Different Kinds of Kayaking For Your Family
If you want to explore the wild and beautiful features of nature and its waters, then there are a few ways better to do it than kayaking. Kayaking can be used for a variety of purposes, but a fun trip with the whole family tops our list. Kayaking is all about quietness, tranquility, and becoming one with nature and yourself. On the other hand, kayaking can also be extremely adventurous, competitive, and even dangerous. Pretty much anyone can go kayaking, from a son to a grandparent; it all depends on what you’re doing and where you’re going.
What Is Kayaking?
Kayaking is a kind of water activity using a small boat. The point is using a very narrow raft with a double-bladed paddle. The narrow boat has a small hole or cockpit in the middle for you. Some boats even have two or three cockpits so that multiple people can ride them and paddle together. This is common in the sport for competitive competitions, such as the Olympics. The harder and more you paddle, the faster you go.
Some people combine kayaking with other outdoor activities to maximize the fun and exploration, such as fishing, camping, or hiking near the body of water itself. In hardcore adventure races that combine different sports together, kayaking is one aspect, alongside trekking and mountain biking. In that case, you can spend a whole day or multiple days with the family exploring, exercising, and having fun. If you plan on doing it professionally, then you’re also in for quite a challenge.
When Did Kayaking Start?
Kayaking has been around for thousands of years. It may date all the way back to the Inuit, Yupik, and Aleut, which were the indigenous tribes in Alaska and North America. The tribes used the kayaks around 5,000 years ago mainly for hunting, fishing, and transportation across the waters. The tribes used the materials that were available, such as driftwood and whale skeletons, to build those kayaks, so they were very primitive, but they did the trick. In the 19th century, kayaking became more and more popular and accessible for more people, especially in Europe. In 1936, kayaking officially became an Olympic sport in the Berlin Olympics. Ever since the 1980s, polyester and plastic kayaks have been the go-to for most people.
Different Kinds of Kayaking
Depending on what you’re kayaking for, there are different kinds of activity to suit your need. These are:
1-Recreational Kayaking
Recreational kayaking is for, well, recreational purposes! It’s all about relaxation and serenity. Forget the complex and competitive nature of sports, as with this kind you’re just in your kayaking, slowly taking in the beautiful waters. This is the perfect kind of kayaking for your family, as it’s easy, slow, and doesn’t need any experience or skill. It’s also quite safe.
Recreational kayaks are special. They are about 9-12 feet long with a large cockpit. The most important feature of recreational kayaks is their stability. Because you can put your child in it, they have to be very stable and quite short, compared to other kinds of kayaks. This means they are also very easy to maneuver and get in and out of. Compared to others, recreational kayaks are also quite cheap. Whether buying or renting, it’s perfect for a short family trip. The one problem with recreational kayaks is tracking. Tracking means continuing to travel in a straight line, which means that your kayak may keep drifting left or right as you travel. This may be a bit problematic if you’re riding for long distances, but if you’re only doing it for fun, then it’s not a problem, as you’re most likely just cruising around and maneuvering anyway.
2-Touring
Touring is all about adventure. With this type, you’re on the body of water for a long time, covering long distances. Speed and competition aren’t the keys here since it’s still fun or comfortable enough if you’re willing to spend the time and have the energy to keep paddling for so long. Touring may take a few hours or under a day, so it’s spectacular for exploration and seeing different sights. For example, you can go touring in a new country you’re visiting to check out all the shores and islands.
Because of the long distance, touring is not the best idea for complete beginners or children. If you have some previous experience with a kayak, then you can give it a try. With the touring kayaks, you need something longer with the ability to track better than recreational kayaks. Your touring kayak would be longer than 12 feet and very narrow. Their length and narrow width make them faster and able to cover longer distances. However, this also means that they’re more expensive than your traditional kayak. As a pro, though, they can also store more stuff in them. Still, it’s best to get experienced with it, especially with its difficult turns and not-so-smooth entry and exit.
3-Sea Kayaking
Sea kayaking is similar to touring in a way, but of course, it’s in the sea. Just like touring, you’re riding for long distances and trying to get as much of the body of water as possible. Of course, this is exhilarating, but at the same time can be quite dangerous. Seas can turn in a minute, and waves are always a threat.
Sea kayaks, like touring kayaks, are designed for long distances and fewer turns and tricks. They’re long and narrow, and they’re also curved to handle the waves and rough waters. This is the sea we’re talking about, so you have to be careful and have some experience. Is it the best for the family? Maybe after a few recreational or touring trips. Seas are definitely worth exploring, so never rule it out entirely.
4-Whitewater Kayaking
As you may guess, whitewater kayaking is a kind of kayaking in, well, whitewater! What is white water? White water is fast, turbulent, and bubbly in rivers. This means that whitewater kayaking is quite dangerous, as the waters are tricky and restless. It should never be done without prior experience, and a partner is definitely preferred. The dangerous aspect makes it exciting and challenging, but it’s probably not the best option if you want to take the family out for some nice quality time.
There are a BUNCH of kayaks for white water kayaking. Some are very short, and some are not for much rowing or motion, such as playboats. If you’re not planning on doing anything intense, then river runners could do you well. They’re short and won’t give you the best tracking ever, but they’re serviceable. The more common kayaks for white water kayaking are traditional long boats and creek boats. Surprisingly, you can go for an inflatable whitewater kayak that’s cheap and shockingly good.
No, not that kind of surfing, but pretty close! Do you know how in surfing, you ride waves using the surfboard? Well, in surf kayaking, it’s pretty much the same, but you use a kayak instead of a surfboard. This is, of course, extremely tricky and requires lots of skill and experience. Otherwise, you may end up on the bad side of the wave. It’s also usually done alone, so it’s more of a single fun activity rather than a family one.
6-Fishing
Yes, it’s exactly what you think. Taking it back to its primitive roots, you can go on a kayak fishing trip with a kayak instead of a fishing boat. The best part is, that you can squeeze into the spots that you can’t get to with bigger boats. It also makes the whole fishing aspect fun, as you move from place to place with the paddles.
7-Playboating
Coming from the name, it’s a free-for-all, no rules barred when it comes to playboating. You take your kayak out into the water, get to a certain position of your liking, and start busting out moves, tricks, and maneuvers with the kayak, like doing donuts with a car, but with a kayak in rough waters. It’s important to note that you stay in one spot here and just go on freestyling as you like. While you can do it as a beginner, it’s best to get some experience if you’re going to be showing off technical moves. Can’t do a magic show without practicing the tricks first, right?
Can Anyone Kayak?
As we have mentioned, kayaking is relatively easy, and anyone can do it, depending on the type. Touring, white water kayaking, and the competitive ones for the Olympics should always be left to those who have enough experience, but as long as you can move your arms around for paddling, anyone can go and do some recreational kayaking. Super young kids should be kept in the cockpit under constant supervision, of course, but you can make sure they’re safe with you on your adventure.
What Do I Need To Start Kayaking?
There are a few essentials you need to have if you’re going to be kayaking for a few hours. Of course, you need a kayak that you can either buy or rent. Next, you want some basic survival stuff, like water, a helmet, first-aid, some food, a compass, and a map. If you’re going kayaking at night, then you will DEFINITELY need a flashlight with you to see in the dark waters. You also need easy communication if anything goes horribly wrong, so you might want to dust off the old radio. In both cases, you need a bag to put your stuff in so it doesn’t get absolutely submerged. Your clothes also need to be as waterproof as clothing-ly possible.
What Are The Benefits of Kayaking?
Kayaking has a ton of benefits, physical and mental. For the physical benefits, you’re going to get exercise like no other. There’s a reason it’s an Olympic sport, and everyone who does it is in great shape; it’s a KILLER arms and shoulders exercise from all the paddling and water resistance. So, it will definitely build up your strength and upper body. For your weight, you will also be losings tones if you kayak consistently. Do you want to burn 500 calories an hour? Then kayaking is the sport for you.
Your core and heart will also thank you. Kayaking is such a powerful cardio exercise that they’ve designed and made gym machines just to simulate the feeling of the bike. The more you paddle, the more your body moves, and the better your heart becomes. So, if you told your kids, you would take them somewhere? Better follow up on that promise. Your core is also developed significantly. Do you want abs? Then kayaking is the king for me.
As for the mental stuff, it’s all about relaxation and serenity with nature and even the really young but really smart students. It’s like meditation, so you will throw away all the stresses in life. You will focus better, be able to read a map, and feel way more confident than ever when a child comes up to you for something outside the class.
Takeaway
Overall, kayaking is an original and extremely fun sport if you’ve got the shoulder muscles for it. It’s been around for thousands of years, and thus many different kinds appeared of it. These are divided among difficulty and destination. You can go recreational kayaking without any hassle, touring, which is longer, and even the gimmicky stuff like kayak fishing and playboating. Each one will have a pebble, and everyone does it to enjoy nature or for the competitive aspect of it. Some will be having fun learning about the world, and some will only care about the ride itself, while some may find anything plain without the PowerPoint easily. As soon as you have done your research, you can buy or rent a kayak or paddle for your first adventure. It will be quiet, slow, and quite comfortable.