What is Kayaking?
Kayaking is a recreational activity and usually an individual sport in which a kayaker uses a specialized boat called Kayak. It comes in a variety of forms depending on its function for which it is designed. Kayaking usually takes place on rivers, seas, and along white water courses. Skills required in this kind of sport are not specialized, so people from all age brackets, with or without experience, can experience what the activity offers.
Kayak is the primary piece of Kayaking Gear. It is a small boat with a covered deck and Spray Skirt. It is propelled using a double-bladed Kayak Paddle. Kayaker sits in a small hole with a skirt that is attached to the Cockpit Coaming which prevents water from getting in and keeps legs concealed, warm, and dry inside the boat. A lot of traditional Kayaks were custom made and were built according to the body and physical measurement of the individual user.
Kayaking dates back to the 1900s when the Inuits, the native people of the Arctic, used Kayaks to hunt seals across chilly waters of the area. Kayak literally means ‘hunter’s boat’, and was made out of wood and covered with animal skins. Nowadays, Kayaks come in different designs and features to meet the demands of the growing population of kayakers.
Another type of Kayak enjoyed by some people is the surf kayak that is designed to be used in areas with breaking waves. Kayaks of this type are highly stable and can be used almost like a Surfboard to ride the waves. Also, people use Kayaks in several competition events as well as in navigating whitewater courses.
Recreational Kayaking in rivers is the most common type of Kayaking. Some prefer the joys of Paddling in the open water, also called Sea Kayaking or Ocean Kayaking, though there are several factors such as tide and current that they have to deal with.
As with other outdoor activities, Kayaking poses risks, so safety precautions must be met every time you head out.
Don’t just take our word for it. Give it a try and experience the joys and excitement that make people go paddling every year. Gear up, keep everything in check, and paddle away!
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Basics & Backgrounds
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