Paddle Sports (Discovery Travel Adventures) [Paperback]

Beth Geiger (Editor), John Gattuso (Editor)

Book Description

Publication Date: April 2000 | Series: Discovery Travel Adventures

This 224-page title is a comprehensive guide to the skills and adventure of canoeing, kayaking, rafting and other forms of fun in paddle boats. Informative essays tell you how to get started, choose the right craft, plan your trip, and locate the top paddle destinations in the USA. A Travel Tips section gives selected details about touring, lodging and camping. The work is lavishly illustrated with more than 250 spectacular photographs as well as 18 specially commissioned maps.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Langenscheidt Publishers (April 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1563319306
• ISBN-13: 978-1563319303
• Product Dimensions: 9.4 x 6.7 x 0.5 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.3 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,694,234 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great trip planner for outdoor adventure, October 26, 2000

By 

Carl Gronquist (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Paddle Sports (Discovery Travel Adventures) (Paperback)

This book will help you pick out and plan an independent or guided whitewater raft or kayak, sea kayak, or canoe trip. It's written for beginners to experts, with plenty of good info for paddlers of all skills. The book is laid out beautifully, with lots of great photos from the paddling destinations described.

The book starts with five chapters on what each of these types of paddling is really like, how to get involved in each one, and how to plan an adventure, find an outfitter, figure out the best trip for you, etc. The rest of the book is devoted to 18 chapters, each of which describes a premier United States paddling destination. These include things like sea kayaking in Maine's Acadia National Park and Glacier Bay, Alaska, rafting the Grand Canyon or Idaho's Middle Fork of the Salmon, canoeing in Minnesota's Boundary Waters or Utah's Canyonland's National Park. Each chapter ends with a list of outfitters, B&B's, rentals, when-to-go information, etc. It's all very thorough and well thought out.

I'm already a paddler and bought this book because it's a great roundup of my "dream" U.S. destinations, and I love the photos, did I mention the photos? But if you're just thinking about some great adventure travel ideas the photography will get you jazzed and you'll have all the information you need to do a trip or learn how and where to start paddling.

The one thing this book doesn't do is try to teach you how to actually paddle. There are plenty of how-to books out there for that.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars take me to the river!, July 21, 2003

By 

B.P. "tilley_traveler" (Wisconsin, United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Paddle Sports (Discovery Travel Adventures) (Paperback)

Here is an excellent resource for gaining knowledge on renowned paddle sport destinations in the United States. Reading this guidebook will entice the notion to ply the paddle through new waters.

It begins with a basic over view for getting the novice started, ideas for essential preparedness during trip planning and notes for deciding what kind of a paddling experience is desired. This involves choosing the right gear and it gives an introduction to the various types of watercraft that are available. Mentioning whitewater kayaks, sea kayaks, canoes, dories and inflatable rafts with a description of the differences in function, the pros and cons between and amongst them.

Next is a section on Paddling Destinations which include; Mount Desert Island ME; Adirondack Park, NY; Youghiogheny River, PA; Nantahala River, NC; Okefenokee Swamp, GA; Boundary Waters, MN; Apostle Islands, WI; Upper Missouri River, MT; the Middle Fork of Salmon River, ID; Snake River, WY; Labyrinth & Stillwater Canyons of Utah; Grand Canyon/Colorado River in AZ; Monterey Bay, CA; South Fork of the American River, CA; Rogue River in OR; San Juan Islands, WA; Glacier Bay and Noatak River in Alaska.

Average air and water temperatures, skill level awareness and warnings, natural science and history are all mixed in to the vivid descriptions of what will draw a paddler to each location. Important features, like the names of towns, lakes or rapids are set in boldface type throughout the paragraphs. At the end of each chapter are two pages of Travel Tips, detailing when to go, how to get there, addresses and phone numbers for obtaining information on permits, prices, camping & lodging, tours & outfitters, plus additional info on other nearby destinations as supplemental water excursions.

Also found in this book are visual maps, an image layout labeling the canoe and kayak anatomy, an explanation of the International Scale of Whitewater Difficulty or how and why rapids are classified as they are, plus awesome color photos at the turn of every page. The resource directory offers a list of further reading, contact information for paddling schools or clubs and some websites for learning more.

The variety in this book is an inviting mixture for all paddle sport enthusiasts at any level. And it directs the beginner with the right information to help make it into a life long sport of fulfillment. In fact it captures the essence of paddling so eloquently that it had me biting my lip in anticipation at the mere description of legendary whitewater rapids, smiling with the expressions captured on the faces of rapid riders and yearning for the adventure of discovery found in each awe inspiring vista displayed by the photographs. It certainly will whet the appetite for embarking on a grand paddling adventure. This book can help make it happen, as it is a handy reference for planning that prime paddling experience.