Kayak - Originally an Eskimo hunting craft made from wood and seal skin? The craft has been developed and modified such that it often bears little resemblance to its Eskimo heritage. In 1865 John MacGregor popularised the use of such a craft in the exploration of UK waterways. His boat was heavy and wide in comparison to the Eskimo counterparts, but allowed him to undertake a series of remarkable journeys. Today, this craft comes in many different forms, each specialised for a given task. These include recreation, touring, expeditions, surf, whitewater and rodeo. Most are made in plastic these days with exceptions in sea, racing and competition boats that are fibreglass or carbon-kevlar. The recreational paddler will want a craft with comfort and stability. It will allow enjoyment of being on the water with little experience or training and provide the safety and reassurance required such as provided by the 'Kiwi' and 'Dancer'. For touring, the paddler needs a little more speed and with a little practice will tolerate less stability for a slightly narrower craft such as the 'Acadia' and 'Carolina' from Perception. This trend continues into sea kayaks such as those from North Shore, designed for expeditions along the coast. They are long and narrow to provide a good level of speed with high decks to shed the waves and most closely resemble the original Eskimo versions they were descended from. Intermediate paddlers will want a kayak more suitable for 'river-running' and gentle surfing with moderate speed and length. There are numerous boats that fit these requirements including the Jive 8'10", Acrobat 270, Kendo and Whip-It. For surf and beach play, it needs to be short and maneuverable. Sit-on-tops should be considered as they provide excellent fun at the beach for all levels of ability. Also worth a look are Inflatables.
For serious surf and whitewater, most paddlers require a short, maneuverable boat with low-volume ends flat hulls and seriously sharp edges. This allows them to perform tricks in the water such as 'enders' and 'cartwheels' and surf the waves with ease. These craft are unsuitable for the less experienced as their 'aggressive' styling makes them hard to manage.
 
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