kayak is a small, narrow human-powered watercraft typically propelled by means of a long, double-bladed paddle. The word kayak originates from the Greenlandic word qajaq.
The traditional kayak has an enclosed deck and one or more cockpits, each seating one occupant or kayaker. The cockpit is sometimes covered by a spray deck that prevents unwanted entry of water from waves or splashes, differentiating the craft from an open-deck canoe. The spray deck makes it possible for suitably skilled kayakers to roll the kayak, i.e. to temporarily capsize and submerge the kayak without it filling with water or ejecting the paddler.