: Hello,
: I was wondering if anyone has an explaintation for the mouth shape in the
: hull of the baidarda. I have heard it is a subtle speed benefit, but could
: it be for ice breaking? It seems to me that when I paddle through thin
: layers of ice, I just ride up on it and am confronted with breaking
: through with the paddle (note my paddle repair questions last week)in
: order to make forward progress. That "mouth" on the stem would
: possible force the ice to be broken as the boat went forward. Has this
: been considered as a possible use for this design element? -Curious scott

There has been a lot of speculation about the reason for the baidarka bow. The truth is nobody knows. The reason is lost in the mists of time. What matters now, is does it work for you. If it does, you can decide why you like it and that reason will be more meaningful than any guess about why the Aleuts originally developed it.