‘Q&A with Helen’

Please send questions directly to Helen at helen@greenlandorbust.org.

We appreciate your feedback and hope you enjoy reading.

Question: I am in my mid-40s, and fairly new to kayaking. I built a touring kayak from Chris Kulczycki’s book, “The New Kayak Shop.” It’s a large volume boat, and has a fairly high rear deck. Also, I’ve played hard over the years, and my back isn’t a flexible as it once was. Do you think rolls that finish forward are a better place to start given the high deck and less-than-super-flexible back?

Answer: I would suggest a layback roll if you can do it safely, even with limited flexibility. Your finish position will be with your head back, chin in the air and eyebrows hanging down. It is not so important that you are able to touch the back deck as it is that you are able to be floppy over it. If you can hang in this position and not be in pain, this is the route that you should take.

In rare cases a forward finish roll is better as a first roll. These rolls are good for people who have had back injuries, or other issues, that prevent them from being comfortable in the layback finish position. For these people, I teach a forward finish roll as a first roll. Some flexibility is required for forward finish rolls as well, since the paddler needs to be able to come up hunched forward on, or close to, the front deck.

Question: I’d like to find out what PFD’s are available for a small paddler. I’m considering a Kotatat SeaO2. I’d appreciate your comments. I’m 5’2″ tall, 120 lbs., with a measurement from base of sternal notch to waist line at 13 inches. I have a Kokatat Bahia and an Astral V-Eight. The Bahia is good on the back, great for lay back rolls, but the front is too bulky. With my short arms, a self rescue with paddle float and a hand of god rescue would be challenging. The Astral’s back is too long even with the mesh at the bottom. Dubside has a MsFIT which I tried and I liked, even with no mesh on the back. His is old, however, and with the manufacturing/design changes, the MsFit may be bulky these days. Your thoughts?

Answer: There are many kinds of PFDs out there, and most would be fine for a small paddler as long as it is the right size. I have a Kokatat SeaO2 and love it. That variety provides built in flotation, but it is low volume. More buoyancy can be added by pulling a cord to release the CO2 cartridge, or by manually inflating it. For a PFD with set buoyancy, I’d suggest the MsFIT. I have one of those as well, although I tend to wear my Kokatat SeaO2 more often. Your other option is to get a PFD with no flotation except for what is provided by the CO2 cartridge or manual inflation. I wear a suspender type. However, because of the lack of buoyancy, I wouldn’t recommend this option unless you have additional flotation, such as a neoprene tuilik.

Question: The 2007 Chatham’s have a different seat design which in a weird anomaly, allows for giant black brackets (whose purpose we can only assume is to hold the seat straps, away from the body). My question is about flexibility training. Are there any tricks and techniques for stretching that could be used to optimize technique?

Answer: Yeah, I think those brackets are a bad design. My Chatham 16 has them too, and I’ve been meaning to remove them. I believe they create a safety hazard for women with rear relief zippers (butt entrapment issues) as well as cause unnecessary rubbing on a drysuit. I’m also not big on the long straps used to adjust the outfitting. They can hang out the side of the sprayskirt and be mistaken for a grab loop, causing a person upside down in the water to be unable to wet exit easily.

With rolling I have found that a person’s size has very little to do with ability. A person’s flexibility however can play a huge role. For advanced layback rolls the ability to twist out to the side keeping the shoulders flat is a huge advantage. To test your flexibility in this region, lie flat on your back on the floor and twist at the waist to put your body in an “L” shape. If you can get your body all the way out to the side with your shoulders remaining flat on the floor and your legs straight (knees facing the ceiling), then you are in very good shape for advanced layback rolls. If you can only twist a little out to the side, or your shoulders are not flat, then this is a good exercise to work on. Practice it often, on both sides, and flexibility will slowly come.

For forward finishing rolls, it is good to work on hamstring flexibility. The simple exercise of sitting on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you, holding your feet and putting your head on your knees (or as close as you can) with your legs remaining straight is a great way of increasing this flexibility (flexing your feet will make it more challenging).

If you have the time and interest, sign up for a yoga class at a yoga studio. There are many different styles to pick from. I practice Hatha Raja. A good “at home” yoga program is OM Yoga in a Box (these come in several different levels). I have found that these programs are simple to follow and beneficial for increasing flexibility, especially if they are done 3 or more times a week.

Question: What do you wear under the tuilik in cold water? I have always used a drysuit and this is my first time using the tuilik in cold water. Any suggestions?

Answer: I typically wear my drysuit under my tuilik. Under the drysuit, for the top half, I dress according to air/water temperature, wearing either just an inner core layer, just an outer core layer or both. For the bottom half I wear just capilene, just an outer core layer or both. And for the feet, SmartWool socks.

Question: I love my thin stick, but in the reading I’ve done, I’ve not been able to establish if they are faster than a fat blade. Do the Greenlanders use them only because they enjoy them or because they are faster as well? They are so delightful to use and easy to make I can’t understand why more people don’t use them. Thanks for any help you can give.

Answer: The speed of a kayaker has to do with many factors; including the kayak itself, but mainly, the technique of the person paddling it. The three main types of paddles are traditional paddles (Greenland sticks), European paddles (the Euro blade) and wing paddles. It is believed by many that of the three types, the wing blade is the fastest. Of the other two… it depends who you ask. I believe that it comes down to technique.

When I was in Greenland I only saw Greenland paddles. The purpose of the Greenland National Kayaking Championship is to preserve the traditions of the Greenlandic culture, and therefore, only traditional gear is used. However, the Greenland paddle is a remarkable tool, and so my thought falls to the common saying, “If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.” This might be part of the reason that the European blade hasn’t become popular in Greenland.

As you said yourself, “they are so delightful to use and easy to make.” I have found that my Greenland paddles works well in everything I paddle in, from flat water to surf, and I don’t use any other kind of paddle. Hope this helps.

Question: I was working on my Standard Greenland Roll, and an issue came up for me. I am in my skin-on-frame qajaq, wearing a wetsuit, sprayskirt and PFD and am using a Greenland paddle. I have a lot of buoyancy. If I start out my roll set-up moving forward, I’m fine. However, if I just roll over, I have a hard time getting into position to “kiss the deck” because of the buoyancy. Any suggestions or tricks?

Answer: Many skin-on-frame qajaqs can get “stuck” during the capsize. There are a few things that can be done to make the capsize a little easier. First, try removing your PFD or wearing one with less flotation. There are several on the market with CO2 cartridges (I wear a suspender type). Second, during the capsize try “diving” in as opposed to “falling” in. “Dive” with your chin tucked, so that your forehead touches the water first and your body follows. Capsize as close to the qajaq as possible, with very little extension out to the side (I like to think of it as rolling into the water). This will get your head and shoulders under the qajaq. If your qajaq is still not in a flat, upside down position, use your hips to bring it over on top of you. This may require a back and forth rocking action. It will put you directly under the kayak, where you’ll be able to curl up to the surface and finish your roll.

Question: Someone on your website asked about rolling when in motion. I have a question about this part of your answer, “Make sure you curl up to the surface into your set-up position, and check all the variables before starting the roll.” Are you saying that parts of your torso should be above the waterline, or do you mean that you are moving toward the surface, but most of you (except for perhaps the paddle and parts of your fists), are still beneath the surface?

Answer: Your underwater set-up position is a tucked forward position. While hanging upside down, reach your paddle up to the surface on the side of the kayak that you’ll be rolling up on. Your paddle should be parallel to the kayak and very close to it. Your paddle and hands should be on the surface or above it with your palms facing up. Your body should be curled forward so that your paddle is directly above your chest, with your shoulders square to the surface of the water.
Once you are in this set-up position, you can begin the sweep. During the sweep is when your body will unfold, moving from a tucked forward position to an arched back position, which will allow you to slide onto the back deck. During the sweep is also when you should lift your chin and place your eyebrows underwater.

Question: Recently I learned the Assammik Nerfallallugu (hand roll, front to back), and although I need to work on it to make the sweep smoother, I would be keen in progressing towards the elbow roll. Have you any tips in which I could focus?

Answer: The progression from Assammik Nerfallallugu (front to back hand roll) to Ikusaannarmik Pukusuk Patillugu (elbow roll), isn’t too difficult once you have the correct body movements for Assammik Nerfallallugu down. Work on fine tuning your hand roll, paying attention to the following (I will describe the roll as if you were working on a right side recovery):
- During your on-the-surface set-up, position your body to the far left side of the deck, twisting your body to get your shoulders as square to the water as possible (this will put you in a nice set-up position underwater).
- As you capsize, try to get your body to move in a U shape under the kayak, coming up with your face and shoulders as square to the surface as possible.
- Place your left hand over the left edge of the kayak deck (palm up), lift your right knee and hip and slide onto the back deck, keeping your chin in the air and your upper body relaxed.
Once you are able to do this without difficulty, you are ready to progress to the elbow roll. Following are some things to focus on (Once again I will describe the roll as if you were working on a right side recovery).
- During your on-the-surface set-up, put your right hand behind your head and twist your upper body to the left, turning your head and torso so that you are looking out to the left side of your kayak. Place your right elbow on the far left side of the deck (this will put you in a nice set-up position underwater).
- As with the hand roll, when you capsize try to get your body to move in a U shape under the kayak, coming up with your face and shoulders as square to the surface as possible.
- As soon as your face and shoulders are as close to the surface as they’re going to get, drive your right knee and hip up and simultaneously throw your upper body back, using it as a lever. Your back should be arched and your forehead should be deeper underwater than any other part of your body. Use your left hand as a counterweight by placing it palm up over the left edge of the kayak deck, and slide onto the back deck, keeping your chin in the air.
The power from this roll comes from your knee, hip and abdominal muscles on the recovery side (especially those muscles under your rib cage).

Answer: Actually, it tells me a lot. My best guess is that you’re not keeping your palms facing up. There’s a tendency to push forward with the paddle, ending with the knuckles facing the sky and the palms facing forward. If this is happening you’re using too much paddle and it’s hurting your roll. What you want to do is focus on turning your knuckles toward your nose as your body sweeps, and not pushing on the paddle. This will keep the paddle flat on the surface and you can focus on sliding your body onto the back deck instead of having the paddle dive and your body follow it.