Kayak

A Kayak is a small, relatively narrow, human-powered boat primarily designed to be manually propelled by means of a double blade paddle. The traditional kayak has a covered deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one paddler. Their cockpit is sometimes covered by a spraydeck (or "skirt") that prevents the entry of water from waves or spray and makes it possible for highly skilled and specially trained kayakers, to roll the kayak: that is, to capsize and right it without it filling with water or ejecting the paddler. In modern kayaks, such recovery methods have been replaced by a preventive approach based on increasing the kayak's stability, and by that reducing the likelihood of its capsize. Many modern kayaks have modified the traditional design in various ways, such as: eliminating the cockpit by seating the paddler on top of the boat ("sit-on-top" kayaks); having inflated air chambers surrounding the boat; replacing the single hull by twin hulls ("W" kayak), and replacing paddles with other human powered propulsion methods, such as foot-powered rotational propellers and 'flippers'. Kayaks are also being sailed, as well as propelled by means of small electric motors, and even by outboard gas engines, when possible.

Sport kayaker at Great Falls, Virginia

Kayaks are often used to get closer to marine animals, for example sea otters

 

In some parts of the world, such as the United Kingdom, kayaks may be considered a subtype of canoes.

The kayak was first made and used by the native Ainu, Aleut and Eskimo hunters in sub-Arctic regions of northeastern Asia, North America and Greenland.