Watercraft paddling
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
- See also: Paddle (disambiguation)
With regard to watercraft, paddling is the act of propelling a boat using the motion of a paddle in the water. The difference between paddling and rowing is that with rowing the oars have a mechanical connection with the boat whereas with paddling the paddles are hand-held with no mechanical connection.
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[edit] Canoeing
Canoeing is the activity of paddling a canoe for the purpose of recreation (also called a float trip), sport, or transportation. It usually refers exclusively to using a paddle to propel a canoe with only human muscle power.
[edit] Outrigger canoe racing
Outrigger Canoe Racing is a team paddling sport which utilises the outrigger canoe. The sport is also known as Wa'a racing in some parts of the Pacific and Waka ama (Māori) in New Zealand.
[edit] Kayaking
Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving across water. Kayaking is differentiated from canoeing by the fact that a kayak has a closed cockpit and a canoe has an open cockpit. Kayakers also use a two bladed paddle. Another major difference is in the way the paddler sits in the boat. Kayakers sit in a seat on the bottom of the boat with their legs extended out in front of them. Canoeists will either sit on an elevated bench seat or kneel directly on the bottom of the boat.
[edit] Dragon boat
A Dragon boat (traditional Chinese: 龍舟or 龍船; simplified Chinese: 龙舟 or 龙船; pinyin: lóngzhōu, lóngchuán) is a very long and narrow human powered boat used in the team paddling sport or Dragon boat racing which originated in China.
For racing events, dragon boats are always rigged with decorative Chinese dragon heads and tails and are required to carry a large drum aboard. At other times the decorative regalia is usually removed, although the drum often remains aboard for training purposes.
[edit] Rafting
Rafting or whitewater rafting is a recreational activity utilizing a raft to navigate a river or other bodies of water. This is usually done on whitewater or different degrees of rough water, in order to thrill and excite the raft passengers. The development of this activity as a leisure sport has become popular since the mid 1970s.
