Canoeing & Kayaking Books

If you want to improve your skills in paddling, reading the water, or just want to learn how to properly load a canoe for a multi-night expedition, well...take heart, as almost certainly a book has been written about it.

Now, nothing beats practice when it comes to improving your skills to handle Class III whitewater and above. However, let me illustrate how handy a book can be and how learning a few things from it can keep you safe and dry. Back in the 1990's, while canoeing the St. John's River in Maine, my paddling companion (who insisted on driving the boat), took us through a Class III whitewater. Since he had no clue what he was doing, we would have capsized (in 33 degree water) but for one thing I learned from a book (The Complete Wilderness Paddler) I read a few days before the trip. As the canoe was about to tip over to the left, I reached out as far as I could to the right, dropped the paddle in the water and pulled it toward me...righting the boat. Capsize was averted, despite the canoe filling up with water like a bathtub.

So, why do I bring this up? By and large, when it comes down to books about paddling (and other topics for that matter), here's one way to look at it if you're hesitant about parting with your money :

If you come away with a few skills you didn't have before, you remember them, and you use them while out on the water, the book was worth the price.

All of these books on this page are available through Amazon.

Books about Canoeing & Kayaking

Basic Essentials Solo Canoeing, 2nd : Whether you're planning a trip or thumbing for facts in the field, Basic Essentials books tell you what you need to know. Discover how to choose the right type of solo canoe, customize your solo canoe for peak performance, perform various braces and ferry strokes, pack and portage for camping expeditions and maintain and repair your solo canoe.    Buy at Amazon.Com

Basic Kayaking: All the skills and gear you need to get started : This newest title in Stackpole's Basics series takes on the wildly popular sport of river kayaking. Packed with information and featuring hundreds of full-color photographs and illustrations, it provides clear, easy-to-follow instructions on selecting gear, getting your boat on the river, and mastering fundamental moves.    Buy at Amazon.Com

Canoeing & Camping Beyond the Basics, 3rd: 30th Anniversary Edition : A thoroughly modern, ultra complete book for those who love canoes and the magic of wild places. Begins with the basics and progresses through expedition techniques that only experts know-and which you won't find in other books.    Buy at Amazon.Com

Expedition Canoeing : A Guide to Canoeing Wild Rivers in North America : Expedition Canoeing is the premier guide to canoeing and exploring North America's wilderness rivers. This updated 20th anniversary edition covers route and trip planning, paddling and camping gear, dealing with bears, canoe hazards and rescue, barren-land travel, and much more.    Buy at Amazon.Com

Kayaking Made Easy, 3rd: A Manual for Beginners with Tips for the Experienced : Updated to reflect all the latest gear and techniques, this guide is the perfect step-by-step handbook for beginners, with sage advice on every aspect of flat-water and sea kayaking, from selecting a boat to kayak camping.    Buy at Amazon.Com

Paddle Your Own Canoe : The most comprehensive canoeing techniques book ever is now available for the first time in paperback. Illustrated with 600 full-color photographs, this wide-ranging book is designed with both beginner and seasoned canoeists in mind. Gary & Joanie McGuffin, North America's most celebrated canoeing couple, discuss issues rarely covered in other how-to guides, such as developing fitness and balance. The book offers first-hand, experience-based instruction on outfitting, reading the river, paddling strokes for all flatwater and whitewater conditions, advanced turns and maneuvers, portaging, safety and rescue techniques - even how to tie a canoe on your vehicle.    Buy at Amazon.Com

The Canoe Handbook: Techniques for Mastering the Sport of Canoeing : Covers the essentials of canoeing from basic paddling to advanced strokes and whitewater maneuvering, and discusses equipment and safety measures. Every variety of canoeing - whitewater paddling, hot-dogging, freestyling, tripping - is built upon two essential skills: an understanding of rivers and the ability to move the boat. The Canoe Handbook introduces the basic maneuvers that will soon have you paddling with confidence on both quiet lakes and rushing white water.    Buy at Amazon.Com

The Complete Idiot's Guide to Canoeing and Kayaking : Filled with nearly 100 photos and illustrations, this must-have guide-written by the foremost paddlesports experts-gives the aspiring canoe or kayak adventurer everything he or she needs to know before taking the plunge. Inside, discover how to choose between buying a canoe or a kayak, understand paddling techniques and strokes, and find out how to plan a trip and choose an outfitter or guide.    Buy at Amazon.Com

The Complete Wilderness Paddler : A combination of detailed instruction and text (based on actual adventures) of all the techniques of canoe camping and wilderness cruising. You learn how to "find a river," navigate, cope with accidents and much more. With 65 drawings and 11 maps.    Buy at Amazon.Com

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