GUIDEPOSTS
Rolling a Sea Kayak (On Purpose!)
We found this decade-old video of one of our favorite Coastal Expeditions guides, Wick Bouton, and had to share it. Wick taught sea kayaking at the Citadel for years and he’s got a great way of explaining the ever-useful sea kayak roll.
Learning to Roll
From the winding blackwater creeks of the Francis Marion National Forest to the salt marshes of Cape Romain National Wildlife Refuge and the protected waters of Charleston Harbor, the Lowcountry offers an incredible classroom for developing paddling skills that last a lifetime.
One of the most rewarding—and misunderstood—skills in sea kayaking is learning to roll.
It may look like something reserved for expedition paddlers or whitewater experts, but a kayak roll is actually a practical skill that builds confidence, improves safety, and makes every paddler more comfortable on the water. Plus, it looks cool.
What most people don’t realize is that this technique ins’t about strength, it’s about physics. Once you know the sequence and how to position your body and the paddle, it’s a tool that you’ll easily be able to do.
Capt. Chris Crolley, mid-roll. Photo: Gately Williams
Looking Forward
We’ve been daydreaming about expanding the Outdoor School beyond kids and back into adult outdoor skills. As we look for ways to connect people with the outdoors, getting people ready to do it on their own is part of what we love to see.
If you’d like to be the first to when we add classes like this, sign up for our newsletter!
Capt. Chris Crolley demonstrating how to roll a kayak. Photo: Gately Williams
