Sit-on-Top Kayaking : A Beginner's Guide

In just 96 pages this new paperback introduces the beginner to their craft, its features, and the equipment needed to best enjoy the sport. It covers all the basic strokes and entry techniques. The book then goes on to discuss conditions that kayakers face while paddling: from wind and waves to oceans and fresh water. An easy read, it is graced with over 60 illustrations, charts and checklists. It gives the basics of touring, fishing, camping, surfing and diving; route planning, rescues, signals and even putting a kayak on your car. Finally, it addresses where to find sit-on-tops nation-wide.

Tom Holtey has eighteen years experience in the paddle sports industry with a foundation in canoeing and traditional sea kayaking. Trained and practiced in wilderness trip planning - from the White Mountains of New Hampshire and Maine to the tropical coastlines of the Hawaiian Islands - he has lead and taught the novice adventurer under many varied conditions. It was while teaching courses in sit-on-top kayaking at the University of Hawaii that much of this book began to take form. During this time, Tom managed a kayak retail store in Honolulu and worked extensively with members of the local kayak club, Hui Wa's Kaukahi, where many new developments in the sport have been made.