Rating: 
Summary: THE book on the subject
Review: A knowledgeable and enthusiasic treatise on folding kayaks, their varieites, history, and use. Useful for the would-be purchaser, the novice, and the experience paddler alike.
Rating:
Summary: THE book on the subject
Review: A knowledgeable and enthusiasic treatise on folding kayaks, their varieites, history, and use. Useful for the would-be purchaser, the novice, and the experience paddler alike.
Rating:
Summary: Great Kayaking Book - of benefit to hardshell users too
Review: An outstanding primer on the folding kayak from soup to nuts - a wonderful book. The author is unreserved in his love of and praise for the folding kayak. He thinks they are better and tells your why. But there is a wealth of information here too for the hardshell kayaker.
Anyone interested in folding kayaks needs this book. Anyone interested in kayaking in general should consider it.
Rating:
Summary: Still the bible
Review: Back in 1997 I wrote the first Amazon review of what was then the only book devoted entirely to folding kayaks.(You might want to scroll down and read it; everything I wrote still applies).With no competition you'd think Ralph would be content to rest on his laurels, but instead he's put a lot of effort into an extensive rewrite of the original book. All the new boats that have appeared on the market since the first edition have been included, and plenty of solid information from Ralph's invaluable Folding Kayak Newsletter has been integrated into the new edition.If you have the slightest interest in folding kayaks, you certainly owe it to yourself to buy a copy of this book. And if you already own the first edition, you should absolutely get this one as well, for all the new material Ralph has included. It's still the bible of the sport.
Rating:
Summary: You've Got to Know When to Fold 'Em
Review: Complete Folding Kayaker, 2d Edition By Bill Marsano. The folding kayak or boat-in-a-bag is rare compared to rigid or hardshell kayaks--and a lot more expensive. But unlike those others, you <can> take it with you. You can break it down into component parts, stuff the bits into one or two bags or even, in the case of the Feathercraft, a specially designed backpack with padded shoulder straps and a hip belt, and take it wherevever you're bound. That's the whole point: No more hoping to find kayak rentals at your destimnation. No more settling for whatever beat-up barges the renters happen to have on hand. If that tempts you, then you need this book to help sort out the facts and fiction (are folders fragile? less efficient than rigids? less stable? etc.) and get a handle on the numerous makes and models, which vary considerably in price, weight, size and design. Diaz, who is a good writer and an enthusiast (he publishes the Folding Kayak newsletter), has done his homework, updating his 1994 first edition to include and critique several kayaks that are new to the U.S, market That's a critically important part of this book: So far as I know, this is the sole source of independent information covering the whole category. But Diaz offers a lot more. He goes beyond the hardware to presnt a very good course in basic kayaking: instruction and skill drills, safety, navigation. sailing rigs, kayak camping, and repairs and maintenance. The Resources chapter alone (on books, guidebooks, magazines and newsletters, websites, dealer access and much more) will keep you busy all by itself. In short, if you've got an itch to paddle, this book will help you make an intelligent choice and teach you what you need to enjoy it when you get out on the water.--Bill Marsano owns a Feathercraft Kahuna and has unfolded it numerous times in the U.S., Italy and France.
Rating:
Summary: You've Got to Know When to Fold 'Em
Review: Complete Folding Kayaker, 2d Edition By Bill Marsano. The folding kayak or boat-in-a-bag is rare compared to rigid or hardshell kayaks--and a lot more expensive. But unlike those others, you take it with you. You can break it down into component parts, stuff the bits into one or two bags or even, in the case of the Feathercraft, a specially designed backpack with padded shoulder straps and a hip belt, and take it wherevever you're bound. That's the whole point: No more hoping to find kayak rentals at your destimnation. No more settling for whatever beat-up barges the renters happen to have on hand.If that tempts you, then you need this book to help sort out the facts and fiction (are folders fragile? less efficient than rigids? less stable? etc.) and get a handle on the numerous makes and models, which vary considerably in price, weight, size and design. Diaz, who is a good writer and an enthusiast (he publishes the Folding Kayak newsletter), has done his homework, updating his 1994 first edition to include and critique several kayaks that are new to the U.S, market That's a critically important part of this book: So far as I know, this is the sole source of independent information covering the whole category. But Diaz offers a lot more. He goes beyond the hardware to presnt a very good course in basic kayaking: instruction and skill drills, safety, navigation. sailing rigs, kayak camping, and repairs and maintenance. The Resources chapter alone (on books, guidebooks, magazines and newsletters, websites, dealer access and much more) will keep you busy all by itself. In short, if you've got an itch to paddle, this book will help you make an intelligent choice and teach you what you need to enjoy it when you get out on the water.--Bill Marsano owns a Feathercraft Kahuna and has unfolded it numerous times in the U.S., Italy and France.
Rating:
Summary: A complete introduction to folding kayaking
Review: Diaz provides information for the inexperienced inquirer and the serious kayaker alike. Authoritative, well-organized, enthusiastic and clear, this is the definitive introduction.
Rating:
Summary: A complete introduction to folding kayaking
Review: Diaz provides information for the inexperienced inquirer and the serious kayaker alike. Authoritative, well-organized, enthusiastic and clear, this is the definitive introduction.
Rating: 
Summary: Most authoritative book on folding kayaks . . . PERIOD.
Review: For a book written in the early 1990's, much of what Mr. Diaz has to say about evaluating the different manufacturers & models still applies. Being in the market for a folding boat, I've found this book very helpful. Although I think the author is little too zealous about the virtues of folding boats vs. the hard shells. If you're looking for a boat about whitewater kayaking or river boating, skip this one. The focus is on sea kayaks. Does this mean that folding boats aren't suitable for the river? Couldn't tell you after reading this book.
Rating:
Summary: Most authoritative book on folding kayaks . . . PERIOD.
Review: For a book written in the early 1990's, much of what Mr. Diaz has to say about evaluating the different manufacturers & models still applies. Being in the market for a folding boat, I've found this book very helpful. Although I think the author is little too zealous about the virtues of folding boats vs. the hard shells. If you're looking for a boat about whitewater kayaking or river boating, skip this one. The focus is on sea kayaks. Does this mean that folding boats aren't suitable for the river? Couldn't tell you after reading this book.
|
