Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving over water. It is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle. A kayak is a low-to-the-water, canoe-like boat in which the paddler sits facing forward, legs in front, using a double-bladed paddle to pull front-to-back on one side and then the other in rotation. Most kayaks have closed decks, although sit-on-top and inflatable kayaks are growing in popularity as well.
A woman kayaking in a lagoon
Kayaking in whitewater rapids
Glowworm Kayaking at Waimarino Adventure Park
Sea kayaking at Wilson's Promontory in Victoria, Australia
A kayak is a small, narrow human-powered watercraft typically propelled by means of a long, double-bladed paddle. The word kayak originates from the Greenlandic word qajaq.
Whitewater kayaker at Great Falls, Virginia, United States
Inuit seal hunter in a kayak, armed with a harpoon
Interior 360 degree photosphere of a kayak at the Smithsonian National Museum of the American Indian. Click for an immersive 360 degree view.
Kayaks are often used to get closer to marine animals, such as sea otters.