Books on Building & Using Kayaks

The New Kayak Shop: More Elegant Wooden Kayaks Anyone Can Build

The New Kayak Shop: More Elegant Wooden Kayaks Anyone Can Build
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Chris Kulczycki / ISBN: 0071357866 / Paperback 320 pages / Published October 4, 2000
This is an excellent book. Home boatbuilders have turned to Chris Kulczycki for everything they needed to know about making their own kayaks from high-grade marine plywood and epoxy. In his earlier book "The Kayak Shop, a long-time popular standard, Kulczycki provided explicit directions and plans for building three sea kayaks: The Yare, a high-performance single, The Cape Charles, an expedition single, and the Pocomoke, a touring double.
The New Kayak Shop details three new Kulczycki designs that are more elegant and even more suitable for today's paddlers. The building instructions are also updated, with new sections on paint and varnish, seat construction, power tools, computer programs for amateur designers, and tips on building multi-chine and round-bottom boats. The New Kayak Shop offers the one of the finest, most refined designs and building methods in a single, comprehensive and accessible volume.
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The Strip-Built Sea Kayak: Three Rugged, Beautiful Boats You Can Build

The Strip-built Sea Kayak: Three Rugged, Beautiful Boats You Can Build
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Nick Schade / ISBN: 007057989X / Paperback 176 pages / Published April 1998
This book provides the detailed instructions to build sturdy sea kayaks.
Three models are covered:
The Great Awk: A single solo craft
The Guillemet: A high performance solo craft
The Double Guillemet: A tandem design for two paddlers
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Complete Folding Kayaker

Complete Folding Kayaker ~Usually ships within 24 hours
Ralph Diaz / ISBN: 0071408096 / Paperback 256 pages, 2nd Edition / Published February 2003
This comprehensive book is The Bible for folding kayak owners. discusses the history and heritage of the folding kayak. This small boat was built by Eskimos from bones, driftwood, and animal hides, and used by the Eskimos to hunt at sea. The current "skin and frame" kayak is constructed of modern materials. Today's craft is very seaworthy, strong, light, portable and is easily repaired.
In a comprehensive, and easily understood manner, Ralph Diaz sets forth the virtues of the folding kayak. This guide is divided into three parts: selecting a craft and other preliminaries, acquiring knowledge and skill, and actual practice and use. He also includes technical tips the novice kayaker, including where to go and how to really enjoy the freedom and excitement of kayaking.
Includes a bibliography.
Reviewer's Note: Ralph Diaz, editor and publisher of the Folding Kayaker newsletter for more than ten years, has used and worked on nearly all of the folding kayak models available and knows all the ins and outs of choosing, assembling, paddling, traveling, modifying, and maintaining them.
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Building the Greenland Kayak: A Manual for Its Construction and Use

Building the Greenland Kayak : A Manual for Its Construction and Use
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Chris Cunningham / ISBN: 0071392378 / Paperback: 240 pages / Published November 2002
Simplicity, elegance, performance, and speed: these are the hallmarks of the Greenland kayak.
This guide is great for the accomplished boatbuilder and the novice alike. This easy-to-use manual includes easy-to-follow building instructions accompanied by hundreds of photographs and guides you through the process of crafting your own craft. With complete lists of all the tools and materials you'll need. Building this lashed-frame, fabric covered sea kayak is both a means to acquiring a sleek, fast, universally admired boat and an excellent introduction to woodworking and boatbuilding for hobbyists. The author, a master shipbuilder, provides plenty of tips and pointers to help you build a kayak that is strong, flexible, and perfectly scaled to your dimensions. Detailed primers in lumber milling, fastening, rib bending, and measuring are also included.
The Greenland kayak can be built using 150 worth of hardware-store materials, a few basic tools, and a minimal investment of time. Also included are plans for a low-volume version designed for Eskimo rolling and an especially stable version for children. Includes discussions of kayaking equipment, paddling, paddling clothing, float bags, skegs, and rolling techniques.
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Fundamentals of Kayak Navigation

Fundamentals of Kayak Navigation ~Usually ships within 24 hours
David Burch / ISBN: 076270473X / Paperback 336 pages, 3rd edition / Published July 1999
David Burch, the director of the Starpath School of Navigation in Seattle, Washington, wrote this guide specifically with the sea kayaker in mind. This guide is not an adapted version of a small-craft navigation manual. Fundamentals of Kayak Navigation is a complete comprehensive guide and contains all the information needed to chart an accurate course and finding your way on the sea and getting where you plan on going, safely. It covers every topic relevant to sea kayaking, including reading and using navigational charts, how to use a compass or the Global Positioning Systems (GPS), dead reckoning and piloting, determining paddling speed, estimating distance from a landmark, maintaining a heading while paddling in a crossing current, and tidal effects relevant to navigation. Each example is accompanied by clear diagrams which help illustrate the sometimes difficult points. The book also describes fundamental safety issues and tells you how to avoid getting run over by large ships, trashed in tide rips, or hopelessly lost in the fog.
With this guide, both amateurs and experienced seamen can paddle the seas safely and confidently.
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Complete Sea Kayak Touring

The Complete Guide to Sea Kayak Touring ~Usually ships within 24 hours
Jonathan Hanson / ISBN: 0070262047 / Paperback 224 pages / Published April 1, 1998
This comprehensive manual should be required reading for sea kayakers planning a first weekend outing or for the ideal sea kayaking expedition. Covering everything from trip planning, provisioning, selecting the right gear, seamanship, navigation and piloting, setting up camp, kayak maintenance and repair, to kayak sailing.
If you're a sea kayaker who dreams of heading over the far horizon, this guide is a must read.
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Sea Kayaking: A Manual for Long-Distance Touring

Sea Kayaking: A Manual for Long-Distance Touring
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John Dowd / ISBN: 0295976225 / Paperback 304 pages, 2nd Edition / Published May 1997
This comprehensive guide provides the foundations of sound seamanship and good risk management, including lessons on how to read the weather and the water, how to navigate, and how to travel with a group. He covers the basics of equipment and technique, detailing types of paddles and strokes, and presents practical, concrete advice on dealing with potential hazards and carrying out rescues. Also contains information on expedition planning, instructional methods, and sea kayaking for people with disabilities. This edition contains new photographs, charts, diagrams, and illustrations.
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Fundamentals of Kayak Navigation

Complete Book of Sea Kayaking

The Complete Book of Sea Kayaking
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Derek C. Hutchinson / ISBN: 0762728256
Paperback 240 pages, 5th Edition / Published January 2004
This thoroughly revised fifth edition is a comprehensive guide for the beginner and an invaluable reference book for the experienced and seasoned veteran. This new edition has been completely updated in line with the latest sea kayaking developments. It describes equipment, basic and advanced techniques, weather and navigation, and is illustrated throughout by the author's own drawings and by spectacular color photographs.
The existing sections have been revised and new sections have been added, including choosing a kayak and paddles, a new deepwater rescue method, dealing with mudflats and quicksand, and how to compile your own local weather chart.
Learn about choosing a kayak and paddle, launching, how to outfit a sea kayak trip, advice on kayak strokes, maneuvers, navigation, equipment, and the newest technology. The chapters on strokes and techniques have been expanded considerably and now present information in a master-class format that caters to novice paddlers. A new chapter on racing makes a welcome addition to the book. This new edition contains additional material on the history and origins of the kayak. Updated illustrations and additional historic photographs have been included, making this the essential resource for sea kayakers everywhere.
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Kayakfishing: The Revolution

Kayakfishing: The Revolution ~Usually ships within 24 hours
Ken Daubert / ISBN: 0967809827 / Paperback 256 pages / Published July 2001
The book is an excellent invitation to become a kayakfisher and join the ever growing kayakfishing revolution. Shows you how-to fish more often with less hassle, catch more fish, save money and have more fun doing it. This book also has plenty of tips and techniques for experienced kayakfishermen as well those wanting to give it a try for the first time. Including advice on how to choose the right kayak for you, choose the correct accessories, and how to customize your kayak. This including the installation of live bait tanks, rodholders, and depthfinders. By drawing upon kayakfishing experts and pros from all over the U.S., Canada, and Mexico, this book teaches kayakfishing skills and techniques such as kayak flyfishing, lure fishing, live bait fishing, fish stalking, handling fish, and covers kayakfishing safety.
A resource chapter directs the reader to "kayakfishing friendly" paddle and tackle shops in your own area. Plus lists sellers of specialized kayakfishing accessories, kayak manufacturers, kayakfishing schools, qualified instructors, fishing guides, outfitters and Internet websites where you can get free advice, bulletin board addresses and other information.
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Kayaker's Playbook

The Kayaker's Playbook! ~Usually ships within 24 hours
Kent Ford / ISBN: 0966056914 / Paperback 65 pages / Published April 1998
Whether a beginner or an experienced white water kayaker, this instruction book will show you how to improve your skills. Develop better control of your kayak, build confidence, and have more fun on the water!
Covers 100 drills, reveals tips & techniques for catching the waves, running rapids, and perfect your carving techniques. And much more.
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Eskimo Rolling

Eskimo Rolling
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Derek Hutchinson / ISBN: 0762704519
Paperback 144 pages, 3rd Edition / Published August 1999
This excellent book provides detailed instructions on how to perform the Eskimo roll with skill and success in a wide variety of sea conditions. The Eskimo roll is the self-rescue technique of righting a capsized kayak without leaving the cockpit. Successful Eskimo rolling is the key to a kayaker's confidence. A bombproof roll is the mark of an expert paddler.
Covers explanations and demonstrations of many different Eskimo Roll techniques, confidence-building exercises, action photos of the world's top sea kayakers performing a variety of rolling maneuvers, rolling techniques for both sea kayakers and whitewater paddlers. Includes harrowing and humorous true-life rolling stories from expert kayakers.
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The Bombproof Roll and Beyond

The Bombproof Roll and Beyond
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