This Month's Videos

Nigel Foster Sea Kayaking Video Series

by By Nigel Foster and Starling Production, 2002

Lorenz Books, 2002 ISBN 0-7548-1065-8 www.lorenzbooks.com hardcover, colour photos, 256 pp., $40 US

www.Nigelfosterkayaks.com with www.starling.com VHS, 45-90 min $29.95 US ea.

Internationally known author, instructor, speaker and kayak designer, Nigel Foster teams up with Starling Productions Inc. to offer kayakers a comprehensive video series. Covering everything from essentials and paddle strokes to advanced techniques - such as how to deal with surf and kayak navigation - these videos follow a progressive learning style with a strong emphasis on safety and precision. The first video of the series, 'Getting Started', provides potential kayakers with a complete overview of sea kayaking and what they need to embark on their kayaking journey. One of the highlights of this video is a visual history of kayaks and their evolution to today's sportier and more efficient designs. While the instructional style allows us to observe a real class setting, with Foster addressing his clients on the beach, a more direct address to the viewer would have been welcome.

Seamanship for Kayakers Series: 'Getting Started'

by John Dowd and John Dawson

Produced by John Kenchenten,www.seakayakvideos.com VHS. 60 min. $29.95 Cdn, $39.95 US

Two of the most well known kayakers on the West Coast, John Dawson and John Dowd, join forces to produce a different kind of instructional kayak video series.

The first video, 'Getting Started', introduces: boat handling, navigation, weather, oceanography and camping etiquette. Each topic will also be covered in depth in later videos. What makes this video stand out is the emphasis on the skills needed to acquire proper seamanship as viewers follow two groups of paddlers on their first kayaking journey.

One group is aware of the hazards and does everything in their ability to enjoy a safe trip, while another pair, the careless 'Motleys', provide a humorous, although not unrealistic view of many of the most common mistakes kayakers make.