drahcir
Paddler
There is an obvious relationship between this thread and the one discussing "Where have all the sea kayakers gone." I began kayaking in 2006 and my enthusiasm led to buying books and subscribing to multiple magazines, including Sea Kayaker. Although my enthusiasm has not abated, my subscription frenzy passed and my scope has narrowed to jk's "Coast & Kayak" (once Wavelength). It provides coverage of mostly the northwest (a recent issue being an exception), which is where I kayak and where my interest is focused. Further, I now glean technical information from the web and occasionally buy a book - SK's "More Deep Trouble" being the most recent. And if I have a very specific question, I ask this forum!
My magazine subscription behavior may be somewhat typical of new kayakers i.e. dropping from many subscriptions down a few. The industry-wide subscription base can only be maintained if new kayakers keep entering the stream in significant numbers. But if there are fewer new kayakers, there can be a dramatic drop in subscriptions overall. Then factor in the amount of information available on the web - and print magazine's are jeopardized. That said, I much prefer my print copy of "Coast & Kayak", although I also access the digital version.
My magazine subscription behavior may be somewhat typical of new kayakers i.e. dropping from many subscriptions down a few. The industry-wide subscription base can only be maintained if new kayakers keep entering the stream in significant numbers. But if there are fewer new kayakers, there can be a dramatic drop in subscriptions overall. Then factor in the amount of information available on the web - and print magazine's are jeopardized. That said, I much prefer my print copy of "Coast & Kayak", although I also access the digital version.