http://articles.kayaknow.com/rss.xml A blog about kayaknow.com daily 365 1901-01-01T00:00+00:00 http://articles.kayaknow.com/?a=35446 <p>by Gregg Hall</p><p>When talking about the sport of whitewater kayaking, to make a statement that is merely taking a paddle, in a kayak and going down or up stream, is a serious understatement. Kayaking is both dangerous and challenging, especially whitewater kayaking. <br /><br />So what exactly is a Kayak? It is a boat that is both long and thin, the hull is either v-shaped or rounded. In the middle of the boat, there is a seat specifically for the kayaker. Additionally, a skirt is fastened snuggly around the waste of the kayaker to prevent water from getting into the kayak, this skirt is waterproof. Kayaks come in many different lengths starting at 6 foot and to 12 feet. Kayaks are generally made of a sturdy and durable plastic that is damage resistant if the kayak should hit any sharp and jagged rocks while in the rapids.<br /><br />The kayak paddles is just as unique. It is a paddle with double blades, this allows the kayaker to alternate sides when paddling repeatedly, as the sport of kayaking dictates. This is very much like the paddles you see with rowboats, as they come with two oars instead of one and they are both used at the same time.<br /><br />When it comes to whitewater kayaking there are four different categories:<br /><br />Playboating<br />Slalom<br />Riverrunning<br />Creeking<br /><br />Playboating is something many kayakers enjoy because it calls for a variety of different moves that are almost gymnastic like. Some moves include looping, cartwheeling, spinning, and surfing. Playboaters used specialized kayaks for this sport. These are used in the &quot;whitewater rodeo&quot;, a playboating competition.<br /><br />Slalom is kayak racing with precision. There is a racecourse specifically designed for the slalom event and has gates that the kayaker must pass through in a predetermined order. Again, Slalom kayakers have specifically made boats solely used in the events. These come in a variety of different sizes and are constructed with carbon fibers and fiberglass. These materials create a faster and sleeker kayak for racing.<br /><br />Riverrrunning, is quite dangerous and challenging. Generally only expert kayakers take part in this type of event. The event consists of paddling down a calm, serene area of the river, then an obstacle course that is contained in harsh, unforgiving rapids and sometimes over a waterfall or two. <br /><br />Creeking is an extreme kayaking sport, it is even worse than riverrunning. This is only for the experienced kayakers and those that want the ultimate extreme event. It is extremely dangerous and occurs in some of the roughest and most unfriendly rivers you could imagine.</p><h3 class="popup">About the Author </h3><p>Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about kayaking and get Sea Kayaks at <a href="http://www.kayaknow.com/">http://www.kayaknow.com</a></p> 2006-08-12T16:10-04:00 http://articles.kayaknow.com/?a=35445 <p>by Gregg Hall</p><p>What is a kayak? It is a type of small boat; the kayaker sits in what is called the &quot;cockpit&quot;. The cockpit is designed of material that is waterproof, usually referred to as a spray deck or a spray skirt. These are created to help keep water out of kayak and secure the kayaker around the waist. All of these things combined creates a kayak that is virtually unsinkable, this is of course unless it gets a hole or runs into a large rock. <br /><br />Even though it is virtually unsinkable, it is possible for it to capsize relatively easily. This means the kayak turns upside down with the kayaker still inside. This is not a favorite for any kayaker, because they are essentially tied in the kayak. When learning to kayak, the first thing learned is recovery when capsized. <br /><br />Two blade, single paddles are used to move the kayak in the water. This is much different from the normal association of a paddle, single blade paddles. An extreme kayaker, lives for the thrill of dangerous waterfall or rapids, also referred to as whitewater. In fact, they will usually seek them out, and wants the danger and high that comes along with it. The recreational kayaker is far different, they will stick with milder forms of water, such as rivers and perhaps enjoy a little of the slower rapids, but when it comes to whitewater rapids, they will generally carry their kayak around these harsh rapids, also known as portage. <br /><br />Whitewater rapids are classified by an internal grading system in six different ways. A Class one (I) white water is the easiest to navigate, a class VI (six) is deemed extremely hard to navigate, in fact virtually impossible. The classifications of whitewaters change with the river throughout the day and seasons. The following is a general guide to the six classifications of whitewaters:<br /><br />Class I-Water is Smooth Flowing with an absence of rapids<br />Class II-Water is slightly rough, though the line is easy to pursue and see<br />Class III-Considered whitewater, but larger rafts can safely navigate. Canoeists and Kayakers on these waters should possess self-rescuing and rolling skills.<br />Class IV-Only for experienced kayakers, getting through might require the kayaker to maneuver through very quickly.<br />Class V-Advanced kayakers only, rapid scouting might be inevitable, hidden hazards possible, which will create the need for precise and experience maneuvers.<br />Class VI-Exploratory or Impassable, safety precautions are a must and only experts in teams should attempt.</p><h3 class="popup">About the Author </h3><p>Gregg Hall is an author living in Navarre Florida. Find more about kayaking and get Ocean Kayaks at <a href="http://www.kayaknow.com/">http://www.kayaknow.com</a></p> 2006-08-12T16:08-04:00