What's the difference between kayaking and rowing?

Question

or it's same, only different name.

Answer 1

Completely different -

Kayaking:

http://www.coastalsafari.com/ANNA-KAYAKI...

http://www.blackmountain.co.uk/whitewate...

Rowing:

http://students.resa.net/milewski/rowing...

http://www.nuff.ox.ac.uk/users/edererm/i...

In kayaking, you use one long PADDLE - with blades at both ends.  You face forward, and propel yourself forward by rotating from the hip, planting one blade and pulling yourself forward.

In rowing, you face the back of the boat, and use two long OARS.  You use your legs and back muscles to pull the oars through the water and propel yourself BACKward.  

Kayaking can take place on rivers, lakes, oceans, creeks, and there are a lot of different boat hulls for each type of water environment.  Rowing hulls are made for straight, flat water - no twisty / winding rivers.  They are very long, fast, and not very maneuverable.

Both types of boating can be a great workout!

Answer 2

the equipment and the craft used

Answer 3

The same thing as the second post, but she left out that rowing can be done with one oar.  There are two subclasses of rowing: sweep rowing, and sculling.  Sweep rowing is done with only one oar, so there are either 2, 4 or 8 rowers (half rowing on port, half rowing on starboard).  Usually in sweep rowing, a coxswain is included.  The cox steers, and tells the rowers what to do.

Big distinction: Rowers use oars, kayakers use paddles.  Don't call an oar a paddle...big mistake.  Oars use oarlocks, paddles are free.

Answer 4

You go kayaking in a kayak. It is a canoe like craft with covered bow and stern. It can be covered all the way so you just zip yourself into a hole. This type is used in rapids. There are others that you sit on in the ocean.

You row a row boat or a scull. It does not have covered ends. Some are very long. Also you row using 2 oars or sweeps and you kayak with one paddle that has 2 ends.