Origin Of Kayaking

John MacGregor invented kayaking. In 1845, he designed Rob Roy (a canoe) and in 1866, he formed a canoe club with others interested in kayaking. In 1936, kayaking became part of the Olympics followed by white water race.

Kayaks History

People of Arctic, like the Inuit, first developed kayaks many years ago. Centuries passed away to design and redesign kayaks having supreme design for people of particular region. The term kayak means "hunter's boat" or "man's boat." The kayak is a boat powered by human. The deck of the boat is covered. The kayak has a cockpit covered with a spray skirt.

The first kayak was made of wood with a small hole in middle craft for the person to sit. Inuit and Aleut developed kayaks as a means for hunting. The design of kayaks varies considerably from one region to another. The design of canoes and kayaks differs distinctly as double blade paddles propel kayaks and canoes have flat bottoms and are propelled by single bladed paddle. In some countries like Ireland and Great Britain, kayaks are known as canoes.

One, two, or even more paddlers can be accommodated in a kayak. The paddlers sit in cockpits below the deck, facing forward. The spray skirt or any other waterproof material is attached to the edges of the cockpit in a secure manner to avoid water from entering the kayak and moving the kayak upright preventing the water from filling and ejecting the paddler.

Earlier people made different kayaks for different purposes, but now the term kayak is being used broadly for boat.

Baidarka- this is a double or triple kayak developed in Alaska as a means for transportation of goods or passengers and for hunting.

Umiak- this is a larger open deck boat. The Umiak (women's boat) ranges from 17 to60 feet and is made of wood and sealskin. Single-bladed paddles were used in it and had more than one paddler.

Material Used

Earlier kayaks were made of wooden frames covered with skinseal. They were made by people who would use it with skin jacket sewn into it to act as waterproof seal. With time, the material used to make the kayak has changed. Whalebone or driftwood were used to make kayaks. During those times, sea lion skin was used as covering with whale fat as sealant. Now kayaks are made from fiberglass, plastic, and carbon fiber materials. Nowadays, kayaks are light, durable, versatile, and sturdy.

Nowadays, kayaking is accessible by all skill levels and is a form of exercise, exploration and travel.

Recommended Reading

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