The Rondel kayak chaos opens with my fifth-ever roll in a pool in the SOTAR Rondel, then heads to the Clackamas for footage and carnage.
Video: The Rondel kayak chaos By Jacob Linkhart, 2026 on the SOLWYRX Paddlesports YouTube channel.
This video is sponsored by SOTAR.
Disclosure: SOLWYRX Paddle Gear sells SOTAR gear, and I earn money when you buy it here. SOTAR also sponsors me as an athlete.
Rolling an inflatable
Rolling an inflatable kayak is harder than rolling a hardshell, because the boat is wider and you're held in with thigh straps instead of locked in. The Rondel is short and playful, which helps, but it still takes clean timing, and it's a different movement from a hardshell roll. I learned the basics in a hardshell years earlier (learning to roll a hardshell kayak in a pool).
Clackamas chaos
Then it's onto the river, where the Rondel does what it does best: spinning, getting air, and occasionally getting flipped. When it goes over, what I practiced in the pool with instruction is what brings me back. More in Why Inflatable Kayaks Flip, and Why Self-Rescue Matters.
Want a Rondel of your own? It's in the shop: SOTAR Merlin series 8ft Rondel. Watch my first Rondel demo in SOTAR's Rondel kayak on the Deschutes, and see me race it at Clackfest 2026.
Personal trip report: flows, wood and hazards change, and what worked for me that day isn't a rule for your boat or group. Check current conditions, scout, and boat within your training.
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Updated October 28, 2026 · By Jacob Linkhart, owner of SOLWYRX Paddle Gear · Spot a mistake? Email me and I'll fix it.
