Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving across water. Kayaking and canoeing are also known as paddling. Kayaking is distinguished from canoeing by the sitting position of the paddler and the number of blades on the paddle. A kayak is defined by the International Canoe Federation (the world sanctioning body) as a boat where the paddler faces forward, legs in front, using a double-bladed paddle. Most kayaks have closed decks, although "sit-on-top" kayaks are growing in popularity, as are inflatable kayaks which come without decks but which have air chambers surrounding the boat.

Whitewater kayaking involves taking a kayak down rapids, weirs and waterfalls. Sea kayaking, also referred to as ocean kayaking or touring, involves taking kayaks out on to the ocean or other open water such as a lake. It can involve short paddles with a return to the starting point (or "put-in"), or expeditions covering many miles and days. Kayaking of all kinds has become more popular through the 1990s and early 21st century.

Kayaking at Great Falls, Virginia.

Kayaks are classified by their use. There are eight primary classifications: polo, slalom, whitewater, surf, touring/expedition, light touring/day tripping, sprint/racing and general recreation. From these primary classifications stem many sub-classes. For example, a fishing kayak is simply a general-recreation kayak outfitted with accessories that make it easier from which to fish. A creek kayak is a certain type of whitewater kayak, designed to handle narrow gully type rivers and falls. Also within these classifications are many levels of performance which further separate the individual models. In other words, not all touring kayaks handle the same.

Kayaks and canoes are also classified by their design and the materials from which they are made. Kayaks can have hard or soft chines which require different types of handling. Each design has its specific advantage, including performance, maneuverability, stability, and paddling style. Kayaks can be made of metal, fiberglass, wood, plastic, fabrics, and inflatable fabrics such as PVC or rubber. Each material also has its specific advantage, including strength, durability, portability, flexibility, resistance to UV, and storage requirements. For example, Wooden kayaks can be created from kits or built by hand, but they are heavy to transport. Inflatable kayaks, made from lightweight fabric, can be dried, deflated, and stored in a closet.

There are several major configurations of kayaks. "Sit on tops", as the name suggests, involve sitting on top of the kayak in an open area. "Cockpit style" involves sitting with the legs and hips inside the kayak hull with a "spray deck" or "spray skirt" that creates a water resistant seal around the waist. "Inflatables" are a hybrid of the two previous configurations, these boats have an open deck, but the paddler sits below the level of the deck. "Tandems" are configured for multiple paddlers, in contrast to the single person designs featured by most kayaks. Tandems can be used by two or even three paddlers. How a kayak is configured has nothing to do with its classification. All configurations are represented in each of the five primary classifications.

Because of their range and adaptability, kayaks can be useful for other outdoor activities such as diving, fishing, wilderness exploration and search and rescue during floods.

See also[link]

• Canoe polo
• Kayak
• Canoeing
• Quadrathlon
• Whitewater kayaking
• Surf kayaking
• Kayak slalom
• Outdoor activity

References[link]

Kayakers off the coast of Raspberry Island (Alaska)

• The Bombproof Roll and Beyond (1993) P. Dutky, Menasha Ridge Press, ISBN 0-89732-085-9
• International Canoe Federation (2007) http://www.canoeicf.com/

External links[link]

• Wikipaddle - Online canoe and kayak wiki guide.
• Kayaking - Kayaking.org - Free Online Kayaking Directory
• How to Kayak - A guide for beginning kayakers. How to kayak explains the various types of kayaks, various spots to kayak around the world and provides tips for fishing from kayaks.

Tyler Bradt (born June 2, 1986) is an American whitewater kayaker known for kayaking Palouse Falls.^[2]

Biography[link]

Born and raised in Stevensville, Montana,^[3] Tyler Bradt was first introduced to kayaking at only six years of age by his father, Bill Bradt. Tyler's skills seemed to be above average as he kayaked class five rapids only six years later at the age of twelve. By age fifteen, he was a kayaking prodigy, receiving national recognition for his abilities. In July of 2001, Tyler was invited to kayak rapids in Norway.^[4] While on this trip, Tyler had a near death experience when he was flipped and pinned up against a rock under the force of the water. To this day he still calls it "the closest call he's ever had".^[4][5] Tyler has appeared in several films, holds sponsors from NRS, KAVU, Smith, Dagger, At Paddle, Tribe, and Voke Tab.^[3] He has gone on kayaking expeditions and holds the record for the highest waterfall kayaked at 186 ft.

World Record at Palouse Falls[link]

On April 21, 2009, Bradt successfully kayaked Palouse Falls in Washington state. At an estimated 186 feet (57 m), this made Bradt's descent a world record, breaking the previous record set by a Brazilian kayaker named Pedro Oliva who ran the 127-foot (39 m) Salto Belo of the Rio Sacre just a month before. In turn, Oliva's descent of Salto Belo broke Bradt's previous record of 107 feet (33 m) from 2007 over Alexandra Falls on the Hay River in the Northwest Territories.^[6] Bradt's plunge attracted media attention since the Palouse Falls are 17 feet (5.2 m) taller than Niagara Falls. His media agent sold both pictures and video of Bradt's descent to Sports Illustrated. On May 18, 2009, the first published photos appeared in the magazine along with video footage on SI's website.^[6] Bradt and kayaker/film maker/friend Rush Sturges used footage of the plunge in their 2010 collaborative film, Dream Result.^[6]

Injury at Abiqua[link]

In March 2011, Tyler was on his Huck Fest Tour, which is an annual tour that he and his friends go on looking for big waterfalls. On this trip, they found Abiqua Falls, a 95 ft. waterfall located in Oregon in which Tyler made a mistake and went into the water too flat, causing him to break the L1 vertebra in his back. It took Tyler's friends, including Aaron Rettig who was with him that day, four hours to carry him out of the canyon to a nearby hospital. Once there, Tyler underwent a four-hour surgery by Dr. Joseph Sherrill, getting four screws and a bone graft to replace crushed bone. Tyler wasn't cleared to kayak by doctors for three months following the injury.^[4]

Expeditions[link]

After Bradt healed from a back injury he planned an expeditionto the Sea of Cortez in Baja California, Mexico, accompanied by Sarah McNair-Landry and his friend Erik Boomer. Sponsors for the trip were KAVO, TRIAK, NRS, Adventure Technology, La Paz, and VOKE.^[7] The plan was for the trip to be a 450-mile journey over a span of 30 to 45 days. The group set off as scheduled from Kino Nuevo on January 21, 2012, but a couple of days into the trip, nasty weather held them up on shore for seven days. They were forced to cut the trip short because Sarah had to catch a plane and fly north for an arctic expedition training camp she had to teach. The group decided their new destination would be Loreto, Mexico, 258 miles from their starting point. On February 14, 2012, 24 days after they started and two days before Sarah's flight took off, they made it.^[7]

Movie appearances[link]

• Dream Result^[8]
• Congo – the Grand Inga Project^[9]
• Legend of The Falls^[4]
• Oil + Water Project^[10]
• Kayaking Uganda 2004: The White Nile^[11]
• Tyler Bradt in Norway^[5]
• Frontier^[12]

Awards[link]

• Outside Adventurer of the Year 2012^[13]
• Rider of the Year 2009^[14]
• Drop of the Year 2009^[15]
• 5th Best line of the Year 2009^[16]

References[link]