Editing Kayak (section)

=== Sea ===
{{Main|Sea kayak}}
[[File:Recreational kayak.jpg|thumbnail|Kayaking in a double on [[Lake Union]] in [[Seattle, Washington]], [[United States]]|alt=Photo of rear of person wearing orange life preserver sitting in kayak with buildings in far background]]

''Sea kayaks'' are typically designed for travel by one, two or even three paddlers on open water and in many cases trade maneuverability for seaworthiness, stability, and cargo capacity. Sea-kayak sub-types include "skin-on-frame" kayaks with traditionally constructed frames, open-deck "sit-on-top" kayaks, and recreational kayaks.

The sea kayak, though descended directly from traditional types, is implemented in a variety of materials. Sea kayaks typically have a longer waterline, and provisions for below-deck storage of cargo. Sea kayaks may also have [[rudder]]s or [[skeg]]s (fixed rudder) and upturned bow or stern profiles for wave shedding. Modern sea kayaks usually have two or more internal [[Bulkhead (partition)|bulkheads]]. Some models can accommodate two or sometimes three paddlers.

==== Sit-on-top ====
[[File:Tri-Yak kayak sit-on-top FeelFree for three persons.jpg|thumb|Sit-on-top three-person kayak]]
[[File:Taupo-0977.jpg|thumb|upright|Sit-on-top kayaks]]
[[File:Sit-On-Top kayak with outriggers.jpg|thumb|Sit-On-Top kayak with outriggers]]
<!--[[File:sea kayak hawaii.JPG|thumb|right|A paddler in a sit on top kayak explores [[Kealakekua Bay]] in [[Hawaii]].|alt=Photo of person sitting in boat with paddle. Island in background.]]Fuzzy, distant shot-->
Sealed-hull ("unsinkable") craft were developed for leisure use, as derivatives of [[surfboard]]s (e.g. paddle or wave skis), or for [[Breaking wave|surf]] conditions. Variants include planing surf craft, touring kayaks, and sea marathon kayaks. Increasingly, manufacturers build leisure 'sit-on-top' variants of extreme sports craft, typically using polyethylene to ensure strength and affordability, often with a skeg for directional stability.

Sit-on-top kayaks come in 1–4 paddler configurations. Sit-on-top kayaks are particularly popular for fishing and [[Scuba diving|SCUBA diving]], since participants need to easily enter and exit the water, change seating positions, and access hatches and storage wells. Ordinarily the seat of a sit-on-top is slightly above water level, so the center of gravity for the paddler is higher than in a traditional kayak. To compensate for the higher center of gravity, sit-on-tops are often wider and slower than a traditional kayak of the same length.

Water that enters the cockpit of a sit-on-top kayak drains out through [[scupper]] holes—tubes that run from the cockpit to the bottom of the hull. The ''cockpit'' is thus self-bailing. The hull may be sealed, or perforated by hatches and deck fixtures. Contrary to popular belief, the sit-on-top kayak ''hull'' is not [[self-bailing]], since water penetrating it does not drain out automatically, as it does in bigger boats equipped with self-bailing systems. Furthermore, the sit-on-top hull cannot be molded in a way that would assure water tightness, and water may get in through various holes in its hull, usually around hatches and deck accessories. If the sit-on-top kayak is loaded to a point where such perforations are covered with water, or if the water paddled is rough enough that such perforations often go under water, the sit-on-top hull may fill with water without the paddler noticing it in time. If a sealed hull develops a split or hole, it will also fill and sink.