About this item
The Art of Kayaking is the distilled essence of a lifetime of kayak instruction at all skill levels around the world, with the added insights gained from years of designing kayaks, paddles, and kayaking equipment. This comprehensive kayaking manual by one of the biggest names in kayaking offers more essential detail about commonly used techniques than ever before published in a single volume. Color photo action sequences show how to perfect skills, and how to apply them. Maps, tables, and diagrams walk the reader through essential planning steps. No matter which type of kayak, paddle, or style of paddling the reader prefers, the appropriate techniques are described clearly and concisely. The progression through the book makes it easy to start as a beginner and to access as much information as can be tackled at any stage of development up to and including the expert.
About the Author
Nigel Foster is regarded as one of the most charismatic and talented kayaking instructors in the world today. His innovative approach attracts kayakers of all levels throughout the USA, where he now lives, in Europe, and elsewhere around the world.
Introduced to kayaking as a teenager Foster soon became obsessed with trying as many styles of kayaking that he could, from surf competition to white water racing, slalom to marathon, sea touring to inland touring. He also learned to paddle a variety of different styles of canoe, from sprint to white-water. His first multi-day solo kayak trip was around SW and southern England. That trip sparked a whole series of longer explorations. At age 24 he circumnavigated Iceland in his first design of sea kayak. He followed that with trips to Newfoundland, (he and his friend cut their kayaks in half to fly them out, as there were none available there in those days) the Faeroe Islands and Norway. He crossed France in a tandem racing kayak, and explored the west coast of Scotland.
Fully qualified as a teacher, Foster made a living teaching Outdoor Education in local authority centers in England and Wales. After his near-deadly solo kayak trip from Baffin Island to Labrador he moved to the National Water-Sports Center in Wales. (His books "On Polar Tides" and the earlier "Stepping Stones of Ungava and Labrador" recount not only his epic solo Hudson Strait crossing but also the journey he made to finish that trip in 2004 with his now wife Kristin Nelson.)
When he launched his own business in Wales, (now based in USA) sea kayaking became his major focus, but not just on-water teaching around the world. His work in the USA led to his guide books: "Paddling Southern Florida" and the earlier "Sea Kayaking in Southern Florida."
Foster also designs sea kayaks for companies in USA, Canada and Sweden, writes (books and magazine articles) , teaches canoeing, and for fun plays guitar.
His kayaking experiences around the globe inspired the stories in his book "Encounters from a Kayak".
Discover more about Nigel Foster on his web-sites www.nigelkayaks.com and www.nigelfosterdesigns.com
