Canoeing/Kayaking
A canoe, or in America, a kayak, is a small human-powered boat, which generally has a covered deck, and a cockpit, where the paddler sits, covered by a spray skirt. A canoe is propelled by a double-bladed paddle. The kayak was originally developed by native Aleut and Inuit hunters in sub-arctic regions of North America and Greenland and was designed to use scarce materials to provide a safe fishing system suitable for nomadic people. Today’s modern canoes come in a wide variety of designs and materials for specialised purposes but hold true to the basic principle of their inventors.
Canoes may accommodate one, two, or occasionally three paddlers who sit facing forward. The spray skirt or similar waterproof garment attaches securely to the edges of the cockpit, preventing the entry of water from waves or spray, and making it possible - in most styles of boat - to roll the canoe upright again without it filling with water or ejecting the paddler: this, the canoe roll, is a specialised technique taught at canoeing schools.
Kayaks differ distinctly in design and history from canoes, which are more like flat-bottomed boats propelled by single-bladed paddles, although some modern canoes may be difficult for a non-expert to distinguish from a canoe. Kayaks are often interchangeably called canoes in countries like Great Britain and Ireland and the basic difference is that a kayak is propelled using a paddle with two blades where the paddler sits with their legs in front of them, whereas canoes are propelled using single- or double-bladed paddles where the paddler is kneeling or sitting on a raised seat.
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