1 race boat or a C-1 squirt boat and start playing!

[@jaxsharon]

The most thorough explanation I have seen. Thanks!

[@agatasul]

OMG! OMG! It works! It works! Yeah, yeah, definitely. Once I knew the position, I could make it happen with the sweep roll too. Having that paddle handle pushed up tight into my stomach was really it. Once I start the roll, I try hard to imagine moving my head so I can see the outside of the far side canoe gunnel; that forces me to keep my head down until the last moment instead of trying to lift myself out of the water on the paddle. Super!

[@Commandodesigns]

LOL. This is the response I get almost every time. Folks are so close. They already are doing everything right but with the flip method it's confusing.

[@garrisonstrand9257]

Awesome video! thank you for the thorough explanation and demonstrations! There aren't a whole lot of OC1ers where I'm at, so everything I learn is from KZbin haha! Your video helped my roll more than any other video I've found!

[@Commandodesigns]

That's great to hear. I'll add on to this vid for my c1 bros once the pool opens back up. The pool gives me a great a place to video under water.

[@Headies111242]

This is such an amazing video. Thank you for sharing!

[@richsmout550]

Cool dude, yeah so many people struggle with the c1 role. Like you say not really any wrong way per say more finding the right way for you.

[@DrLewPerren]

Thanks, helpful video on C1 roll.

[@88kayak]

Very refreshing perspective. I will try

[@bearsharkp3901]

Tried this for the first time yesterday(in a C1 conversion tho). Results were promising

[@bearsharkp3901]

bro you gotta get some sunflowers and other pollinator friendly plants in that yard

[@petr0vsk]

Thanks! +

[@TheShastamonster]

Awesome tutorial! 😊

[@oldreliable303]

I just try to find a rock to push up on... i may have some learning to do.

[@shanehenderson2354]

Thanks, great video. I paddle on my left predominantly although right handed. I noticed that you spin the paddle out on your left side rather than your right. Would this be opposite for a leftie? You go over on your left but come up on your right.

[@Commandodesigns]

Yes. It's a dominant hand type roll. So if you predominately paddle on the left then literally just mirror this video.

[@Commandodesigns]

Just to add some context, I actually paddle left handed during flatwater to even out my paddling strength. Even if I flipped over I would switch my hands to the dominant position. Video upcoming...

[@246trixie]

Why do you need to roll the thing?

[@BedCrunch]

omg, that Werner got some scratches!!!

[@Commandodesigns]

LOL... That Werner is a beater. I got it off ebay years ago. I think it's actually a old kayak paddle that has been converted. It is awesome though... By far my favorite.

[@BedCrunch]

@@Commandodesigns Whether you got it off ebay or not, this still screams abuse! ;) I know the backward finishing Greenland roll, but in my opinion its only useful for Greenland style kayak, where I actually have some hip contact. This type of roll requires absolutely no strength to perform (only perfect technique, alignment in every step and really good contact), so perfect when you want to have a long trip. But the fit is not very snug in my qajaq and this puts me in danger and the roll fails often if I don't practice. I tried to roll a sea kayak, but as hip contact is so poor there for me, its very challenging. I have been imagining in my mind something like your demonstration here and can see that it resembles at least one forward finishing roll in Greenland kayaking. I don't want to say anything negative about your canoe, haha, but you are basically rolling a bathtub, which means your approach to the roll IS amazing and for sure booletproof. I want to try it asap. One more advantage with the roll you are demonstrating is that it protects a paddler in shallow waters from hitting their head into a rock by going backwards and as you point out it protects the shoulders. Your roll is simpler and safer.

[@Commandodesigns]

@@BedCrunch That's awesome. Thanks for the response. That Werner Blade is a beater for sure. I had to look up the Greenland roll. I did. It took me a second to realize whats going on. The Greenland roll is a standard kayak roll, which you should use in a kayak. The reason you roll a kayak in a high brace is two fold: 1. You're lower in the boat so a hi brace will bring you up. 2. Longer paddles will get in the way of any other roll style. The C1 Roll is completely different for different reasons.

[@Commandodesigns]

The reason it's different is because in a C1 you're on you knees, which places your center of gravity twice as high as a kayak. I can roll roll a canoe in a hi brace but it's f'ing hard. The reason it's so hard is because you're so hi, so everything else has to be perfect. The reason a c-1 roll is a low brace is because you don't have the restriction of a long paddle and it's much more powerful than a hi brace. Don't' fret... this is confusing. Low braces are much more powerful than hi braces, but you can't do effective low braces with a kayak paddle because of the other blade.

[@Commandodesigns]

Long story short. If you're using a kayak blade, stick with the standard roll. OK... I'll do a kayak roll vid as well... LOL Thanks for your input.

[@bearsharkp3901]

how important are the foam blocks on the side, for rolling and in general? Im paddling a dagger genesis and probe 12 currently

[@Commandodesigns]

Not super important. They're called hip blocks or hip pads. They keep you centered in the boat and keep you from sliding from side to side. The power, your connection to the boat, for the roll really comes from your knees in a C1. With my legs flexed, I'm secure in the boat. If I relax my legs and straighten them, I pop right out.

[@AngusRobins]

Im not really sure about your 'simplification' of the kayak roll. For example, I'm a playboater and I can roll a kayak ending up leaning forward, ready to paddle. I also often scull forward if I do go for a rear deck finish and it doesnt come off, I just flip the blade over and scull forward. The back deck roll can also finish either leaning backward or forward 😉 However, I'm going to try this set-up for OC1 next week in the pool. 🙏🏻

[@Commandodesigns]

That's because the new playboats are so small. You can kinda schwag the CG. You can't schwag CG in a C1 because you're so high up. Tell me how it goes.

[@blaisedesrochers8182]

Wath is ypur boatt??

[@Commandodesigns]

Blackfly Ion