Wow, it’s December 31st, 2024 and what an incredible journey teaching sea kayak rolling in the beautiful waters surrounding Victoria and Vancouver Island has been. There’s been a noticeable uptick in interest of sea kayaking, possibly a holdover from COVID where people had to explore new ways of staying fit while keeping a healthy distance. It’s been an honest pleasure helping paddlers of all levels hit their goals of various Greenland style techniques.
Rebecca, near Discovery Island, BC
In the first business year of Roll with It Kayaking, it’s been rewarding to experience the sheer joy of clients getting rolls they’ve been wanting to learn for ages, improving their confidence and abilities on the water.
Kayak Rolling Instruction – Making it Personal
Our instructional lessons and clinics have a maximum of four clients, which is the sweet spot for clients to both learn the choreography of the roll but also to potentially catch areas that need work in their partners from a different perspective. However, our favorite approach is still one-on-one training, where clients can really zero in on a problem or question they’ve had about kayak rolling. The pleasure of watching folks get excited when they nail their roll – often times trying it on both sides – has been the best part of our job. We have to hand it to our clients for braving the chilly waters on the beaches around Victoria to learn in, but those are also the waters they will roll with on any local trip, so it’s best to work with realistic conditions.
We’re truly blessed with the local beauty Victoria and Vancouver Island offer, giving some of the most stunning locations in the world for sea kayaking, from calm areas like Cadboro Bay to more challenging coastal conditions in Sooke and Tofino. These waters are perfect for learning and practicing essential skills, including rolling, rough water rescues, surfing and more. Knowing how to roll a sea kayak could be a lifesaver in challenging situations, plus, it’s also just plain fun when it comes to playing.
Sea kayak adventures near Saltspring Island
Kayaking Key Achievements This Year
Throughout the year, Roll with It Kayaking worked with many paddlers, each with unique goals and challenges. Some were near beginners, while others had years of experience but sought to refine their techniques. The rewards weren’t just for our clientele though because seeing them progress from attempting their first roll to performing advanced Greenland style rolls, such as the Storm Roll and in one case, even the Reverse Sweep Roll was fantastic for us too!
A substantial portion of our clientele also took us up on another services we offer; kayak outfitting, a vital aspect of ensuring comfort and control. A properly fitted kayak significantly improves rolling success and overall paddling performance. Adjusting a kayak to fit snugly allows the paddler to use their body more effectively, resulting in smoother, more confident rolls. Each kayak presents new challenges for outfitting but from the feedback we heard from clients, they feel far more connected with their kayak, essentially “wearing” their kayak.
We were also happy to offer gelcoat repairs to clients who had various nicks, spider-cracks, and in one case, a repair and repositioning of a seat that had ripped its bolts right through the deck coaming. We were able to reinforce the deck and also find a better seat position for to provide a more balanced and stable feel for her kayak.
Kayaking Lessons Learned
To us, teaching rolling isn’t just about technique but is also about building confidence and relationships. Most of our clients are from local paddling communities, and in particular, SISKA (the South Island Sea Kayaking Association). Although Rebecca has always been fearless in pretty much everything, I personally can relate to struggling with fears of being in the ocean to such a degree that I wouldn’t even swim in open waters much less be upside down in a kayak! A lot has changed since then. Many clients initially struggled with this same fear of capsizing but through progressive rolling practice, learning methodically, we found that rhythm with a calmness that allowed them to focus.
This past year, we’ve learned to adapt to each paddler’s unique needs, offering personalized guidance and encouragement but also widening our own respective fields of teaching experience.
Paddling into 2025
As we reflect on this year, we’re grateful for the opportunity to share my passion for sea kayaking and traditional Greenland-style rolling. Watching paddlers grow in skill and confidence has inspired me personally to continue developing my instruction methods, exploring new ways to help clients achieve their goals and bringing a building confidence to my own paddling.
It’s been especially rewarding to delve into kayak repairs, outfitting and upgrading. The coming year will see a new 24 foot workshop built to better house our tools, providing at least a sheltered home for our kayaks. It’s all very exciting and will help us give back to the paddling community that we’re really happy to be part of.
With that in mind, we want to sincerely thank our clients for their interest, hopefully opening up new streams of confidence and skills while we can still have a laugh and enjoy the process. Whether you’re new to kayaking or looking to perfect your roll, we’d love to help you take your next steps into the beautiful world of being on the sea with friends, exploring our wild coastline’s caves, waves and serenity. If you’re in Victoria or anywhere on Vancouver Island, please do get in touch and Roll with It Kayaking will take you to new levels of adventure and confidence.
See you on the water and all the best in 2025!
Lovely Ucluelet Paddlers, 2024
