Kayak Rentals Near Me
TripOutside is the largest kayak rental and tour booking website to help you find and book different types of kayaks from the best outfitters around the world.
If you haven’t rented a kayak before, below is a rental guide that you may find helpful in picking the best kayak for your adventure.
But don’t worry, you’ll be renting with the highly experienced outdoor businesses that will make sure that you get on the best kayak for your adventure.
What are the different types of Kayak Rentals available near me
Recreational Kayak Rentals
Most kayak outfitters offer recreational kayaks as their rental option as these are the most versatile option for any type of water. The recreational kayaks may not be great at any one thing, but they are the jack of all trades. The main option to consider when renting a Recreational Kayak is whether you’d like a sit on top or a sit-inside kayak (if the rental options are available).
The next decision is whether you’d like a solo kayak to yourself or if you want to paddle with a partner in a tandem kayak.
Sit on top kayaks:
- A sit on top kayak is an open platform kayak where you sit on top of the kayak with your legs open and exposed.
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Best Kayak For Beginners
Easy to get in and out when you’re getting in and out and it’s easier to get back into the kayak if you flip over.
Things to consider when renting a sit on top kayak
You legs are exposed to the sun and the elements and you could get splashed on a bit more and slightly higher chances of getting wet
Sit inside kayak rentals
- Sit inside kayaks allow you to sit inside the kayak rather than on top of it. The sit inside recreational kayaks are very common, easy to paddle, and a great multi-purpose kayak. The two options you will have to choose from are Solo or Tandem kayak rentals.
Touring / Sea Kayak Rentals
Touring kayaks are generally longer and narrower than a recreational kayak as they are designed to go faster and further than a recreational kayak but they are not as stable.
Touring / Sea / Ocean kayaks also have a bulkhead on either end of the boat that creates extra buoyancy and helps the boat stay afloat in open water in case of a turnover.
You do not want to rent or use a sit-inside kayak without one of these bulkhead options in a large body of water as they may accumulate water and sink instead of floating.
Inflatable Kayak Rentals / Duckies
Inflatable Kayak Rentals are becoming more popular for many reasons including the ease of transportation and their ability to paddle rivers and waters with rocks and rapids that you typically can’t or wouldn’t want to in a recreational kayak.
These kayaks can be inflated in a matter of minutes at the start of the trip, which means you don’t need to have a large vehicle or kayak racks to be able to transport them.
Another ease of using an inflatable kayak is that they are easier to paddle for beginners but, they are slower than a recreational kayak. They are best suited for paddling with the flow of water where paddling efficiency is not as important.
Kids Kayak
Most often, kids can join adults in a tandem kayak and it’s best for them to sit in the front so you can keep an eye on what’s going on and help them paddle by providing guidance and instruction. But, when the kids become old enough or proficient enough at paddling and want their own kayaks, there are a few options available for them to enjoy their own journey.
Check with the outfitter before renting a kids kayak to see which options they provide and it is crucial to know what the water conditions are like and make sure that it’s the best decision for the kids to paddle by themselves.
Whitewater Kayaks
How to Choose A Kayak to Rent
It really depends on where do you want to paddle, your outfitter partner will help you pick the best kayak based on their location and available paddling locations. In general, here are some guidelines.
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- Lake
- Small lake or a pond: A recreational kayak is perfect for paddling a small lake or a flat river. You just have to decide whether you want solo or tandem and/or sit on top or sit inside.
- A big open water lake or ocean: A touring kayak is necessary and recommended if you’re padding in a big lake or open water. You need a separate dry compartment, a bulkhead, which is a great safety feature to provide buoyancy for the boat in open water.
- River (flat)
- A recreational or a touring kayak will be perfect for a flatwater river trip
- If it is a river with a lot of turns and small narrow channels, go with a recreational kayak as it will be easier to maneuver and balance than a long touring kayak.
- A long flat river: You could go with a touring kayak if you want to do a long day trip or a multi-day trip.
- A river with rapids
- Inflatable kayaks/duckies: With class 1-2 rapids, you could potentially go with a recreational kayak or an inflatable kayak.
- Caution: talk to your outfitter before deciding which kayak to choose if the river that you’re planning on running has rapids. Inflatable kayaks are growing in popularity to run rivers with rapids when you don’t want to be on a rafting trip and like doing your own DIY adventures.
- For more extreme rapids, you may need a whitewater kayak but these aren’t typically rented out just to anyone as the risk of flipping over is very high and there is training required to learn to flip back over.
Frequently Asked Questions on Kayak Rentals
How much does it cost to rent a kayak?
Kayak rentals are generally very cost-effective to rent, in most cases, recreational kayaks priced average:
- Per hour averages are around $10-$15
- Half-day rentals range from $30-50
- Full-day and the prices range from $40-$75 an hour
Tandem kayaks can cost $5-$20 more for the same time periods but you do save money instead of renting 2 kayaks.
Touring kayak rentals cost more and therefore their rental prices are also higher ranging $10-$20 more than recreational kayaks.
