Beam - The widest part of the kayak. Usually in the center where the seat is located.
Blade – The wide flat pieces at the end of a paddle that do the propelling in the water.
Booties – socks made or neoprene (wet suit material), designed to keep your feet dry. They also have traction on the bottoms.
Bow – The front of the kayak or any boat.
Broach – A dangerous situation where the kayak is caught on an obstacle and is sideways in the current.
Bulkhead - A vertical partition inside the kayak designed to create separate chambers inside the boat. Bulkheads create watertight areas where gear can be safely stored.
Chute – an area where a stream or river suddenly narrows. This causes increased water speed. Usually in rapids.
Coaming – The rim of a kayak's cockpit.
Cockpit - The area where the kayaker sits while in the boat.
Deck - The top of the kayak.
Dry Bag - A waterproof bag kayakers use to protect the items they bring with them.
Eddy – A relatively calm area on a river, usually away from the main current and close to the shore.
Eskimo Roll – Method of using a paddle to right a flipped or capsized kayak.
Gradient – The steepness of a riverbed usually measured over the length of a mile,
Grip – Where the paddle is designated to be held.
Hatch - A waterproof hold inside the kayak where you can store items you're taking with you. The removable cover on top is called a hatch cover.
Hull - The bottom side of the kayak (below the seam).
Line - A rope used to tie the kayak to a point on the shore.
Paddle – Implement used for propelling a kayak. A kayak paddle is two-sided with a blade at each end of the shaft.
PFD - Personal Flotation Device (life vest). Life vests are worn at all times when on the water.
Port - A directional term meaning to the left of the kayak or the left side of any boat. Opposite of starboard.
Put-in – The point where the kayaks are launched at the beginning of a trip.
Rapids – Area of a river where the current becomes very fast and the water moves quickly around obstacles in the river such as rocks.
Rudder - The vertical blade in the rear of the kayak, used to steer the boat.
Seam - The one-inch wide line around the middle of the kayak where the deck and hull are joined together, usually a different color than the deck or hull.
Shaft – The long straight or curved piece between the blades of a paddle.
Single Kayak - A kayak designed for one paddler, it has only one cockpit. It is typically shorter in length and beam than a double kayak.
Spray Skirt - A fitted, waterproof piece of fabric that creates a seal between the kayaker and the coaming, keeping water from entering the cockpit.
Stability - How easy or difficult it is to tip a boat over. Kayaks like those Northern Lights use are designed to be very stable.
Starboard - A directional term meaning to the right of the kayak. Opposite of port.
Stern - The back end of the kayak.
Take-out – Where the kayaks are taken out of the water at the end of a trip.
Throat – Where the shaft meets the blade of the paddle.
White-water – The type of water created by rapids.
