Rough Water Handling

Book excerpt: Rough Water Handling by Doug Cooper is a practical guide that will help you to master the skills needed to manoeuvre a sea kayak efficiently in rough water and advanced conditions. For intermediate and advanced paddlers, Doug draws on his personal and coaching experience to help the reader master sea kayak handling skills and techniques. Accurate sequential photos and simple concise language make the descriptions easy to follow and understand. The technical, tactical, physiological and psychological aspects of these skills are covered in the areas of: high wind paddling, moving water, surf, rock hopping, tide races, open crossings and rolling. Rough Water Handling is recommended as support material for the British Canoe Union 4 and 5 Star (Sea) awards. (The 1 star is a novice 'encouragement' award, the 2 star covers basic generic kayak skills, the 3 star basic/intermediate sea specific skills and experience, and the 4 star covers intermediate sea specific skills and leadership in moderate conditions). Doug has spent a lifetime playing and working in the outdoors! He is at his happiest when exploring new parts of the world or challenging himself and others to improve their skills; this he has been doing for over twenty years. With a constant lust for adventure, Doug has sea kayaked all over the world including Greenland, Iceland, Norway's Lofoten Islands, Canada, Ireland, Scotland, Wales, Corsica, Sardinia and Croatia. His whitewater kayaking and mountaineering has also taken him on adventures around the globe. At present Doug works as Head of Paddlesport at Glenmore Lodge, Scotland's National Outdoor Centre. Here his love of helping others learn and improve is put to good use every day, when he works as a BCU Level 5 Sea and Whitewater Coach, Level 4 Surf Coach and a Mountain and Ski Instructor. Doug is the author of Sea Kayak Handling and co-authored Scottish Sea Kayaking (Pesda Press), a selective guide to sea kayaking in Scotland.