Books on Building & Using Kayaks

This catalog page offers the hand picked selection of excellent books and manuals covering kayak history, kayak construction, using sea kayaks, navigation, and kayak maintenance books for your consideration. Included are books for making wooden strip kayaks and other kayak construction methods, covering sea kayaks, white water kayaks, and folding kayaks. Plus several excellent books cover open sea navigation.
Discover the excitement and adventure of paddling kayaks on the open sea. From basic strokes and techniques to advanced rescue maneuvers, kayak history to boat design, these books are the fundamental instruction books for all sea kayakers.
The thrill of kayaking can quickly turn to panic if you don't know how to right a capsized kayak. The Eskimo Roll, the self-rescue technique of righting a capsized kayak without leaving the cockpit, is the key to building confidence for all paddling conditions. We have included an excellent book on this topic.
Also included is "The Essential Whitewater Kayaker" that covers equipment selection, paddling techniques, river reading, and much more. A complete course in the dynamic sport of river running, that guides the reader step-by-step from basic skills to advanced techniques.
Books covering navigation using a compass or the Global Positioning Systems (GPS) and for the kayakfishermen covering fishing from and with kayaks are also included The books on this page are offered for sale in association with Amazon.com.
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Books on Building and Using Kayaks

• Kayakfishing: The Revolution ~Usually ships within 24 hours
-Ken Daubert / 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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• The Kayaker's Playbook! ~Usually ships within 24 hours
~Kent Ford / 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!
Covers 100 drills, reveals tips & techniques for catching the waves, running rapids, and perfect your carving techniques. And much more.
Click on the book title to read excerpts from this book.


• The Kayak Shop: Three Elegant Wooden Kayaks Anyone Can Build
  ~Out of Print: Try Our Used Books Department
-Chris Kulczycki / Paperback / Published July 1993
This popular clearly written and well illustrated book shows step-by-step easy to understand instructions for building three kayaks. Discusses the wooden kayak, design considerations, tools, materials, plans, and construction instructions for building the kayak of your choice.
They are; The Yare: a 16ft 26 pound: a high-performance single sea kayak.
The Cape Charles: a 18ft 40 pound: a hard chine expedition single sea kayak.
The Pocomoke: a 19ft 10 inch 52 pound: a touring double sea kayak.
This book is recommended for anyone planning to go paddling in a kayak of their own creation.
Click on the book title to read more about building these kayaks.


• The New Kayak Shop: More Elegant Wooden Kayaks Anyone Can Build
  ~Usually ships within 24 hours
-Chris Kulczycki / 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.
Click on the book title to read excerpts from this book.


• The Strip-built Sea Kayak: Three Rugged, Beautiful Boats You Can Build
  ~Usually Ships in 24 Hours
-Nick Schade / 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
Click on the book title to read more about this book.


Complete Folding Kayaker ~Usually ships within 24 hours
-Ralph Diaz / 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
  ~Usually Ships in 24 Hours
-Chris Cunningham / 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 ~Usually ships within 24 hours
-David Burch / 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 saftey 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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• The Complete Guide to Sea Kayak Touring ~Usually ships within 24 hours
-Jonathan Hanson / 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
  ~Usually ships within 24 hours
-John Dowd / 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
  ~Usually ships within 24 hours
-David Burch / Paperback 352 pages, 3rd Edition / Published June 1999
Fundamentals of Kayak Navigation is the authoritative source for information on kayak navigation. The text is primarily concerned with coastal and sheltered water situations. Covers what is needed to chart an accurate course in a sea kayak, whether on open water or between islands or icebergs. Covers basic chart reading, using the compass, reckoning and keeping track of position, and predicting tides and currents. In addition, covers planning trips, navigating at night, safe movement in fog, current crossing, and in boat and ship traffic.
Includes illustrations.
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• The Complete Book of Sea Kayaking
  ~Usually ships within 24 hours
-Derek C. Hutchinson / 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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• Eskimo Rolling
  ~Usually ships within 24 hours
-Derek Hutchinson / 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
~Usually ships within 24 hours
-Paul Dutkey / Paperback 192 pages / Published July 1993
The Bombproof Roll and Beyond is an outstanding book for any novice or intermediate kayaker. This book does an excellent job of explaining through both text and illustrations the different steps involved in just about any technique of Eskimo roll imaginable. The illustrations are diagrammatic and especially helpful. Rolling techniques included are the "C-to-C" or snap roll, the sweep roll, back deck, back deck rolls, hands rolls as well as rolling strategies and exercises. The author also covers "old school" playboating maneuvers such as wave surfing, side-surfing in holes, 360's, enders, and pirouettes. It also provide excellent tips for identifying and correcting problems with rolls.
Definitely an essential book for any kayaker's library.
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• The Essential Whitewater Kayaker: A Complete Course
  ~Usually ships within 24 hours
-Jeff Bennett / Paperback 180 pages / Published March 1999
This thorough and well-written comprehensive manual includes concise, easy-to-follow detailed information on everything from kayak selection and rolling techniques to river safety, advanced rodeo moves, and expeditionary kayaking. Beginning to intermediate river runners will find it all here: selecting equipment, paddling techniques, reading a river, safety and rescue, surf kayaking, steep creeking, tips from the pros, and much more.
Includes many great photographs.
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• Whitewater Paddling: Strokes & Concepts
  ~Usually ships within 24 hours
-Eric Jackson / Paperback 80 pages / Published July 1999
This book is a wealth of information in a small package, and is a must read for all serious whitewater paddlers. The author, a champion and expert kayaker clearly understands the physics of kayaking, and communicates this to his readers in a concise, easily understandable style. This book provides detailed lessons for perfecting fundamental strokes before attempting to tackle whitewater. Thus one is rewarded with efficiency, simplicity, control, and speed. Provides instructions on 16 such strokes, each is illustrated in step-by-step photos of the author in action on flat water and in the rapids. Each lesson includes advice on the early correction of common paddling mistakes, warm-up and practice drills, as well as how each lesson combines with others to improve technique.
Even expert boaters will benefit from key points regarding modern school techniques from catching eddies and snapping sprayskirts to finding the optimal pressurization for floatbags.
Techniques illustrated with 85 on-the-water photographs of a champion paddler.
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This page last reviewed and updated September 18, 2007.