Watercraft paddling

Paddling with regard to watercraft is the act of manually propelling a boat using a paddle. The paddle, which consists of one or two blades joined to a shaft, is also used to steer the vessel. The paddle is not connected to the boat (unlike in rowing where the oar is connected to the boat).

Canoeing is the activity of paddling a canoe for leisure, navigation or exploration. In America the term refers exclusively to using one or more single blades or paddles to propel a canoe. In the United Kingdom and some other countries in Europe however, canoeing is also used to refer to kayaking and Canadian canoeing is used then to distinguish canoeing from kayaking.

There are sub-varieties of canoeing, such as touring and whitewater or wildwater canoeing, and outrigger canoeing. Traveling in a whitewater raft can involve using either paddles, or a pair of oars, or both.

Outrigger canoe racing is a team paddling sport which uses the outrigger canoe.

In his lifetime, according to the Guinness Book of World Records Verlen Kruger paddled the most miles (over 100,000 miles) of anyone in the sport.

Kayaking is the use of a kayak for moving across water. Kayaking is differentiated from canoeing by the fact kayakers use a double bladed paddle and sit in a seat 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 with two knees or one knee in the "high kneel" posture.

The kayak may be either "sit-in" (have a closed cockpit) or "sit-on-top" (sitting on top of the boat deck). Sit-in kayaks provide more protection from water and the elements, and are popular for day trips and touring. Sit-on-top kayaks are growing in popularity for fishing and surfing.

...
Wikipedia