Kayak

The kayak was developed by the Eskimos as a fast, maneuverable boat for hunting. The Eskimos built a frame from wood and bone, which was covered with animal skins. Especially in Greenland, the traditional kayak construction method is still used, although today the skin is usually made of impregnated canvas. For kayaking, the Eskimos wore special kayak gloves with two thumbs during the cold season.

The construction of kayaks is subject to regional differences; in Alaska rather short and wide, in Greenland rather long and narrow. The kayak is traditionally a closed men's boat, the open-topped women's boat is the umiak. Similar boats, namely, baidarkas, were used in the Aleutian Islands. An invention of the Eskimos is also the technique known as the Eskimo roll (also: capsize roll) to right oneself quickly and without getting out when capsizing.

One of the oldest completely preserved kayaks is in the Schiffergesellschaft in Lübeck. It was salvaged in the North Atlantic at the beginning of the 17th century.

Development and spread in Europe

At the beginning of the 19th century, "Greenlanders" were used sporadically in Germany. In 1860 the first Greenlander Club was founded in Breslau. In 1866 the Scotsman John MacGregor published A Thousand Miles in the Rob Roy Canoe on Rivers and Lakes of Europe. Before the invention of the folding boat, the kayak spread mainly through northern and central Germany. The return transport was difficult against the stronger current of the rivers in southern Germany. The first half of the 20th century was the heyday of folding boats (foldable kayaks made of wooden or metal frame, covered with impregnated fabric). With the increasing motorization, their necessity decreased, although the folding boat still has advantages especially for rail and long-distance travel.

Design

Modern kayaks are mostly made of polyethylene, ABS, GRP, CFRP, aramid fibre reinforced plastic or wood. For inflatable kayaks, rubber or PVC are the most common materials. There are different types for different applications and canoe sports, which can differ greatly in their construction (closed, open or sit-on-top; ratio of length and width, shape of the hull). They are usually designed for one to two persons, in racing for up to four persons.

Types (selection)

Hiking kayak

Hiking or touring kayaks are usually between 3.50 and 5.50 meters long and vary in width from 50 to 85 centimeters. Hiking kayaks can be found as a single, and very popular as a double in the standard range of manufacturers; a child can also still be accommodated in many K2 kayaks, some kayaks are specially equipped with 2+1 seats. Hiking kayaks usually offer a lot of storage space in front and behind the paddler.

Poldikajak

The Poldikajak is a kayak with a concave shape in the lower hull. The cross-section of the lower hull is a bit wider, making the kayak more stable. The water flow under the boat thanks to the concave shape stabilizes the direction of travel. The boat becomes straighter because all the paddling forces are transformed into the direction of travel, which in turn helps the speed of the boat. The usual "zigzag" ride of the paddle boat is minimized.

play boat (rodeo boat)

Playboats or also called rodeo boats are boats for "playing", which are used in playboating. They are particularly short (max. 2.00 meters) and agile, usually have the largest volume in the space of the cockpit, so that the candling (vertical position of the boat) and associated figures are facilitated. Most often played on a wave or a roller. Play boating in competition is called canoe freestyle, in it are also held world and European championships, as well as world cups.

Racing kayak

Racing kayaks or boats are boats specially developed for competitive sports. They are particularly narrow. The specification for the length is a maximum of 5.20 meters for a single kayak K1. Modern boats are made of carbon and weigh at least 12 kilograms. In canoe racing, world, European and German as well as regional and local championships are held, and there is participation in World Cups and Summer Olympic Games. Canoe racing is the most successful sport in Germany (medal table).

Common equipment

The most important items of equipment are double paddle, life jacket and suitable footwear that does not interfere with swimming and provides sufficient protection against injury when getting out (e.g. water sports shoes or booties). Paddlers wear special clothing suitable to move more comfortably with special functional underwear and paddling jackets and pants. To make the kayak unsinkable, buoyancy aids are part of the equipment if the boat is not divided by bulkheads. Water penetration into the hull can be reduced by a nylon or neoprene spraydeck, if the rider is sufficiently familiar with its operation to be able to get out if the boat capsizes. Many sea and touring kayaks, and all racing kayaks, are fitted with a rudder to keep the boat on course. This consists of a steering fin in the stern (either under the stern or at the rear of the stern) and is operated by a pulley with the feet. This steering blade can be retractable, so that in heavily weedy waters the progress is not hindered, in shallow waters it does not come to grounding and if necessary it does not get damaged. Especially in hiking kayaks, which offer enough stowage space, a change of clothes and sometimes also camping equipment is taken along, especially on longer tours. Everything is packed as waterproof as possible.