60 minutes in the pool / Helper
Helping someone roll.
Your job is to give the assistance the instructor has shown you and pay attention to the person in the boat. You don't need to add a running commentary. Let them finish, get their breath and tell you how it felt.
Before you start.
The times below are a way to organise the hour. Stay with an earlier exercise if it is helping, and leave the later phases for another day if needed.
- Ask the qualified coach to demonstrate your position, permitted contact and how the roller will be helped upright. Show it back before practising.
- Agree the stop/help signal and what you should do when it happens. Know who takes over if you are unsure.
- Check the space around the boat and paddle with the instructor. Equipment, depth and rescue arrangements follow the pool session plan.
Agree a stop/help signal and permission for contact. Stop for pain, distress or loss of confidence. No solo underwater practice, breath-hold challenges or unexpected capsizes. Helpers must be shown their assistance in person.
The shared hour
Work through
what helps.
Move on when the roller is comfortable and the coach agrees. Completing every stage is not the aim of the hour.
- 010 to 8 minAgree how you will work together.
- 028 to 15 minFind the movement before adding the paddle.
- 0315 to 27 minTurn the boat with support.
- 0427 to 39 minAdd the paddle without changing the job.
- 0539 to 50 minLearn where the paddle starts.
- 0650 to 55 minFind the setup from somewhere else.
- 0755 to 60 minTalk through what changed.
0 to 8 min
Agree how you will work together.
Make sure the roller, helper and instructor understand the exercise and how to stop.
Your part / Helper
- Watch the coach demonstrate your role. Ask where to stand, what to support and what to do if the attempt stops.
- Show your part back to the coach while the roller is upright.
- Keep the agreed rescue person available. Being a helper does not automatically make you the rescuer.
Before moving on
The qualified coach confirms readiness, fit, exit arrangements and the helper briefing.
If it is not there yet
Use the hour for water confidence and supported preparation if capsize readiness is not established.
8 to 15 min
Find the movement before adding the paddle.
Use the earlier mat demonstration to explore body movement, then check the actual boat.
Your part / Helper
- Let the roller move themselves on the mat. Do not pull their arms or shoulders into place.
- Tell the instructor about discomfort or sliding you notice. Leave outfitting changes to the coach.
- Before water practice, confirm the support you will give and the signal again.
Before moving on
The roller is comfortable and the coach is satisfied with the boat fit and selected exercise.
If it is not there yet
Stay with the mat or adjust the preparation with the coach. Do not spend the rest of the hour compensating for poor fit.
15 to 27 min
Turn the boat with support.
EJ phase 1: practise rotating the boat while the upper body has support.
Your part / Helper
- Give the support exactly as shown by the coach and keep it predictable. Do not move it away to test the roller.
- Watch whether the boat turns or the roller pushes their head and chest upwards. Report what you saw after they are settled.
- Follow the agreed stop/help procedure promptly. Do not hold a head, shoulder or body down to make a cue happen.
Before moving on
The roller can repeat a comfortable supported rotation with less pushing, and the coach agrees to add the paddle.
If it is not there yet
Keep the same support and reduce the lean. The paddle can wait for another session.
27 to 39 min
Add the paddle without changing the job.
EJ phase 2: keep the boat movement while introducing paddle support. A prepared roll is an optional next step.
Your part / Helper
- Ask the coach to show whether you are supporting the paddle, the boat or neither in this attempt. Do not improvise a grip.
- Keep support consistent until the coach and roller agree to change it. Do not pull the paddle or the roller upright by their arms.
- Notice if the blade sinks early or the movement changes when support is reduced, then tell the instructor once the roller is upright.
Before moving on
The supported movement stays comfortable with the paddle; the qualified coach decides whether support can be reduced.
If it is not there yet
Restore support and return to the previous movement. A first roll is optional today.
39 to 50 min
Learn where the paddle starts.
EJ phase 3: find the setup, then move into the rolling position.
Your part / Helper
- Let the roller find the setup themselves while upright. Wait for the instructor rather than moving their hands into place.
- Before any underwater attempt, confirm your position and the help plan. Use the agreed cue instead of adding a second explanation.
- If the roller asks for help or becomes distressed, follow the agreed recovery procedure. Do not prolong an attempt to finish the sequence.
Before moving on
The roller can find the setup and transition upright, and the coach approves any water progression.
If it is not there yet
Continue upright setup practice or return to supported rotation. Do not add submersion just to finish the plan.
50 to 55 min / Optional extension
Find the setup from somewhere else.
EJ phase 4: return to the familiar setup from a different starting position. Treat this as an extension.
Your part / Helper
- Keep the exercise predictable and follow the same support plan. Do not tip the roller unexpectedly.
- Watch whether they find the setup themselves or need a cue.
- Tell the instructor if tiredness or uncertainty is increasing so the exercise can be simplified.
Before moving on
The roller can recover the familiar setup comfortably and describe what they are doing.
If it is not there yet
Finish with a comfortable earlier exercise and leave varied entries for another session.
55 to 60 min
Talk through what changed.
Leave with a clear next practice task and a useful teaching reflection.
Your part / Helper
- Let the roller speak first, then add one specific observation.
- Check whether the assistance you gave was useful and what should be different next time.
- Help put equipment away according to the pool session arrangements.
Before moving on
Each person can name what they learned and the next task.
If it is not there yet
If views differ, record the uncertainty and discuss it with the supervising coach.
Take your guide
to the pool.
Save your instructions before the session. The PDF follows the same stages and includes the video reference.
After the session
- Describe one thing you saw without guessing why it happened.
- Was your position or assistance unclear at any point? Tell the instructor.
- Ask what assistance is wanted next time rather than assuming it stays the same.
Sources and what still needs checking
EJ's Rolling and Bracing 4 Phases of the Roll, Eric Jackson. The four water phases follow this demonstration. The 60-minute schedule, role briefings and teaching reflections are our adaptation. The source's automatic captions contain errors; use the demonstrations and qualified coaching judgement for exact technique.
The earlier land footage remains available in the preparation guide. The mat exercise is not presented as proof of EJ's complete technique. AI-assisted illustrations show the session roles and preparation, not exact rescue grips, shoulder angles or a guarantee of a suitable position.
A qualified coach still needs to review the progression, physical assistance and suitability for the intended learners. Pool rules and the session risk assessment govern equipment, depth, space and rescue cover. Paddle UK pool guidance provides background; it is not approval of this plan.