(Zimmerly, 42)
The shape of a qayaq is the most important characteristic to determine whether it will flow well in the water. When a qayaq floats, it displaces an amount of water that is equal to its weight because water is incompressible. When the qayaq is moving, it displaces more water. The amount of displacement depends on the weight of the qayaq and the speed it is moving. If the path of the water was blocked, say by a flat front, more energy would be needed to move the qayaq. This is why streamlining, or laminar flow is important and needs to be considered when looking at the physics of a qayaq. (http://www.rockisland.com/~kyak/floatbod.html)
There are two types of movement for fluids. Streamline or Laminar and turbulent movement. Streamline movement is when "...each particle of the fluid follows a smooth path, such that the paths of different particles never cross eachother.... the velocity of fluid particles passing any point remains constant in time" (Serway, 431).
ΔV = AvΔt
So if ΔV is a constant then
Av=constant = r
Which equals a contstant flow rate
Another thing to take into consideration is Renold's number which is a value for that flow that relies on a dimensioinless quantity. p=density, v=average velosity, L=cross section area, n=viscosity
R= pvL/n
"As a rule of thumb R< ~2000 laminar flow and R> ~3000 turbulent flow" Anything in between 2000 and 3000 is unstable and may go back and forth between laminar and turbulent flow.
(www.physics.usyd.edu.au/teach_res/jp/fluids/flow1.pdf)
Background picture taken by Sonita Cleveland June 2004.