A kayak is a low-to-the-water, canoe-like boat in which the paddler sits facing forward, legs in front, using a double-bladed paddle to pull front-to-back on one side and then the other in rotation.

Canoe Sprint is a water sport where athletes race long boats (either canoes or kayaks) across calm water, attempting to reach the fi nish line in the fastest time possible. Canoeing for recreational and sporting purposes is a relatively recent development, having grown popular in at the turn of the twentieth century.

Dragon boat racing has been a traditional Chinese paddled watercraft activity for over 2000 years and began as a modern international sport in Hong Kong in 1976. These boats are typically made of carbon fi ber, fi berglass, and other lightweight materials. For competition events, dragon boats are generally rigged with decorative Chinese dragon heads and tails.

Canoe polo is played by two teams of fi ve players on a rectangular playing pitch that can be in open water or in a swimming pool. Matches are played over two halves of 10 minutes with the aim to score into a goal which is suspended above the water at each end of the pitch.