Shirley and Fred Bull have done their research in producing a compendium of over thirty secluded, protected paddling spots on Cape Cod, and provide a wealth of local knowledge obviously gleaned from much time spent paddling these areas. Each trip report includes information on launch areas, tide timing, and a detailed description of what you will see, plus a map of the area. The authors spend much time explaining what flora and fauna can be seen on each route.

Paddling Cape Cod is geared toward the recreational paddler: someone who is looking for a slow, relaxing paddle down a flatwater salt marsh, for example. It is not for those seeking high adventure on the open sea. Many of the described trips are very short, less than 4-5 miles, though in several locales there are two or three trips starting from the same launch, and with proper planning these short trips could be combined into longer, full-day paddles.

The authors do an extensive amount of trip planning for you, sometimes to an extreme. For example, the book tells you when to arrive at the launch site relative to Boston high tide (say, 2 hours 30 minutes before), allowing you 30 minutes to launch your kayaks and assuming that you paddle at 2 knots along the trip route. We feel the trip descriptions could be improved by allowing users to plan when they want to launch relative to the tide, how fast they want to paddle, etc.

One blatant omission from the book is a section on safety. The target audience of this book is generally not familiar with the knowledge requirements and dangers of boating on tidal areas, including wind, waves, and the possibility of getting lost in maze-like salt marshes. Many of the areas described in the trip suggestions have hazards that would only be known by looking at a nautical chart, though nautical charts are never mentioned in the book.

For example, paddlers are asked to cross the narrow entrance to a bay that experiences a 7.5-knot flood current, and this current hazard is not mentioned in the book. In another example, paddlers are instructed to "follow the afternoon sun" in order to lead them west back to the launch through a salt marsh with numerous channels. The only safe way to paddle such an area is with a chart and compass.

These hindrances aside, this book provides a glimpse into the protected paddling locations on Cape Cod, and is a good reference for those seeking solitude on today's busy Cape. If you seek quiet, relaxing voyages, look into Paddling Cape Cod.