Customer Rating: 
Summary: Accurate, too Complex for Quick Use
Comment: Burch's legendary book is full of information, but really is not a book I consult to renew my skills or solve a navigational problem. As an encyclopedia of navigation for small human-powered craft this book has use. It's a good read after one has mastered basic navigation from a practical standpoint. Simply too much information. Much of that contained could be edited severely and would be of more practical use. Burch is a great fact-presenter, but navigation is a subject that needs to be mastered through presentation of basic facts repeated in practical ways. Burch speaks too far over the heads of most beginning and intermediate navigators. This book didn't really make sense to me until I'd read it yearly for a number of years. Because of this fact, I only recommend it to navigation "junkies" who already have a firm understanding of all nav foundation topics.
Customer Rating:
Summary: There are better books on the topic.
Comment: I purchased this book at the suggestion of a top sea kayaking coach. I should note that many paddlers consider this book the encyclopedia or "standard" of sea kayaking navigation books. The book is lengthy and appears to be comprehensive, however, I found it to be poorly organized and presentation lacking. It is a decent desktop reference on the subject, if you are looking for specific information on a sea kayaking navigation topic. It is tough to just pick this book up and learn navigation. It is really not layed out for self-instruction.
I would strongly recommend "Simple Kayak Navigation" by Ray Killan over Burch's book. It is concise, easy to understand, comes packed with excellent examples, and has just the right amount of humor.
Customer Rating:
Summary: The Bible of Kayak Navigation
Comment: The complete guide to finding your way and getting there safely. Burch, the director of the Starpath School of Navigation in Seattle, Washington, covers every topic that I can imagine is relevant to sea kayaking, including reading and using navigational charts, dead reckoning and piloting, determining paddling speed, estimating distance from a landmark, maintaining a heading while paddling in a crossing current, and tidal effects relevant to navigation. Each example is accompanied by clear diagrams which help illustrate sometimes difficult points. This book is written specifically with the kayaker in mind; it's not an adapted version of a small-craft navigation manual. Burch strove for completeness when writing this seminal manual, but also kept the layperson in mind by maintaining his clear style throughout the text. His years of teaching experience and immense navigational knowledge are obvious from reading Fundamentals. The book will take more than one read to absorb all important information and all the techniques the author decribes, but you will never need another source. This is the kayak navigation book to buy if you plan on doing any sort of ocean kayaking.
Customer Rating:
Summary: How to paddle without getting lost
Comment: This book tells you what you need to know about navigation to safely paddle a sea kayak in the great outdoors. It tells you how to read a nautical chart, how to use a compass or GPS, and how to navigate by "the seat of your pants". The book desicribes fundamental saftey issues and tells you how to avoid getting run over by large ships, trashed in tide rips, or hopelessly lost in the fog .
This book is absolutely REQUIRED reading for anyone serious about covering large distances in a sea kayak. If you paddle, get this book and read it many times!!! The material in this book has to be second nature to you if you want to be safe in "big water".
