Hawaiians were stand up paddle surfing (known as SUP) in the '50s and '60s, but the sport was first seen on the U.S. mainland in the early 2000s, when surfers Laird Hamilton and Rick Thomas brought it to California. Now you see SUP popping up everywhere - it's ranked as the fastest growing sport in the U.S. by the Outdoor Industry Association and it has spread across the Atlantic to the UK. The inaugural UK SUP championships were held in 2008 and this is now an increasing popular branch of water sports in the UK. Longtime stand up paddler and instructor Rob Casey has authored the first and only comprehensive guide to the sport. From choosing the right gear to stroke techniques (j-stroke, Tahitian, sculling brace) and fitness advice, Rob will have you stand up paddling in no time. Specific chapters focus on flat-water paddling, paddle surfing, and river paddling to show you exactly what you need to take your SUP skills and knowledge to a specific environment. Whether you want to learn about fitness or expedition planning in flat water, how to forecast waves and current for surfing, or how to use river eddies to your advantage - it's all here in this easy-to-reference guidebook from a SUP expert.

For a group of San Francisco Bay Area residents, Thursday nights are reserved for kayaking on the bay. Islands, bights, caves, and more . . . no corner of the bay and its history are left unexplored. While the tales in this volume chronicle only the paddles in 2010, they are part of a longer time flow, starting in 2000. Better than any travel guide on San Francisco Bay, these volumes capture the flavor of one of the world's most renown bodies of water.

NOW WITH METRIC OFFSETS Tired of struggling with that heavy plastic kayak? Are you looking for a lightweight boat but not willing to take out a second mortgage to buy it? What if I told you that you could build a boat weighting less than 35 lbs for $300 to $500? You can and in my new book I will show you how. This style was very popular in the 1950's and 1960's and many boat plans appeared in magazines such as Popular Mechanics and Popular Science. Even though it is no longer fashionable in the magazines, the fuselage style of construction is still probably the most cost effective way to build a small boat. Recently I have seen a renewed interest in this type of boat construction. People are rediscovering the advantages of Fuselage style Skin Boats. Fuselage frames boats cost very little to build. A sheet of marine plywood, a lightweight wood such as cedar for the stringers, a few yards of a synthetic fabric for the skin and something to waterproof the skin. Materials for a basic 17' kayak cost around $300. Adding a seat, deck rigging and adjustable footrest would add another $100 to $150 dollars depending on your preferences. For somewhere around $400 you can build a high performance, 30-35 lbs boat. A composite construction canoe or kayak of similar weight would cost thousands of dollars. This book will walk you through the process of building your own Skin on Frame canoe or kayak. I start by addressing the space needed to build a boat as well as tools needed. There is a detailed section on laying out the frames from a table of offsets. Progressing to how to assemble the frame, skinning the boat and through all the steps to preparing your boat for launching. Included are offsets for three of my boat designs. The StoneFly canoe, Curlew, a 15' Sea Kayak and new sea kayak design Pouco Barta.

After hanging in mid-air for a split-second, our canoe drops hard. Immediate primal fears, heightened by expedition tensions and summer's heat, grip us. We are descending out of control and into the core of a forty-foot whirlpool. The bow bends as if to be ripped asunder. Did we cheat death on Winnie's six-foot waves in near freezing waters and survive terrifying games of chicken played by towboat operators only to go down in a peril equal to Dante's inner circle? Mighty Miss' edge-of-death experiences mingle with portraits of sandy beaches; a Robinson Crusoe island; magnificent sunrises; close-up encounters with loons making their evening call; slam dancing carp, lips pulsating to pass brethren mosh-pit style; and fishermen and faith filled river people sharing intimate and uplifting stories. The ecstasy of nature's beauties and the excitement of survival make Mighty Miss a timeless and riveting Mississippi memoir.

'This is the gripping and inspirational account of two ordinary blokes ...double-handedly proving that the Age of Adventure is not over!' PETER FITZSIMONS With more than two thousand kilometres of treacherous seas and dangerously unpredictable weather and currents, it was little wonder no-one had ever successfully crossed the Tasman by kayak. Australian adventurer Andrew McAuley had come close just months earlier - tragically, though, not near enough to save his life. But two young Sydneysiders, James Castrission and Justin Jones, reached the sand at New Plymouth - and a place in history - on 13 January 2008, 62 days after they'd set off from Forster on the mid-north coast of New South Wales. In the process, they had to face dwindling food supplies, a string of technical problems, 14 days trapped in a whirlpool, and two terrifying close encounters with sharks. When they arrived in New Zealand, their friendship stronger than ever, they were sunburnt, bearded, physically and mentally wasted ...and, most of all, happy to be alive. "...nothing prepared them for the 62 days of rapture, despair and euphoria ...ultimately this is a story of the triumph of the human spirit." Lincoln Hall

"Ka-Ka-Ska-Ska" ("Headwaters to the Gulf" - in a kayak) is a very entertaining story of four friends' adventure down the Mississippi River. The expedition was not a scheme to fulfill a lifelong fantasy of man against nature or even an attempt to satisfy an unruly midlife itch, but simply the result of an impulsive decision over a cup of coffee. With little thought to detailed planning, the foursome strikes out to conquer the third largest river in the world in kayaks. The chronological travelogue covers the highlights as they paddle through uninhabited wilderness and along the banks of river towns. This is not another boring guide book on how to paddle or where to paddle nor is it just a narrative of a sole expedition. Instead, the reader discovers a blend of colorful accounts of other paddling trips and a bit of history - all seasoned with humor. Anyone interested in the outdoors and/or travel who enjoys the lighthearted approach will love this book.

Colombia Whitewater is the first whitewater guidebook to the rivers of Colombia. The project was a collaboration between Colombian and foreign paddlers who were instrumental in discovering Colombia's rivers and spreading that information to the world. Due to the civil war that is still being fought by left-wing guerrillas, right-wing paramilitaries, and the Colombian government, many of Colombia's river drainages have been too dangerous to explore. In recent years, due to a strong offensive launched against these forces by the Colombian government, security has improved significantly in the rural areas of the country. This has allowed for a greater flexibility for river explorers. While much of Colombia's pristine whitewater remains in dangerous zones and largely un-explored, slowly, Colombia's whitewater is being re-claimed. This book, and the efforts of all involved, is an example of that. Colombia Whitewater is a compilation of Colombia's most classic river sections, with detailed river descriptions, hazards, logistics, and directions clearly explained. Colombia Whitewater would not have been possible if not for the close collaboration between the kayakers who have explored Colombia's whitewater.

This solo, wilderness kayaking journey began many years ago, years before I even knew anything about kayaks and paddling down remote, legendary rivers. Poring over maps of those pleases revealed very little. The blank spaces spread far and wide. At last, after decades of dreaming, I stood on the shore of Lake Atlin in British Columbia where the headwaters of the Yukon River are. I stood there and thought about all those hope filled years and thrilled at the anticipation of leaving that morning in mid-June.
Crossing the expanse of Lake Atlin in a fine mist, I guided the kayak toward Graham Channel, which would take me to Tagish Lake. There I met Jim and Marion Brook at their cabin. After hot coffee and freshly baked cookies, they sent me on my way. They were the first of many people who helped me on my journey.
That evening, having found the "perfect" campsite, I inspected the area for bear tracks. Finding none I started a large campfire before setting up the tent. Supper had been eaten at a previous stop, so there was no cooking where I stayed for the night. This was the procedure I followed every night. It kept animals bigger and hungrier than me from visiting my campsites.
As I paddle down the lakes, I stopped at villages such as Tagish; I paddled down Marsh Lake, down dangerous Lake Laberge; stopped in historic towns such as Whitehorse and Dawson City. I passed by wrecked and beached steamboats form the gold rush days and finally crossed the US/Canadian line into Alaska. I had paddled through a forest fire so immense that it took a day to pass the flames. The current carried me past Eagle, Circle City, though the Yukon flats (where he river was 10-20 miles wide) andcrossed the Artic Circle at Fort Yukon. Then came the small villages of Beaver, Stevens Village, and then the oil pipeline.
I paddled on to Rampart where the fierce head wind nearly drove me back upstream. Next I passed through Tanana, where I met Emmet Peter who has won the Iditarod long ago; then on to Ruby, Galena, Nulato and Holy Cross where Bergie Demientieff served me coffee and gave good advice.
Finally I arrived at Russian Mission where I ran out of time after 51 days and 2, 000 miles of paddling my kayak. There Harvey Pitka and his wife Ester fed me a wonderful dinner before I flew out. As the plane climbed and banked toward Bethel, I knew that I would return one day to finish my Kayak trip to the Bering Sea.

We're a loosely knit group of kayakers who paddle San Francisco Bay every Thursday night. Most of us in our 50s and 60s, we've been at it since 2000. Launching in the early evening, we paddle to a deserted beach for dinner, returning in the dark. These tall tales - written to entertain - chronicle what we're up to.

A year's worth of tall tales kayaking on San Francisco Bay in words and pictures.

For a group of San Francisco Bay Area residents, Thursday nights are reserved for kayaking on the bay. Islands, bights, caves, and more . . . no corner of the bay and its history are left unexplored. While the tales in this volume chronicle only the paddles in 2010, they are part of a longer time flow, starting in 2000. Better than any travel guide on San Francisco Bay, these volumes capture the flavor of one of the world's most renown bodies of water.

"Around One More Point" is a journal sketchbook of writings, photographs and drawings that capture the adventures of B.C. artist and paddler Mary Gazetas, who has journeyed with family and friends on the west coast of Vancouver Island, the Inside Passage and Haida Gwaii for almost 25 years. This work, with its powerful visual imagery, includes stories and art created when Mary first started taking ocean canoe trips in the '80s with her twin sister and her children. Since those pre-Gore-Tex days of primitive beach camping and paddling in all kinds of weather, the trips, the people and the artwork have changed.What hasn't changed, though, is her passion for the character of the coast, and she returns every summer, bringing home material to be transformed into a variety of artistic expressions. The journeys include paddle trips in Barkley, Clayoquot, Nootka and Kyuquot sounds, the Broughton Archipelago, the central coast and Haida Gwaii (the Queen Charlotte Islands). This evocative journal will take readers on a journey, inspiring some to go to these beautiful places themselves-to go around one more point.

For a group of San Francisco Bay Area residents, Thursday nights are reserved for kayaking on the bay. Islands, bights, caves, and more . . . no corner of the bay and its history are left unexplored. While the tales in this volume chronicle only the paddles in 2010, they are part of a longer time flow, starting in 2000. Better than any travel guide on San Francisco Bay, these volumes capture the flavor of one of the world's most renown bodies of water.

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

For a group of San Francisco Bay Area residents, Thursday nights are reserved for kayaking on the bay. Islands, bights, caves, and more . . . no corner of the bay and its history are left unexplored. While the tales in this volume chronicle only the paddles in 2010, they are part of a longer time flow, starting in 2000. Better than any travel guide on San Francisco Bay, these volumes capture the flavor of one of the world's most renown bodies of water.

Verlen Kruger and Steve Landick came up with the idea of a canoe trip that would surpass all others, and they did it. Paddling their canoes or carrying them on the connecting land passages, they toured North America, from Montana to Manhattan, from New Orleans to the Arctic Ocean, from Baja California to home in Lansing, Michigan.

They mastered wild storms on the ocean, often paddled 75-100 miles or more in a day, shot through deadly rapids going downstream, and paddled up several major rivers, reaching the climax by going up the Grand Canyon. Again and again they were warned, "It can't be done" or "You'll never make it," but each time they rose to the challenge and kept going, finally completing a canoe trip of 28,000 miles that lasted three and a half years and was appropriately named "The Ultimate Canoe Challenge." This is the story as Verlen lived it.

Tall Tales of kayaking on San Francisco Bay.

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work.

The Chesapeake Bay watershed covers 64,000 square miles and drains parts of six states and Washington, DC. Along with its 400-plus rivers and creeks, the Chesapeake boasts 4,600 miles of tidal shoreline suitable for kayaking. Sea kayaking is booming in the Chesapeake region, and the state of Maryland is fully supporting paddlers in finding access and creating routes and safe places to explore. This new guide will describe dozens of trips along the Eastern and Western shores, in the Bay proper, and in its tributaries. Trip descriptions will include important information on put-ins and take-outs, winds, and currents, equipment, paddling techniques, and safety issues. The authors enliven their instruction with informative sidebars on topics such as salt marsh ecology, wildlife, and social and maritime history. They also touch on low-impact paddling techniques, hypo/hyperthermia awareness, and many other paddling-related topics.

In this book you will find descriptions of over 1500 miles on 59 rivers and creeks in Northern Illinois.

You will also discover the Indian villages and early settlers and their stories.

The author spent over ten years exploring these unique watersheds. From the "Mighty Mississippi" to smallest canoeable creek, it has all been covered in "Canoeing Adventures in Northern Illinois."

The Sailors Classics library introduces a new generation of readers to the best books ever written about small boats under sail

The incredible story of Captain John C. Voss, who, in 1904, completed a three-year journey across three oceans in a Native American dugout canoe converted to sail.

Recreation -- Travel -- Nature

From Bayou Bartholomew in the north to the Atchafalaya Swamp in the south, from the Sabine River in the west to the Pearl River in the east, Louisiana abounds with water to explore. "Canoeing Louisiana" is your guidebook for paddling through a Deep South region that boasts a great variety of waterways.

The book takes a broad focus, covering the state in a way that anyone--local or visitor, day-floater or wilderness tripper--can enjoy. The book especially highlights waters that are in or near public lands, including wildlife management areas, parks, national forests and national wildlife refuges. In Louisiana there's no shortage of options, from easy day jaunts to semi-wilderness expeditions.

Although there is no whitewater in this bayou state, there is nature galore--a wealth of woods, water, and wildlife. And there's considerable variety: clear sandy streams like Tangipahoa and Whiskey Chitto; vast swamps like Atchafalaya and Honey Island; hill-country bayous like Bodcau and D'Arbonne; gorgeous lakes like Chicot and Bistineau; and sea kayaking destinations such as Grand Isle and Lake Pontchartrain. Paddlers who still want an adrenaline thrill can try finding a way through seemingly endless cypress swamps, dodging cottonmouth snakes, or paddling among alligators.

Author Ernest Herndon has identified more than thirty waterways which meet criteria for good paddling. "Canoeing Louisiana" provides general descriptions and specific information on where to go and what to expect. It also discusses types of boats and gear most suited to Louisiana, as well as techniques for camping, navigation, and fishing. And it explores relevant facets of history, ecology, folklore, and biology since most paddlers want to know more than just the logistics of a paddling destination.

This is the only comprehensive guidebook about Louisiana's waterways. It will appeal to all those who have an interest in the natural wonders of the Bayou State.

Ernest Herndon is a staff writer and outdoors editor of the "Enterprise-Journal" in McComb, Mississippi. He is also the author of "Canoeing Mississippi" (University Press of Mississippi). See the author's Web site at www.ernestherndon.com.

In late August 1998, Kim Trevathan and his dog, Jasper, set out by canoe on a long, slow trip down the 652 miles of the Tennessee River, the largest tributary of the Ohio. Trevathan wanted to experience the river in its entirety, from Knoxville's narrow, winding channel, which flows past rocky bluffs, to the wide-open waters of Kentucky Lake at its lower end.
Over the course of the five-week voyage, Trevathan rediscovered the people and places that made history on the Tennessee's banks. He crossed the path of the explorer Meriwether Lewis along the Natchez Trace, noted the sites of Ulysses S. Grant's Civil War battles, and passed Hiwassee Island, the spot where a teenaged runaway named Sam Houston lived with Cherokee Chief Jolly.
Trevathan also came to know the modern river's dwellers, including a towboat pilot, two couples who traded in their landlocked homes for life on the river, a campground owner, and a meteorologist for NASA. He placed his life in the hands of U.S. Army Corps of Engineers lock operators as he and Jasper navigated the river's nine dams.
Paddling the Tennessee River is a powerful travel narrative that captures the river's wild, turbulent, and defiant past and confronts what it has become--an overused and overdeveloped series of lakes. But first and foremost, the book is the story of a man and his dog, riding low enough to smell the water and to discover the promise of a slow river running through the southern heartland.
The Author: Kim Trevathan, who earned his M.F.A. in creative writing at the University of Alabama, works as a new media writer and producer and writes a column for the Maryville Daily Times. His essays and short stories have been published in The Distillery, New Millennium Writings, The Texas Review, New Delta Review, and Under the Sun. He lives in Rockford, Tennessee.