Solid description. I cannot over emphasize the value of a good balance brace if you are planning on developing your rolls. As you say, it helps your technique for all layback rolls, and if you get it early, it builds confidence, allowing you to recover into it while working on your rolls. That saves physical and mental energy. It is also useful when doing re-entry and roils in the wild. It can be used as the setup position, which gives you more time to prep for the roll up. It also works fine in rougher water (not as well in breaking surf though!) if your cockpit gets flooded and you are getting tired working on recovery. You can balance in the waves just fine and rest up, either while waiting for an assist, or just recuperating energy to continue your self rescue. Plus it is just super fun :)

@KayakHipster

8 жыл бұрын

Thanks Chris, and you're completely right all across the board. Thanks for the extra info!

@KayakLife

7 жыл бұрын

Chris King have done sculling braces in 10-14 foot surf from hurricane Isabel in 2003 while in Maine. Had a friend do balance brace in 8 foot surf while at lumpy water in Oregon after i taught her to balance brace. Was pretty rad. I can also recover into a low brace and drive my body into the mah of the surf to bring my boat up the pile. From there I rotate knuckles forward which starts rotating boat towards beach for more surfing fun :) I have a GoPro vid of the low brace into a over head wave. Maybe 4-5 feet? I agree though. Balance brace is great and clutch so many rolls. One of my fav. Can go into the butterfly roll with it.

Might I suggest one small correction for balance brace re: getting into the laid back position into water. Your head, in the video, left from deck of boat and traveled out and away several feet with out getting wet. A beginner might not be able to do that move easily. Might I suggest laying back and place head on the kayak. Then slide head from boat down into the water next to the boat. Placing head into water first and then move body into the water. I also find this very very helpful in learning the hand roll. It's taught by Eric Jackson in white water rolling vids -- the head in the down and back position is one of the most stable. In that position it's easy to do hand braces, example: right hand and head in water. Left hand holds paddle over the boat out of the water in a balance brace and no paddle needed. I do this in my white water boat for warm ups. Same is true for long boats.

@KayakHipster

7 жыл бұрын

Kayak Life that's a very good point. I think because I'm doing a very quick overview rather than a detailed description I didn't go too deep into specific body mechanics, rather just the idea of sliding your body out to the side and into the water. I'll pin your comment to the top so people can see it when they see the video. Great suggestion.

Thank you for these helpful videos.

@KayakHipster

7 жыл бұрын

John Habib great to hear, thank you for the note! Much appreciated.

Thank you

really great video, just wondering if you'd have some particular exercises/yoga routines to increase the needed flexibility. I have a really hard time to get my rear shoulder down onto the water. I also cannot slide back onto the backdeck. Even with the butterfly roll, I can do a butterfly role without stopping but if I stop in the balance brace position I cannot finish anymore...it feels like a - mainly - flexibility problem to me

Hey, congrats on having this posted on paddling.com's paddle news dec21 2016 !

@KayakHipster

7 жыл бұрын

lpowelltrip thanks!

Spot on

@KayakHipster

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

Well explained.

@KayakHipster

7 жыл бұрын

Steve Muir thanks! Much appreciated.

Staring to learn how to roll. roll. I this video very helpful on learning the proper technique. Any suggestions for someone who tends to panic once your upside down with the spray skirt on? Not sure why I have this anxiety? I’m a very good swimmer and not afraid of big or deep water. Until I’m upside down in my kayak. Very frustrating..

@KayakHipster

6 жыл бұрын

mark scott sadly the best way to overcome it is by spending more time upside down. Have a buddy spotting or assisting you, and spend time upside down until you feel more comfortable.

Can you add anymore detail as to exactly what the legs should be doing in the balance brace? I have a solid roll and can do a butterfly roll with a euro paddle, but the balance brace eludes me for the most part. When you say the onside leg is engaged, is it actually pushing upwards at the thigh brace? Is the foot pushing forward? Are you taking the offside leg completely off the foot rest? Thanks and keep up the good work on your tips !

@KayakHipster

8 жыл бұрын

Thanks, and you're right on with your assumption. If I'm out on the right side of the kayak, my right leg will be engaged. Foot pushing on peg, knee pushing upwards. Pretty much the same engagement you have when you roll. I usually rest the other leg on the peg, but don't apply any force. The #1 reason for not getting a balance brace to work that I've seen is shoulders not being flat enough on the water. It might feel like you have them flat, but it's very easy to stack them. Same goes for arching your back and tilting your head back as well. People get hesitant to have water cover their faces and don't arch enough.