In the past, Native Greenland paddlers would wear waterproof sealskin garments over their ordinary clothing. The kayak hunters used an akuilisaq or tuiitsoq made of smooth sealskin frock when the sea was calm, to seal themselves into the cockpits of their boats. Fastened to the cockpit, the tuiitsoq prevented water from coming into the kayak, cinching itself around the coaming and under the paddler’s armpits.
The upper edge of this sprayshirt was either folded down, or held up with drawstrings or braces, a pair of shoulder straps.
Sprayshirts were usually worn in combination with mittens –aaqqatit- and separate kayak sleeves – aaqqat - that a hunter would put on to keep those of his ordinary jacket or pullover dry. Today, such kayak sleeves are rarely used in the kayak clubs.
Being the tuiitsoq only meant for fair weather sailing in the spring and summer, for colder weather and rougher seas, the Greenlanders donned a tuiliq or kapitak , a water proof paddling sealskin hooded jacket with drawstrings to secure it around the face and wrists and fastened tightly to the cockpit coaming.
To fasten it to the cockpit, the drawstrings were pulled as tight as possible and then secured and held in place with a knot or sometimes, with a toggle.
The tuiliq sealed the kayaker into his kayak and provided protection from the cold, offering an unrestricted mobility for the various Greenland bracing and rolling techniques, and protection for the neck and ear, avoiding the risk of taking on water between the tuiitsoq and the body. More importantly, the tuiliq ensured that the hunter did not get wet when capsizing.
These garments were frequently made of sealskin, and were sometimes lavishly decorated with pearls of ivory, whale bone, or caribou antler. Because of its size and the structure of the skin, harp seal is the preferred material for making kayak clothing. To make it waterproof, the skin is plucked free of hair, leaving the dark outer layer, the epidermis, intact. Certain substances are first rubbed on to loosen the hair, making it easier to remove. Traditionally, ashes were widely used. Today, Greenlandic seamstresses use a variety of substances according to personal preference, including soda, scouring powder and baking mixtures.
At the lower edge, where the drawstrings were placed, tuiitsoqs and tuiliks were carefully hemmed. Many seamstresses use a running stitch here, taking care not to make the stitches too small or too close to each other, ensuring that the drawstrings can be smoothly tightened.
The kayak mittens were made of dehaired harp seal skin, and sewn with thread made of seal oesophagus, still considered to be the best material for sewing kayak clothing, because it expands when it gets wet, filling the holes left by the needle.
Traditional kayak mittens – aaqqatit- usually had two thumbs, one on each side. In this way, the mitten could be turned around when one side had become too slippery from water or ice.
Seal skin for kayak mittens was often prepared in a special way. The hair was not plucked out, as for other articles of kayak clothing, but shaved off, so the skin did not become too slippery. Furthermore, the inner side of the skin was treated with seal blood, rendering it more waterproof and more supple.
At the time, aaqqatit were cut oversized to allow kayak hunters to use either wood shavings or inner mittens of cotton for insulation. Today, as this practice is barely remembered, the mittens appear to be quite large.
Traditionally, these garments were an indispensable part of a kayak’s equipment in Greenland and remain so in Greenlandic kayak clubs today.
