Customer Reviews

The Complete Book of Sea Kayaking, 5th (How to Paddle Series)

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

 

 

The author is one of the greats in sea kayaking expeditions and kayak design, and generously shares the wealth of his experience with his readers. An excellent A to Z book for a beginner, as well as an intermediate kayaker. Very well written, magnificent illustations, great (British) sense of humor. The deficiencies: very vague on correct forward stroke techniques; describes many variations of eskimo roll, but again somewhat vague on how to learn to roll. Also the section on features of different kayak models is 15 years out of date, not updated for this edition. RECOMMENDATION: Buy it by all means, but it should not be your only book on the subject.

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 Unfortunately, many sections are out-of-date, such as the equipment section; a lot of information, such as that on nautical charts and on weather, is specific to kayaking in Britain; and some information,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.

A very good introduction to basic and advanced techniques by an author with tremendous seas kayaking experience. Lots of good diagrams, clear discriptions, nice layout.

Pros:
A very detailed and technical section on strokes.
Enjoyable reading.

Cons:
Dated.
Much information specific to "British" kayaking.
Not a single mention of how to tie a knot.
Many nautical terms not defined.

Clearly my favorite of the four or five guides that I own on sea kayaking. You can actually learn paddle tips from this book (5th Edition) because Hutchinson is one of the "granddaddies of sea kayaking" and his tips, analogies and descriptions give you a clear picture of how to perform different moves, including rolls. Plus the drawings are done in an ingenious way to actually depict what to do. Derek's got a great British sense of humor too. If you sea kayak and you want a overall guide in your library, the 5th Edition is the only one you need to own. Of course, a book is not a sole substitute for time on the water, but it has helped me with my rolls, knee hanging, paddle-supported extreme turns, confidence, injury avoidance and bracing.

Derek Hutchinson really went to the extent in this book. It was really helpful. Definateley gave history, tips, and techniques. It was a very effective book for beginers like myself. Well drawn diagrams of techniques made learning easy and fun. Hutchinson really gave it all to you. It was exently written.

Derek Hutchinson really went to the extent in this book. It was really helpful. Definateley gave history, tips, and techniques. It was a very effective book for beginers like myself. Well drawn diagrams of techniques made learning easy and fun. Hutchinson really gave it all to you. It was exently written.

Read his book and took his class. He & his book are both a must for serious sea kayakers! Don