[Awclist] Los Altos pool sessions

[Kelly Gossett]

** NEW HOURS**
  The summer hours at the Los Altos pool officially started last night - the new hours are 8:30 - 10:30. There was great attendance, even though we had a slow start.
   
  **ROLLING**
  Two new paddlers learned to roll last night in just less than 1.5 hrs. This was their first time EVER to even sit inside a kayak. Learning the roll is easy and effortless, but there are some basic principles that need to soak in. I see a lot of people working week after week, month after month trying to get a reliable roll. Their commitment to the sport is AWESOME, but I would like to see people learning faster, and enjoying more time on the river, and less time in the pool. If learning takes more than 4-6 hrs, 2-3 pool sessions, then there are probably some bad habits that will keep you from rolling regardless of how long you try. Bad habits and misunderstandings are hard to overcome, and multiple teaching progressions cause even more confusion. The one principle that DOES NOT CHANGE - is if you can get the boat underneath you (instead of you getting on top of the boat), then the buoyancy of the boat will lift you like a feather. In other words - a 60 gallon boat has 480
 lbs of buoyancy...480 lbs of bouyancy will lift a 200 lb man up and out of the water VERY easily, regardless of the type of roll being performed. I am generally available the 1st and 3rd wednesday, and many times in between by appointment, so if you're having trouble and want to get it right, please let me know and we'll work on it 'til you get it. 
   
  **KAYAK POLO**
  Next wednesday, June 7th, will be our next round of kayak polo. The usual drill - work on rolling, hand rolling, Hand of God and other rescues, briefly discuss rules and safety issues, future plans, etc. In the Fall, we'd like to get 6-8 co-ed teams playing in a round-robin style tournament each week. If you have a group of friends you usually paddle on the river with, discuss the idea of forming a co-ed team with them. Each team will play 1 or 2 times a month, for 8-10 weeks. Hopefully, we can get a Los Alamos and Santa Fe team together, then late in the fall, have a day-long tournament. Many good things can come out of these events, so come out and get involved, see what its about and improve your skills on the river.
   
  Kelly Gossett
(505) 977-6105

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