Kayak or Canoe - whats the difference?

[SV-net]

Im looking into getting a Kayak/Canoe for some fun. I know nothing about them so what is the difference between the two, anybody know?

[Al_Sweetman]

Isn't a Kayak a single-seater most often with an enclosing 'skirt' (spray hood?) belonging to those crazies you see riding rapids, whereas a Canoe is the old open- carved from a tree-trunk thinggy where you kneel in it and have a single blade...Popular with dragon boaters and old family biffers....

Completely ignorant of how hard/fun each of them are - the closest I've ever come to one was doing some rafting in Canada... Looks bloody class tho!

:-)

Al.

[Jester666]

Luckypants is probably the best one to answer this! Try PMing him for any canoe/kayak advice.

[gettin2dizzy]

Bah. Much canoe about nothing ;)

[FG1]

fwiw I think a kayak is someting you SIT in and a canoe is something you KNEEL in.
And you use a 2 bladed paddle in a kayak and a 1 bladed paddle in a canoe.

[andywilson460]

I do a lot of kayaking - they are closed cockpit (the ones with spraydecks - or skirts as naysayers often comment), usually single seaters, although you can get two seaters as well. The canoes are the open type.

It really depends on where you want to paddle, how much, how far you want to go - a bit like bikes there are many and varied (and very expensive) options.

There are:
all-rounders
surf boats
play boats (for tricks)
river runners
racing boats
white-water racers
sit-on tops
tourers
etc...

Think carefully about what you want it for, your budget and the material. A plastic boat well cared for and kept indoors/in garage will last for ages.

Never use a kayak or canoe alone in open water if you are inexperienced - it's unlikely, but it is an easy way to hurt yourself or die

[gettin2dizzy]

fwiw I think a kayak is someting you SIT in... http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:b3KsmOKvhkOmBM:http://www.forparentsbyparents.com/mall/images/blooming_marvellous/large/AW045170.jpg
... and a canoe is something you KNEEL on.
http://images.teamsugar.com/files/users/1/12981/51_2007/child.jpg


Hth

[ThEGr33k]

Kayak
http://www.borealdesign.com/boreal_img/produits/kayak_complet_4.jpg

Canoe
http://1800hart.com/picks/wp-content/uploads/2006/06/canoe.jpg

[the_lone_wolf]

you can fake your own death in a kayak and not get caught...

[FG1]

you will in the end

[FG1]

As it happens, I have a perception Madness for sale.
Excellent condition with a few minor scratches on the bottom.
If interested get in touch.
http://www.brighton-canoes.co.uk/productpages/perception/madness.htm
Same as this but in the blue flavour.

Oh, and a paddle and spray deck to get you going.

[SV-net]

Thanks for the info peeps, I have about £250 for it so not going to get anything really great to start with. Just for fun really.

Thanks again.