to expect people to use the terms 'kayak' and 'canoe' properly?

[NotQuiteCockney]

I am just thinking about buying a canoe. Canoes are open boats. Kayaks are the closed ones. Yes, really. I'm Canadian. I would know!

But thanks to British confusion, the terms seem to be used randomly on ebay.

[RolandButter]

ANd he is canadian
i dont know if he is using that version or the ENglish one

[BigTillyMint]

Grenadine, that's what I thought, but my French friends thought I was mad.

Now i know I'm not

[bronze]

In England closed boats are called canoes and open boats are called kayaks.
really?
I always thought it was the other way round

[WrigglingAndJiggling]

Tis definitely the other way round.
Canoe - big open thing usually for 2 people. Paddle has one blade.
Kayak - smaller closed thing, usually but not always for 1 person. Paddle has two blades.

[TeddyBare]

Kayaks are the closed ones which you wear a desk with to stop water getting in when you go upside down. They can be for 1 person or 2 people (duo kayaking).
Canoes are open and paddling a canoe is often known as open boating by kayaker / canoer types. Canoes range from one person canoes up to 4 people.
For some unknown reason polo played in kayaks is called canoe polo.

[bronze]

*deck images of inkpots

why are canadian canoes often aluminium so you get black knees?

[NotQuiteCockney]

The canoe club I go to is English. The people who go there are English. They say canoe for the open ones, and kayak for the closed ones. (Well, technically, canoeing is when you kneel, kayaking is when you sit.)

The guy I met once who had done competitive water sports, who was English, said canoe for open, and kayak for closed. I don't know why the reverse has become normal in some circles here, but it deffo isn't normal in actual kayaking circles. Or canoeing ones!

[GrimmaTheNome]

I'd have said kayak def closed, whereas canoe gets used loosely as a generic term for anything paddleable, so to be unambiguous specify 'canadian canoe' for open

[grenadine]

Maybe the canoe clubs have been infiltrated by North Americans

[TeddyBare]

[pokes out tounge at bronze] I'm lacking sleep - I'm allowed to make the odd mistake. I did mean deck though.

[TeddyBare]

*tongue
I give up

[wahwah]

Yanbu in wanting people to know the difference, it is a pet hate of my BIL who spends far too much time in the water paddling his kayak/canoe- tucked if I know the difference!

[bronze]

I know you did
I'm lacking sleep too. I've started sentences and forgotton what I was

[brimfull]

Oh this winds me up as well , brought up iin Canada , used to love canoeing.

They call it a candian canoe here don't they?

[PixiNanny]

Grenadine: I'm in England and I've always called them the reverse!

[BigHairyLeggedSpider]

It's not British confusion. Some of us are not confused. It's just general confusion!

I have an open canoe, and several kayaks and I love them all.

[PurplePixi]

Spider I am thoroughly jealous. I will be saving for a while before I can buy myself a kayak again