The word kayak means ‘hunter’s boat’ in Inuit. The boat’s primary purpose was to hunt animals on inland lakes, rivers and the sea. A look at the native Greenland and Alaskan kayaks reveals a wide range of designs. Each has evolved as suitable for the region that it comes from.

The range of  commerically available specialist sea kayaks is also huge and, with many manufacturers competing for the top sales, competition is fierce. Sadly, most sea kayaks are available in one size due to design costs. What this means is that if you are smaller or larger than the person the kayak was designed around then it will not perform in the same manner.

Where Can Kayaks Go?

It is more often the experience, expertise and nerve of the kayaker, rather than the limits of the vessel that dictate what is possible. Numerous circumnavigations, crossings and exposed coastlines have all been kayaked successfully and undoubtedly more will be ticked off in the future.

Types of Kayak

The traditional kayak was for a single person, and most still are, although double kayaks have been in use for many years all around the World.

Most kayaks are now made of fiberglass, plastic or kevlar, although some enthusiasts still design and manufacture their own kayaks using the ‘stitch and glue’ plywood method or canvas with an internal wooden framework.

Kayak Design

The dominant forces acting on the kayak are wind and wind-generated waves. A kayak should move forwards and track in a straight line. Constant corrections to keep the boat heading on course waste energy that could be used to keep the boat moving ahead, and reduce the distance travelled for the energy expended.

As with people, not all sea kayaks are created equal. Long, narrow kayaks are fast and unstable; short wide-bodied kayaks are slow and stable. That is a reasonable rule of thumb to use in beginning a discussion of sea kayak design. The kayaks that influenced our designs of today were built from wood covered with skin. This meant that tight curves and concave shapes could not be achieved. A few thousand years of aboriginal development, updated with new designs and materials technology , have evolved kayak designs that avoid the extremes and provide well-balanced performance.

The majority of sea kayaks are between 4.5 metres and 6 metres long and between 53 cm and 81 cm wide. They tend to curve slightly from bow to stern (rocker), as this makes for a kinder ride, and they generally have an upward-curving bow which lets water be moved sideways rather than have the kayak plunge below the surface. The front deckis usually peaked, which allows water to run off before it hits the paddler in the chest.

A sea-touring kayak is defined by function more than form. Most of us prefer a boat that will paddle easily, will be kind to us when the water gets rough, and is suited to our style of paddling, body size, and equipment storage requirements.

Packing a Kayak

When going to sea it is important to ensure that you have all the things you will require for your trip to hand as when you are out in the sea you cannot land and gain easy access to any items needed. An often overlooked aspect of packing is that of trim.

Trim affects the kayak in the same way that the retractable skeg does; too much weight at the stern will cause it to turn downwind and too much at the bow will cause it to turn upwind.

Personal Equipment

Comfort

Choice of personal equipment is very important, as you will probably be wearing it for long periods of time. Comfort is of prime importance to the sea kayaker and most tend to wear layers of fleece or fibre-pile tops and trousers or salopettes. Unfortunately the majority of these are not windproof so it is a good idea to have a pair of windproof trousers available when you land. Many people still prefer to wear a long john type wetsuit, which does not interfere with the paddling action and will not chafe the tender underarm area.

Footwear

Some form of footwear should be used as some shores are likely to have broken bottles and discarded plastics.

Foul Weather Gear

Care should be taken in the choice of protective clothing. A dry-cag which keeps all the water out is not the most comfortable thing to wear all day, especially if the weather improves and necessitates its removal.

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