A family in a canoe

Whitewater kayak

Canoeing is the activity of paddling a canoe for the purpose of recreation (also called a float trip), sport, or transportation. Paddle (disambiguationWith regard to Watercraft, paddling is the act of manually propelling or navigating a small boat using a blade that is joined to a shaft known as A canoe is a small narrow Boat, typically human-powered though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors Sport is an Activity that is governed by a set of rules or Customs and often engaged in competitively Human-powered transport is the Transport of person(s and/or goods using Human Muscle power It usually refers exclusively to using a paddle to propel a canoe with only human muscle power. A paddle is a tool used for pushing against Liquids either as a form of propulsion in a Boat or as an implement for mixing A kayak is propelled using a paddle with two blades where the paddler sits with their legs mostly extended in front of them, whereas canoes are propelled using single- or double-bladed paddles where the paddler - a "canoeist" or "canoer"- is kneeling or sitting on seat or thwart, with their knees bent and their legs more or less beneath them. A kayak is a small human-powered Boat. It typically has a covered deck and a cockpit covered by a Spraydeck. A paddle is a tool used for pushing against Liquids either as a form of propulsion in a Boat or as an implement for mixing A canoe is a small narrow Boat, typically human-powered though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors Kayaks are usually closed-decked boats with a spraydeck, while canoes are usually open boats. There are also open kayaks and closed canoes. Technically, a kayak can be seen as a special kind of canoe. When exactly a canoe can be called a kayak is difficult to determine though, and often arbitrary. Internationally, the term canoeing is used as a generic term for both forms though the terms "paddle sports" or "canoe/kayak" are also used. In North America, however, 'canoeing' usually refers only to canoes, as opposed to both canoes and kayaks. Paddling a kayak is also referred to as kayaking. A kayak is a small human-powered Boat. It typically has a covered deck and a cockpit covered by a Spraydeck. Kayaking is the use of a Kayak for moving across water Kayaking is generally differentiated from Canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of

Open canoes may be 'poled' (punted), sailed, 'lined and tracked' (using ropes) or even 'gunnel-bobbed'.

In modern canoe sport, both canoes and kayaks may be closed-decked. Other than by the minimum competition specifications (typically length and width (beam) and seating arrangement it is difficult to differentiate most competition canoes from the equivalent competition kayaks. The most common difference is that competition kayaks are always seated and paddled with a double-bladed paddle, and competition canoes are generally kneeled and paddled with a single-bladed paddle. Exceptions include Canoe Marathon (in both European and American competitive forms) and sprint (high kneeling position). The most traditional and early canoes did not have seats, the paddlers merely kneeled on the bottom of the boat. Recreational canoes and kayaks employ seats and whitewater rodeo and surf variants increasingly employ the use of 'saddles' to give greater boat control under extreme conditions.

History

Canoes were developed over the course of thousands of years primarily by the native people of North America. The term Indigenous Peoples or autochthonous peoples can be used to describe any Ethnic group who inhabit a geographic region with which they have the earliest historical The actual word we know today as "canoe" originated from the word Kenu meaning "dugout. A dugout is a Boat which is basically a hollowed tree trunk Other names for this type of boat are logboat and monoxylon. " Other story is that the word canoe comes from the word canoa, which is said to originally come from the native people (the Arawaks?) in the Caribbean via Columbus to Europe. (But there are also comments that canoa was already an existing word then in the Portuguese language for a feeding trough. . . ). These dugout canoes, essentially large tree trunks that were shaped and hollowed, were used by the Caribs to travel between islands. Cariban languages Carib, Island Carib or Kalinago people after whom the Caribbean Sea was named live in the Lesser Antilles islands

Canoeing began to meet the simple needs of transportation across and along waterways. Canoeing was the primary mode of long-distance transportation at one time throughout much of North America, the Amazon Basin, and Polynesia, among other locations. Transport or transportation is the movement of people and goods from one place to another Polynesia (from Greek: πολύς many, νῆσος island) is a Subregion of Oceania, comprising a large grouping of over As a method of transportation, canoes have generally been replaced by motorized boats, airplanes, railroads and roads with increasing industrialisation, although they remain popular as recreational or sporting watercraft. A boat is a Watercraft of modest size designed to float or plane on water and provide transport over it Overview Fixed-wing aircraft range from small training and recreational aircraft to Wide-body aircraft and military cargo aircraft. A road is an identifiable route, way or path between two or more places. is a process of social and economic change whereby a human group is transformed from a Pre-industrial society into an industrial one

Sport

The International Canoe Federation is the world wide canoeing organisation and creates the standard rules for the different disciplines of canoe/kayak competition. The International Canoe Federation is the umbrella organization of all national Canoe organizations worldwide The ICF recognises several competitive and non-competitive disciplines of canoeing, of which Sprint and Slalom are the only two competing in the Olympic games. The United States Canoe Association is widely considered the American authority in sport and recreational canoeing, and recognizes many ICF classes. Other national competition rules are usually based on the rules of the ICF.

Flat-water K4 racing

• Sprint - the oldest discipline of ICF canoeing, sometimes referred to as "Flatwater Racing". This article discusses flatwater racing (sprint and marathon racing, competitive forms of Canoeing and Kayaking on more or less flat water It involves:
  • kayak
    • K1 - single seat kayak
    • K2 - double seated kayak
    • K4 - 4 seated kayak
  • canoe
    • C1 - single kneeling canoe
    • C2 - double kneeling canoe
    • C4 - 4 person kneeling canoe

Flatwater races are over 200m, 500m, 1000m, and "long distance racing" such as 2 km or 6 km. A kayak is a small human-powered Boat. It typically has a covered deck and a cockpit covered by a Spraydeck. A canoe is a small narrow Boat, typically human-powered though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors At international regattas in canoeing there is three distances on the program At international regattas in canoeing there is three distances on the program At international regattas in canoeing there is three distances on the program

• Slalom - Competitors are timed in completing a descent down the rapids of a whitewater course, in the process steering their canoes or kayaks through "gates" (a pair of suspended poles about 1 m apart), including going up against the flow, across the flow, and surfing the standing waves of the rapids. Whitewater Slalom is a competitive sport where the aim is to navigate a decked Canoe or Kayak through a course of hanging gates on river rapids RAPID is an acronym for Rural Address Property IDentification a scheme instituted in New Zealand to assist emergency services in identifying and locating rural properties Whitewater is formed in a Rapid, when a River 's gradient drops enough to disturb its Laminar flow and create Turbulence, i Again, there are both kayak and canoe classes:
  • kayak
    • K1 - single kayak
  • canoe
    • C1 - solo canoe
    • C2 - tandem canoe

• Marathon - Longer distance races over mostly flatwater courses, possibly including one or more portages. A kayak is a small human-powered Boat. It typically has a covered deck and a cockpit covered by a Spraydeck. A canoe is a small narrow Boat, typically human-powered though it may also be powered by sails or small electric or gas motors This article discusses flatwater racing (sprint and marathon racing, competitive forms of Canoeing and Kayaking on more or less flat water Portage refers to the practice of carrying a Canoe or other Boat over land to avoid an obstacle on the water route (such as Rapids or a Waterfall Course lengths typically vary from about 2 miles to the epic 125 mile Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Marathon on the Thames, and the 260 mile "World's Toughest Boat Race", the Texas Water Safari. The Devizes to Westminster International Canoe Marathon is a marathon canoe race in England. The Texas Water Safari, billed as the "World's Toughest Boat Race" is a trek down waterways from San Marcos Texas, to Seadrift Texas. USCA rules specify that a Marathon course may not have rapids over class II on the International Scale of River Difficulty whereas, in the United Kingdom and Ireland, courses may be of any difficulty and with any hazards including weirs, like those found in the Liffey Descent[1]. The International Scale of River Difficulty is a standardized scale used to rate the safety of a stretch of river or a single Rapid. The most extreme courses can be found in South Africa, and grade V sections are not unusual in for example, the Fish River Marathon [2].

• Canoe polo - A fast-action competitive goal-scoring ball game on water, between two teams of 5 players. Canoe polo (called kayak polo in some countries is a competitive ball Sport played on water in a defined "field" between two teams of 5 players each

• Whitewater racing (also known as Wild Water Racing) - Competitors race specialised canoes or kayaks down a whitewater river (typically class II to IV whitewater is used). Whitewater racing is a competitive discipline of Canoeing in which Kayaks or canadian canoes are used to negotiate a stretch of river speedily Whitewater is formed in a Rapid, when a River 's gradient drops enough to disturb its Laminar flow and create Turbulence, i

• Canoe sailing - Racing a canoe using sail power. Canoe sailing refers to the practice of fitting a Polynesian Outrigger or a Western Canoe with Sails See also Log canoe, a type There a number of disciplines.

Unclassified Styles

• Dragon boat - Since the 1970s racing of the traditional Chinese Dragon Boats has been organized. A dragon boat or "dragonboat" is a very long and narrow human-powered Boat now used in the team Paddling sport of dragon boat In general there are about 18-20 paddlers per boat, plus a drummer and a helmsman. In some types of dragon boat races, an additional flag catcher is part of the crew; the flag catcher must grab a flag at the finish line for the boat to be counted as finished. The International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF) is the international governing body for Dragon Boats, discussions with the ICF about co-operation are taking place. The International Dragon Boat Federation is the international governing body for the team water sport of Dragon boatracing The IDBF was founded by representatives from Australia

• Playboating (or Rodeo) - a form of canoeing or kayaking where the competitor performs tricks and stunts in standing waves such as front and back surfing, flatspins, cartwheels, and blunts, and receives points for the variety of moves performed within a fixed time. Playboating is a discipline of whitewater Kayaking or Canoeing where the paddler performs various technical moves in one place (a playspot as opposed to downriver Points are also awarded for style.

• Extreme racing - a form of canoeing competition involving racing down dangerous whitewater rivers (often with many grade V rapids and typically requiring excellent river running skills). Extreme racing involves paddling a Kayak down a section of hard Whitewater requiring excellent boat handling skills

• Outrigger canoeing - racing of traditional Pacific Ocean outrigger canoes. Outrigger canoeing is a Sport in which an Outrigger canoe ( vaʻa, waʻa, and waka ama in Tahitian, Hawaiian, Very popular in Hawaii (it's the state sport), Tahiti, and other Pacific nations including Australia and New Zealand; well established in western North America and the eastern US, also catching on in Asia and Europe. International ruling body is the International Vaʻa Federation (IVF). Outrigger canoes are traditionally referred to as waʻa, vaʻa, or waka ama (waʻa, vaʻa, and waka are words meaning canoe in various Polynesian languages; ama refers to the outrigger float). Standard racing canoes carry six paddlers; one and two person canoes are also widely raced. Races include both short distance sprint races and long distance races.

• Surf skiing - The canoeing equivalent of surfing, but in a specialised surf kayak. A surf ski is a long narrow lightweight Kayak with an open (sit-on-top cockpit usually with a foot pedal controlled Rudder. Points are scored for the variety and quality of moves performed on a wave. Also whitewater kayakers and playboaters often surf non-competitively. Races for the fastest time in open water with waves are also done.

Recreational

Sailing a Kayak on the Columbia River - Columbia Gorge, Oregon

Other recreational aspects of canoeing are not strictly defined, and distinctions are rather artificial and growing increasingly blurred as new hybrid canoes, kayaks, and similar craft are developed. Some of these forms may be nominally organised at national levels, but are largely individual, group, or club activities. For many groups there is no emphasis on training, the goal is simply to use boats to have fun on the water.

• Small-craft Sailing - Developed by kayak enthusiasts, small-craft sails enhance the paddling experience for canoeists too. Developed by kayak enthusiasts small-craft sails enhance the paddling experience for all paddling enthusiasts whether your craft is a kayak canoe hybrid sit-on-top or dinghy Small-craft sails such as the WindPaddle either augment the effort of paddling or effectively eliminate the need for paddling. WindPaddle A self-launching light weight small-craft sail for kayaks and canoes They are great for touring, and have established a strong following with recreational canoeists, sea kayakers, expedition paddlers and adventure racers.

• Whitewater - paddling down whitewater rivers for fun, recreation, or getting away from it all. Whitewater kayaking is the sport of paddling a Kayak on a moving body of water typically a Whitewater river Can vary from short local trips on easy grade rivers, to extreme expeditions on raging torrents in remote locations for many days carrying all equipment. Whitewater Kayaking is probably the most popular form of canoeing (as the word is used in Europe).

• Sea kayak - recreational (touring) kayaking on the sea. A Sea kayak or touring kayak is a Kayak developed for the sport of paddling on open waters of lakes bays and the ocean Includes everything from short day trips to year-long expeditions, may include paddling on heavy seas, in surf, or in tidal currents, and usually requires navigational skills.

• Playboating - surfing and performing tricks on one feature on a river. Playboating is a discipline of whitewater Kayaking or Canoeing where the paddler performs various technical moves in one place (a playspot as opposed to downriver

• Canoe camping, Touring, Tripping, or Cruising - combines canoeing/kayaking with camping. Canoe camping (also known as canoe touring or canoe tripping) is a combination of Canoeing and Camping. Definition Camping describes a range of activities Survivalist campers set off with little more than their boots whereas Recreational vehicle travelers arrive equipped

Bird on a Canoe - Sharbot Lake, Ontario, Canada

Other Forms

In some countries, these forms of paddling may come under the national canoeing organisations, but they are not universally accepted as canoeing, even though they involve propelling a small craft with a paddle. Sharbot Lake, in Ontario Canada is a village in Central Frontenac Township Frontenac County, located at the intersection of Highway 38 and Highway Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec Country to "Dominion of Canada" or "Canadian Federation" or anything else please read the Talk Page

• Wave skiing - paddling a small, maneuverable craft (surf ski) a little like a bigger surfboard, amongst the breaking waves of the sea or ocean, variously sliding down the face of the wave or performing tricks on the face of a breaking wave. Close affinity to surfing. The paddler sits on top of the ski and can be strapped in. Competition is based on points for tricks and style.

• Surf ski - paddling a long (about 22'), slim racing craft on the sea. A surf ski is a long narrow lightweight Kayak with an open (sit-on-top cockpit usually with a foot pedal controlled Rudder. Able to handle going in and out of breaking waves, but not for maneuvering on breaking waves. The paddler sits in a bucket style seat and uses a kayak like paddle. Most common races are long distance in the open ocean where they can catch swells and get the feeling of skiing the ocean.

• Rafting - one or a group of people paddle a small or large inflatable raft down a wild water river. Rafting or whitewater rafting is a challenging recreational activity utilizing a Raft to navigate a River or other bodies of water Has much in common with White Water Touring.

See also

• International Canoe Federation
• American Canoe Association
• Canadian Canoe Association
• British Canoe Union (England)
• Scottish Canoe Association
• Welsh Canoe Association
• Hazards of outdoor activities
• Kayaking
• Paddling
• Canoe

External links

WikiCommons: Canoes – pictures, videos or audiofiles

Canoeing at the Open Directory Project