The Complete Idiot's Guide to Canoeing and Kayaking

by Canoe and Kayak Magazine; Stuhaug, Dennis

• ISBN13: 9781592572397
• ISBN10: 1592572391
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2004-07-06
• Publisher: DK Publishing, Inc.

Summary

The Complete Idiot s Guide to Canoeing & Kayaking will cover topics of interest to readers who have recently purchased or are considering the purchase of either a canoe or a kayak. The book will provide a comprehensive overview of most everything someone should know about buying a canoe or kayak, as well as detailed information on all of the issues one must consider when canoeing and/or kayaking in different conditions.

Author Biography

The Editors of Canoe & Kayak Magazine oversee the leading paddlesports publication in the United States, and the #1 resource for canoeing, kayaking, and the full range of paddling sports. With over 80 years of combined direct experience within the paddlesports community, Canoe & Kayak's editors are regularly called upon to provide expert commentary on paddling-related techniques, equipment, destinations, health and fitness, and conservation.

Table of Contents

Part 1: Let's Go Paddling	1	(76)
Just What Is Paddlesports?	3	(10)
Getting a Handle on Paddlesports	3	(1)
The Clean, Green Low-Impact Sport	4	(1)
Fun for the Whole Family	5	(1)
High-Level Competition for the Adrenalin Set	6	(3)
Great Exercise, Lily-Dipping Leisure	9	(2)
The Ultimate Fishing Machine	11	(2)
What's the Best Boat for Me?	13	(14)
What Kind of Paddling Do You Dream Of?	13	(3)
For the Person Who Wants to Do It All	14	(2)
The Drawbacks of a General-Purpose Boat	16	(1)
Canoe or Kayak: What Suits You?	16	(2)
Flatwater Touring or White-Water Play?	18	(2)
Paddle Solo or with a Partner	20	(3)
Where Can I Store It?	23	(1)
Making Your Way Around a Boat	24	(3)
Just What Makes a Canoe?	27	(18)
Many Shapes of Canoeing	28	(3)
The Recreational Canoe	28	(1)
The Tripper or Touring Canoe	29	(1)
White-Water Playboats	30	(1)
The Competition Cruiser	30	(1)
Design Characteristics	31	(9)
The Canoe Bottom	32	(2)
The Sides	34	(3)
Keel Line	37	(1)
Symmetrical vs. Asymmetrical	38	(2)
Length, Beam, and Depth	40	(2)
The Long and Short of It	40	(1)
How Wide?	41	(1)
How Deep?	42	(1)
Choosing the Right Canoe for You	42	(3)
Just What Makes a Kayak?	45	(20)
Kayaking's Parallel Universes	46	(1)
The Standard Kayak Shape	46	(1)
What Makes a Kayak Turn?	47	(2)
Keel Profile	47	(2)
Lateral Resistance	49	(1)
Touring Kayaks	49	(1)
River Kayaks	50	(2)
The Kayak Spectrum	52	(1)
Design Characteristics	53	(7)
Efficiency	53	(3)
Keel Line	56	(1)
Cross Section	56	(4)
Width	60	(1)
Rudders and Skegs	60	(2)
The Paddle Solution	61	(1)
Trimming Up with a Skeg	61	(1)
Turning to Go Straight	61	(1)
Keeping the Water Outside Your Kayak	62	(3)
The Air Defense	62	(1)
Sock It to Me	63	(1)
Walling Off the Water	63	(2)
What's It Made Of?	65	(12)
Common Kayak and Canoe Materials	66	(1)
Plastic	66	(2)
Boatbuilding Before Plastic	66	(1)
Enter Plastic	67	(1)
ABS	68	(1)
Composite	68	(2)
Wood	70	(1)
Planked Wood	70	(1)
Strip-Built	70	(1)
Stitch-and-Glue	71	(1)
Frame with Fabric Skin	71	(2)
Framing It Up	72	(1)
Wrapping It Up	72	(1)
Keeping It Tight	72	(1)
Inflatable	73	(1)
The Pros and the Cons	74	(1)
Concrete?	75	(2)
Part 2: You and Your Paddle	77	(34)
What Shapes a Canoe Paddle?	79	(16)
The Multifaceted, Multitalented Paddle	79	(1)
Parts of a Canoe Paddle	80	(1)
Characteristics of a Well-Built Paddle	81	(1)
Blades Shape Paddling Performance	81	(1)
Getting a Grip on Your Paddle	82	(2)
Appreciating the Shape of the Shaft	84	(3)
Rigid or Flexible?	85	(1)
Shaft Size	85	(1)
Straight-Shaft and Bent-Shaft Paddles	85	(2)
Paddle Length	87	(3)
Finding the Best Shaft Length	87	(1)
How Blades Measure Up	88	(2)
A Quick Guide to Fitting You and Your Paddle	90	(1)
What's a Paddle Made Of?	91	(2)
Cost?	93	(1)
A Final Review	93	(2)
What Shapes a Kayak Paddle?	95	(16)
Parts of a Kayak Paddle	96	(1)
The Shape of the Blade	96	(3)
Big vs. Small Blades	96	(1)
Asymmetrical vs. Symmetrical Blades	97	(2)
Choosing the Right Blade for the Right Environment	99	(3)
Blades for Flatwater Paddling	99	(2)
Blades for White-Water Paddling	101	(1)
Making the Shaft Work for You	102	(4)
Feathered or Not	104	(2)
What's the Right Length?	106	(1)
A Quick Guide to Fitting You and Your Paddle	107	(1)
What's a Paddle Made Of?	107	(4)
Part 3: Gearing Up	111	(38)
Gearing Up Your Boat	113	(16)
Matching the Gear to Your Boat	114	(2)
Tricking Out Your Canoe	114	(2)
Accessorizing Your River Kayak	116	(3)
Foam Walls	117	(1)
Handholds	117	(1)
Foot Braces	118	(1)
Hip and Thigh Pads	118	(1)
Waterproof Bag	119	(1)
Spray Deck	119	(1)
Accessorizing Your Touring Kayak	119	(3)
Bulkheads and Hatches	120	(1)
Rudders and Skegs	120	(1)
Spray Skirt	120	(1)
Grab Loops	120	(2)
Sea Anchor	122	(1)
Bagging Your Flotation Needs	122	(1)
Keeping the Dry Stuff Dry	122	(1)
Bailing Your Boat	123	(1)
Rigging Your Personal Safety Gear	124	(1)
Getting to the Water	125	(4)
Paddling's High Fashion	129	(12)
Choosing What to Wear	130	(3)
Kayaking Chic	132	(1)
Coping With the Cold	133	(2)
Fuzzy Rubber	134	(1)
Drysuits	134	(1)
Gloves	135	(1)
Boots and Shoes	135	(1)
Sports Bras	135	(1)
Dressing for the Warmth	135	(3)
Shorts	136	(1)
Long Pants, Tops, and Jackets	137	(1)
Footwear	137	(1)
Your Vital Topper	138	(3)
Your PFD: Don't Leave Home Without It!	141	(8)
When to Wear It?	142	(1)
The U.S. Coast Guard Types	142	(2)
What You Have to Have!	144	(1)
What You Want in a PFD	144	(1)
Fitting Your PFD	145	(1)
Caring for Your PFD	146	(3)
Part 4: At the Water's Edge	149	(66)
Getting Underway	151	(18)
Carrying Your Boat to the Water	151	(1)
Boarding Your Canoe	152	(4)
From the Beach	153	(2)
Boarding from a Dock	155	(1)
Who Boards First?	156	(1)
Coming Ashore from Your Canoe	156	(1)
Boarding Your Kayak	157	(3)
Boarding from a Beach	158	(2)
Boarding Your Sit-on-Top Kayak	160	(1)
Coming Ashore from Your Kayak	160	(1)
Taking a Spill on Purpose	160	(2)
Recovering from an Upset	162	(7)
Building a Paddle Float Outrigger	164	(1)
Sponsons Balance Your Act	165	(1)
Rescue with a Little Help from Your Friends	166	(3)
Making Your Canoe Go	169	(26)
The Four Canoe Stroke Movements	170	(3)
Moving Your Boat Forward	173	(2)
Heading Backward	175	(2)
Correcting Your Course	177	(2)
J-Stroke	177	(2)
Paddling with a Switch	179	(1)
Off in a New Direction	179	(1)
Making Sweeping Changes	179	(5)
Forward Sweep	179	(3)
Reverse Sweep	182	(2)
Quick Turns	184	(5)
Drawing Yourself Sideways	184	(3)
Reaching for a Cross Draw	187	(1)
Pry Power	188	(1)
Bracing Yourself	189	(3)
High Brace	190	(1)
Sculling High Brace	190	(1)
Low Brace	191	(1)
Doing It in Tandem	192	(3)
Making Your Kayak Go	195	(20)
The Art and Truth of Paddling	196	(2)
Forward with Your First Stroke	198	(3)
Stopping with a Back Stroke	201	(1)
Changing Your Course	202	(9)
Sweeping Ahead with a Turn	203	(3)
Reverse Sweep for a Powerful Turn	206	(2)
Drawing Yourself Sideways	208	(2)
Using Your Scull to Draw	210	(1)
Brace Yourself for Balanced Paddling	211	(4)
Hanging from a High Brace	211	(2)
Easy Bracing with a Low Paddle	213	(1)
Balancing On A Rudder	213	(2)
Part 5: On the Water	215	(48)
Running the River	217	(24)
What All Rivers Have in Common	218	(1)
Never Paddle Alone	218	(2)
The Trip Leader's Responsibilities	219	(1)
The Sweep Boat's Responsibilities	220	(1)
How Difficult Are the Rapids?	220	(3)
The International Scale of Difficulty	220	(2)
The Three-Step Gauge for Non-White-Water Rivers	222	(1)
What You'll Meet on the River	223	(4)
Going with the Flow	223	(2)
Obstructing the Flow	225	(1)
Eddies: The Paddler's Friend	225	(1)
Waves, Pillows, and Holes	225	(2)
Techniques for Navigating the River	227	(7)
Catch a Ferry	227	(2)
You Can Back Against the Current	229	(1)
Back Paddle for Reverse	229	(1)
Turning in an Eddy	230	(4)
Reading the River	234	(3)
Upstream Vees	234	(1)
Downstream Vees	235	(1)
Where the Water Turns White	236	(1)
Running Through Turbulent Water	237	(1)
Changes in Water Velocity	237	(1)
Hazards You May Encounter	238	(3)
Logs and Trees Strain Your Safety	238	(1)
Rocks	239	(1)
Shallows	239	(1)
Abrupt Changes in Height	240	(1)
Paddling Oceans, Seas, and Lakes	241	(22)
Launching on Your First Voyage	242	(1)
In Search of Land	243	(1)
Understanding Currents	244	(1)
Rivers Flowing into Seas and Lakes	244	(1)
Accommodating the Tides	245	(1)
Navigating Tidal Currents	246	(5)
Calculating Your Speed in a Current	246	(2)
Ferrying Across a Current	248	(2)
Hopping from Eddy to Eddy	250	(1)
Paddling in the Wind	251	(1)
What Makes Waves?	252	(1)
Surf's Up	253	(3)
Avoid Breaking Surf	254	(1)
Ride the Spilling Surf	255	(1)
Finding Your Way	256	(7)
Ranging Ahead	257	(1)
Think Backward To Find Yourself	258	(2)
Look Back To See Ahead	260	(1)
When Wrong Is Right	260	(3)
Part 6: Go Paddling	263	(90)
Jump-Starting Your Paddling Skills	265	(10)
Join a Club, Join a Club, Join a Club	266	(2)
Make the Grade in a Paddling School	268	(3)
Finding a School	269	(2)
Close to Home with Local Lessons	271	(1)
Go with a Guide	271	(1)
Sample a Symposium	272	(2)
The National Organizations	274	(1)
Planning Your Own Paddling Trip	275	(20)
Planning Is Half the Fun	276	(1)
Buy Books, Maps, and Charts	276	(1)
Ask the Locals	277	(1)
Surf the Web	277	(1)
How Far Can We Go?	277	(3)
Paddling by the Numbers	279	(1)
A Word About Efficiency	279	(1)
Signaling Your Intentions	280	(2)
Gathering the Equipment You'll Need	282	(4)
Your First Paddling Trip	283	(1)
The Multiday Voyage	284	(2)
Planning for When Things Go Bust	286	(3)
When People Need a Little Patching	289	(2)
Making a Float Plan	291	(1)
Where to Go	291	(4)
Enjoying a Guided Trip	295	(14)
How to Select a Guide	296	(2)
Costs	298	(1)
Cancellation Penalties	298	(1)
What Equipment Will the Guide Furnish?	298	(2)
The Bare-Bones Option	298	(1)
Paddling in Style	299	(1)
Ask for a Written List	300	(1)
What Equipment Will the Paddlers Furnish?	300	(2)
Transportation: Getting There, Getting Back	302	(2)
To the Put-In	303	(1)
From the Put-In to the Take-Out	304	(1)
What About Meals?	304	(1)
Asking for References	305	(1)
Asking for Company History	305	(1)
Asking for Guide Qualifications and Certification	306	(1)
What If the Route Is Changed?	306	(1)
Additional Charges, Fees, Expenses	307	(1)
Your Contract	308	(1)
Paddling with Kids	309	(12)
How Soon Is Too Soon?	311	(1)
Gearing Up, Scaling Down	311	(1)
Makin' Good Time	312	(1)
Comfort in the Kid Zone	313	(1)
Kids in the Kitchen	314	(1)
The Games We Play	315	(1)
Killing the Fun	316	(1)
Honing Their Skills	317	(4)
Building Your Own Canoe or Kayak	321	(32)
What's It Made Of?	322	(1)
Choosing How to Begin	322	(1)
Kit Boats	322	(1)
Plans Plus Materials Packages	323	(1)
Plans	323	(1)
Fiberglass Boats from Club Molds	323	(2)
Stitch and Glue Construction	325	(1)
Strip-Built Hulls	326	(1)
Frame and Fabric Hulls	326	(1)
Schools and Workshops	327	(2)
Appendixes
A Glossary	329	(12)
B Paddling Resources	341	(8)
C Float Plan	349	(4)
Index	353