My poles definitely make rock hopping easier. I rock hop 99.9% of the time, and only wade when I can't rock hop. Some people aren't coordinated enough to rock hop. Most of my scouts have a hard time at first, but over time get the hang of it. Well, except for one kid we named "Splash". He eventually gave up and just walked through every water puddle we came across, even the ones you could walk around. Kids just don't walk in the woods as much as they used to. And, I don't see too many balance beams in elementary school playgrounds anymore. All my kids have had a hard time doing it when they were 4 and 5, but by 6 they were pros.