Question: I recently built a Black Pearl kayak for rolling practice. I really like this kayak, but I misinterpreted a plan, and have a back deck height (cockpit coaming included) of 20 cm instead of 17 cm. I am wondering what influence this can have on some more advanced layback rolls. I still have to learn the norsaq roll and the hand roll, and wondered if it is worthwhile correcting this building error.

Answer: Without seeing the kayak it is difficult to know how the raised back deck will effect layback rolls. It is often the hull shape, and not the height of the deck, that influences how a kayak rolls. Some kayaks with high back decks roll very easily, while some kayaks with low back decks can be tricky to roll. The best thing to do is to try it out and see how it feels before making adjustments.

– Helen