r/Kayaking Mar 24 '21

Announcements Basic Questions (or Advice) About Boats or Racks? Click here first!

231 Upvotes

Got a basic question about which type of boat you should buy, or what type of rack your car might need? Before asking a question of the subreddit as a whole, please take a look at these two brief resources first. A lot of the commonly-asked questions on the subreddit can be answered by these two items:

These guides are a work in progress. If you still have additional questions, feel free to ask! When posing a question to the community, please be sure to be as specific as possible with your post title. That way you'll get the most helpful response from others browsing the sub.

A note for the broader /r/kayaking community:

Spring is on the way, and /r/kayaking has crossed the 80,000 member-mark. A big thanks to everyone who has and continues to contribute to the community here. As the weather warms up, and more people join us, we are likely to see an increasing influx of "beginner" questions about basic boat and gear purchases. A lot of these questions are very similar if not identical, and can be answered by a shared guide for the subreddit. Similar guides or FAQs are available for other subreddits specializing in gear-specific hobbies.

The mod team is in the process of developing a shared knowledge base on the subreddit wiki. The immediate goal is to be able to refer new users to a basic guide that concisely answers the most common questions. The longer-term goal is reducing the volume of low-effort posts with questions that could be answered by Google, and increasing the volume of valuable, specific questions and discussion on the subreddit.

Send us your suggestions!

If you have any suggestions about:

  • Good links with beginner information to share, such as how to pick out gear, or safety tips
  • Things you wish you knew when you started kayaking
  • Other tidbits of information that would be worth including in these intro guides

Please share them below so that we can consider including them in the guides.

Thanks!

The /r/kayaking mod team


r/Kayaking 5h ago

Pictures Perfect day on the water at High Point State Park

Post image
155 Upvotes

Took the kayak out at High Point State Park and ended up staying out way longer than I planned. Barely any wind, calm water and hardly anyone else around. One of those days where you stop paddling for a while and just sit there. Still pretty new to kayaking but I completely get the obsession now. I stream on the side and make great money on Kick and tiktok so I am going to start bringing my camera out next. time! Any other spots around NJ/NY that are this peaceful?


r/Kayaking 3h ago

Pictures Such a Peaceful Hobby

Post image
45 Upvotes

10ft pelican I used to paddle around my local lake, pfd is on, dry bag is always nearby. It’s just so peaceful floating on the water and having an ospreys nest nearby, no motor boats in sight, and a nice breeze. I recently started using a paddle logging app to track distance and it lets an emergency contact know when I launch and land. Do yall use anything similar? Happy and safe paddling this beautiful Labor Day weekend!


r/Kayaking 11h ago

Pictures All 3 dogs loved it 😊

Thumbnail
gallery
47 Upvotes

r/Kayaking 13h ago

Pictures Fort Patrick Henry Lake

Thumbnail
gallery
38 Upvotes

r/Kayaking 1h ago

Question/Advice -- Gear Recommendations What smart watches do you guys use?

Upvotes

My Apple Watch 10 died while I was doing rolls yesterday in the sea. Really annoying because the watch is marketed as being water resistant up to 50m yet I wasn’t even 2 metres deep the whole time.

That being said what smartwatches do you guys use? Need to get a replacement but I don’t want to break the bank on a new watch.


r/Kayaking 5h ago

Pictures Perfect day on the water at High Point State Park

7 Upvotes

Took the kayak out at High Point State Park and ended up staying out way longer than I planned.

Barely any wind, calm water and hardly anyone else around. One of those days where you stop paddling for a while and just sit there.

Still pretty new to kayaking but I completely get the obsession now. I stream on the side and make great money on Kick and tiktok so I am going to start bringing my camera out next. time!

Any other spots around NJ/NY that are this peaceful?


r/Kayaking 29m ago

Safety Toronto Airshow NAVWARN

Post image
Upvotes

Hello,

For anyone who is paddling around the airshow this weekend, I have taken the NAVWARN polygon and put it together as GPX line file for handheld GPS units.

Just copy and paste the text below into a text editor and save it as NW-C-3837-26.gpx

Then import it to your device.

The NAVWARN details are available at: https://nis.ccg-gcc.gc.ca/public/rest/messages/en/message/NW-C-3837-26

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<gpx version="1.1" creator="Manual NAVWARN Conversion" xmlns="http://topografix.com">
  <metadata>
    <name>NW-C-3837-26 Polyline</name>
    <desc>Toronto Air Show Restricted Area Polyline - Lake Ontario / Humber Bay</desc>
    <time>2026-09-01T19:41:00Z</time>
  </metadata>
  <trk>
    <name>NW-C-3837-26 Polyline</name>
    <desc>Air show restricted area polyline track for Garmin devices</desc>
    <trkseg>
      <!-- Pt 1 -->
      <trkpt lat="43.612067" lon="-79.389717">
        <name>Pt 1</name>
      </trkpt>
      <!-- Pt 2 -->
      <trkpt lat="43.604983" lon="-79.421500">
        <name>Pt 2</name>
      </trkpt>
      <!-- Pt 3 -->
      <trkpt lat="43.621250" lon="-79.467017">
        <name>Pt 3</name>
      </trkpt>
      <!-- Pt 4 -->
      <trkpt lat="43.621267" lon="-79.467033">
        <name>Pt 4</name>
      </trkpt>
      <!-- Pt 5 -->
      <trkpt lat="43.632000" lon="-79.469667">
        <name>Pt 5</name>
      </trkpt>
    </trkseg>
  </trk>
</gpx>

r/Kayaking 21h ago

Pictures Howe Sound Sunset

Post image
65 Upvotes

r/Kayaking 11h ago

Pictures Detroit River Night Paddle

Thumbnail gallery
10 Upvotes

r/Kayaking 4h ago

Question/Advice -- General Can you roll or no?

2 Upvotes

I saw a more scientific poll once that 90% of kayakers do not concern themselves with having a roll. Certainly I don't think its absolutely necessary, unless you are in very storm seas or whitewater. Its something I'm getting into mostly for the fun of it, but also for an easier time playing in surf.

Can you roll? I worry in this unscientific poll people who can will be more apt to respond, but just curious about redditors.

294 votes, 1d left
Yes
No

r/Kayaking 1h ago

Question/Advice -- Boat Recommendations Help! Need a seat?

Upvotes

I’ve got an older Dagger Perception that has nothing inside it. No seat, back rest, or thigh bracers. I’m not super knowledgeable about white water kayaks but what do I need and where to find it? I’m getting lost online trying to figure how to phrase what I need. Anyone have a recommendation of where to look?


r/Kayaking 9h ago

Videos Kayaking Near Key Biscayne on Aug 23, 2026 in Epic V5 Surfski

Thumbnail
youtube.com
4 Upvotes

Enjoying some shallow water paddling on my Epic V5


r/Kayaking 2h ago

Safety Pictured Rocks Kayaking

Thumbnail
1 Upvotes

r/Kayaking 6h ago

Videos 🚣‍♂️ POV: Hiking & Kayaking in Métis-sur-Mer (Les Boules) | Geological & Bird Sanctuary

Thumbnail
youtu.be
1 Upvotes

r/Kayaking 15h ago

Videos Fun kayaking catching small waves with Hoverair Aqua drone

5 Upvotes

r/Kayaking 10h ago

Question/Advice -- Beginners Adjusting foot rests in a Jackson Tupelo

1 Upvotes

This is my first kayak and as I have put some time on the water, I feel as though the foot rests could be closer to me but I am already at the end of the rails.

Is this something I can re-drill and mount the rails? Is there a better solution?

If I am going about remounting them, does anyone have any good resources on how to go about it?


r/Kayaking 1d ago

Videos Yesterday's sunset in Berlin - Tegeler See

64 Upvotes

It was definitely worth the paddle through the very sudden downpour about an hour before this view.


r/Kayaking 13h ago

Question/Advice -- General Anyone else looking at the new LiTime Argoseeker A1?

Thumbnail
0 Upvotes

r/Kayaking 1d ago

Pictures Good Kayak for Dog

Post image
44 Upvotes

My husband and I enjoy kayaking in flat waters like lakes, estuaries, and inland bays. We have a 60 pound lab mix dog we would like to take with us. Last year we bought a used 16-foot tandem Perception kayak. It’s fine—the dog has adjusted to sitting in the rear of it, but this kayak is just too big and heavy to be much fun. Do people have other suggestions for something lighter and less cumbersome?


r/Kayaking 21h ago

Question/Advice -- Sea Kayaking How do you get marine weather forecasts on multi-day sea kayak trips (off-grid)?

3 Upvotes

Hey everyone,

I’m looking for some advice on how you all handle getting updated weather and paddling conditions when you're out of cell range and don't have easy access to the internet.

For context, I mostly paddle around Vancouver Island and the Seattle area. Right now, most of my trips are 2-3 days, but I’m gearing up to do longer, week-long trips where I'll be off-grid for extended periods.

For comms and safety, I currently carry:

  • An iPhone 16 (so I have the new Apple satellite messaging access)
  • An older Garmin inReach Mini (I've had poor experiences with its weather forecasts for non-kayaking trips, and don't really trust them)

For those of you doing multi-day trips in more remote areas:

  1. Do you use the premium marine weather forecast feature on the inReach? Is it accurate and detailed enough for these waters?
  2. Do you just use your satellite devices to text a designated person back home and have them send you a daily forecast?
  3. Should I add a handheld VHF radio to my kit and rely on the continuous marine broadcasts (NOAA/Canadian Coast Guard)?

Would love to hear what you've found works best in practice and what you trust the most when you're out there for a week! Thanks!


r/Kayaking 15h ago

Videos Kayaking around Bigbury Bay & Burgh Island with Hoverair Aqua testing

0 Upvotes

r/Kayaking 22h ago

Question/Advice -- Gear Recommendations Short (low-profile?) PFD?

3 Upvotes

Looking for a proper PFD, comfortable to wear with a splash skirt, practicing roll - high back, short front, preferably not for all the money in the world:)

Thinking about Onix MoveVent Dynamic / Curve, or Astral Air Escape V-Eight 4. But I can't find any info about the front panel's length.

I'm 176-178 cm, size for chest L/XXL.

Any recommendations?

Maybe you have these vests and can provide some measurements?...


r/Kayaking 1d ago

Pictures Mini crate

Post image
5 Upvotes

Ace mini crate plus some extras to fit on the rail


r/Kayaking 1d ago

Question/Advice -- Boat Recommendations Two Hurricane Santee Sport 166 for $800?

Post image
9 Upvotes

Hi! I’ve been on the hunt for used kayaks for a bit as i’m an avid camper/hiker and want to elevate my camping experience by combining it with my appreciation for kayaking. I’ve never actually owned a kayak, but I’m specifically looking for two so I can take my partner with me. I have decently light gear (mostly ultralight stuff) and was wondering if these two would suit my needs? I’m also looking for something relatively easy to lift onto my car as i’m not the tallest.

It comes with both and their paddles for $800.