The Thrills and Scares of Kayaking

Have you ever wanted to ride the Rapids, see the mountains from a new view, and feel the water washing over you as you tackled the raging river? If any of these apply to you then you are looking for the Thrill of Kayaking. Kayaking is often considered an adrenaline junkie sport, due to taking on a rampaging river in nothing but a small covered boat. This is the closest any sport can get to finding true difficulties that combine with nervous sensations condensed into the shortest time possible.

As a man or woman, you cannot compare the combination of skill, keeping your cool, and using dexterity, while using only your hands, eyes, and head. The feel of knowing when to strike, while knowing that the water and rocks surrounding you can and will take you down. Cooling that quenching fire in you while embracing the thrill of the rapids and the idea of concurring nature.

This may help to explain the fascination with Kayaking making it the popular sport it is, however the professionalism of the sport may have a large part in it as well. To find your real experience while navigating the waters, you might consider going to one of these very popular Rivers. You can go as far as New Zealand and the The Shotover River, The Buller River, The Karamea River, each located on South Island; or The Rangitikei River, The Mohaka River on North Island.

If you do not want to travel that far then maybe you want to go somewhere here in the U.S. such as The Tuolumne River in California, The Chattooga River in Georgia, The Rogue River, and The Illinois River in Oregon, also The Middle Fork of the Salmon, and The Selway River both in Idaho. There are plenty of resources available as well, these will help you to learn about Kayaking and the history of Kayaking.

Kayaks were developed by natives in the Arctic regions. They were used to hunt on Island Lakes and in the coastal waters of the Arctic Ocean, Bering Sea, North Atlantic, and North Pacific. The Kayaks were made from animal skins stretched across a wooden frame. Archaeologists have traced the Kayak back to over 4,000 years ago, with the oldest left on exhibit in the State Museum of Ethnology in Munich.

Even areas in the Pacific Ocean have their own version of the Kayak, these places range from Hawaii to the Tonga and farther. The basic design is still the same with only the materials changing throughout time, once animal skin and wood made up the Kayak, where now you will find more made of Fiberglass and High-Tech Plastic.

The Kayak and Canoe have a general goal in mind but the Kayak goes farther and maneuvers easier on Ocean trips and White Water Rapids. The only real thing separating the Kayak is the use of them, this will determine what is added or taken away from each Kayak. Performance and handle are also different which each style of Kayak, and while some are designed for the Rapids others are intended for more laid back uses.

Kayaking has been growing for centuries but in the last 10 years or so from the 1990’s to today saw the most growth in the actual sport of Kayaking. The sport of Kayaking has even made it into races and the Olympics.