Fundamentals of Kayak Navigation by David Burch Paperback, 7.5" x 9.25," 300 pages, many illustrations, published by Globe Piquot Press, 4th edition, 2008. $18.95   ...item# 1839

If you are a sea kayaker or long-distance paddler of any craft, this is definitely a book to have and to study. Most kayak instructors nationwide would agree. It covers the basic principles of navigation that are pertinent to kayaks in clear practical terms, with special emphasis on the effects of wind and current. Piloting techniques are distilled down to those that can be done from the seat of a kayak. The treatment of tides and currents is more thorough in this book than in most others on the market, especially when it comes to reading the water to interpret currents and for estimating the effects of wind on progress to weather. There are also convenient tricks included - such as how to quickly predict the current at times between peak flow and slack - that do not appear in other books. This book is also one of the most up to date navigation texts for all small craft, as it includes a full current chapter on the practical use of GPS along with a thorough discussion of recent developments in communications underway, and use of Internet for trip planning and other navigation resources. There is also a general discussion of the Navigation Rules as they apply to paddle craft and the use of VHF radios which sailors as well should find helpful. From the back cover... This definitive guide for navigators contains every pertinent piece of information needed to chart an accurate course, whether on open water or between islands - or icebergs. Whether a rank novice or a seasoned kayaking veteran, whether paddling the shoreline of a friendly lake or attempting to cross the Bering Strait, whether a kayaker or a sailor, you will benefit from the indispensable knowledge contained in this book. Prudent kayakers depend upon the basics, those skills that will see them through no matter what goes wrong. Such skills are explained in full detail in this second edition of Fundamentals of Kayak Navigation. It contains essentials on chart reading; compass use; finding and keeping track of position; predicting tides and currents; trip planning and navigating at night, in the fog, and in traffic. This edition, however, contains much more, notably an entirely new chapter on the Global Positioning System (GPS), a startling breakthrough in electronic navigation. With the GPS aboard, a kayaker can pinpoint his position anywhere on the globe with amazing accuracy. Included as well are an expanded section on the Coast Guard's "Rules of the Road", a revised section on marine radios and the government's emphasis on enforcing regulations pertaining to them, and a new detailed example of navigation planning around wind and currents. Panic and indecision should never intrude upon successful, exhilarating kayaking. Fundamentals of Kayak Navigation will help keep both at bay and enable novice and veteran alike to paddle the seas safely and confidently.