Paddle Your Own Canoe

Having always considered "The Path of the Paddle" as the last word in canoeing books, I was too cheap to buy Gary and Joannie's book as I considered it to be superfluous at best. Having received it as a Christmas gift this year, I can humbly say I was wrong. There is no book that will get you safely on the water and having fun faster than this one. Every aspect of recreational paddling is covered, right down to outfitting your whitewater playboat. The photos are clear and the angles and sequences leave you nothing to want for, save time spent on the water (although the photos of Gary and Joannie look just a little bit too happy, eh?) The only thing I can say in the minus category is that I am not a personal fan of the leaned forward, aggressive style of modern paddling and that is obviously where they are coming from. It's good to know how to lean forward and plant your paddle while using your body to draw the boat hard to the placement. When I need to accelerate rapidly, that is the best way. But for me, canoeing is more about relaxing and getting there with style and grace, and for that purpose, nothing says it like old-fashioned Canadian freestyle (i.e. Bill Mason and Omer Stringer). That difference aside, I think this book is a stellar achievement and deserves a place alongside "The Path of the Paddle" on the bookshelf.

I have a whole shelf of books on canoeing. This one and Bill Mason's Path of the Paddle are the best. The pictures in Paddle Your Own Canoe way out-shine the pictures in the Bill Mason books. The McGuffins certainly know what they are talking about. This book delves into canoeing technique with more depth than any book except Mason's. It does take a long time to study and figure out what they are doing. Canoeing is hard to learn from a book, but if I had to recommend one book this would be it. Beautiful photography.

This is a great book if you want to learn alot about the different paddle strokes used while in your canoe. It has great pictures and very good naratives. I highly recomend this book.