| Canoes and kayaks have been used for traveling | | | | White water kayaking has been gaining in popularity |
| rivers, lakes and even oceans for thousands of years. | | | | since the invention of durable, cheap composites and |
| Kayaks were first used by the Inuit people of northern | | | | plastics. As a result, modern designs can take a huge |
| arctic regions around the North Atlantic, Arctic Ocean, | | | | amount of abuse, abrasions and impacts while still |
| Bering Sea and North Pacific. The term translates | | | | maintaining both seal and shape. |
| literally into "hunter's boat." These first boats were | | | | Canoes were developed for similar reasons as |
| made from found driftwood and animal skins, mostly | | | | kayaks, mostly for hunting and traveling short |
| seal. | | | | distances. However, they were created in warmer |
| There are no trees in the arctic so each kayak was | | | | environments which contained trees. There was no |
| very unique. However, all were constructed similarly. | | | | need to worry about freezing water spilling over the |
| Skins would be stitched together to create a tight seal | | | | sides of the boat. For that reason, their designs never |
| around the frame as well as around the opening | | | | required the completely sealed and surrounded |
| where the hunter would sit. This allowed the kayaker | | | | surface. |
| to stay dry even if the small boat flipped. Users were | | | | In addition to this, these areas provided plenty of |
| skilled in the maneuver that is today known and | | | | building materials. The first canoes were dug out from |
| practiced as the Eskimo roll. | | | | a single tree and carved into a sea faring design. |
| This maneuver involves staying in the boat when it is | | | | Today, these styles are known as dugouts. |
| upside down and using the paddle to right the boat. In | | | | It was found that a kneeling position within the canoe |
| older times, the sealed skin around the opening kept | | | | allowed for a stronger stroke and more |
| the individual dry. Even the most skilled of these | | | | maneuverability. Of course, there is less stability and |
| hunters couldn't swim because the water is too cold to | | | | the boat has to have taller sides. To support a kneeling |
| ever learn. One swimming lesson could be fatal in the | | | | paddler, a canoe has to be slightly larger than a kayak. |
| Arctic Ocean, but most kayakers of today are | | | | Still, some play-boating canoes resemble a short, |
| excellent swimmers. On a modern kayak that seal is | | | | stubby kayak. |
| called the spray deck. It has the added ability to be | | | | A canoe could also hold more weight because of its |
| disconnected in case the kayaker cannot perform an | | | | high side walls. This allowed for another paddler and |
| Eskimo roll correctly or in time. | | | | also more supplies. They were used to navigate the |
| While these boats were originally used for survival, | | | | Nile in Ancient Egypt and the Caribbean Sea during the |
| especially hunting, they are now used almost entirely | | | | time of Columbus. It was actually Columbus who |
| for recreation and entertainment. The sitting position is | | | | coined the term "canoe" in his writings about the New |
| comfortable for paddling, the boats are small and | | | | World. Canoeing and kayaking offer a great form of |
| maneuverable allowing them to go where other boats | | | | travel as well as a fun way to promote physical well |
| cannot and they are sealed from the waist down. | | | | being. |