kayaks for saleAbout KayaksA kayak is a type of small human-powered boat.
Kayaks are typically propelled with a double-ended paddle. The user or paddler sits down in the kayak with his feet forward. The top of the kayak is covered with a deck. The paddler sits in a hole in the cockpit which may be sealed off with a spray skirt (or spraydeck). This makes it possible that, should the kayak become inverted (capsize), the kayak will not fill with water, and the paddler, with skill, can right the kayak again without taking on water. This manoeuvre is known as an Eskimo Roll. In modern times kayaks have been further developed into several types including: whitewater, playboats, surfing, sea kayaks, flat-water racing, downriver racing, slalom, canoe polo and recreational. These types may also be subdivided. Modern kayaks are made of plastic, fiberglass, kevlar, carbon fiber, canvas, other fabrics, or wood. They come in one, two, and occasionally three person models. Some sit-on-top boats are also called kayaks, as the paddler propels the boat with a double-ended paddle. The design of different types of kayak is largely a matter of trade-offs between directional stability, or tracking, and maneuverability. Touring kayaks, sea kayaks and flat-water racing kayaks are built as long as possible in order to improve tracking, because the better the directional stability, the more efficiently each stroke contributes to forward motion, but at a cost of reduced maneuverability; solo touring boats are typically 16 or 17 feet long while a cruising or racing boat can be 20 feet or longer. (Longer boats also have a higher maximum non-planing hull speed, but the effect is largely offset by increased friction, and only becomes a significant factor at racing speeds.) Whitewater kayaks, which generally depend upon river current for their forward motion, are built quite short, to maximize maneuverability; whitewater boats rarely exceed eight feet in length, while playboats are generally about six feet long. The design of recreational kayaks is an attempt to compromise between tracking and maneuverability, while keeping costs reasonable; their length generally ranges from nine to fourteen feet. There are, of course, many more elements of kayak design— see the external links for more information. Most kayaks are rigid hulled, although folding kayaks that can be transported easily, and inflatable kayaks are not uncommon. |