learn how to back deck roll a kayak

This video is about how to backdeck roll. This isn't the first roll I usually teach beginner kayakers, and isn't my primary roll, but it's an important one to know. This will always be the safest roll to use if you flip over leaning back (which happens to most of us often). It's much safer to simply go with a back-leaning flip into a backdeck roll than have to set up underwater on the front deck.

A few safety thing to keep in mind: 1 keep your elbows IN when you practice this roll--you should never reach your arms straight out over your head like superman. 2 ALWAYS practice any roll by focusing on using your hips to roll the boat under you without pulling on the paddle. 3 if you know of people who have cut up their faces rolling on the back deck, there's a good chance that they aren't people who practiced using this roll quickly and using safe technique, so practice techniques that will keep you protected: keep your paddle and elbows in front of your face, and try to look ahead of the roll to the side. I've found that when I'm accidentally upside-down leaning back in a shallow rapid that my elbow pads and hands tend to take the hits instead of my head/face because of lots of practice with this roll. 4 get good at doing this roll (and every roll) on both sides--it'll almost always be easiest and quickest to roll up away from water that flipped you (if you flipped left, quickly roll up on the right blade).

This was shot with a gopro 2 in a special scuba housing with scuba lens and a Canon 5d Mark III.
ENJOY!

Stephen