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Tandem lessons

SeanWeijand

Paddler
Joined
May 25, 2021
Messages
14
Location
Vancouver
We paddle a tandem Delta 20T and are thinking about rolling lessons along with some more advance paddling techniques to help us maneuver better.

We paddled out to Jericho from Granville island on Sunday and while going into the waves was tiring but no problem, coming back was a little more difficult in the following seas, many of the waves were in the four foot + range, and while we managed ok, getting more skills would make those types of trips more relaxing.

It looks like all the lessons I can see on line focus on singles so we are looking for someone who can work with a tandem.

tia

Sean
 
Step 1, agree with your paddling partner which side you will roll up on. Note that could change during a paddle if you run into strong current. In a class at Deception Pass, I tried three times before I had to bail. The instructor said I would have made it of I hadn’t tried to roll up on wrong side for the current direction.

Maybe work out a scheme were you will start your roll two seconds after two taps on the side.

Definitely practice getting back in the boat with both people in the water. With temperatures reaching triple digits, such practice, first in a calm lake, would be fun. If an instructor doesn’t appear, I’m guessing Google/YouTube is your friend.
 
Not much on YouTube but this video may help you.
If I was trying I would want a couple spotters there, just in case something goes south.
 
We paddle a tandem Delta 20T ..... coming back was a little more difficult in the following seas, many of the waves were in the four foot + range, and while we managed ok, getting more skills would make those types of trips more relaxing.
Looking at the rudder fitted, it might help if it reached the water. A tiddly little blade from a single fitted on a high sided double. In the years of double paddling we never had a problem, probably because I made my own rudders for all my kayaks.

Capsize? Never did though others did in the same conditions. Their problem was a poorly designed kayak.

Most of my double paddling was with beginners or those without much power so the idea of rolling was never thought of. Recovery was practiced before a 38 day trip in Fiji, the only time I ever bothered to try it. Easy enough to do.
 
Most of what you learn in a single is directly transferable to a tandem. There are only a few things which are tandem specific.

On rolling, you pretty much need to learn in signles first, then when that comes reasonably well, you can transfer to tandems. The roll process is the same between singles and tandems, but with tandems requiring doing the same thing on the same side at the same time. Best to get a roll in a single when yuo are solo first, then start worrying about the working together aspect.

If one person gets strong in rolls, you can actually roll up with just that one person rolling and the other person leaning forward and hugging the deck to keep their weight down low.
 
Not sure if he has worked with doubles, but Mike McHolm, who works as a rolling instructor at Jericho Beach Kayak (where I guide and instruct), is awesome. We work out of Jericho, so right on your route. I wonder if he'd start with having one of you in one cockpit and himself in the other? Anyhow, if interested, you can book lessons here.
 
Thanks to everyone for their feedback.

I will review the rudder, did not think of that as being an issue but certainly having a larger rudder would give us more control, I should have realized that from my sailing experience!

I will contact Mike through Jericho, I have seen many of his videos, he definitely knows how to roll!
 
Step 1, agree with your paddling partner which side you will roll up on. Note that could change during a paddle if you run into strong current. In a class at Deception Pass, I tried three times before I had to bail. The instructor said I would have made it of I hadn’t tried to roll up on wrong side for the current direction.

Maybe work out a scheme were you will start your roll two seconds after two taps on the side.

Definitely practice getting back in the boat with both people in the water. With temperatures reaching triple digits, such practice, first in a calm lake, would be fun. If an instructor doesn’t appear, I’m guessing Google/YouTube is your friend.

We have done a fair bit of wet exit, entrance into the boat practice, so am confident with that, but would like to avoid pumping out the kayak if possible. : )

With your step 1 comment, We are hoping that lessons will give us the knowledge on this so we can execute in different conditions.

Sean
 
Quite frankly, unless you both have good ww rolling experience I just don't see the practicality in spending much time on rolling - mainly because it will be hard to do that practice without wasting a lot of time and energy swimming and emptying. [if you both have good single rolls, then sure why not - once the coord is down, it'd be easy]. For sure the upright opposite re-entry is a critical self rescue to be comfortable in performing.

As doubles are typically far more stable than singles, the best time will be spent in coordination practice of high and low bracing while paddling, coordinated draws, sweeps - ie all the basic braces and control strokes done so that you both understand the intercommunication and coordination and can do it when required. I would do them all both forward and backward with the rudder up and then down. Oh yes, and certainly wave practice - it should be fun going with the waves or relatively easy if they get a little large. [steep? well diff story, heh heh]

Because of the added stability and slight speed increase, I would say however that many people are complacent paddlers in doubles . . . because they can be. So if you take the time to try and practice these aspects, you'll be technically ahead of the game.

anyway, have fun.
 
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Mick:

Well, that is solid advice. We have never come close to capsizing even though we have paddled in fairly rough conditions so having / spending time on a technique we don't really need at the expense of way more practical techniques doesn't seem to make sense.

Getting back in from a wet exit is not difficult and we are very comfortable doing that.

Improving our paddling techniques would definitely give us way more bang for our buck time-wise, and take us out of the "complacent paddler" group.

Thanks so much for the advice!
 
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