Customer Reviews

Complete Folding Kayaker

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If you are about to buy a kayak, rigid or folding, you will benefit by reading this book, at least most of it. Each boat type has its virtues and drawbacks, but what are they? In a careful, comprehensive, and clear manner, Ralph Diaz sets forth the virtues of the folding kayak. In doing so, drawbacks of both designs surface. This book is invaluable in obtaining a perspective before you buy.

Diaz discusses the heritage of the folding kayak: a boat used by Eskimos to hunt at sea; a boat built of bones, driftwood, and animal hide. Diaz points out that although springing from an old design, the current "skin and frame" vessel is constructed of modern materials. This synthesis of old and new renders a craft that is strong, light, roomy, seaworthy, versatile, easily repaired, and portable. These features now compete winningly with the contemporary rigid design.

Diaz suggests criteria for selecting a particular model. These he puts into the category of "Sizing up your needs." Among the questions you need to ask are: Do you wish to kayak in a single or double? Will you need to assemble and disassemble it regularly? For instance, do you live in the city and keep the kayak in your closet? Also, where do you paddle? In protected waters or the open sea? What is your predominant launching area like? Shells, rocks, sand, a dock, debris? How will you use it? What are your skill levels? How strong are you? Answers to these questions will ultimately determine which of the varied designs will meet your needs. This chapter includes strategies for buying a new folding kayak as well as what to consider when buying used.

Diaz then compares the major folding kayaks made in the US, Canada, Germany, and France. Here he evaluates six double- and eight single-folding kayaks. For each boat, conscientious attention is paid to the following key factors: assembly and portability, stability and seaworthiness, tracking, maneuverability, speed and efficiency, versatility and access, quality and durability, and cost and depreciation.

Other chapters address equipment and accessories, handling and operating skills, traveling with a foldable, speed assembly hints, sailing a folding kayak (including various rigs), camping, repairing, maintaining, and modifying your folding kayak.

Most of the book is dedicated to the folding kayak, while portions are applicable to kayaking in general, rigid or folding. Since the book was published (1994) some of the evaluated models have been dropped from production and new models have been introduced. Naturally the evaluation criteria remain the same, whether new or used.

If you are new to kayaking and are thinking about making a purchase, all of this book will prove useful, if not essential. If you are already versed as a kayaker and are open about kayak design, most of this book will strengthen your perspective, aim you in the right direction, and contribute to your making an intelligent choice.

Back in 1997 I wrote the first Amazon review of what was then the only book devoted entirely to folding kayaks.(You might want to scroll down and read it; everything I wrote still applies).With no competition you'd think Ralph would be content to rest on his laurels, but instead he's put a lot of effort into an extensive rewrite of the original book. All the new boats that have appeared on the market since the first edition have been included, and plenty of solid information from Ralph's invaluable Folding Kayak Newsletter has been integrated into the new edition.

If you have the slightest interest in folding kayaks, you certainly owe it to yourself to buy a copy of this book. And if you already own the first edition, you should absolutely get this one as well, for all the new material Ralph has included. It's still the bible of the sport.

Complete Folding Kayaker, 2d Edition

By Bill Marsano. The folding kayak or boat-in-a-bag is rare compared to rigid or hardshell kayaks--and a lot more expensive. But unlike those others, you <can> take it with you. You can break it down into component parts, stuff the bits into one or two bags or even, in the case of the Feathercraft, a specially designed backpack with padded shoulder straps and a hip belt, and take it wherevever you're bound. That's the whole point: No more hoping to find kayak rentals at your destimnation. No more settling for whatever beat-up barges the renters happen to have on hand.

If that tempts you, then you need this book to help sort out the facts and fiction (are folders fragile? less efficient than rigids? less stable? etc.) and get a handle on the numerous makes and models, which vary considerably in price, weight, size and design. Diaz, who is a good writer and an enthusiast (he publishes the Folding Kayak newsletter), has done his homework, updating his 1994 first edition to include and critique several kayaks that are new to the U.S, market

That's a critically important part of this book: So far as I know, this is the sole source of independent information covering the whole category. But Diaz offers a lot more. He goes beyond the hardware to presnt a very good course in basic kayaking: instruction and skill drills, safety, navigation. sailing rigs, kayak camping, and repairs and maintenance. The Resources chapter alone (on books, guidebooks, magazines and newsletters, websites, dealer access and much more) will keep you busy all by itself.

In short, if you've got an itch to paddle, this book will help you make an intelligent choice and teach you what you need to enjoy it when you get out on the water.--Bill Marsano owns a Feathercraft Kahuna and has unfolded it numerous times in the U.S., Italy and France.

Ralph has written a concise handbook which is really essential for all folding kayakers. He covers a short history of foldables, how to select a foldable, details of the major (4) manufacturer's products and how-tos in paddling, traveling, rescue and reboard after the rare capsize. His style is friendly, compentent, and authorative. You will find yourself reading and re-reading this book. The only problem is he has not issued an update with the latest since 1994. You will still learn a ton! I will be surprised if you don't subscribe to his bi-monthly newsletter. Ralph writes like he has been there and he has. I am afraid I am going to have to get a second book since my copy is getting worn out from re-reads. You cannot go wrong unless you don't get this book.

I live in Japan, where space is at a premium, but I also love kayaking. All the hardshell kayaks I looked at were reasonably priced but at lenghts of 17 feet or more I could hardly keep them in the tatami rooms of my house. Ralph Diaz reminded me that a folding kayak was the practical and intelligent answer to my needs. So today, I own a Klepper double which collapses into two canvas bags, which, when I'm not exploring the coastline of Japan, or other distant places, stays in a closet in my office. This book furthermore covers every aspect of the seemingly endless features and benefits of folding kayaks, and reviews all the major manufacturers products as well. The well-written introduction by Paul Theroux alone is worth the price of this little gem ("Paddling in Hawaii in the winter, it is not unusual to see whales, But only the paddler is able to leap into the water and hear the whales singing..."). Highly recomeneded reading for anyone seriously contemplating seakayaking anywhere in the world.

The author, Ralph Diaz, has for a number of years published a slim but tremendously valuable newletter for folding kayak enthusiasts, and this book is essentially the information collected by Ralph and his readers over the years, updated, corrected and expanded, together with new information collected for the book. The result is a unique and absolutely invaluable reference volume for owners (and prospective owners) of folding kayaks. Ralph is no dillitante how-to author; he's a fanatic evangelical for folders, knows everyone in the business, and has helped countless people to select the kayak that's best for them. He also knows, and is know by, everyone in the folding kayak business. Ralph takes you on a tour of the history of the folding kayak, the benifits and drawbacks of folders, a tour of the various manufacturers and models available from each, and walks you through basic kayak technique. He tells you about modifications that owners have made and tested, and where to get parts and repairs for out of production boats. I have been enamored of folders since I saw my first one on Isle Royale back in 1968. As we talked, a young fellow not much older than I assembled a boat from two small suitcases that was far more seaworthy than the heavy aluminum canoes my compatriots and I were paddling. As a 14 year old I didn't have the wherewithall to buy one, and put the notion aside for a number of years. Last year, with Ralph's help, I found the folder of my dreams, a Folboat Greenland II. If you're contemplating purchase of a non-whitewater kayak, you must read this book- even if you hadn't been contemplating a folding boat.

This book is, roughly speaking, a consumers'
guide to buying and using a folding kayak.
A guide like this is especially useful because
the market is quite diverse and it's almost
impossible to test-paddle allthe brands that
are available.

Especially important is Diaz' summary of the
two main reasons for choosing a folding
kayak. The first and most obvious is portability.
You can, indeed, take it with you-even on an
airplane. This means that any trip has the
potential to become a kayaking vacation.
The second advantage of folders-and one that's
not often mentioned is their flexibility.
Like the original Inuit skin-on-frame boats.
a folder flexes in the sea. This makes for a
softer, less-punishing ride and reduces
fatigue. There is also a pleasant sense of
place that goes along with a flexible boat,
a sense of being on the water instead of
being on an amusement park ride.

So: buy this book to get a good sense of why
folding boats are worthwhile and study it
to find out which one is best for you.

For a book written in the early 1990's, much of what Mr. Diaz has to say about evaluating the different manufacturers & models still applies. Being in the market for a folding boat, I've found this book very helpful. Although I think the author is little too zealous about the virtues of folding boats vs. the hard shells. If you're looking for a boat about whitewater kayaking or river boating, skip this one. The focus is on sea kayaks. Does this mean that folding boats aren't suitable for the river? Couldn't tell you after reading this book.

A knowledgeable and enthusiasic treatise on folding kayaks, their varieites, history, and use. Useful for the would-be purchaser, the novice, and the experience paddler alike.

Diaz provides information for the inexperienced inquirer and the serious kayaker alike. Authoritative, well-organized, enthusiastic and clear, this is the definitive introduction.