Canoeing Canoeing Coot Category="Canoeing"Category="Individual sports"Category="Olympic sports"Category="Racing sports"Category="Survival skills"[image] Canoeing is the recreational or sporting activity of Paddling a Canoe or Kayak. It usually refers exclusively to using a Paddle to propel a canoe or kayak with only human muscle power. A Kayak is a closed-top boat and is propelled using a Paddle with two blades, whereas canoes are open-topped boats (sometimes with a removable spray skirt) propelled using single- or double-bladed paddles. Confusingly, canoeing is used as a generic term for both forms, though the term "paddle sports" is also used. Open canoes may be 'poled' (punted), sailed, 'lined and tracked' (using ropes)or even 'gunnel-bobbed'.

In modern canoe sport, both canoes and kayaks may be closed-decked. Other than by the minimum competition specifications (typically length and width (beam))and seating arrangement it is difficult to differentiate most competition canoes from the equivalent competition kayaks. The most common difference is that competition kayaks are always seated, and competition canoes are generally kneeling. Exceptions include Canoe Marathon (in both European and American competitive forms) and sprint (high kneeling position). Whilst traditional 'canadian' canoes are seated, whitewater rodeo and surf variants increasingly employ the use of 'saddles' to give greater boat control under extreme conditions.

'Sit on tops' are sealed-hull (unsinkable)craft which were developed in the past for low level leisure use, as derivatives from surfboards (eg paddle or wave skis), or for surf conditions. Variants include planing surf craft, touring kayaks, and sea marathon kayaks. Increasingly manufacturers are building leisure 'sit on top' variants of extreme sports craft, often supplanted with a skeg (fixed rudder) for directional stability. Other variants within the sport include inflatable kayaks and canoes(air boats) capable of extreme conditions.

Sport

The International Canoe Federation is a well known canoeing organization around the world. The ICF recognises several competitive and non-competitive disciplines of canoeing, of which Sprint and Slalom are the only two competing in the Olympic games. The United States Canoe Association is widely considered the American authority in sport and recreational canoeing, and recognizes many ICF classes.

Unclassified Styles

Recreational

Other recreational aspects of canoeing are not strictly defined, and distinctions are rather articifical and growing increasingly blurred as new hybrid canoes, kayaks, and similar craft are developed. Some of these forms may be nominally organised at national levels, but are largely individual, group, or club activities. For many groups there is no emphasis on training, the goal is simply to use boats to have fun on the water.

Other Forms

In some countries, these forms of paddling may come under the national canoeing organisations, but they are not universally accepted as canoeing, even though they involve propelling a small craft with a paddle.

In the United States and Canada, 'canoeing' usually refers only to open canoes, as opposed to both canoes and kayaks.

See also

See also kayaking, Paddling, Canoe, Kayak, Paddle.

External links