Product Description

This text presents a kayaking guide to Hawaii. Aimed at kayakers of all abilities, the guide provides all the information necessary for a safe and enjoyable trip, including detailed route descriptions, sights along the way, weather, transporting equipment and food.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #878333 in Books
• Published on: 1998-05-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 292 pages

Customer Reviews

I had to buy it twice, the first copy got soaked!
There are so many How To books available on every topic imaginable, but rare is the How To that is deeply inspirational. This is such a book. Within two weeks of reading it I did three of the trips she described. Her sections on safety and gear are without unnecessary adornment and shimmer with authority and personal experience. The writing is clear, sometimes humorous and made me want to drop everything and paddle off into the horizon. Reading her book gave me the extra push I needed to brave the unknown and enough knowledge to feel confident that I would return. An excellent guidebook to paddling in Hawaii and a great general reference for this marvelous sport.

The handbook for Hawaii Kayakers. A must read before you go
This is an update of her popular First Edition. As part of a group of long time kayakers in Hawaii, we always read what Audrey Sutherland has to say about a route before undertaking extended kayak trips along the coasts and between the islands of Hawaii. Her hints on preparation are always a good review on what to take and prepare for on a trip. This book is a good companion to her Paddling My Own Canoe which never ceases to inspire one to take a chance to experience the beauty and wildness of Hawaii's shores.

Little good for paddling Hawaii maps
Audrey is a talented writer and gives plenty of information, often with wit and experience, to the reader. Unlike another reviewer that found the first half of the book uninformative as it spoke generally about paddling kayaks, I disagree: the first half of the book is it's strength, and very exactingly details the differences in paddling Hawaii--sun, food, fishing, sharks, coconut opening, camping--you name it, and Audrey S. does a fine job in relating very clearly her years of paddling these islands. This information is very important to kayakers and is specific only to these islands.

The weakness of the book, however, is what should be, by definition, it's strength... places to paddle in the 50th state. Unfortunately, the maps are very sketchy, and the descriptions are brief and often unorganized. I compare Paddling Hawaii, for instance, against Mike Svob's classic guide Paddling Illinois, and the differences are stark; Svob's maps, details of put-ins and take outs, things seen along the route, points of interest, and other similar information is thorough, comprehensive and organized. Ms. Sutherland, on the contrary, provides a cursory review, haphazardly organized, of several paddles on each island, but is in no fashion comprehensive on any island (I know of a couple popular paddles not in this book). The information, although helpful, is not as detailed as would be expected. I'd say this is a middling book on Hawaii paddling, but to the best of my knowledge, is the only one in existance on this subject.