K2 Information

A K2 is a two person boat. They are similar to K1's in many respects, but have two cockpits, and are slightly longer and wider.

The maximum length of a K2 is 650cm. There use to be a minimum width regulation but, like K1's, this has now been removed so the boats only have to be as wide as necessary for the paddlers to fit in them. The pictures below show an older boat built to the minimum width regulation, and a modern boat built without.

K2 have minimum weight regulations of 18kg for sprint and 12kg for marathon.

Like K1's, boats are constructed with a variety of materials. These include; fibreglass, wood, kevlar, and carbon. Modern materials such as carbon and kevlar, either individually or mixed, are common nowadays to make boats very light and very strong. Some boats can weigh as little as 10kg. These composite materials are very tough and can be formed into any shape and made very hard and rigid. This has the benefit of making the boat easier to paddle and faster. Entry level boats tend to be made of fibreglass which is cheaper, easier to repair, but also slightly heavier, and more flexible. Construction materials and methods vary depending on the intended use of the boat, whether it be flat water sprinting or marathons down river rapids.

The boats all have internal, adjustable footrests and tiller bars to operate the rudder. The boats are too long to steer like white water boats, so use a rudder to turn. There are two types; over-stern and under-stern. Over stern are used on shallow water and rivers where they will lift out of the way if the boat hits the bottom. Under-stern rudders are used in deep or rougher water where they will turn more efficiently and create less drag. These can break and damage the boat if hit off the bottom though.

K2's are generally faster than K1's due to the combined efforts of the crew. For a general idea, the current world sprint records for K2's are as follows: