The earliest canoes date from 6,000 B.C. though it is likely that people used similar forms of transportation even earlier.

The Americas were likely a fertile ground for canoe development, with Native Americans using cloth and animal skins to cover a hollowed-out wooden log canoe frame, while Eskimos are thought to have developed the kayak, where one or two paddlers sit in a partially enclosed seat.

In the mid 19th century a Scotsman named James Mac Gregor developed the Rob Roy, a canoe with sail, mast and paddles. He used it to make a number of expeditions in Europe and Palestine that he wrote about extensively, helping to bring the sport to a wide audience.

Within two decades, canoeing became a competitive sport in England, and clubs started spreading across the eastern United States. In the early 20th century, the sport became popular in many parts of Europe, and it was a demonstration sport in the Paris Olympics of 1924. By the Berlin Olympics of 1936, it was recognized as a full competitive sport.

The Trinidad and Tobago Canoe/ Kayak Federation (TTCKF) promotes and develops the sport of canoeing and kayaking in this country. The federation was accepted as a member of the International Canoe Federation in October 2004, but started to act as a body in early 2007. Please follow this link for the facebook page of the TTCKF