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The originals kayaks were made by the Eskimos who live in the arctic. They made their living from the land and sea. Over centuries the developed a lightweight skin covered boat for hunting seals and walrus in the open ocean. These little boats looked like toys but the design was fantastic allowing for safe travel in the open seas without getting wet. Over the last seventy five years or so the white man has copied the Eskimo boat called kayak. The word kayak means hunting boat in the Eskimo language. We now have a whole array of models from knockdown boats with hard frames, inflatable kayaks, and hard shell models. The hard shell kayaks may be made of fiberglass, PVC, plastic or wood. They are a wonderful way to go and even though they are a little more unstable than the soft shell or inflatable models, with the proper training they are safe. Training. The hard shell kayak is narrower than the soft shell. Even a couple of inches added to the width of the kayak can affect the stability. Most areas where kayaking is popular will have folks who offer kayak training. Kayak rental businesses do this on a regular demand basis. There you will be taught how to enter and exit the kayak and how to paddle. You should be taught how to do a maneuver called the Eskimo roll. This is where you, while sitting in the seat, roll over and with a quick move with your paddle, come up the other side. This training is extremely important to the safe operation of the kayak and you should not even consider traveling in the kayak without being confident you can do it. The sea kayak or ocean kayak as they may be known is available in one or tandem seat models. They are quite long with the longest about twenty one feet. There are room storage ports both forward and aft where you may keep camping equipment and clothing. Bungee cords fore and aft provide additional space if required for that long trip. These boats are quite fast and cut through the waves and glide over the swell easily. Most are equipped with a rudder system. The kayaks built with PVC are very tough and usually bounce off rocks and obstructions with ease. If there is one advantage the knockdown or inflatable kayak has over the hard shell it is storage. The hard shell need storage room. If you live in an apartment or condo that could be a problem as generally there is no room for that kind of boat. The other disadvantage is transportation. The hard shell needs a trailer or roof rack on the vehicle. These racks are available for most types of vehicles, however they present two problems. First, no matter how well made and how careful you are, you will damage the paint on the roof. Second, getting a hard shell eighteen foot kayak off and on the roof may be a little much for the average person. It can be done but it is not easy. Kayaking in a hard shell is a wonderful sport. Give it a try and you will be pleased you did. Joe and Irma MacMillan have spent many years backpacking, skiing, and simply enjoying life in the mountains of British Columbia. Their website Whistler Outdoors is full of tips on snowboarding, camping, kayaking, rafting, camp cooking and fishing. They met on a blind date in 1957 and are still married. Take a look at their story here About us
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