Everything you need to know about kayaking

Kayaking is an extreme sport that is relatively new. It involves rafting down a rough river on a vessel with one seat, which is called a kayak. What are the features of this sport?

Varieties

Today there is no need to go out in a kayak to hunt sea animals or to fish. The modern kayak serves other purposes. It is a swimming tool for sports, outdoor activities and tourism. Kayaking is a great opportunity for a person to know himself or herself better, to enjoy the nature. You can admire the beauties on the smooth water surface, or you can experience extreme rafting on mountain rivers. There are different types of kayaking depending on the goals.

Kayaking can be divided into 2 main groups: sea kayaking and river kayaking. Sea kayaking is traveling on lakes, seas, oceans, plain rivers and reservoirs. River kayaking is moving in a rough stream of water.

There are also several types of kayaking: recreational kayaking, rodeo kayaking and rafting.

For recreational kayaking flat rivers and lakes with a quiet even current are more suitable. For recreational kayaking fast, stable boats are used where people can relax in the open air, get pleasure from contemplation of the water surface.

This type of kayaking is associated with the process of overcoming obstacles on the water. It can involve going on a mountain river, overcoming rapids and difficult sections on flat rivers or on the sea. The purpose of this type of walking on the water is to overcome oneself.

Rodeo or freestyle kayaking involves a demonstration of acrobatic elements. The diversity and complexity of the various tricks in a kayak is beyond the imagination. Often a special boat is made for a certain event, so that it the most suitable for particular tricks.

Rafting is the most popular type of kayaking disciplines. It, in turn, has several varieties.

• Expeditionary rafting is a multi-day passage of difficult sections of rivers in remote places.
• Extreme rafting involves passing especially difficult sections of rivers. There is a support group on the shore to ensure safety. Game rafting includes elements of freestyle or rodeo. It is held on a relatively peaceful section of river.
• Rowing slalom is an Olympic sport, the essence of which is to pass the distance between the milestones on a rough section of river as fast as possible.
• Canoeing and kayaking is also an Olympic sport, which is all about speed on smooth water.
• Speed kayaking is a type of kayaking popular in America and Europe. Its essence is moving at speed through the flow of a rough section of river.

Equipment and ammunition

A kayak is a rowing boat used by the Aleuts, Eskimos and other Arctic peoples long ago. The kayak was traditionally made from hides by stretching them over a wooden or bone frame. Modern industrially made kayaks are made of high-strength materials (polyethylene, fiberglass, carbon).

Kayaks are divided into several varieties. A distinction is made between slalom, play, rafting and rodeo type boats.

• A slalom kayak is designed to pass a special paddling slalom course for a certain time. To achieve high results in rowing slalom, a kayak should be as light and maneuverable as possible, so slalom boats are made of fiberglass or carbon fiber. The disadvantage of this type of boats is low strength and stability, which are not necessary for paddling slalom competitions.
• Kayak for rodeo is designed to perform the elements of freestyle. These boats are characterized by sharp contours. Modern rodeo kayaks are usually no more than 2 meters long. Most rodeo boats are made of polyethylene, but recently the use of carbon rodeo boats became more common.
• Game kayaks are used for rafting and for performing freestyle elements. These boats are characterized by moderate sharpness, longer length and relatively small volume compared to rodeo boats.
• Rafting kayak is used for rafting, these kayaks are characterized by smoother contours, which are designed to minimize the resistance of water hitting the vessel, a significant volume (up to 300 liters or more) to accelerate surfacing and reduce the depth of immersion. A rafting kayak is ideal for extreme rafting, jumping off waterfalls and autonomous expeditions.

Equipment for kayaking classes consists of many items and is extremely expensive. Indeed, people professionally involved in kayaking spend quite a lot of money on buying equipment. It is necessary to stock up on the necessary equipment and ammunition in advance:

• Life jackets for all members of the expedition;
• A spare paddle;
• A mooring rope with a carabiner;
• A towing hook;
• A thin rope with a hook;
• A dewatering pump or other device for draining water (if the kayak does not have a self-drain);
• A neoprene “skirt” to insulate the cockpit;
• A kayaking helmet if the route includes rocks and cliffs;
• Signal lights (flashlight, fluorescent sticks, etc.);
• A cell phone, waterproof case for it.

It is important that clothing should correspond to the weather conditions as much as possible and should not constrain movements. If the weather is cold, a neoprene set with boots and gloves is perfect. A dry wetsuit that completely protects the bottom layer of clothing from wind and moisture will be a win-win option. In hot weather, the bathing suit will be enough. The main thing is that it should not be too open, because being in a kayak you can quickly get sunburns.

Be sure to take enough clothes to change and pack them in hermetic bags. This will keep things dry, because kayaking is a wet sport!

Safety rules

Like any extreme sport, kayaking carries a potential danger. By following some rules, you can reduce the risk of an accident to almost zero. So:

1. You should start classes under the guidance of an experienced instructor, especially if you have chosen rafting rather than rodeo.
2. For lessons in the open water, you should buy specialized equipment appropriate to the time of year, water temperature, the complexity of the route, etc.
3. The condition of the equipment should be checked before each descent to the water, not just at the beginning of the trip.
4. A kayaker should avoid situations of high risk or at least be aware of the fact that such actions may entail negative and sometimes irreparable consequences. That is why experienced kayakers firstly pass the rafting route on foot along the river bank, carefully examining the obstacles and comparing them with their own level of training in order to develop a plan of further actions.

There are some rules to follow during the rafting trip:

• Study the route and its features (dangerous or protected areas) in advance;
• Do not sail the kayak more than three kilometers from the shore, try not to travel alone. Warn loved ones of your plans and location;
• In bathing areas, it is acceptable to paddle a kayak that is designed for coastal tourism. It is best not to use paddles in close proximity to swimmers;
• Stay clear of sailing and other vessels with limited maneuverability. Do not cross the paths of such vessels and the port entrance/exit channels equipped with green buoys on the left and red buoys on the right.

History

The history of kayaking dates back to the grey depths of time, when the peoples of Greenland, North America, Asia and the Arctic invented the first kayak. The basis of the boat was made of wood, bones of sea animals and covered with skins. The Aleuts and Inuit rubbed animal skins with oil to protect the boat from destructive contact with water.

Due to the scarcity of trees in the Arctic, rafting timber was used to make the first boats. The natives would hollow out a seat for the fisherman in a solid piece of wood and attach animal viscera filled with air to the kayak. Such a boat held well on the water and was practically unsinkable.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the Germans were the first to improve the design of a kayak by making it collapsible. Since the 50’s of the 20th century, the shape and functionality of boats underwent significant changes: kayaks began to be made of fiberglass. The buoyancy of such swimming aids improved many times over.

The first kayak competitions took place in 1936 between Germany and France. Since then, interest in kayaking and canoeing grew worldwide, and in the same year, kayaking competitions were included in the Olympics program as a separate sport, so now it is very popular among people from all over the world.