People often get confused between kayaking and canoeing and tend to use the two words interchangeably. The biggest difference is the structure of the boat. Canoes tend to have an open top, use one-bladed paddles and require the paddlers either sitting on small benches or kneeling. Whereas kayaks have a closed-deck with a whole in the middle for the paddler to climb into it. Often you’ll sit with your legs stretched in front of you and use a double-bladed paddle.