A sea kayak or touring kayak is a kayak used for the sport of paddling on open waters of lakes, bays, and oceans. Sea kayaks are seaworthy small boats with a covered deck and the ability to incorporate a spray deck. They trade off the manoeuvrability of whitewater kayaks for higher cruising speed, cargo capacity, ease of straight-line paddling (tracking), and comfort for long journeys.
Sea kayaks are used around the world for marine (sea) journeys from a few hours to many weeks, and can accommodate one to three paddlers along with their camping gear, food, water, and other supplies. Solo sea kayaks are long, while tandem craft can be up to long; beam widths range from to .
The term "sea kayaking" may have been popularised by the 1981 book Sea Kayaking by John Dowd, who said, "It wasn't called sea kayaking until my book came out; it was called kayak touring or sea canoeing or canoe touring, blue-water paddling, coastal paddling, all those things".
Origins
Contemporary sea kayaks trace their origin to the native boats of
Alaska, northern
Canada, and Southwest
Greenland.
Inuit (formerly
Eskimo) hunters developed a fast seagoing craft to hunt
Earless seal and
walrus.
The ancient
Aleut name for an
Aleutian kayak is
Iqyak,
and earliest models were constructed from a light wooden frame (tied together with
sinew or
baleen) and covered with
sea mammal (
sea lion or
Pinniped) hides. Archaeologists have found evidence indicating that kayaks are at least 4000 years old.
[ Made in Anglesey, paddled in the Arctic: the Inuits' plastic kayak rules the waves TimesOnline December 2006] Wooden kayaks and fabric kayaks on wooden frames (such as the
folding kayak) dominated the market up until the 1950s, when fiberglass boats were introduced.
rotomolding plastic kayaks first appeared in 1984.
Design
Modern sea kayaks come in a wide array of materials, designs, and sizes to suit a variety of intended uses. In sea kayaking, where the designs continue along primarily traditional lines, the primary distinction is between
rigid kayaks and
. Folding kayaks are in some ways more traditional boats, being similar in design to
skin-on-frame kayaks used by native people. Modern folding kayaks use
fraxinus and
birch or contemporary materials such as
aluminum for the frame, and replace the
sealskin covering with synthetic waterproof fabrics. Unlike rigid kayaks, folding kayaks can be easily disassembled and packed for transport. Many folding kayaks include inflatable
sponsons that improve the secondary stability of the vessel, helping to prevent capsize. More recently, a class of inflatable folding kayaks has emerged, combining a more limited rigid frame with a tightly inflated skin to produce greater rigidity than an inflatable boat alone.
In recent years, there has been an increase in production of suitable for sea use.
Most rigid sea kayaks also derive from the external designs of native vessels, especially those from Greenland, but the strength of modern materials such as fiberglass, rotomolding and carbon fiber eliminate the need for an internal frame, though significantly increasing weight. Modern skin-on-frame sea kayaks constructed with nylon skins represent an ultralight niche within the rigid sea kayak spectrum. Some recent design innovations include:
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Recreational kayaks – shorter kayaks with wide beams and large cockpits intended for sheltered waters
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Sit-on-top kayaks – boats without an enclosed cockpit, but with the basic hull shape of a kayak.
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Inflatable kayaks with either a removable bladder within a tough outer skin, or a single skin similar to that used in rigid inflatable boat (RIB) construction.
A different class of vessel emerged in the 1960s, the surf ski, a long, narrow boat with low inherent stability that is intended for use in surf and following waves.
Size
Most production sea kayaks are between in length, the larger kayaks often built for two (or in rare cases, three) paddlers. The width (beam) of typical kayaks varies from , though specialized boats such as
surf skis may be narrower.
The length of a kayak affects not only its cargo capacity (for both gear and paddlers) but may also affect its "tracking" ability—the ease with which the boat travels in a straight line. While other design features also impact tracking, very long kayaks are easier to paddle straight (and harder to turn). The width of a kayak affects the cargo capacity, the maximum size of the cockpit (and thus the size of the paddler in that cockpit), and (to a degree that depends on the design of the hull) the stability.
Material
Most rigid production kayaks are now made out of
fiberglass,
rotomolding, thermoformed plastic, blow moulded polyethylene or
carbon-
kevlar. More exotic materials include
carbon fiber and
foam core. Some kayaks are hand-built from
plywood or wood strips covered with
fiberglass. Skin-on-frame kayaks are built on wood or aluminum frames covered in
canvas,
dacron, or other fabrics, and may include inflatable tubes called
sponsons.
Marine grade plywood available today provides a high strength to weight ratio for kayak construction.
Inflatable kayaks may be made from cheaper polyvinyl chloride (PVC) with a nylon outer skin to resist abrasion, or more expensive single-skin designs made from hypalon which is very tough and easy to dry after use.
Bow, stern, and deck
There are many design approaches for the bow, stern, and deck of kayaks. Some kayaks have upturned bows, which are meant to provide better performance when paddling into waves, as well as better wave-shedding ability. Other kayaks achieve this through increased
buoyancy in the bow. Kayaks with unobstructed stern decks may ease certain types of
self-rescue. Waterproof bulkheads in modern kayaks provide flotation in the event of capsize.
Sea kayak decks typically include one or more hatches for easy access to the interior storage space inside. Kayak decks usually include attachment points for deck lines of various kinds, which are aids in self-rescue and attachment points for above-deck equipment or luggage.
Cockpits can be of several designs. They can be large or small. A large keyhole cockpit can give the advantages of both, and combine firm contact between paddler and boat, while offering relatively easier access.
Equipment
Sea kayaks have a wide range of hull designs, which greatly expands their range of performance. Designs can accommodate a wide range of physical fitness, or usage. Boats come in many lengths, whereby shorter boats are generally more maneuverable, and longer boats generally travel straighter and faster. Width of beam can affect a boat's stability, speed, and ability to bring to an edge. The amount of rocker (the curve from bow to stern) can greatly affect the ability of a boat to turn.
Many have steering gear or tracking aids in the form of or . In most cases, rudders are attached at the stern and operated by lines (wire or synthetics such as Spectra) from foot pedals in the cockpit. Rudders are typically retractable for beach landings. Skegs are typically retractable straight blades that drop from a well in the stern of the boat. Both devices assist in paddling when a strong wind or waves are coming from a direction other than directly in front.
Paddles
Sea-kayak
, and the associated paddling styles, fall into three basic classifications:
- European
- Two roughly spoon-shaped blades at either end of a cylindrical shaft. This paddle style was developed for fast acceleration and sudden manoeuvring in whitewater kayaking, and then back-ported to sea-kayaking. European-style paddles can be made of aluminium, plastic, or even wood; but the best are usually formed of more expensive materials like carbon-fibre for lightness. Often the two blades are feathered, or set at an angle relative to each other (both for ergonomic efficiency, and so that as one blade moves backwards through the water, the opposite blade moving forward through the air presents its edge, rather than its face). This makes it less efficient with the wind on the side or behind.
- Greenland
- Relatively narrow blades which are rounded and full near the loom and blade roots, and becoming oval near the blade tips. Some paddles feature a "shoulder", or abrupt transition between the loom and blade roots. Greenland paddle blades are usually not feathered. Short Greenland paddles (generally one arm-span in length), called storm paddles, are used with a sliding stroke, during which the hands are shifted along the blades for each stroke. Storm paddles are often used as spares and in very windy locations, as there is very little outboard blade to catch the wind.
- Wing
- The blade of the paddle is shaped with a profile like a wing. When used with a particular stroke, the blade produces lift as it moves through the water, enabling the kayaker to produce more forward motion than with any other kind of paddle. The paddling technique is different from the European style paddle though the same motion is how the Greenland paddle works with its narrow blade. It is most often used in racing, but also sees some limited use in recreational paddling such as touring.
Dimensions
True sea kayaks, not to be mistaken for wider, more stable recreational kayaks, are available in many designs. The length of a solo sea kayak can range anywhere from long, and tandem kayaks can range from long. Sea kayaks can range in width (beam) from 22 to 24 inches wide.
Wider touring kayaks of ) are better for bigger paddlers, or small/average sized paddlers looking for more initial stability and maneuverability. Narrower beams of are good for small-medium-sized paddlers who want more speed and less maneuverability. And lastly, kayak depth (or the height from the hull to the highest area of the deck) can range from high.
This design is typical of modern sea kayaks and has a low rear deck for easy rolling, a white water cockpit, compartments that allow the kayaker to reach into them while at sea, and a sloping rear bulkhead that enables the kayak to be emptied by lifting the bow.
Safety
A sea kayak's primary safety device is its paddler. Although some kayakers consider a well-practised self-righting move such as an
Eskimo roll to be essential in order to safe open-water kayaking, it is the technique of bracing that every well-trained, experienced kayaker practises in order to maintain an upright position in their kayak. Practice in bracing is often neglected by inexperienced kayakers once they have learned the Eskimo roll. However, the reality is that having to roll really means having to recover from a failed brace. Being in the capsized position in some environments due to missing a brace can put the paddler in danger of colliding with obstacles under the water. Staying upright in surf zones, rocky surf zones (informally known as rock gardens), and rivers is most important and is only accomplished through well-practised and successful bracing.
While there are a number of techniques for unassisted righting and re-entry of a kayak after a capsize and turtling, most paddlers consider it safest to paddle with one or more others, as assistance is useful if attempting to recover via rolling solo fails. Even if the assistance fails to successfully right the kayaker, it is much easier to climb back into a boat in the open sea if one has another boat and paddler to help and the swamped boat has been emptied of water first. Nonetheless, experienced paddlers do attempt open-water crossings unaccompanied, and many major long-distance kayak expeditions have been carried out solo.
The use of a paddle float self-rescue device, generally consisting of foam or in the form of an inflatable bag, and attached to the end of a paddle when needed, allows the paddle to be used as an outrigger while climbing back into the cockpit. If an inflatable paddle float is chosen, it should be a dual-chambered model on account of the safety advantage (in the event of failure of one chamber) that is conferred by the redundancy. The kayaker is advised to train with only one chamber inflated. In many areas (Canada, for instance), a paddle float is a safety item required by the coast guard. Re-entry using a paddle float is a fairly reliable rescue technique that, if well practised, allows one to paddle with confidence when one is not equipped with a flawlessly honed rolling skill.
There is a strong culture of self-sufficiency amongst sea kayakers and extensive safety equipment such as compass, towing lines, manual pumps, repair kits including wet application repair tape, flares, paddle leash, spare paddles, and survival gear are routinely carried; along with supplies of food and a flask of hot beverage for non-emergency use. GPS, charts, lights, radios and cell phones, and are also sometimes carried.
Forms of sea kayaking
Kayak sailing
Developed by kayak enthusiasts, Kayak sails can supplement or effectively eliminate the need for paddling. Using a sail can increase offshore range and allow longer expeditions. Use of a sail for touring has established a strong following with recreational sea kayakers, expedition paddlers, and adventure racers.
Expedition trips
Weekend trips with overnight camping are popular among recreational kayakers and many combine kayaking with wildlife watching. Modern sea kayaks are designed to carry large amounts of equipment and unsupported expeditions of two weeks or more are conducted in environments ranging from the tropics to the Arctic. Expedition kayaks are designed to handle best when loaded, so it may be necessary to ballast them on shorter trips.
Surf kayaking
Closely related to surf boards and requiring a mix of
surfing and kayaking skills, a wide range of sea kayaks are specifically designed for the sport of
surf kayaking.
Sea fishing
The sea
kayak has long been a means of transportation and a means of accessing fishing grounds and kayak fishing has gained popularity due to the availability of purpose built stable designs. This technological development also solves some ergonomic problems that are associated with sitting for long hours without being able to change positions and special kayaks for fishing are accessorized for this sport, including specially designed hatches, built-in rod holders, catch bags and equipment mounts.
Many of the techniques used in kayak fishing are the same as those used on other fishing boats. The difference is in the set-up, how each piece of equipment is fitted to the kayak, and how each activity is carried out on such a small craft. Contemporary kayaks can be equipped with fishing aids such as rod holders, electronic Fishfinder and live-bait containers. Kayak Fisherman target highly prized bottom feeders like halibut and cod and also Pelagic zone like , tuna, sailfish, wahoo, and even marlin.
Pioneering expeditions
- Pre-1900
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There is controversial evidence to suggest early trans-Atlantic kayak journeys from Labrador or Greenland to Scotland by Inuit paddlers. At the end of the 17th century there were at least three separate kayaks preserved in Scotland. One kayak, with associated equipment, is preserved in Aberdeen's Marischal Museum. It was found, with dying occupant, on a nearby shore. Some suggest the occupants were escaped Inuit from European ships, Inuit storm-driven from Greenland, or from a European source. Many suggest Inuit and their kayaks to be the origin of the Celtic Finn-men, or Selkie, legends.
[MacRitchie, Scot, The Aberdeen Kayak and its Congeners, Royal Scottish Geographical Society Magazine, Feb 12, 1912, http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/adsdata/PSAS_2002/pdf/vol_046/46_213_241.pdf ]
- 1920s
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Franz Romer crossed the Atlantic Ocean solo in a fabric skin-covered kayak in 1928. His crossing from the Canary Islands to Puerto Rico took 58 days at sea but he was lost in a hurricane trying to get to New York
- 1930s
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Oskar Speck was a German canoeist who kayaked from Germany to Australia between 1932 and 1939. Speck paddled approximately 30,000 miles over seven years and four months.
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Alastair Dunnett and James Adam kayaked from Glasgow to Skye Scotland in 1934. Their journey is chronicled in the book Quest by Canoe: Glasgow to Skye (1950), republished in 1969 as It's Too Late in the Year, and again in 1995 as The Canoe Boys: From the Clyde Past the Cuillins.
- 1950s
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J. Lewis Henderson kayaked the Scottish coastline as documented in his book Kayak to Cape Wrath (1951).
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Hannes Lindemann sailed an Aerius II kayak across the Atlantic from the Canary Islands to the Caribbean in 1956. Documented in the book Alone at Sea.
- 1960s
- 1970s
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Derek Hutchinson was the first to cross the North Sea in 1976. After several near-death failures he finally managed it in 31 hours.
[ Paddler Magazine Online : The 10 All-time Greatest Sea Kayaking Expeditions ] The kayak used in the crossing is today located in the National Maritime Museum Cornwall.
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Nigel Foster and Geoff Hunter were the first to circumnavigate Iceland in 1977. Foster recounts this journey in his book Iceland by Kayak (2023)
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Frank Goodman was the first to circumnavigate Cape Horn in 1977.
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Paul Caffyn was the first person to circumnavigate the South Island of New Zealand in the summer of 1977/78. He describes it in his book Obscured by Waves.
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Paul Caffyn was the first person to circumnavigate the North Island of New Zealand in the summer of 1978/79. He describes it in his book Cresting the Restless Waves.
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Earle Bloomfield and John Brewster were the first to circumnavigate Tasmania in 1979.
- 1980s
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Paul Caffyn and Nigel Dennis were the first sea kayakers to circumnavigate Great Britain in 1980, a distance of in 85 days.
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Jim Breen, Gus Mathieson, Bill Turnbull and Peter Wilson completed the first circumnavigation of the Vesteralen and Lofoten Islands in Arctic Norway in 1980 including the dual crossing of the Maelstrom (Moskenstraumen) the largest whirlpool area in the world. The Scottish Maritime Museum in Irvine retains a kayak and range of equipment used.
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Nigel Foster paddled solo crossing Hudson Strait from Baffin Island to northern Labrador in 1981. Foster's book On Polar Tides (2016) recounts both his 1981 voyage and his 2004 return to the northern Labrador coast.
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Paul Caffyn was the first person to circumnavigate Australia in 1981/82 covering a distance of . He describes it in his book The Dreamtime Voyage (1994).
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Laurie Ford paddled solo (sail assisted) across Bass Strait in 1982.
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David Taylor and James Moore were the first to circumnavigate The Faroe Islands in 1985.
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Brian Wilson rounded Scotland's main coastline (including the inner and outer Hebrides) on a solo trip lasting over 4 months in 1985. Described in his book Blazing Paddles (1989).
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Earle Bloomfield, Larry Gray, Rob Casamento, and Graeme Joy paddled northwards across Bass Strait in 1986. (Note that the northward crossing is more difficult than the southward.)
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Bill Taylor, Richard Elliott, and Mick Wibrew accomplished between April and September 1986 the first circumnavigation by kayak of both Britain and Ireland. Their journey is chronicled in the book Commitment and Open Crossings (1992) by Bill Taylor.
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Ed Gillet paddled for 63 days from San Diego, California, to Maui, Hawaii, on a 2,200 mile route in 1987.
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Howard Rice accomplished a solo circumnavigation around Cape Horn in 1989.
- 1990s
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Rebecca Ridgway was the first woman to circumnavigate Cape Horn in 1992. Her journey is chronicled in her book Something Amazing: Cape Wrath to Cape Horn by Way of Peru (1993).
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Michael Herman kayaked from Thunder Bay (Ontario) to Toronto Canada in 1994, described in his book No Roads to Follow: Kayaking the Great Lakes Solo (2011).
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Adventurer Chris Duff circumnavigated Ireland in 1996. Duff's journey was chronicled in his book On Celtic Tides (1999).
- 2000s
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Jon Turk and his team were the first to cross the Bering Strait as they paddled from Japan to Alaska in 2000.
(2006). 007147465X, McGraw-Hill Education. 007147465X
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Ken Campbell circumnavigated Newfoundland in Canada in 2000. His book Around the Rock (2004) describes the journey.
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Chris Duff circumnavigated New Zealand's South Island in 2000. Detailed in his book Southern Exposure (2003).
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Peter Bray crossed the Atlantic Ocean solo from Canada to Ireland in 2001. Deatiled in his book Kayak Across the Atlantic (2015).
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Trys Morris, Gemma Rawlings and Justine Curgenven successfully circumnavigated Tasmania in 2004. This journey is featured in the documentary film This Is The Sea 2 (2006).
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Fiona Whitehead circumnavigated Great Britain and Ireland in 2004 in 93 paddling days, 140 days in total.
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In May 2004, Mark Western completed the first solo circumnavigation of Taiwan in 34 days.
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Harry Whelan, Barry Shaw and Phil Clegg are considered to have been the fastest around Great Britain in 2005, completing the circumnavigation in 80 days.
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In November 2005 the first kayak circumnavigation of South Georgia in the Southern Atlantic was completed by The Adventure Philosophy team of Graham Charles, Marcus Waters and Mark Jones in 18 days, a distance of 600 km.
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Eric Stiller and Tony Brown unsuccessfully attempted circumnavigation of Australia. The trip ended in failure roughly a third of the way through. Described in the book Keep Australia on your left (2002).
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Rotem Ron completed the first solo kayak circumnavigation of Iceland in 2006.
[ טרה סנטה קיאקים ימיים . Seakayak.co.il. Retrieved on 2013-07-12.] The following year in 2007, Freya Hoffmeister and Greg Stamer also circumnavigated Iceland achieving the fastest time.
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In 2008, Justin Jones and James Castrission (Cas and Jonesy) kayaked 3318 km across the Tasman Sea from Australia to New Zealand, becoming the first people to cross the Tasman Sea from Australia to New Zealand in a kayak. The journey took a total of 60 days, 20 hours and 50 minutes for crossing.
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Freya Hoffmeister achieves the fastest circumnavigation of South Island New Zealand in 2008.
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American kayaker Marcus Demuth completed the first solo circumnavigation of the Falkland Islands on January 26th 2009. The trip took 22 Days, with 4 days off (Jan 5th to Jan 26th, 2009). Distance covered: 639 miles.
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In July 2009, Patrick Winterton and Mick Berwick completed the first unsupported kayak crossing from Scotland to the Faroe Islands.
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Freya Hoffmeister successfully circumnavigated Australia in 2009. Her journey is chronicled in the book "Fearless: One Woman, One Kayak, One Continent" by Joe Glickman (2012)
- 2010s
See also
External links
