The Backdeck Roll 

The back deck roll is my go to roll also. I have a slight disability that impacts my hip flexors so a standard roll is almost impossible for me. Once I figured out that I could back deck roll and that the back deck roll was safe (despite my friends warning me that it was so dangerous that it could threaten the existence of the universe) it opened up my kayaking to another level.

Boyd, thank you for making these tutorials. They are very comprehensive and well delivered, it seems that you're a natural educator. By far, the best backdeck roll video that I've come across on the web.

Back deck rolling is a super important progression to rolling from pretty much any position. When sea kayaking I practice what I call "wet cement" rolling. Put simply, you start out from lots of different positions and manipulate your paddle till you feel that feedback on your paddle face that lets you hip snap and finally pull your head out. The standard roll is a whole body dynamic roll and you don't necessarily feel the sense of pressure on the paddle face in isolation. I can even roll from a position with the paddle vertical. By moving the paddle face back and forth or in a figure 8 while vertical you will get a feeling that your paddle face is moving through a denser fluid. That's not true of course, but it is that "wet cement" feeling you want to get. Once you have the paddle face in wet cement, up you come. From a standard roll position you can also do a partial sweep and then reverse forward again like a white water canoe roll - very useful as you are already in position for a power stroke. By practicing in a safe lake or ocean environment without rocks, you'll become familiar with the sense of pressure on your paddle face in many different positions which transfers to really rapid white water rolls without having to set up in the standard manner. This roll is the door to so much fun (oh and fun techniques). Thanks for your videos.

Great, clear instruction. I'm appreciating all your rolling videos.

The backdeck roll is the easiest roll I have, but only use it while in a playboat. I always wear elbow pads while creeking, and agree that the backdeck does protect your face. When I teach teh backdeck, the key for new students sucess was constant sweeping motion and cocking the wrist. The most common problem I see is the students paddle diving at the 5 O'Clock position. Thanks for putting this one out. Watching your shallow water backdeck sells me on using it more in creeking when not in the playboat. You should see my helmet with all the rock hits from this season!!

Excellent instruction with this one Boyd, and I really like how you break down the safety aspect in such a logical way, with footage to prove it. Well done sir!

Back deck roll in creaking was shot really cool

I've also heard people refer to the modified backdeck roll as the reverse screw roll

One of the best roll videos I've seen. Well done.

Learned this roll back in 1976, by progressing from holding the full length of the paddle & sweeping it under the back deck of the kayak, automatically generating a strong hip flick. This roll is called the Pawlata roll. From this I progressed to rolling under the back deck holding the paddles normally with my right dominant hand/paddle blade rotating to bring me upright ready to take a paddle stroke. We called this roll in the UK, the Reverse Screw roll. Being a slalom kayak competitor at a national level, I used this roll if I fell in in a slalom run, as I lost so little time coming upright straight into a paddle stroke. I have used this roll in Scotland & across European on river running in high grade rapids successfully. The speed of the roll, lying flat close to the longitudinal rotation of the kayak (less likely to hit anything underwater) & being ready for a paddle stroke immediately means yo do not lose position in the rapid. If the Reverse Screw fails you the can recover immediately using a Screw roll as you are already in the position to execute this roll. Doesn’t matter about the name, it is a more natural rolling position. The only downside with the Reverse Screw is the rotation of the shoulder if you have any shoulder mobility issues (from dislocation or a previous subluxation - when the shoulder pops out & back in again, tearing the shoulder rotator cuff muscles)

Awesome video!

Great video! Just started snowing here but I'm saving this for when I'm on the water next to practice. Maybe I'll brave the cold before the nearby water freezes over :P

Aah the endless roll discussion... (I'm highly favouring the back deck roll too, mostly because of my freestyle background). I do have a couple of adaptions I factored in to improve safety on WW: Roll up body forward by continuing the pushing movement with the powerface of the blade, instead of switching to a pulling motion and you're completely golden to use it in creeking situations. This is the only downside to me (for every roll), leaving yourself exposed by leaning far back. Keep the elbows in during the back deck roll and you'll be able to protect your face with your elbow(pads) too, while being closer to the surface as a whole.

Another cool video. I find I do my back deck roll very differently. I notice with yours, your body is at the side of the boat before the boat starts to roll. Whereas I start to roll the boat up while I'm effectively still under the back deck by starting to push the boat away from me using my left foot (assuming I'm coming up on the right), then adding in the hip snap, so my boat is pretty much upright by the time my body is at the side. I tend to find this makes it easier for me to roll up bigger boats as well and I'm minimising any pressure on my paddle blade. I go through phases though, since my original back deck roll had me coming up all the way forwards, whereas these days I'm coming up on my back deck before sitting up. I guess both methods have their plusses and minuses.

If you've kayaked long enough, this will/should be in your repertoire. I use numerous variations of front and back rolls. I don't have to think about which to use, as wherever my blade ends up during a capsize will dictate the roll, and it all happens subconsciously from decades of mind-muscle connection. This makes for a fast roll with minimal time underwater in which to hit something.

awesome videos man!:D

These rolling videos have been fantastic. My only complaint is that you did not release them while the water was warm. Can't wait to try the modified BDR. Thank you.

Every time I watch this I get a little more out of it, seems like you have a bit of a sculling finish. Still struggling with it on my creeker but it's coming along. Thanks Boyd!

Any hints for how you might use someone in the pool to help learn this roll? I seem to have the sweep down but somehow to position of my body is inhibiting the hip snap. I get about halfway up then fail.

The first really clear instructions for the back deck roll. I had a lady teach me a variation called the sit-up roll. I was upside down, face down with the back of my head on the back deck, paddle in position and she told me to sit up. I did, and I have no clue what happened, but I was utterly upright when I reached the sitting position.

Thank you so much for all of these instructional videos. I so hope one day to connect and take some courses with you. Is there a way to connect in this manner, and set something up?

Can you explain the best way to find pressure on the paddle? Do you mean feather it back and forth?

Need your help sir, I have a 3m crossover kajak...what kind of roll would you suggest for bigger boats?

I have a question: Looking at your back deck roll, you’re essentially setting yourself up for a C-to-C roll, unless I see it wrong. I thought that the back deck roll is a forward-finishing roll by continuing the upper body motion all the way forward while keeping the active blade on a climbing angle, in other words not stopping the forward motion of the torso at around 90 degree angle but much more forward. I may have misunderstood the back deck roll, though.

I have a solid sweep roll. Last year I was able to fairly consistently back deck roll. The problem is I could only back deck roll from the up position - thru the roll - and back up. Not sure how to back deck roll if starting upside down. Every back deck roll vid I have seen starts up and ends up. Never starts from the upside down/ under water part.

I use a zero degree paddle to practice these, and I keep the top (non-rolling) blade out of the water.

Two knees surgeries.. back elbow and corpal tunnel surgery on right wrist and. A neck fusion. ..i find it safer and easier just to swim

Are you sculling at 4:32?