The Kayaker’s Playbook

This pocket personal trainer teaches drills that improve whitewater kayaking skills. Simple explanations of dozens of exercises make learning easy! Includes waterproof crib sheet. By Kent Ford, with Mary and Phil DeRiemer.

Print Version is sold out.

100 drills, tips and hints for easier paddling

May 2017- No problems just compliments.  I bought the Playbook knowing it was whitewater but it was a great price – thank you – and I figured there would be something for a sea kayaker in it.  Its great theres tons of stuff to practice and work on.  – Thanks, Barry

Excellent! Practiced diligently, these drills will elevate anybodys skills dramatically…could eliminate 10 years of trial and error learning.
– Brian Brown, Playboater, Former US Team member and coach

“The Authors are so confident the book will improve the skill of any paddler that it includes a money back guarantee. Impressive”
– Outfitter Magazine 

“I am returning your book per your offer that you will replace if damaged. It kind of got trashed while practicing. Excellent book!”
– Ed Miller

This is a fine resource for both paddlers and instructorsBy L. Guilar
This review is from Amazon: The Kayakers Playbook! (Paperback)
On the cover of this book theres a picture of what appears to be a gnome with an atomic grin sitting in a kayak. The picture is the clue to both the books underlying philosophy and its explicit message: kayaking on white water is fun. And the best way to have the most fun is to get the basics right. The book is unique in that it consists of nothing more than a series of well illustrated drills which are aimed at developing good boat control, and good paddle technique, so the next time you get on a white water river you can do whatever you want to do better. Its not aimed at wanna be rodeo stars. Text is kept to a minimum and the book is remarkably uncluttered and direct. Unless youre a champion slalom paddler theres lots here that is useful to help you refine and improve your technique and you dont have to wait til your next white water trip to get on with it. If you want to improve your paddling, buy this book. The authors offer a money back guarantee that it will improve your skills. If youve got a frend whos just started paddling, buy them this book. (And read it yerself!) If youre an instructor, especially a new one, buy this book. Its a ready made repetoire of drills and activities you can use to help your students improve facets of their paddling. For instructors its also good on the little differences between the way racers and recreational boaters do things. Which given the authors backgrounds is hardly suprising. (You might want to deduct half a star from the rating if you dont like yo-dude-speak)

Along with Bombproof & Nealys book, one of the best! By JayBe (Birrwill) 
This review is from Amazon: The Kayakers Playbook! (Paperback)
Ive been kayaking whitewater for about 5 years, seriously the past 2 seasons. I stumbled on this while on a visit back to the States last summer. It is clear and concise and builds on a series of simple paddling and awareness excercises – as if a gifted professor collected his/her lecture notes. No kayaker should be without this book, even if youre a pro, theres bound to be some thought-provoking new material here for you or a new spin on how to pass on techniques to newbies. Nealys book (Kayak) opens your eyes about reading water and routefinding, this book opens your eyes about boat control. Its a gift, worth 3X the price…

Great resource for a training program By A Customer
This review is from Amazon: The Kayakers Playbook! (Paperback)
As soon as I found the laminated exercise card in the back of the book, I knew that this was much more than a book to be read. It was written in such a way that the info inside could go with me in the boat! The B & W photos are more than adequate for the purpose and Kent Ford never writes DOWN to the reader, World Champ though he is…A great resource and confidence builder