kayak eskimo-rolling device

I've heard of a device that mounts on a kayak that will inflate into a pillow on a rope via CO2 cartridges. After turning over in the kayak, one pulls a cord thereby inflating the pillow. The paddler then grabs the pillow and forces it underwater. This gives your body and kayak enough lift to be turned upright. Any idea where I could get one and what it is called

Why not just learn to roll? A class will cost you $60 and the skills will benefit you for a lifetime.

Josh, I'm alittle heavy and my back is not great, Is it likely that learning to roll would be effective for me>

learning to roll would be effective for me

Can't really say without knowing exactly what's wrong with your back. Although, the roll is executed with mostly a brace and hipsnap, some of your trunk or abdomen muscles will be used. The best advice I can give with the limited knowledge of your circumstances is speak to a certified instructor and fill him in on your condition and let him evaluate the situation. On the bright side, I have seen people 250+lbs execute a roll in a white water boat, so it's not impossible!

Hope it works out!

It's called a Roll-Aid and it's an expensive way to expend CO2 cartidges.

You could learn to scull up as a roll - little back problem and not affected by weight significantly... assuming you could find an instructor that could teach it (they tend to focus on either a sweep roll or a c-c). The cost would be less than a Roll-Aid and can be done more than once (the roll aid needs a new CO2 cartridge every time).

It sounds pretty awkward to me. It might be OK for deep unobstructed water but I think it could be pretty dangerous in whitewater. At $1 per CO2 cartridge, you would probably be reluctant to practice enough to get proficient. Hanging out upside underwater for very long is pretty harrowing.

The best alternative to a quick combat roll, IMHO, is a quick wet exit. Either way, you get your head above water pretty quickly and regain some control over you fate. Fumbling around under water with a flotation aid doesn't do either of those things.

You COULD use a SCUBA Boyancy Compensator vest. It should give you plenty of flotation and it does have the CO2 blow-up feature. I have seen several of these at our local thrift stores for $5 - $20.

Good luck -

It's a lot more than $1 per cartridge. They are special, BIG cartridges and over $10 ($16? 19? at MEC a couple of years ago). Definitely not something for the financially timid.

Skill beats gadgets anyday - learn to roll.

A good roll is about technique. A patient teacher could help you. I had difficulty learning to roll in a pool session and the instructor helped me by taping a flutter board to the paddle thereby giving me a very ugly but mean and effective paddle till I got the technique. Then he removed this aid and away I went. Then it was easy.

Frankly, I don't care if you believe me or not. It is true.

These may be inflated with your mouth or with a CO2 cartridge.

I agree that this is not the recommended approach but I doubt that it is a life threatning one either. If it fails to inflate, just wet exit.

Randy BTW - I have been a SCUBA diver for over 30 years.