Sea Kayaking: Basic Skills, Paddling Techniques, and Expedition Planning (Mountaineering Outdoor Experts)

The author is clearly a very details-oriented person. The combination of his extraordinary knowledge -- and fantastic writing/editing -- results in a lucidly written book that is both complete and correct, while being easy and enjoyable to read.One example of how well he described detailed information is where he describes how to remount a capsized kayak. There are many details involved that an experienced kayaker might think too trivial to mention. However, for the benefit of those less experienced, an adequately detailed explanation is helpfully included.Overall, this book strikes me in a fashion similar to if basketball's famous "Coach K" were to write a manual for how to play H*O*R*S*E. The author obviously knows of what he speaks, but as voluminous as the knowledge imparted in this book is, his profile indicates that his knowledge and experience is greatly larger in scope. And just as H*O*R*S*E players would benefit from Coach K's treatise, Sea Kayakers similarly benefit from this book.The one word that best sums up this book: Encyclopedic. This book is not only the most authoritative book on sea kayaking that I've seen, but it is the most authoritative such book that I can imagine. It should be on every sea kayaker's bookshelf as a reference book. That goes not just for beginners, but for intermediate and even advanced folks. I'm extremely impressed by this book.

I'll start by saying that Dan Henderson has probably forgot more about kayaking than I have learned to date and that his experience and technical efficiency would probably result in him paddling circles around me. However, after reading Dan's "About the Author" in the book, I can see how his being a "world leader in research and understanding of kayak forward stroke efficiency" and his time spent coaching and participating in kayak racing leads the book to gloss over much of the basic information about sea kayaking and spend a good bit of time on paddling theory.I do understand that a shotgun approach allows little room to fully delve into details, but the section on clothing takes a page and a half. The section on life jackets is one paragraph that pretty much says "put on a life jacket". In contrast, it takes nineteen pages to breakdown the science of the forward stroke. A number of topics provide just enough information to get you pointed in the right direction, but will require additional resources for the details and practical application.I did find the chapter on kayak design very well done and informative. Don't bother with the chapter on course plotting and navigation...pick up a copy of Simple Kayak Navigation by Ray Killen.Overall, I did find a fair amount of useful information in this book to justify the cost...just not the five star ratings provided by the other reviewers.

I read this book in conjunction with another titled ""Sea Kayaking Illustrated; A Visual Guide to Better Paddling" by John Robison, which covers essentially the same subject matter. Both are good beginner books, but the medium of Robison's guide is hand-drawn line illustrations and humor, while Henderson's is mainly black and white photographs and a more sober approach, full of cautions and safety information. Henderson must be a group kayaking guide because his writing style is that of a group leader thinking in terms of responsibility for a group of kayakers. I don't knock this because I thought his information was insightful and ultimately valuable, especially for it's emphasis on safety and detail. It was first published in 2012, so the information contained is timely and I have lots of yellow sticky notes protruding from my copy, marking things I want to reference later. However, I was glad I also had the Robison visual guide on hand, for its humor and entertainment value. If I wanted a complete introduction to sea kayaking, I'd consider buying both (as I did) and reading them together to obtain the insight of the contrasting styles.

I have looked at a number of beginning and beyond beginning level books and this is a bout the best I have read so far. It covers a very broad range of information about all sorts of paddling issues - actually more than I was interested in. However it is very well written and a pleasure to re and on occasion even to re-read the areas I am particularly interested in about sea kayaking.

I’d consider this the sea kayak bible. A must read for all kayak enthusiasts.

I have been an avid kayaker for 20 years. I do winter paddling and racing and surfing with my 4 different kayaks. This is the best kayak book I have ever read. There is information in here on numerous subjects that you will not find anywhere else. This book is written for both the beginner and the advanced kayaker. It is unique in that it also covers how our body and muscles work so that we can train and perform better, whether you are in a sea kayak or a surf ski.

Is a really usefull book with all skills than you can need to practice kayaking.May be too much technical for me