The roller pushes upwards.
Ask what they felt. With the coach, return to supported boat rotation and reduce the lean. Check that your cue is understandable and the support is comfortable.
Back to the shared session
60 minutes in the pool / Instructor
Learning to teach the roll.
I'd start by deciding what this roller needs today, then choose the exercise that lets you see it. Give them one useful thing to try and watch what changes. Ask your supervising coach to check your demonstration and assistance before you teach them.
Working session plan. A qualified coach needs to check the exercises, assistance and illustrations for the people taking part. The instructor learning to teach works under their supervision.
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.
- Agree your teaching scope and intervention plan with the qualified supervising coach. This guide does not qualify you to lead independently.
- Ask the roller about experience and comfort, then check fit, exit readiness, rescue cover and suitable working space under the venue plan.
- Demonstrate the chosen exercise and brief the helper. Have both explain or show their part back to you before starting.
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 / Instructor
- Agree with your supervising coach what you will teach and when they will step in.
- Check the roller can use the agreed exit/help procedure before working upside down. Arrange any needed preparation under the session plan.
- Ask the helper to show the assistance and the roller to explain the stop signal. Resolve uncertainty while everyone is upright.
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 / Instructor
- Choose one short mat exercise that helps this learner understand the movement. Check your interpretation of the original recording with your mentor.
- Explain that this is preparation; the land exercise is not the full water roll. Do not ask for an unaided upright roll in a kayak on land.
- Check fit and easy exit in the actual boat. Keep the exercise comfortable and change it if the learner cannot use the demonstrated position.
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 / Instructor
- Demonstrate a small supported rotation, showing the difference between turning the boat and pushing the body upright. EJ uses a low, back-leaning finish; check whether that finish suits this learner.
- Watch one feature at a time: boat rotation, early head lift or reliance on support. Ask what the roller felt before choosing the next cue.
- If you see strain or uncertainty, reduce the movement and ask your supervising coach to reassess support and position. Do not chase a faster movement because the video describes a snap.
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.
Talk this through with your supervising coach
What did you see, what did the roller feel, and why did you choose that next attempt? Check whether changing your demonstration, support or cue would help before asking for another repetition.
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 / Instructor
- Show how the paddle support is added while the boat rotation stays familiar. Use the video to check the shaft position and the hand that can pin it against the boat.
- Have your mentor check blade angle, hand position and shoulder comfort for the learner. Avoid fixed left/right instructions unless you have established the side.
- If supported practice is comfortable, the coach may approve a prepared attempt on water. Watch timing and blade loading; a failed attempt can have several causes, so observe before diagnosing.
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.
Talk this through with your supervising coach
What did you see, what did the roller feel, and why did you choose that next attempt? Check whether changing your demonstration, support or cue would help before asking for another repetition.
39 to 50 min
Learn where the paddle starts.
EJ phase 3: find the setup, then move into the rolling position.
Your part / Instructor
- Demonstrate setup and transition upright, from a viewpoint the roller can follow. Check the blade orientation with your mentor, particularly if you change sides.
- Let the roller show the movement back to you. Eyes-closed rehearsal is optional while upright and comfortable, not a breath-hold task.
- Keep the underwater task short and agreed. Judge readiness from the movement and confidence you have observed, not the elapsed session time.
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.
Talk this through with your supervising coach
What did you see, what did the roller feel, and why did you choose that next attempt? Check whether changing your demonstration, support or cue would help before asking for another repetition.
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 / Instructor
- If earlier work is not settled, use these minutes to repeat the part that helped. Phase 4 is not compulsory.
- For an upright extension, vary one starting condition and ask the roller to find the known setup. Agree any water version with your mentor first.
- Explain that practising in a pool does not establish readiness to roll on a river. Do not use surprise capsizes to make the exercise more realistic.
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.
Talk this through with your supervising coach
What did you see, what did the roller feel, and why did you choose that next attempt? Check whether changing your demonstration, support or cue would help before asking for another repetition.
55 to 60 min
Talk through what changed.
Leave with a clear next practice task and a useful teaching reflection.
Your part / Instructor
- Ask the roller what they noticed before giving your assessment. Use the helper's observation to compare with yours.
- With your mentor, explain why you progressed, repeated or stepped back. Identify one change to your demonstration, cue or helper briefing.
- Record what the learner actually practised, their next task and any review needed. Completing this plan is not a teaching assessment.
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.
Observe before
you change something.
These are prompts for discussion with your supervising coach. They are not a diagnosis of every unsuccessful roll.
The blade sinks early.
Review the timing in EJ's phase 2 example. Have the coach check blade presentation, hand position and how much load goes through the paddle before changing the exercise.
The setup gets lost.
Rehearse upright on the chosen side. Show the blade orientation from the roller's viewpoint, then ask them to find it themselves.
The roller becomes uncomfortable.
Stop, help them settle using the agreed procedure and ask what happened. Bring in the supervising coach before resuming or changing assistance.
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
- Ask the roller first: what changed and what helped? Compare that with what you observed.
- Ask the helper whether the briefing and stop/reset instructions were clear.
- With your supervising coach, identify one teaching decision to keep and one to change. Record the next exercise and why.
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.