It should also be noted that within the "baidarka" designation there is a large degree of variability. The baidarkas of Kodiak Island were quite different than those of Unalaska, and Nunivak Island bidarkas are different yet.

Yes, this is true.

It is also true that within the "kayak" designation there is a large degree of variability. The kayaks of Greenland are quite different from the Sit-on-top, and the Poke Boat kayaks are different yet.

The term "baidarka" is certainly as broad as the term "kayak" but since the term "baidarka" has only recently come into modern use through popularization by George Dyson's book, "Baidarka" most people will rightly or wrongly understand this as a narrower reference to the Aleut style "baidarka" "kayak" the proper name which is "iqyax"

This is the sole design referenced by Dyson and the design which has received all the attention for historical accounts of unusual speed and seaworthiness. This is the design which has been taken up and built by skin on frame enthusiasts and by myself.

Dyson's enthusiasm, writings and lectures have brought back to life a kayak design from the only culture in the world who for thousands of years were full time kayakers in some of the roughest, stormiest seas in the world.

Fate and fortune placed me in the right place at the right time in 1992 at the LL Bean Sea Kayak Symposium, at the Maine Maritime Academy to meet George Dyson and hear his passionate three hour lecture on the "baidarka" design.

At that time I had been paddling white water for nearly ten years. In that period our canoes and kayak designs evolved from fine pointed stems to bulbous high volume stems. We found the older, more traditional fine stem style, dove into big waves and white water holes, stopping the boat dead leaving the padder out of control and at the mercy of the raging water. Newer white water designs had high volume bulbous stems which rose over waves and holes allowing the boat to pass through these obstacles maintaining forward speed and control.

The first most striking aspect of this baidarka design for me, was to see the high volume full hull carried to the stems. This immediately told me this kayak was designed to ride over rough seas like our high volume white water boats rode over rough white water.

I figured if half of the extravagant claims Dyson made for this kayak design were true, it would still be the best kayak in the world.

I based my iqyax baidarka designs on surveyed drawings by E. Y. Arima of an Aleut Iqyax at the Oregon State Museum.

Every inch of the iqyax design is integrated and important.

It's a mistake to focus on one feature, or to interpret the design loosely.

Over the 20+ years I've paddled this design I've found it faster, better in rough water and much less effected by weathercocking and broaching in quartering seas than Greenland based designs.

No other kayak surfs as well as the iqyax.

I've received letter after letter, email after email from builders and paddlers saying the same thing.

email from Stein Hyland, Norway in the North Star I built for him:

"For touring, which still is the primary purpose, it's awesome. My last trip to Sweden the wind picked up to 23 m/s (45 knots), and I crossed an open stretch with it in from port stern. The seas hadn't really grown big yet, but I had a fun but fresh ride. I never felt unstable or threatened, just had to lay flat over my knees when gusts hit almost from the side, to keep from being blown over. I later read in the paper that a group of 14 Norwegian kayakers had needed rescuing in the same area, some in the water, some from cliffs."

Here's a quote about a tandem iqyax "skin on frame" raced in the 1997 Blackburn Challenge during a gale, By author Dan Boyne, in WoodenBoat #143 page 57:

"But now we moved onto the backside of the island, where the wind and (5 foot) waves are now literally behind us. Just as our spirits have been beaten down to an all-time low, the baidarka starts to show some of it's magic. In following seas, virtually side- by-side with our rivals, the race now becomes a surfing contest. Once again we mysteriously regain the lead without exerting any extra effort. Silently we thank the wide, ungainly stern and upper portion of the split bow for doing their jobs. I can still hear voices, but they grow fainter and fainter."
Dan, a rower and an inexperienced kayaker, and his partner John Moore who was an experienced kayaker, placed first, beating Ken Fink and partner, paddling a special carbon racing tandem of Ken's design.

There is of course the extensive review by Etiene Muller

An important quote from Ken Katz's review, "I didn't think it was possible to have a kayak track this well and be able to turn this easily."

Which is very interesting because I designed a tandem iqyax with the tail modified to accommodate rudder installation.

So far none of the builders have put a rudder on the kayak. Photo below, see more on my Twin Star page.

So if you do only paddle in flat seas with no wind or waves you can be happy in any kayak.

If you paddle in wind and waves and struggle, you may wish to try an iqyax.

Rob