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Not a single mention of how to tie a knot. Much information specific to "British" kayaking. Many nautical terms not defined. Pros: A very detailed and technical section on strokes. Enjoyable reading.Cons: Dated.
Derek's got a great British sense of humor too. Clearly my favorite of the four or five guides that I own on sea kayaking. Of course, a book is not a sole substitute for time on the water, but it has helped me with my rolls, knee hanging, paddle-supported extreme turns, confidence, injury avoidance and bracing. If you sea kayak and you want a overall guide in your library, the 5th Edition is the only one you need to own. You can actually learn paddle tips from this book (5th Edition) because Hutchinson is one of the "granddaddies of sea kayaking" and his tips, analogies and descriptions give you a clear picture of how to perform different moves, including rolls. Plus the drawings are done in an ingenious way to actually depict what to do.
Lots of good diagrams, clear discriptions, nice layout. A very good introduction to basic and advanced techniques by an author with tremendous seas kayaking experience.
Don Read his book and took his class. He & his book are both a must for serious sea kayakers.
The book does cover a complete range of topics relevant to the sea kayaker: all topics just mentioned plus weather, tides, navigation, wind, etc. I did learn quite a lot from the sections on turning strokes and eskimo rolling, but not as much as I feel I should have and not enough to know where or when to use a particular technique. Derek Hutchinson has led kayaking expeditions around the world and teaches highly regarded seminars on the sport. Unfortunately, many sections are out-of-date, such as the equipment section; a lot of information, such as that on nautical charts and on weather, is specific to kayaking in Britain; and some information, such as that on tidal currents, is just plain wrong. Overall, I was disappointed with the quality of instruction presented in this book. However, he seems unable to clearly translate this teaching ability to print. This book reads like a laundry list of things to do in a kayak: equipment choices, paddle strokes, rescue techniques, rolling, surfing maneuvers, etc.; without rhyme or reason as to their purpose or when they should be executed.
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