Rolling 101
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When a Creature Craft is on its side, the paddlers on left and right become top and bottom. Although the team members have different jobs, they must continue to work together to right the boat. Both team members must set themselves up in order to roll. 
When you find yourself on the bottom, it is almost instinct to want to “pull” yourself in; bringing your weight to the “capsulated“ inside of the boat. You must make a smooth, concentrated effort to get outside the boat. The idea is to negate your weight. If you are actively “hanging to the inside”, well then, that is exactly where your weight is. Inside the boat’s capsule.
In order to negate your weight, relax and lay in the water. Remember you are weightless there; trust your PFD to float your chest.
Turn your head up and look at your partner. You have to communicate with him or her. Begin setting up by sculling your paddle blade so that the blade is on or near the surface and flat.
If you need a visual, glance up at your hands and note the position of the T-grip. The fingers of your inside hand should be wrapped around the T-grip and straddling the shaft evenly - fingers facing down. Fingers facing down is important to ensure your paddle blade is flat on the surface. Your outside hand is still holding the shaft of the paddle a little bit wider than shoulder width apart.
Look and line up your paddle blade with the cross tubes at the peak of the boat. This ensures your paddle is a straight extension from your body.
In order to negate your weight, relax and lay in the water. Remember you are weightless there; trust your PFD to float your chest.
Turn your head up and look at your partner. You have to communicate with him or her. Begin setting up by sculling your paddle blade so that the blade is on or near the surface and flat.
If you need a visual, glance up at your hands and note the position of the T-grip. The fingers of your inside hand should be wrapped around the T-grip and straddling the shaft evenly - fingers facing down. Fingers facing down is important to ensure your paddle blade is flat on the surface. Your outside hand is still holding the shaft of the paddle a little bit wider than shoulder width apart.
Look and line up your paddle blade with the cross tubes at the peak of the boat. This ensures your paddle is a straight extension from your body.
To set up on the top side, first position your hands. Your inside hand should be flat on the peak leg and your outside hand holds your paddle and grabs firmly onto your seat.
Push up, using both hands and lift your body up. This will take the pressure off your thigh strap allowing you to turn your body.
Remove your feet from the foot cups and as you rotate your body to the inside of the craft, place your feet on the edge of the partners seat with your knees slightly bent.
Push up, using both hands and lift your body up. This will take the pressure off your thigh strap allowing you to turn your body.
Remove your feet from the foot cups and as you rotate your body to the inside of the craft, place your feet on the edge of the partners seat with your knees slightly bent.
At this point, both team members, top and bottom, are set up. Communication (both verbal and visual) on when to roll is crucial.
An advantage the top person has is the ability to look downriver and see not only what hazards exist, but also what river features may be beneficial to your roll such as a wave or hole. Communicate with your partner when to attempt your first roll. Often it is helpful to count and “go on 2”. The top side person is the counter.
When attempting the roll, the top side person begins by pivoting at the waist to a 90 degree angle and “exploding” up , launching their weight to the outside of the boat’s capsule. Stay in this extended high side until the boat pulls you back to the inside.
The top side person’s goal is to “rock” the boat so that the cross tubes at the peak come out of the water.
A female may need to turn her shoulders and extend her body outside the capsule of the boat a bit farther than males in order to “stretch out“ her weight. Males naturally have an advantage because they generally weigh more and his center of gravity is in his chest.
On the bottom, the advantage is being able to “feel (using your hips) the boat" as it begins to right itself.
If you have agreed with your partner to “go on 2”, then on 2, you must do your part to roll. The top person brings their weight in and shouts “one!” as they launch their weight out of the boat and holds it so that they keep their weight outside the boats capsule. The top side person’s momentum will start to lift the cross tubes at the peak out of the water. The top person holds this position until the boat pulls them back to the inside . Once back inside the boat’s capsule, again the top side person pivots at the waist to 90 degrees then explodes up again and shouts “two!”.
On 2, the bottom person holds their breath and rotates their chest so that it is flat in the water. This will put your face in the water also. As you rotate towards the water outstretch your arms and extend your paddle further by sliding your “shaft” hand up towards the T-grip. Using both hands, put equal placed pressure on the shaft of the paddle so that the paddle blade pushes down flat through the water. Push your chest down into the water slowly keeping your arms outstretched in front of your face.
Don’t get excited and go super fast; use the water’s resistance. Don’t lift your body up out of the water because you are still trying to negate your weight. Stay in the water. It is possible to reset and try again with the same breath. You may even get a third attempt in with that original breath, but if you haven’t rolled up yet, you will want to check in with your partner on the top side to ensure you are still working together. Be sure not to get hasty, be calm and think out the process. Make yourself think clearly and remember that panicking will only waste your breath.
An advantage the top person has is the ability to look downriver
and see not only what hazards exist, but also what river features may be beneficial to your roll such as a wave or hole. Communicate with your partner when to attempt your first roll. Often it is helpful to count and “go on 2”. The top side person is the counter.
When attempting the roll, the top side person begins by pivoting at the waist to a 90 degree angle
and “exploding” up , launching their weight to the outside of the boat’s capsule. Stay in this extended high side until the boat pulls you back to the inside.
The top side person’s goal is to “rock” the boat so that the cross tubes at the peak come out of the water.
A female may need to turn her shoulders and extend her body outside the capsule of the boat a bit farther than males in order to “stretch out“ her weight. Males naturally have an advantage because they generally weigh more and his center of gravity is in his chest.
On the bottom, the advantage is being able to “feel (using your hips) the boat" as it begins to right itself.
If you have agreed with your partner to “go on 2”, then on 2, you must do your part to roll. The top person brings their weight in and shouts “one!” as they launch their weight out of the boat and holds it so that they keep their weight outside the boats capsule. The top side person’s momentum will start to lift the cross tubes at the peak out of the water
. The top person holds this position until the boat pulls them back to the inside . Once back inside the boat’s capsule, again the top side person pivots at the waist to 90 degrees then explodes up again and shouts “two!”.
On 2, the bottom person holds their breath and rotates their chest so that it is flat in the water. This will put your face in the water also. As you rotate towards the water outstretch your arms and extend your paddle further by sliding your “shaft” hand up towards the T-grip. Using both hands, put equal placed pressure on the shaft of the paddle so that the paddle blade pushes down flat through the water.
Push your chest down into the water slowly keeping your arms outstretched in front of your face.
Don’t get excited and go super fast; use the water’s resistance. Don’t lift your body up out of the water because you are still trying to negate your weight. Stay in the water. It is possible to reset and try again with the same breath. You may even get a third attempt in with that original breath, but if you haven’t rolled up yet, you will want to check in with your partner on the top side to ensure you are still working together. Be sure not to get hasty, be calm and think out the process. Make yourself think clearly and remember that panicking will only waste your breath.
