Beginner's Guides
5 total works
Kayaking is a tremedously wide-ranging sport. You can go for a leisurely paddle on your local pond, travel down a river or experience the thrills of white water. It is trully a sport for life. This lavishly-illustrated, clearly-written guide will have you out on the water fast - and in safety. It covers how to get started, the equipment you'll need, launching, how to control the boat, basic manoeuvres, what to do if you capsize, the Eskimo roll and rescue procedures.
Surfing: A Beginner's Guide has been the go-to surf book for beginners since 1996. This third edition, now with the endorsement of Surfing England, takes you through all the vital steps to become a surfer: you will learn where to surf, when to surf and how to surf safely.You will learn the foundations such as choosing the correct equipment, which is essential to make any progress as a beginner; pre-surf preparation, including getting fit with tips and advice; and your first surfer steps on the beach and in the ocean. All these stages lead up to you catching your very first wave and the surfing bug. The sea is renowned for its beauty, but infamous for its dangers. Alf provides you with transferable skills to safely enjoy your new hobby. Safety features heavily in the book, and you will learn all the basic common-sense aspects of surfing that even the most experienced surfer forgets.
Stand Up Paddleboarding is the fastest growing watersport worldwide. The comparatively low cost, the convenience of inflatable boards and the fact that you can just get on and go all add up to its appeal. But, as with everything, a little bit of knowledge and technique makes the experience so much more enjoyable! That is where this book - the first UK how-to book on paddleboarding - comes in. It provides a perfect introduction to the sport: how to paddleboard, what kit to use and where to go. The book guides you through launching, the correct stance, paddling in a straight line, the different types of turns and landing. It shows you how to choose your board and paddle, inflate and deflate an inflatable board, and talks about where to ride as well as weather, safety, maintenance and repair of your equipment. It covers the main types of paddleboarding: touring, racing, surfing and yoga / fitness. All aspects are heavily illustrated with colour photographs making it easy to understand and clear to follow.
There has been an explosion of interest in paddling right across the world - in 2020, British Canoeing reported a 40% rise in members, with 19,000 signing up in a 3-month period. Much of this interest has been in inflatable kayaks, with the author's own website (inflatablekayaksandpackrafts.com) averaging 1,000 visits a day.
The comparatively low cost, the convenience of inflatable kayaks, and the fact that you can just get in and go, all add up to their appeal. And with thousands of miles of waterways in the UK, most are within reach of a river or canal where you can paddle your kayak and enjoy being in the fresh air, gently travelling through the natural world. You see the country from a different perspective and in an eco-friendly way.
But, as with everything, a little bit of knowledge and technique makes the experience so much more enjoyable! That is where this book comes in.
It provides a perfect introduction to the sport. It takes you through the different types of inflatable kayaks so you buy the one that is right for you. It shows you the basic on-the-water skills that you will need, including getting in and out, how to paddle straight and turn. It outlines the gear you will need and talks about where to paddle as well as weather, safety, maintenance and repair of your equipment. It covers kayaking in rivers and canals, lakes and lochs, and coastal kayaking.
All aspects are heavily illustrated with colour photographs making it easy to understand and clear to follow.
The comparatively low cost, the convenience of inflatable kayaks, and the fact that you can just get in and go, all add up to their appeal. And with thousands of miles of waterways in the UK, most are within reach of a river or canal where you can paddle your kayak and enjoy being in the fresh air, gently travelling through the natural world. You see the country from a different perspective and in an eco-friendly way.
But, as with everything, a little bit of knowledge and technique makes the experience so much more enjoyable! That is where this book comes in.
It provides a perfect introduction to the sport. It takes you through the different types of inflatable kayaks so you buy the one that is right for you. It shows you the basic on-the-water skills that you will need, including getting in and out, how to paddle straight and turn. It outlines the gear you will need and talks about where to paddle as well as weather, safety, maintenance and repair of your equipment. It covers kayaking in rivers and canals, lakes and lochs, and coastal kayaking.
All aspects are heavily illustrated with colour photographs making it easy to understand and clear to follow.
Packrafts are rugged, portable rafts, small enough to attach under a rucksack, but stable on the water to reassure first time paddlers. Weighing from 1-3 kilos, they open up a whole new world of amphibious adventuring, from navigating easily accessible waterways to discovering more challenging rivers and lochs only reachable on foot or bicycle.
Packrafting: A Beginners’ Guide is a perfect introduction to the game-changing recreational opportunities opened up by packrafting. It takes you through the different types and features of packrafts to ensure that you buy a boat that is right for you and have the right gear to use with it. It clearly explains the basic paddling skills and how to safely evaluate risks on the water. It also introduces the different types of adventures you can undertake with your packraft, from paddling a local canal or river to lashing a bicycle over the bow or using a packable sail to traverse open water.
The book is comprehensively illustrated with over 120 colour photographs making it easy to understand and clear to follow.
Packrafting: A Beginners’ Guide is a perfect introduction to the game-changing recreational opportunities opened up by packrafting. It takes you through the different types and features of packrafts to ensure that you buy a boat that is right for you and have the right gear to use with it. It clearly explains the basic paddling skills and how to safely evaluate risks on the water. It also introduces the different types of adventures you can undertake with your packraft, from paddling a local canal or river to lashing a bicycle over the bow or using a packable sail to traverse open water.
The book is comprehensively illustrated with over 120 colour photographs making it easy to understand and clear to follow.