kayaks for sale

Skin on Frame Kayaks

Often an umbrella term for several types of kayaks, Skin on Frame boats are primarily considered a more traditional boat in design, materials, construction, and technique. They are often the lightest kayaks, and traditionally made of drift wood pegged and or lashed together and Seal skin stretched over it, as those were the easiest materials to source in the arctic regions. These boats are indigenous, too.

The Dutch were some of the first Europeans to take interest in the indigenous American boat design, spelling the name for these Inuit & Aleut boats, Qajaq. This spelling of the word kayak has evolved to be synonymous with “traditional kayak” and often encompasses three sub categories of boats separated by development local:

Baidarkas, from the Alaskan & Aleutian seas, and are a much older design. Their more rounded shape and high number of chines give them an almost Blimp-like appearance.

West Greenland kayaks are what most neo-traditional polymer boats are modeled after. Possessing often fewer chines they are more angular in shape, the gunnels rising to a point at the bow and stern.

East Greenland kayaks appear similar to the West Greenland boat, but are often more snugly fitted to the boater and possess a steeper angle between gunnel and stem. Lending maneuverability traits more adapted to the local environment.