Canoe outriggers and kayak outriggers are lateral support floats that attach to one or both sides of the main hull of a canoe, kayak, or other watercraft. They can be used on crafts both large and small. There many advantages to using outriggers as opposed to creating wider hulls. The tradition of using outriggers is attributed to watercrafts that are used by the Maori, Hawaiian tribes, Samoans, Tahitians and other Polynesian peoples that needed stable watercraft that were oceangoing. The practice of using outriggers is ancient. The extra stability was needed to brave ocean waters in small boats.

They are attached to the boat so it can provide an additional point of contact with the water. It is possible to simply make the hull of the boat wider in order to provide that same type of contact. However, making the hull wider also reduces the hydrodynamic efficiency of the craft. Increasing the width of the craft makes it slow and bulky. Adding outriggers allows the design of the boat to remain slim and hydro-efficient, yet stable in rougher waters. It was originally designed to allow for travel and fishing in rougher waters. However today, there used to add stability for racing, fishing, or for other sports. One person crafts can have either single or double canoe outriggers and kayak outriggers. When you begin a canoe stroke with outriggers attached, you should be lifting your boat with every stroke instead of pulling it down. Your stroke should be a silent as possible because bubbles or noise in a stroke means that you are wasting energy.

To get the greatest amount of stability, it is important to have the outriggers positioned with as much water contact as possible. However, this also creates drag. If you want to get some speed, you have to position them so they have as little contact with the water as possible. The purpose of outrigger canoes and kayaks is to allow you to navigate water that is not always nice and flat.

It allows you to do many things that you normally could not do. They make it easy to stand up in the boat for fishing and they make it easy to tackle waters that are a little rougher with confidence. Outriggers are easy to install. Outriggers can be positioned in the front or the back of the boat. There are several advantages to installing them in the front of the boat, particularly if you plan to stand in the boat. When you stand, this will allow you to be right over your outriggers and there will be less chance of getting a fishing line tangled in them.

Canoe outriggers and kayak outriggers can add as much as 100 pounds of floatation to the craft. They are great for divers who want to get back into their craft more easily. Anyone who wants more stability in their canoe or kayak should consider outriggers. They will feel much more comfortable and it will make their boating experience much more pleasurable through the confidence that they will gain in rougher waters.

Author Bio: Stewart Wrighter has recently found several items for a camping trip by searching for the term canoe outriggers on the internet. He purchased kayak outriggers to add stability to his kayak.

Category: Recreation
Keywords: canoe outriggers,kayak outriggers