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| Featured Books: My Reviews | Sea Kayaking Manuals | New England Paddling |
Sea Kayaking Manuals:
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Fundamentals
of Kayak Navigation David Burch; 3rd edition |
softcover, 336p, July 1999, Globe Pequot Press, $14.95 list
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The following is my own personal review: The complete guide to finding your way and getting there safely. Burch, the director of the Starpath School of Navigation in Seattle, Washington, covers every topic that I can imagine is relevant to sea kayaking, including reading and using navigational charts, dead reckoning and piloting, determining paddling speed, estimating distance from a landmark, maintaining a heading while paddling in a crossing current, and tidal effects relevant to navigation. Each example is accompanied by clear diagrams which help illustrate sometimes difficult points. This book is written specifically with the kayaker in mind; it's not an adapted version of a small-craft navigation manual. Burch strove for completeness when writing this seminal manual, but also kept the layperson in mind by maintaining his clear style throughout the text. His years of teaching experience and immense navigational knowledge are obvious from reading Fundamentals. The book will take more than one read to absorb all important information and all the techniques the author decribes, but you will never need another source. This is the kayak navigation book to buy if you plan on doing any sort of ocean kayaking. | |
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Sea Kayaking:
A Manual for Long Distance Touring John Dowd |
softcover, 304p, May 1997, $18.95 list
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The following is my own personal review: Dowd has created exactly what he says: "a manual for long-distance touring." This fourth edition covers almost everything that can be taught about kayaking in general and expedition kayaking in particular. From equipment, paddle strokes, and rescues to weather, kayak-camping, survival situations, and expedition planning, Dowd discusses it all and more. The author has an unbelievable amount of experience in this area and seems to have lived through almost every possible situation. While the book has a wealth of information for day-trippers and weekend campers, there are many sections that are written exclusively for expedition kayakers. He also includes varied suggestions for paddlers travelling in different parts of the world: for example, in the clothing section he discusses optimal wear for expeditions in the tropics, then discusses trips in temperate zones, and finally Alaska. As he states in the introduction, he often analyzes the extreme situation because it provides lessons for both beginners and experts, while a simpler situation would not. Therefore, expect to learn how to land on a beach with 8-foot breakers, choose a good campsite from the ocean when the surf is up, and lay to a drogue in 40-knot winds. At times, these extreme situations feel, well, extreme, but as he says, they will help when you need to land in "only" 4 foot waves. I recommend the book for all kayakers, though it is often necessary to sort through some extraneous information (including a few whole chapters) that you'll never need, and it is essential reading for all kayak campers and especially expeditionists. | |
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The Essential
Sea Kayaker David Seidmann |
| softcover, 144p, August 1997, International Marine Publishing, $12.95 list | |
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The following is the publisher's commentary: ". . .does a good job of demystifying our sport and making it accessible for novices." -Sea Kayaker. ". . .Seidman provides what so many so-called experts have not: a good, basic book about sea kayaking graced with a friendly, enthusiastic voice." -Canoe. Writing with his experienced instructor, the author (himself only recently a beginning kayaker) has created a comprehensive yet compact guide for beginners and initiates alike. Richly illustrated with photographs and drawings that always appear on the same spread with the topics and techniques they illustrate. | |
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Coastal
Kayaker's Manual Randel Washburne; 3rd edition |
| softcover, 256p, August 1998, Globe Pequot Press, $14.95 list |
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Basic
Book of Sea Kayaking Derek C. Hutchinson |
| softcover, 96p, March 1999, Globe Pequot Press, $7.95 list |
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Complete
Book of Sea Kayaking, Vol. 4 Derek C. Hutchinson; 4th edition |
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softcover, 192p, December 1995, Globe Pequot Press, $19.95 list
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The following is my own personal review: Derek Hutchinson has led kayaking expeditions around the world and teaches highly regarded seminars on the sport. However, he seems unable to clearly translate this teaching ability to print. This book reads like a laundry list of things to do in a kayak: equipment choices, paddle strokes, rescue techniques, rolling, surfing maneuvers, etc.; without rhyme or reason as to their purpose or when they should be executed. The book does cover a complete range of topics relevant to the sea kayaker: all topics just mentioned plus weather, tides, navigation, wind, etc. Unfortunately, many sections are out-of-date, such as the equipment section; a lot of information, such as that on nautical charts and on weather, is specific to kayaking in Britain; and some information, such as that on tidal currents, is just plain wrong. I did learn quite a lot from the sections on turning strokes and eskimo rolling, but not as much as I feel I should have and not enough to know where or when to use a particular technique. Overall, I was disappointed with the quality of instruction presented in this book. | |
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Complete
Sea Kayak Touring Jonathan Hanson |
| softcover, 224p, May 1998, McGraw-Hill Publishing, $18.95 list | |
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The following is the publisher's commentary: An intermediate-to-expert how-to, where-to guide (emphasis on how-to) for sea kayakers who have a working knowledge of the basics. It assumes basic knowledge of paddle strokes and boat handling, and focuses on expedition skills. This is a book for a new sea kayaker thinking about a first weekend outing or for the seasoned paddler planning an extended trip to a remote coast. Boats and Gear; Paddling Techniques; Rescues and Recoveries; Seamanship; Navigation and Piloting; Planning, Provisioning, and Packing; Camping; Traveling with a Kayak; Maintenance, Repair, and Modification. | |
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Derek C.
Hutchinson: Expedition Kayaking Derek C. Hutchinson, 4th edition |
| softcover, 224p, June 1999, Globe Pequot Press, $19.95 list | |
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The following is the publisher's commentary: Explore the sea and its coastal boundaries with Derek Hutchinson's Expedition Kayaking. This guide provides everything you need to know about paddling, seamanship, rescue techniques, and more. Expedition Kayaking takes you on a comprehensive tour of the art of ocean kayaking. You'll learn about the full range of kayak styles and equipment, from the basics to specialized gear for expeditions into all types of conditions. This book features details on up-to-date first aid and wilderness medicine practices, tandem kayaks and sailing rigs, the latest techniques for solo and group rescues, and maneuvers for handling wind, surf, and currents. This lavishly illustrated, full-color guide will help you learn efficient and effective sea kayaking maneuvers. You'll learn to guide your craft with precision and navigate through coastal winds, currents and tides. Written with the wit and wisdom of a 30-year kayaking veteran, this book will inspire you with confidence. You'll acquire all the skills you need for safe and enjoyable coastal jaunts and extended voyages. | |
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Eskimo
Rolling Derek C. Hutchinson, 3rd edition |
| softcover, 144p, August 1999, Globe Pequot Press, $15.95 list | |
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The following is the publisher's commentary: The thrill of kayaking can quickly turn to panic if you don't know how to right a capsized kayak. The Eskimo roll (the self-rescue technique of righting a capsized kayak without leaving the cockpit) is the key to building confidence for all paddling conditions. Written by the leading international sea kayaking authority Derek C. Hutchinson, Eskimo Rolling provides detailed instruction on how to perform this maneuver with skill and success. Look inside for: explanations and demonstrations of many different Eskimo roll techniques; confidence-building exercises; action photos of the world's top sea kayakers performing a variety of rolling maneuvers; rolling techniques for both sea kayakers and whitewater paddlers; harrowing and humorous true-life rolling stories from expert kayakers. | |
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© 2000 Daniel E. Smith. Last updated 8-13-00