The Sport of Kayaking

Kayaking is an outdoor sport, practiced by adrenaline-junkies, in which enthusiasts paddle wild rivers and creeks in small, enclosed boats.

Sir William Francis Butler (1872) explains the thrill of kayaking:

It is difficult to find in life any event which so effectually condenses intense nervous sensation into the shortest possible space of time as does the work of shooting, or running an immense rapid.

There is no toil, no heart breaking labour about it, but as much coolness, dexterity, and skill as man can throw into the work of hand, eye, and head; knowledge of when to strike and how to do it; knowledge of water and rock, and of the one hundred combinations which rock and water can assume -- for these two things, rock and water, taken in the abstract, fail as completely to convey any idea of their fierce embracings in the throes of a rapid as the fire burning quietly in a drawing-room fireplace fails to convey the idea of a house wrapped and sheeted in flames.

Following is a list of kayaking resources you will find in this document:

  • Books
  • Magazines
  • Outfitters
  • River descriptions
  • Travel agencies

    • This document provides information on a number of kayaking topics:

     kayaking gear         sea kayaking

 paddle information    kayaking resources

    Kayaking Gear

    Kayaking uses a dizzying array of specialized gear:
    1. Kayaks
    2. There are many types of kayak paddles:

    Essential items to have while kayaking:

    Life jacket
    A life jacket is essential while kayaking as it provides flotation.
    Helmet
    A helmet protects the head against blows against rocks.

    Other things you need include:

    Spray skirt
    The spray skirt fits between the torso of the kayaker and the boat, and prevents water from swamping the kayak.
    Paddle
    A paddle allows the kayaker to navigate in the water.

    How to paddle a kayak

    Kayaks are navigated using a long two-bladed paddle, which looks something like this: 

    	 __
	|  |
	|  |
	 ||
	 ||
	 ||
	 ||
	 ||
	 ||
	|  |
	|__|

    There are many types of kayak paddles:

    Make sure you choose the right type.

    Sea Kayaking

    Sea kayaking is also exciting. You can find out more about sea kayaking in the sea kayaking FAQ.

    Popular Kayaking Locations

    Kayaking and other river sports are very popular recreational activities in New Zealand. Popular rivers for these sports are

    1. The Shotover River, South Island
    2. The Buller River, South Island
    3. The Karamea River, South Island
    4. The Rangitikei River, North Island
    5. The Mohaka River, North Island

    Kayaking is especially rewarding on those rivers in the United States that have been designated by Congress as part of the Wild and Scenic River system. These rivers include:

  • The Tuolumne River, California
  • The Chattooga River, Georgia
  • The Rogue River, Oregon
  • The Illinois River, Oregon
  • The Middle Fork of the Salmon, Idaho
  • The Selway River, Idaho

    • Kayaking Resources

    A number of kayaking magazines are also available to help you to learn more about the sport. My favorite kayaking magazine is Wave~Length.

    Here are a couple kayaking things that you might want to FTP: A Picture of a Kayak , a listing of Kelly's account

    If you want to go on a kayak trip, this company can help: ECHO: The Wilderness Company - Classic River Adventures In The West.

    There are many resources about the Grand Canyon that you might want to check

    You can get more kayaking information from this gopher server.

    It is important to know what the weather will be like before going on a kayak trip. You can get National Weather Service forcasts for any location from the University of Michigan WEATHER UNDERGROUND.

    You can find more information about kayaks in the newsgroup rec.boats.paddle.

    For more information, contact:

    Kelly Kayaker
    kayaker@ozone.com

    Document last updated: October 10, 1996

    Back to top of document