Kayak

A kayak is a small, narrow watercraft traditionally developed by Arctic indigenous peoples, including the Inuit, Yupik and Aleut, for hunting and travel across coastal and inland waters. Its defining features are a closed deck with one or more cockpits in which the paddler sits with legs extended forward, and propulsion by a double-bladed paddle worked from side to side, rather than the single-bladed paddle used with an open canoe. Traditional kayaks were built from a wood or whalebone frame stretched with sealskin or other animal hide, a design that has since been adapted into the wood, fiberglass and plastic recreational and sport kayaks used worldwide today.