Posts Tagged ‘kayaks’

Kayaking – a sport with lots of history

Kayaking is like canoeing, only better. They were originally invented by the Inuit in Alaska and used for hunting (the word means “hunter’s boat”). The defining characteristic of a kayak is the way the boater sits centrally in a long, thin boat and gets along using a paddle. Today they are used for sport. Kayaks are made differently to handle different boating environments, such as calm seas and whitewater. There are also special racing kayaks, designed for speed.

Sea kayaks are long, stable boats with steering mechanisms that can keep a straight path through the water. They are larger and more dependable than other kayaks, but this comes at the cost of manoeuvrability. They are also often big enough to hold more than one kayaker, unlike whitewater kayaks.

Whitewater kayaks are smaller, sportier boats. They are very easy to steer precisely and quickly, but they are not very fast. What speed they do have comes from the way they are designed to harness the energy of fast-flowing rivers. If you go on a kayaking trip, the chances are that this is the kind of kayak you will be riding in.
(more…)

Advantages And Disadvantages of Fly Fishing From A Canoe

Some people like to fly fish from their canoe. But there are advantages and disadvantages to this unusual combinations of activities.

People usually fly fish from land, standing still in water or from a larger boat. Fly fishing from a canoe may seem crazy at first, but there are many advantages to be had. There are also disadvantages, but after you overcome them, you are sure to have a wonderful fishing adventure.

Disadvantages
(more…)

A Basic Overview of Kayaks and Kayaking

Kayaking is growing in popularity. It is a sport with a lot of variations, which are covered below in this article.

A Basic Overview of Kayaks and Kayaking

At its core, kayaking is simply a method of propelling oneself through a body of water by using ones own power. A paddle is used to do this with the paddle usually having two curved portions on each side to allow for a back and forth action unlike canoeing. This definition, however, fails in many ways since there are extremely different types of kayaking. Let’s take a look.

Kayak roughly means hunting boat. It has been used throughout history by people living on shores to pursue food in the ocean. The indigenous people in the Arctic are believed to have been the first kayakers using wood frames covered by animal skins. In modern times, kayaking refers to a much broader scope of activities. That being said, the basic boat remains the same.

Kayaks are long, thin and usually one person boats. They come in different forms and styles, which are primarily adapted to a particular style of kayaking. Sea kayaks are very long and thin, which helps them glide easily through the water. Kayaks designed for running challenging river rapids, on the other hand, are short to facilitate maneuverability and the opportunity to roll to upright oneself after being flipped upside down.
(more…)