Customer Reviews

Adventure Kayaking- Trips from Big Sur to San Diego: Includes the Channel Islands

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Adventure Kayaking is a clear, well-written and enjoyable book on kayaking for the beginner, or advanced kayaker. The personal narratives helped me to "get inside" the experiences the author was having on his adventures. I thought that the maps, trip discriptions and photographs worked very well together and would truly assist me in having my own kayak adventures.

Southern California is popular with coastal kayakers only because a lot of kayakers live here. In reality, the coast is a pretty dull, straight-line affair, pounded by surf that makes it difficult to paddle too close to shore. (I prefer the craggy coastlines of New England or the Pacific Northwest.) The tours in this book explore some of the few protected bays and some places on the open ocean where you can get in and out of the surf safely. It is probably the best book on the region, but don't make a special trip here on account of it.

Since there does not seem to be a comprehensive guide that literally lists all of the places one can kayak in So Cal, this book is the next best thing.

I not only bought this book for myself, but now I'm ordering one to give as a gift. I like the way it clearly divides the major kayaking regions of the great Republic of California geographically and how each section--again very clearly--lists the tour's skill level, trip length, a map, a summary, hazards, and very often historical and other trival which can really add magic to a trip. But shame on the author for not mentioning the largest inland body in all of California which is now highly threatened and draws literally millions of spectacular migrating birds daily in the winter (if YOU don't know what it is, shame on you!). BTW, the State Park ranger there hosts free kayaking tours (kayaks included) in the winter; the winds cause waves (yes, waves in an inland SEA--hint, hint) can be lethal other times, esp. fall. There are very cool places in my area that were not mentioned (I guess they'll remain my little secret-hahaha)and since the book is a little old now, a few things have changed, but otherwise, this book is a real gem!