There are several differences between these two types of craft.
Kayaks
The current form of kayaks originated from the Eskimos they generally have
a covered in deck and are paddled from a seated position with double ended
paddles.
Eskimos in the Arctic made them out of seal skins generally using whale bones
and driftwood to form the frame.
It is quite possible to roll back up again using the paddle after capsizing
one of these kayaks as a spray cover is generally used to seal the opening
around the paddler.
Canoes
The current form of canoes originated from the North American Indians, they
are generally open boats with turned up ends, which are paddled from a kneeling
or sitting position with single ended paddles.
They were often made of birch bark with a timber frame.
Both Canoes and Kayaks come in a variety of sizes and shapes for different
purposes and numbers of paddlers.
Most canoes and kayaks are currently made of a form of blow moulded plastic
which is very tough and absorbs a lot of impact with rocks and other objects
as they are paddled around.
Specialist boats are often made of glassfibre or some of the advanced composites
using kevlar and carbon fibre such as those used for the bodywork of formula
one racing cars and racing yachts.
KAYAK - is a palidrome, one of those words that is spelled the same backwards or forwards!
If you have further questions take a browse through this website and follow some of the useful links to other canoeing websites.