Best water sports books according to redditors
We found 368 Reddit comments discussing the best water sports books. We ranked the 190 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
We found 368 Reddit comments discussing the best water sports books. We ranked the 190 resulting products by number of redditors who mentioned them. Here are the top 20.
> Interestingly offshore drilling rigs create an enormous deep water artificial reef and can attract all kinds of large fish. Great book written about it called Helldivers' Rodeo.
https://www.amazon.com/Helldivers-Rodeo-Scuba-Diving-Adventure-Oil-Platforms/dp/0871319365
The grand-daddy of them all: Chapman's Piloting and Seamanship
The Complete Sailor
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED. Extremely easy to read and well written.
Nope, there's real science supporting this. Recovery runs don't deplete muscle glycogen stores since they're so low-intensity, but they do increase blood flow throughout the body--which ends up allowing for beneficial contents like vitamins, minerals, and glucose to be more quickly delivered to muscles, which means that muscle tissue can be more easily repaired. This is well documented in Swimming Fastest by Coach Ernest Maglischo.
I'd be more wary of high-intensity cardio since it can take over a day for your glycogen stores to complete replenish.
I highly recommend "Sensible Cruising: the Thoreau Approach" if you're wondering whether you can afford cruising. It doesn't need to be expensive and chances are you're richer than you think once you eliminate car/lodgings/starbucks expenses from your budget nd instead live on a (potentially frugal) boat. How frugal depends on you.
Great great book.
Btw "OP" or dude in pictures posted about his costs. About $15k/year
http://www.amazon.com/Voyagers-Handbook-Essential-Guide-Cruising/dp/0071437657/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1452207362&sr=8-1&keywords=voyagers+handbook
Bought that and it was delivered last Saturday
it is like the cheat code walkthrough for how to buy a boat and sail it a month, a year or forever.
I didnt think the book could be this good. It really is.
The Complete Sailor, Second Edition, by David Seidman is the best beginner book I have found. It covers a lot of ground and is very clear in what it covers.
Yep.
https://www.amazon.com/Helldivers-Rodeo-Scuba-Diving-Adventure-Oil-Platforms/dp/0871319365
In spite of the hostility you're likely to receive here (we get this question weekly), if you're highly industrious, a quick study, and have enough money, what you want to do is absolutely possible.
A few things to keep in mind:
Having said all that, if you have the money and the drive, the rewards are immense, and unique. We do these things for a reason, right? :)
I would actually start by buying an older keelboat (1970 - 1980) between 20-30' and sailing the hell out of it. Pick some projects, and see them to completion. Try to sell the boat at a profit. All of this will teach you what's important to you in your bluewater boat, and you'll be able to narrow your list down on your own.
The longer you spend developing the required skills, the safer the trip will be. The tradeoff, of course, being that it takes that much longer before pushing off. There is always the risk that life interferes, and that you never push off. Like sailing in general, everything's a compromise.
You may want to get and read this book: The Voyager's Handbook
My $0.02CAD.
I recommend the Voyager’s Handbook by Beth Leonard... taught me a lot and will stay on my future boat!
The Voyager's Handbook: The Essential Guide to Blue Water Cruising https://www.amazon.com/dp/0071437657/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_i_rmgEDbWHN8RN5
I was pretty much you last summer. Land locked state, no sailing club close by, no relatives or friends who sail, and a burning desire to get out on the water.
I was able to learn to sail in four steps:
I was able to go from no sailing experience to flying hulls in 20~ mph wind inside of a summer with this method. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c105II-L8OA Far from perfect, but we are having a blast. I think a teenager would be able to pull of a similar feat with no problems. You will find fumbling around on the water is far better than dreaming from the shore.
Inb4 Deco for Divers is one of the most commonly suggested books to read. Mark breaks it down really well for us non-chemistry students whilst still being a very technical book. It will also leave you with lots of avenues for research.
To credit the source, this is from David Seidman's Complete Sailor (p17 on the 1st edition) which I highly recommend.
I really wish I could describe how good this book is - I've read two other beginners books and Seidman makes them look quite poor. I don't think this is because the other books are really so poor, but a reflection on the brilliance of Seidman's writing.
I believe this book may be exceedingly and rarely well-written - it starts off talking about the wind, in basic terms that anyone can understand, and every topic thereafter uses terms and concepts that have already been explained.
Here are some more sample pages which I copied when someone asked for some more details on a previous occasion.
Cap'n Fatty has at least one book that addresses this question. He would add a #4 to your list, "You live frugally while at sea." But he also mentions a pretty good list of "jobs you can do at sea" - including skills in demand among other boat folks. He even mentions a dentist who had an exam chair in one of the cabins on his boat, IIRC.
Every sailboat is rigged differently, although there are many common basic features. So, there's no way for anyone to provide much of a response to an overly broad question. But, if you are just getting going, there's plenty you can do to get a bit more know-how.
When I began, before I started taking some lessons, I read a lot. My brother got me this for Christmas and I read it through and through:
http://www.amazon.com/Complete-Sailing-Manual-Third-Edition/dp/0756689694
That should get you going. The next step is to find instruction and get on the water.
Things you can do while you figure out how to get on the water:
But, there is no substitute for getting out on the water. What city are you in?
Oh wow, I have not read that one - I'll have to get a copy.
I've gotten much enjoyment out of reading Royce's Sailing Illustrated, Capable Cruiser by Lin & Larry Pardey [along with everything else by them], and the Annapolis Book of Seamanship, among others.
The Bible
The Annapolis Book of Seamanship
http://www.amazon.com/Annapolis-Book-Seamanship-3rd-Revised/dp/0684854201
I don't have the instructor notes to hand so, from memory this is for two reasons:
If you want a better explanation of the theory behind this, I highly recommend reading Deco for Divers by Mark Powell
The Complete Sailor is an awesome book - use the Look Inside feature to check out the illustrations - they give the book a lot of character so it's great for a coffee table or for casual reading. Might be a little too novice for a 1-year sailor, unless your dad hasn't had much formal instruction.
As mentioned already, Chapman's is good - it's the bible for any waterman. However, it has so much stuff there's very little on sailing (only 40 pages on the topic). It won't tell you much about sail trim, for example. But it covers a lot - I read it cover to cover last year and if I retained anything (I didn't) I'd be a damn genius.
I can't wait for The Annapolis Book of Seamanship to come out with it's much needed 4th edition in January. I hear this is the bible for sailors, but I haven't picked it up since I'm waiting for that new edition. But only because it has more electronics/GPS mentions - I'm sure all the actual sailing stuff is the same between the two.
Sensible Cruising is both incredibly practical and timelessly wise. Don Casey, one of the authors, has written some of the best manuals on sailboat maintenance and repair in existence. If you want to extend your cruise, this is your book
Baja is great. Easy from SocCal. If you stick north of Ensenada, tons of access. If you go farther souther be prepared with maps, food, water, and a spare tire.
https://www.amazon.com/Surfers-Guide-Baja-Mike-Parise/dp/0967910056/ref=nodl_
http://www.amazon.com/Cruisers-Handbook-Fishing-Scott-Bannerot/dp/0071427880
It's offshore focused but has great details on how to successfully fish from a sailboat.
I thought that was what would happen when that post was read; I think that was the effect I was aiming for. I suspect there are a lot of people who think that way.
I was doing some technical SCUBA diving, diving requiring decompression stops, and the idea of the normalization of deviance pops up many times when there are fatalities and a subsequent analysis of what has gone wrong occurs.
Avoiding safety measures due to the low probability of an event does not mitigate the dangers should an event happen.
This video is one of the better ones I have seen on this topic:
Situational Awareness: A Metacognitive Approach to Personal & Team Safety
https://youtu.be/-pw7YY7VOlc
I read this book:
https://www.amazon.com/Sea-Kayakers-Deep-Trouble-Magazine/dp/0070084998
And it seems many scenarios there are also made worse by the the normalization of deviance.
Perfect book for you is one I've recommended before - Breaking Seas: An overweight, middle-aged computer nerd buys his first boat, quits his job, and sails off to adventure
I'm quite seriously considering a sailing wander about early retirement/escape. I recommend r/sailing. There are some experienced sailors there, and sometimes the discussion addresses cruising. I'd also recommend The Coastal Cruiser: A complete guide to the design, selection, purchase, and outfitting of auxiliary sailboats under 30 feet--with a portfolio of successful designs , . Twenty Small Sailboats to Take You Anywhere , and Chapman Piloting & Seamanship 66th Edition
You might watch this series:
https://www.youtube.com/user/WhiteSpotPirates
Which features a young, single female solo sailor with limited experience. It is, to some degree, an example of how to do everything wrong and still succeed.
By way of contrast, S/V Delos is an example of a larger, more experienced crew on a much larger boat:
https://www.youtube.com/user/briantrautman
This is a pretty good YouTube channel that will give you an idea of the many, many things you can repair on your boat,
https://www.youtube.com/user/madsdahlke
A well regarded book if you get serious is:
http://www.amazon.com/Voyagers-Handbook-Essential-Guide-Cruising/dp/0071437657/ref=sr_1_8?ie=UTF8&qid=1458677598&sr=8-8&keywords=cruising
Ultimately, there are many ways to cruise, and you need to design the style that works for you. And then be very realistic about funding, planning, etc.
Read this book. It has almost everything you need to know about boats. (Sorry about formating, on mobile)
Chapman's boating and seamanship.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1588169618/ref=cm_sw_r_other_awd_5GT2wb82GNEB5
Annapolis Book of Seamanship is the modern equivalent of Chapman's. Highly recommended and a great coffee table book.
This is the Chapman's that people are thinking of, and it's still completely legitimate, but I would recommend ABOS over it. You need to go into ANY reading regarding cruising with this anyway:
Chapman's is outdated but it's not wrong. There are better ways of doing many things in it but you're going to do well to know the history as well.
John Kretschmer is my favorite (right now) author as far as long distance sailing and storms. There are lots of good ones out there though.
I recommend this podcast as well. Unbelievably good cruising podcast; Andy and Mia are great. And it will turn you on to a wealth of information.
If you want racing resources or tell me specifically what you want to get into as far as sailing goes I can tailor my response to that.
Having done some of my kayaking instruction, particularly self-rescue training up in those waters, I don't know if I'd want to paddle there without some sort of immersion gear. At least a farmer john. Matt Broze's book is full of strong people that died in those waters due to hypothermia.
High Performance Sailing by Frank Bethwaite link
Although targeted at racers (specifically dinghy and high-performance racers) there is so much good info about how wind works, how sails work, how to approach waves in different scenarios, why some boats that look fast aren't...
I read dozens of books before starting the voyage (perhaps half sailing stories and the other half practical books), but this one was probably the most helpful in terms of understanding what voyaging was all about. http://www.amazon.com/The-Voyagers-Handbook-Essential-Cruising/dp/0071437657
Good luck and swing by my IAMA at 1pm EST if you have any more questions!
I've got the Sailing Bible. I hear the Annapolis Book of Seamanship is a must have as well.
I just finished Confessions of a Long Distance Sailor, and it was interesting. When I told my father I wanted to sail around the world, he recommended Once Is Enough. I'm half way through We The Drowned and Two Years Before the Mast at the moment and enjoying both. Master and Commander is next on my list. Chapman Piloting and Seamanship is always good for leafing through and studying up on technical skills.
[Swimming Fastest by Ernie Maglischo](http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0736031804?ie=UTF8&keywords=swimming%20fastest&qid=1377524504&ref_=sr_1_1&s=books&sr=1-1
) is the definitive stroke & swimming book. It's now over 10 years old, and that's the 3rd edition. There are a few things in it that are out of date but it's 1000 pages of meaty technical goodness.
this is the book you are looking for
Bethwaite's High Performance Sailing is the bible of dinghy sailing.
I also found Helming to Win to be helpful
This varies largely by the size of the boat. Small boats that are still big enough to sleep in covered and dry are way cheaper than vans, larger boats -- well you can spend as much as you have.
The subject has been given considerable thought and an excellent resource about it can be found in the book Sensible Cruising: The Thoreau Approach : A Philosophic and Practical Approach to Cruising
EDIT: a word
Hey, man sorry to hear about your roommate
You should come to Baja, it's very cheap and you'll probably get the most bang for your buck here. Contrary to what you hear in the media, it's very safe for surfers. Check out this book, Surfer's Guide to Baja. It's got some great spots to explore.
I live in SoCal and I'm learning to surf in northern Baja, it's great
Get yourself "the scriptures", it answers all, but here's the quick:
I have a copy of that book - I don't remember it as being very good.
David Seidman's The Complete Sailor - it's so good that it defies words; it's hard to explain how clear and well-structured it is.
I am 6'1" and liveaboard a 45' Gibson houseboat. It's pretty tight but I have about two inches of space above my head. My knowledge of boats is limited but I have been on a few larger vessels that had about 7' ceilings so they do exist.
It's mostly okay but sometimes it can feel a little bit claustrophobic.
Here are some must have books that will help with the mechanical end of things:
http://www.amazon.com/Chapman-Piloting-Seamanship-Edition-Handling/dp/1588169618
http://www.amazon.com/12-Volt-Bible-Boats-Miner-Brotherton/dp/0071392335/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1457992044&sr=1-1&keywords=12+volt+bible+for+boats
Voyagers handbook by Beth Leonard
http://www.amazon.com/Voyagers-Handbook-Essential-Guide-Cruising/dp/0071437657/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1459294127&sr=1-1&keywords=voyagers+handbook
Its dependent on water-flow. We were moving 1.5-2MPH floating and 5-6MPH casually paddling(GPS). River time would be a estimated 6 hours per day with float periods. Most outfitters will recommend 10-15 miles per day however you can easily do more with minimal effort.
Useful Links
http://waterdata.usgs.gov/nwis/uv?02319500
http://www.srwmd.state.fl.us/documentcenter/home/view/31
http://shop.suwanneeoutpost.com/
http://www.amazon.com/Canoeing-Kayaking-Florida-Canoe-Kayak/dp/0897329554/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1458586201&sr=8-1&keywords=kayak+florida
If you are a FL kayaker this is the best guide I've personally found. It goes through most of the rivers & paddling routes(ranks them), plans camping spots, waterflow levels(where to check), fees, phone numbers, shuttles, etc. This is always my first place to start a trip.
Edit:For format.
If you want to race in a straight line in strong wind then yes wider is better. But races for small sailboats are usually conducted on short courses with many turns, and if the boat is too wide it becomes too slow to turn.
This book has a section explaining this: https://www.amazon.com/High-Performance-Sailing-Faster-Techniques/dp/1408124912
Coast Guard Auxiliary has courses and information, too. Or get yourself a copy of Chapman's Piloting & Seamanship. You should be able to pick up a used copy for under ten bucks, and it has all the info you need. Anybody who's serious about the maritime arts should own a copy.
I'm a couple months in practicing on my own. I had lessons as a kid, but hadn't really swum more than a few meters (other than lounging around) in twenty years.
I've gone from around 90 seconds to go 50m to about 55s, swimming twice a week for half an hour. I feel like I'm making slow but steady progress, but I also am reading quite a bit from the library. The drill structure in Total Immersion sounds goofy, but is very rewarding so far. It does assume some swimming experience. And Swimming Fastest is huge but very detailed on proper form.
I never really felt like Youtube videos could explain what and why things were happening. I need really, really slow-motion that I can watch for multiple swimmers to see what they do differently, and the same. That doesn't seem to exist at high rez.
Highly highly recommend The Complete Sailor by David Seidman. Not sure why but I find myself reading and re-reading this one more than Chapman (which is another must have). Happy hunting!
Glad to hear you made it in one piece. I have been reading this book every so often which recounts the stories of some lucky and not so lucky kayakers put in choppy conditions. It's the decisions taken on land that save you at sea. https://www.amazon.com/Sea-Kayakers-Deep-Trouble-Magazine/dp/0070084998
Nice man I go to SJSU and my sailing class there was awesome, even though it was just in a lake. But for a book I'd consider the ASA books:
https://www.amazon.com/Sailing-Made-Easy-American-Association/dp/098210250X/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1502261789&sr=8-1&keywords=asa+101
If you want to get ASA certified down the road you'll end up getting them anyways :p
http://www.amazon.com/Fast-Track-Sailing-Learn-Three/dp/0071615199/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_nC?ie=UTF8&colid=1J4DZ3N7YF0RQ&coliid=I2B25B3Z0DNFA9
http://www.amazon.com/Annapolis-Book-Seamanship-Edition-Revised/dp/0684854201/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345094921&sr=8-1&keywords=Annapolis+seamanship
As former instructor and 45+ years of sailing...2 good books for beginners. Colgate's Fast Track gives a very concise, clearly written 3 day program. A better 3 day jump start than any other I've found. Focuses on the core skillset to survive your first few missions. The Annapolis book is your in-depth comprehensive reference for all sailing related subjects. Way to thick to read straight through. Use it like an encyclopedia.
I'd reccomend reading http://www.amazon.co.uk/Deco-Divers-Decompression-Theory-Physiology/dp/1905492073/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1345549204&sr=8-1 if you want the basis to make a well reasoned choice about this. As a doctor I'm used to rolling my eyes at "layman" explanations of medical problems, but this book does a very good job of it.
7 hours should be a good enough margin in most cases imo. It all depends on your nitrogen loading. Going by the multi-compartment way of approaching decompression problems the logical reasoning would be that the faster compartments are the ones where you will have the most effect of exercise. Increased bloodflow to muscles will help clear them more rapidly of N2 (thus increasing the nitrogen pressure in your blood) but shouldn't have much effect on the fatty tissues.
On the other hand headaches and itching skin are signs that you have light DCS symptoms..
(disclaimer, not a certified diving doctor)
you start by getting this
I really, really liked Helldiver's Rodeo. Don't know how much of it is true, but it reads kinda like a cross between Hunter S. Thompson and Anthony Bordain. Very entertaining read.
A fantastic resource for all types of fishing:
The Cruiser's Handbook of Fishing
Don't be turned away by the focus on cruiser fishing. It covers fishing from land, big boat, small boat, all types of environments, etc.), all types of fishing, gathering other types of seafood, health/safety issues, etc. Highly recommended.
One caveat: it doesn't really cover fresh-water fishing. But many of the lessons learned can be applied to fresh water
I'm sure you already are but if not, start keeping eyes on the local used boat market. Wait and watch then pick your pitch. If it's too good to be true, it probably is BUT there are motivated sellers. People buy 2nd boats before selling their current one all the time, people inherit boats they can't afford upkeep on, people leave them at boat yards. This is especially true for smaller and older boats where the annual storage and upkeep can exceed the value of the boat itself.
Set up a separate bank account and figure out your annual cost of ownership. Start getting used to setting that money aside automatically each month. It'll give you a head start on your sinking fund so any early upgrades or repairs don't sting as much.
I watched and saved for 3 years until I was able to make a late-season steal on a well cared for Cal 2-25. Owner bought it for 6k, was paying 3500 for a slip and 1600 for winter storage. He was asking 5k but I waited until late in the season and offered 3400 pointing out the fact that he's breaking even on asking price by avoiding the looking winter storage. We settled on 3800 and we took ownership with 2+ months of the sailing season left.
While you're preparing, read the following books:
Deep Trouble by Matt Broze and George Gronseth
I learned so much from reading this book! It's more a collection of cautionary tales than an adventure book - but it could potentially save your life.
I've kind of amassed a library. I'm a rank amateur, but here's what I've found helpful in at least orienting myself so far (I'm still working my way through these on a "total readthrough" basis, but I've flipped through and skimmed all of them) in the order that you should probably read them. Also, I've spent the last six months skulking around every sailing forum on the Internet.
I've found the greatest barrier of sailing for someone trying to get into it for the first time is understanding the language, and the second greatest is understanding the mechanical workings of the rig and how it physically interacts with the wind. These books have been super helpful in that respect. I can't speak to how much in the way of practical skill they may have imparted, but I know infinitely more about the subject than I did a few months ago.
Those last two are because I despearately want a Gaff rig. If you're not planning on ever dealing with a Gaffer, you don't need them at all. If you only want to buy one of the books on the list, make it The Complete Sailor.
There's also a bunch of online resources, such as about.com's "how to sail a small sailboat" article and ESPECIALLY the boating section of Animated Knots which can teach you a ton of knots.
Hope that helps!
I have enjoyed these:
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0756689694/
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0071350993/
Edit 1 to add: Also, for entertaining reading, Joshua Slocum's book and Voyage for Madmen
I don't know of good resources online but if you can buy a book:
https://www.amazon.com/Winning-One-designs-Dave-Perry/dp/0976226146
I also like this one a lot: https://shop.ussailing.org/understanding-the-racing-rules-through-2020.html
I would strongly suggest the book Deco for Divers.
Buhlmann (ZHL-16C is the current iteration, I think?) is a standard deco algorithm, all the compartment values for different gasses and M-values are published. Most computers also implement gradient factors on top of Buhlmann. Here is a primer.
VPM is another algorithm, but it's on shaky ground when applied to mixed gas diving. RGBM is an extension of VPM (Suunto computers use RGBM).
This is probably also something you should read.
If you want to support different gas mixes, you need to be able to let the user specify the % of O2, N2, and He in each mix (I don't know if the M-values for H2 are readily available, but almost no one uses H2 outside of deep commercial diving and medicine), and you will have to treat each gas separately in the decompression model.
And please don't set the limit of the number of gas mixes to something stupid, like two (looking at you, Oceanic).
I don't have any experience... but the most recomended book I have seen is "Cruiser's Handbook of Fishing by Scott and Wendy Bannerot"
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Cruisers-Handbook-Fishing-Scott-Bannerot/dp/0071427880/
Also of course the internet is full of info which needs caution to take :D
http://www.yachtingworld.com/video/bluewater-sailing-techniques-fishing-on-board-67163
Some feel that rods are just extra hassle and handlines are the way forwards.
https://www.sailboat-cruising.com/handline-fishing.html
This isn't an answer to your specific question, but maybe it's helpful: The Complete Sailor, 2nd Edition has good sections on leaving from and returning to moorings and docks. Understanding the strategy and practicing in a safe place seems like the best way to learn.
Caveat: I've never sailed before. I'm just preparing to learn.
I taught myself to sail with this book.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/0684854201
Read it, bought a boat, and started practicing. Have fun!
When I got into dinghy sailing, I was obsessed with Royces Sailing Illustrated. I don't know how up to date it is, but I loved reading it.
Also, I may be biased, since my godfather wrote it, but Winning in One Designs is a great book, very accessible and super-informative.
Use to sell this at the shop i worked at. Updated fairly often last I remmeber. Has some good info for new travelers.
http://www.amazon.com/Surfers-Guide-Baja-Mike-Parise/dp/0967910056
I'd recommend signing up for a basic class at a sailing school. Hands on learning will get you where you want to go much faster.
Additionally I'd recommend High Performance Sailing by Frank Bethwaite which is absolutely great even for beginners that only have a basic understanding of what a boat is made up of. This is probably why I say additionally, because you'll want to combine it with a class. Learning by doing is still a mantra even if you're a very theoretical person.
The book has a lot of information on wind, trim (sail shape and position), handling, and a bunch more things and presents it in a clear way on top of that. It's also a bit more in-depth than other books I've read that just preach old ideas about trim, this actually explains it.
Swimming has been found through decades of research to have a very high degree of specificity, meaning that swimming is the best way to work on swimming, and cross-training with other activities will be of very limited benefit. If you're interested, the definitive book about training for swimming is Swimming Fastest.
In addition to the other great advice, I'd suggest reading The Complete Sailor, and to emphasize, sail as much as you can.
A visual of how I would imagine spearfishing sharks near the Gulf's oil rigs as read in the book The Helldiver's Rodeo.
I paddle a good bit. I'd strongly recommend buying the book in the link below. It's $13 but is an excellent jumping off point and well worth the money at twice the price. There's also the state paddling trails but I refer to the book more often than I do that website. You'll exponentially enjoy your time on the water if you set up shuttles for rivers(i.e. a friend).
http://www.dep.state.fl.us/gwt/guide/paddle.htm
https://www.amazon.com/Canoeing-Kayaking-Florida-Canoe-Kayak/dp/0897329554/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8
oh..shameless plug for one of my heroes.
​
https://www.amazon.com/Buy-Outfit-Sail-Inexpensively-Safely/dp/1456310038/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1537972806&sr=8-1&keywords=goodlander
14 miles seems about right. (Edit2: Are you solo canoeing? Kayaking?) It really depends on flow, gradient, obstructions, fuck off time etc. The Choctawhatchee River is a sizable river so you shouldn't have to worry about many obstructions and I don't think there are any rapids or anything like that in that area (only substantial ones I can think of are on the Aucilla and Suwannee). There's a great book called Canoeing and Kayaking Florida that I would recommend you check out. I would also point you to FDEP's paddling guide for the river. You can check out all the paddling guides for other rivers here.
I've never paddled the Choctawhatchee but it looks like on google earth that sand banks are abundant, as a solo I would target these towards the end of your day as camp sites if the water level is right. It is legal to camp on floodplain (which beaches would be in) but don't argue if someone comes up and asks why you're on their land just tell them you will be on your way. (This has never once happened to me in my many years of paddling Florida's rivers.)
I will also say, while I haven't paddled this river, I have been to Morrison Spring. You are not going to want to miss that if that's part of your paddle. Make sure you allocate some time to hang there.
I can talk all day about paddling in Florida so if you have any more questions I'd be happy to help.
Edit to add "See this trail" link from FDEP: http://fdep.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapTour/index.html?appid=d1b432eb3ecf4c9f81c0e7a3e3f8c307
I really enjoyed Breaking Seas: An overweight, middle-aged computer nerd buys his first boat, quits his job, and sails off to adventure.
https://www.amazon.com/Sailing-Made-Easy-American-Association/dp/098210250X
The voyagers handbook covers A LOT if you're planning to travel.
https://www.amazon.com/Voyagers-Handbook-Essential-Guide-Cruising/dp/0071437657
Go to your local library and check out any books they have on the subject. I found that my library has books for sailing in two different Dewey decimal system locations so check them both out.
The two big ones that I hear people recommending all the time are these two:
http://www.amazon.com/Chapman-Piloting-Seamanship-Edition-Handling/dp/1588169618/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1380854381&sr=8-1&keywords=chapmans+piloting+and+seamanship
and
http://www.amazon.com/The-Annapolis-Book-Seamanship-Edition/dp/1451650191/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1380854397&sr=8-2&keywords=anapolis+book+of+seamanship
Although that second one doesn't come out with the revised version until january. (The last update was 1999)
This is a really good question and something I have long pondered myself. Now that it has been mentioned, I think it is a good question to ask DAN - perhaps something they can address in Alert Diver.
My theory is that it probably can increase risk of DCS, particularly when you are loading your tissues with longer halftimes heavily and when you crack your joints on ascent. My reasoning behind this is as follows (and I will try to make this a short as possible).
There is the assumption now in many decompression models (of note, the VPM and its variants & the RGBM) that there are micro gas nuclei in our tissues at all times, even before we go diving. Bubble decompression models aim to limit the growth of these bubbles by letting them offgas at depth before they reach a critical volume, past which they will only grow causing symptomatic DCI and/or alternatively limiting the number of bubbles in our tissues that reach a certain volume. If you're interested in the exact parameters of these models, I would suggest a book by Mark Powell called Deco for Divers. Anyway, I digress.
My theory is that since something like synovial fluid is likely a very poorly perfused tissue receiving little blood flow to its adjacent tissues, so it is going to take a long time for any decent amount of N2 (or He) to accrue in it. That said, if synovial fluid was relatively saturated with diving gases and then you went and popped that joint, a bubble would mechanically form from the cavitation of the popping and with that bubble being surrounded by relatively saturated fluid, there may be little in the way of a gradient for it to transition back into the dissolved state. Effectively, it would be a bubble beyond the critical volume which would only continue to grow - particularly if it occurs during ascent.
Now keep in mind that this is entirely hypothesis and I have no empirical evidence to back it up. I have cracked knuckles and toes and elbows many times while diving. In fact, I have also observed that my joints tend to have a faster "recycle-rate" while diving than they do on the surface (i.e. the time between when I can crack them again is decreased when diving.) This makes sense - the pressure should help redissolve that CO2 bubble more quickly. Nonetheless, I have never been bent (knock on wood) with or without joint cracking.
I would imagine that cracking your joints, if it does in anyway increase your chances of DCS, probably only does so very slightly, and that chance is probably only increased in the unlikely circumstances that you are diving with mixes containing fast-diffusing gases like He and/or bringing your body to full or near-full saturation (saturation diving).
That said, I have no medical degree and this is purely conjecture. But that is my theory... definitely something I have thought about a few times before. Good question!
> I've designed Tiny Houses.
Boats. Trust me.
Wow, I guess it's not your fault. Education about dive computers needs to be much better. That said, the tables aren't to be fully trusted either.
The algorithms designed (from which the tables derive) are based on testing, mostly with young fit divers. That got the values by sedning people down and seeing when they reported symptoms. Oh - he got really sick, guess we shouldn't send them down that long. That's how they original (in a few methods) got the m-value - basically, top end of super-saturation various tissues in your body can take. Even then, in testing they found that 80% of DCS incidents occurred with a super-staturation less than 80% of the M-Value - meaning these were very conservative dives but still exhibited symptoms. Even without symptoms silent bubbles (i.e. compressed gas without symptoms) are always present. That line is said to be "a solid line through a fuzzy grey area"
By design the value you get from your computer is how long most people can dive without signs of DCS - that's not 100% and depending on the day it could be you. It's just probability.
Also, one thing to consider, with technical computers we can tune the algorithm conservativeness with limiting super-saturation of the tissues and requiring more off-gassing. When I take that computer diving in warm water I usually scale back the conservation a little since I'm not working that hard - even on this less conservative setting it's usually about 10-20% shorter NDL for me that what you'll find on a rec computer. I dive enough that I scale back my risk even when doing easier dives. I've seen several times, mostly minor, with by-the-book dives leading to symptoms.
Some sources:
http://dspace.rubicon-foundation.org/xmlui/bitstream/handle/123456789/10152/VDC_2012_10.pdf?sequence=1
http://wrobell.it-zone.org/decotengu/_downloads/mvalues.pdf
Highly recommend:
http://www.amazon.com/Deco-Divers-Decompression-Theory-Physiology/dp/1905492073
Judging by your username it sounds like you already psyched yourself out of going so I'm not going to try to convince you otherwise.
However, I will recommend "Breaking Seas: An overweight, middle-aged computer nerd buys his first boat, quits his job, and sails off to adventure" by Glenn Damato. It's truly a great read and his story is so similar to yours. It may give you the courage and confidence you so desperately need.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B00A6542M6?ie=UTF8&redirectFromSS=1&pc_redir=T1&noEncodingTag=1&fp=1
It looks like a non-affiliate link according to this.
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For a cleaner URL: amzn.com/0071437657