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It gave me the understanding I needed to feel comfortable in the water. This video was very helpful.the tips and techniques were just what a novice kayaker needs to improve their level of kayaking skills.
We didn't want a book that was filled with step by step pictures to "study". I've learned a lot to improve my techniques and my wife felt very comfortable with the author's style for the pure beginner.The book has a light-hearted and fun tone to it. Yes, I could have passed on what I know to my wife, and to some degree I have, but it's like teaching golf to your wife.,you don't.This book is aptly titled.
Additional illustrations aren't really necessary to follow his guidance in the text. The author feels like a friend who is there to assist and not be critical. In anything worth pursuing, there is no such thing as instant gratification.
I have some experience as a recreational kayaker.,my wife has never kayaked until now. The text has meat to it but is still very easy to comprehend if you visualize the steps one at a time that the author takes you through. Even if you have some kayaking experience, you will still come away with some worthwhile information even if it merely reinforces what you have known to date.
(."a manual for beginners with tips for the experienced."This book was the perfect mix for us. The physics of the strokes and the why's were more important to us.
I too, would not recommend this book, and for the same reasons. I actually ended up diagramming my own sketches as I re-read sections. I found it a big disappointment. I agree with Mark-from-DC; there is WAY to much verbage and WAY too few diagrams. Verbose "how-to" passages must be read several times to get the gist of what the author is trying to describe.
In addtion, the authors writing style leaves a lot to be desired. Things like, '.go ahead and pick up your kayak while we walk down this hill together.' UGH.Just describe each technique and some illustrations to go with each step would do wonders for this book. This book might be packed with information about the various paddling techniques but takes at least three readings to understand what the author is trying to describe. The author wants to imagine he is right next to us while we sit in the kayak. As a novice to kayaking I can't recommend this book The narrative would be helped tremendously if some pictures were included. Simple things like showing the proper wrist rotatation during strokes, even body positioning during the stroke are not illustrated.
One thing that really impressed me was the brief tutorial on boarding the kayak - notably missing in a different book. Very happy with my purchase. Disclaimer - This reader has no kayaking experience. (do you detect a bias). Even those who don't ever plan to kayak might like this book for non-ficiton. With some experience in boating and outdoor activities the advice seems sound. Serious touring and navigation is also discussed.
I would buy another book from this author. I seriously doubt that, it seems sound and a very enjoyable read.
The conversational style of the author reached me loud and clear. Since I am not a kayaker per se, this book could be entirely bogus.
Your humble reviewer has taken to the waters on the Nimitz, in canoes on still and running bodies of water, a twenty one foot sloop, pontoon boats, rowboats, down the rapids of the Chatahoochie in a guided raft, and on the garden variety cabin cruisers that litter the waterways like so much floating garbage. I am contemplating the purchase of an inflatable kayak and found this book more help than the one I bought specifically on inflatable kayaking.
A wonderful gift idea for the outdoorsy, water loving type buddy who does not own a boat but might be inspired by this introduction to the world of kayaking. Your reviewer does read a fair bit, and compared to other books on this and other subjects, found Kayaking Made Easy to to be a very enjoyable read.
The work is geared to touring and casual flatwater kayaking with some great advice for "gunkholing" and generally loitering about the calm waterways.
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