Kayak: The Animated Manual of Intermediate and Advanced Whitewater Technique

Most introductory paddling books begin with equipment and clothing, run through basic strokes and present a couple of simple moves, eddying out and peeling out, for example, with some fundamental river information thrown in at the end. The assumption is that you will learn what you need to know on the water.This book is different. It may very well be the best introduction to flowing water on the market. Though it is supposed to be for advanced paddlers, the information and techniques it imparts are useful to boaters of all skill levels. It teaches you to approach a rapid and to figure out how it works, and what it will do to you when you get into it. Nealy's cartoons are humorous and engaging, and offer him a visual means of explaining a sport that doesn't generally translate well into print. I generally re-read my copy a couple of times a year.

Nealy does a great job of conveying his to-the-point descriptions in terminology that even the most novice of paddler can understand. Keep in mind that this book is geared towards the paddler that has been in the water a few times, but it is still a great book if you have never even sat in a kayak. As far as a read, it is great. This is a real page turner with tons of diagrams. I had absolutly no question about what the author was trying to say. Overall, it is an excellent book and well worth the money

If you buy one book on whitewater kayaking, this is it. Very informative, lots of tips and extremely funny. All presented in a cartoon format with a unique 'time-lapse' approach.Particularily good are the sections of whitewater river reading & scouting; various rescue techiques both for yourself & others; and big water technique.An essential buy for any aspiring whitewater kayaker.

I bought the book before I ever hit the water so that I could get a quick primer on river dynamics. I'm not sure how much I was able to absorb the night before my first river trip, but I sure laughed a heck of a lot, and the book helped me to forget the apprehensions I was feeling. Honestly, I think that is one of the purposes of the book, and a nice unexpected bonus is the useful and insightful teachings. Besides, everybody could use a refresher course in river-ese, and there is nothing like being reminded that as kayakers, we have the inherent responsibility to continue our battles with those idiot C-1ers. Email me in ATL if ya wanna go padd'lin.

The first book gets you interested in kayaks, in a whitewater boat, and on the river. Nealy's portrayals of whitewater adventure and mishaps will either hook you permanently or scare you away entirely. Especially useful for visual learners, the animated Kayak! may be the first how-to book I've ever read cover-to-cover in one sitting. Many of the techniques and situations described will be irrelevant for average paddlers, but at least by reading about them, you'll know they exist. For example, a good friend said to me last week, "So there I was, pinned under the stern of my boat, unable to reach my grab loop, running out of air, and I'm thinking of that roll in Kayak! and how nice it would have been to know it right then." So... she lived through it, went home, flipped to the section on self-rescue and resolved to be more prepared next time. While ostensibly a book on technique, Kayak! is also a cultural primer for paddlers. As an introduction to stereotypes, river jargon, and river manners, Kayak! will help you stay likeable on the water -- thereby affording you a chance to learn from other paddlers instead of chasing them away. Nealy prepares you to approach river mishaps with caution and humor. Seeing Nealy's characters pummeled in hydrolics, assulted by "bad" victims, and swept toward undercut rocks reminds you that the dangers of whitewater are also half the fun and that those things which do not kill us will make great stories at the campfire.