Sea Kayaking at Wilsons Promontory in Victoria, Australia

Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving across water. A kayak is a small human-powered Boat. It typically has a covered deck and a cockpit covered by a Spraydeck. Kayaking is generally differentiated from canoeing by the fact that a kayak has a closed cockpit and a canoe has an open cockpit. Canoeing is the activity of paddling a Canoe for the purpose of recreation (also called a float trip Sport, or transportation. However, there are many sit-on-top kayaks, and these boats are growing in popularity. They also use a two bladed paddle. 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 Another major difference is in the way the paddler sits in the boat. Kayakers sit in a seat on the bottom of the boat with their legs extended out in front of them. Canoeists will either sit on an elevated bench seat or kneel directly on the bottom of the boat.

Whitewater kayaking involves taking a kayak down rapids. Whitewater kayaking is the sport of paddling a Kayak on a moving body of water typically a Whitewater river 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 Sea kayaking sometimes also referred to as Ocean Kayaking involves taking kayaks out on to the ocean or other open water i. A Sea kayak or touring kayak is a Kayak developed for the sport of paddling on open waters of lakes bays and the ocean A Sea kayak or touring kayak is a Kayak developed for the sport of paddling on open waters of lakes bays and the ocean An ocean (from Greek, ''Okeanos'' (Oceanus) is a major body of saline water, and a principal component of the Hydrosphere. e a lake. Sea kayaking can involve short paddles with a return to the starting point or "put-in" or expeditions covering many miles and days. Kayaking of all kinds has continued to increase in general popularity through the 1990s and early 21st century.

Kayaks are classified by their intended use. There are five primary classifications: whitewater, surf, touring/expedition, light touring/day tripping and general recreation. From these primary classifications stem many sub-classes. For example, a fishing kayak is simply a general recreation kayak outfitted with features and accessories that make it an easier kayak to fish from. Also within these classifications are many levels of performance which further separate the individual models. In other words, not all touring kayaks handle the same.

There are two major configurations of kayaks - "sit on tops" which as the name suggests involves sitting on top of the kayak in an open area and "cockpit style" which involves sitting with the legs and hips inside the kayak hull and a "spray skirt" that creates a watertight barrier around the waist. Whether a kayak is a sit-on-top or a cockpit style has nothing to do with which classification it falls under. Both configurations are represented in each of the five primary classifications. While most kayaks are designed to be paddled by a single person, other configurations include tandem and even triple cockpit boats.

Because of their range and adaptability, Kayaking is popular amongst divers, fishers, and adventure enthusiasts.

Kayaking at Great Falls, Virginia.

References

• The Bombproof Roll and Beyond (1993) P. Dutky, Menasha Ridge Press, ISBN 0-89732-085-9

See also

• Canoe Polo
• Kayak
• Canoeing
• Quadrathlon
• Whitewater Kayaking
• Surf Kayaking
• Skyaking

External links

• KayakPaddling.net Animated kayak paddling tutorials - multilingual
• Wikipaddle - Online canoe and kayak wiki guide. 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 A kayak is a small human-powered Boat. It typically has a covered deck and a cockpit covered by a Spraydeck. Canoeing is the activity of paddling a Canoe for the purpose of recreation (also called a float trip Sport, or transportation. A quadrathlon (or quadrathon) is an endurance sports event composed of four individual disciplines Whitewater kayaking is the sport of paddling a Kayak on a moving body of water typically a Whitewater river A surf ski is a long narrow lightweight Kayak with an open (sit-on-top cockpit usually with a foot pedal controlled Rudder.
• La Vida Laguna - Ocean Kayak Guide.
• Kayakwiki - A wiki website (like wikipedia) about kayaks and kayaking.
• CalActive - Southern California Kayak Activities Directory.
• Directory of Whitewater Boating Blogs - Frequently updated list of blogs about river kayaking.
• KayakMind (Social networking site for paddlers)
• East River Kayak Club - Community boathouse in Long Island City
• http://www.thebrowndogonline.com Kayaking in Northeast PA waterways