Customer Reviews

White Water Kayaking (Adventure Sports Series)

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

 

 

I bought this book after buying EJs Strokes book (also recommended) and was expecting a book which covered how to get fit to paddle and strengthen injury prone muscle groups. The first thing that struck me was the similarity to the playboaters handbook, however after reading the whole book I can say that it is different enough for me to recommend this over Ken Whiting's book.

The first section covers the attitude you need to learn moves and win rodeos. I had never seen this anywhere else and anyone who is serious about their boating will find this section helpful.

The middle section includes all the modern moves. EJ goes through his usual Body, Boat and paddle breakdown which helps a lot. The photos are spectacular (although missing on some of the harder moves).

The final section was the section I bought the book for and was discouraged to find that it was only a couple of pages long. However it still managed to contain everything I was looking for.

To sumarise, buy this book over any other playboating book out there but try and get a look if you already own something like the Playboating Handbook.

This book is quite comprehensive and up to date with all of the current moves. It not only describes how to do each move, but opens with a section on training and competition tactics. It then breaks all the moves down by wave, hole, eddyline, or flatwater. I particularly like the way EJ starts with the easier moves and progresses to the difficult ones, each move being a building block for the next one. If you enjoy EJ's style (perhaps you like his Strokes & Concepts book) and you're into playboating or want to get into it, this is a great book. I rank it a notch better than Ken Whiting's, and in fact I think both of EJ's books (Strokes and Playboating) make good complements to Ken's videos (Play Daze and SOAR).

I bought this book about two or three years ago....it really helped my kayaking. It talks firstly amount motivation factors, dedication, practice etc, I'm not really into this type of information but I suppose it's helpful and further emphasises the need for practice.

The middle part of the book is so great; it breaks various rodeo moves down into sequential moves, explaining each step of the process. It also shows various photos which allow you to know exactly where the kayak should be at particular time. My kayaking has improved really by knowing where my body position and kayak position should be at certain points.

I bought this book some eight years ago when I started whitewater paddling. 127 pages long, it really is an A to Z of whitewater kayaking covering areas such as equipment selection; understanding river features; basic & advanced kayak control & technique; training & streching techniques; safety & rescue; competive disciplines.

Its all presented in an easy to read format, with a step-by-step approach, and plenty of color photographs and sketchs that illustrate the ideas and concepts very well.

The only negative thing I would find is that some parts, particularily in relation to equipment selection seem slighly dated now. However I would definitely recommend this book to any kayaking novice. It is an excellent introduction to the sport.