Kayaks were
developed over hundreds of years. Indigenous
cultures spent centuries designing and
redesigning, fixing flaws, or altering to
changing skill levels. The final outcomes were
kayaks with a supreme design for a particular
region and People.
Peoples of the Arctic created several designs,
depending on what materials were part of their
culture. Most kayaks were fabricated using wood
for the frame and then tied together using
sinew, or tendons, with a seal skin cover. Other
kayaks were made from whalebone or driftwood. A
sea lion skin may then have been used as a
covering, with whale fat as a sealant. And yet,
the designs of Greenland, the Baffin and
Aleutian Islands, as well as the Bering Strait,
were all extremely unique.
The kayaks from
Greenland were sleek and low, whereas Baffin
Island kayaks were known for being wider, longer
and were a much higher volume. High combing
around the cockpit was a clever design to keep
the paddle dry come rough conditions. Kayaks
from the Bering Strait were short and known for
their stability. The Aleuts are known for a
design with a clever forked bow to cut through
waves.
 The
kayak was useful for transport but it was a
miraculous hunting tool, facilitating a quiet
approach towards one's desired prey. It is said
that occasionally a white cloth would be strung
over the front of the kayak to imitate a section
of ice drifting towards the hunted creature.
When kayaking
became a leisure sport for non-Natives is not
known for sure, but many believe it was
introduced to Western cultures when John
MacGregor constructed a kayak and travelled
Europe in 1845.
Today, kayaking
is accessible to all skill levels, providing a
quiet and gas-free form of breathtaking travel,
exploration and exercise.
General
notes when do kayaking
- ALWAYS keep
paper items in separate zip-lock bags
- Carrying an
oily rag can be good for salvaging your
camera if it gets wet
- Anything in
containers that are vulnerable to water
should be in there own water-resistant/tight
containers
- Without
worrying about your boat drifting off or
having to shore it
- ALWAYS keep
things tied down when out to sea
>> More Kayaking
tips
•
Types of kayak: Sit-on-top
kayak, Inflatable
kayak, Folding
kayak, Solo
Versus Tandem kayak
•
Kayaking in Vietnam
• How
to get in and out of your kayak
•
How to make your kayak go
•
How to make your kayak stop
•
How to make your kayak turn
•
How to keep your kayak from capsizing
•
What to do after a capsize - wet exiting
•
Basic paddle and arm signals for sea kayakers
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