The familiar adage, “You can never have too much gear,” is more like a commandment for most kayakers. While that simple fact should make it easy to find the best kayaking gifts, it can be difficult to discern between what’s truly practical from stuff they’ll never use.
We’re here to help! All items on this list of kayaking gifts have been personally tested and approved by Paddling Magazine editors and longtime contributors. Whether you’re shopping for a sea kayaker, recreational kayaker, whitewater kayaker or packrafter, there’s something for everyone here at all price points—from a bright solar-powered lantern and a truly waterproof map case to a versatile PFD and an ultralight packraft to venture deep into the backcountry. This article showcases some of the season’s best kayaking apparel, gear and accessories to help you make the best selections for all the paddlers on your list. And while it’s tailored for the holiday season, bookmark this guide for birthdays, Father’s Day, Mother’s Day, and any special occasion year-round.
Keel Eazy DIY keel strip
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Eventually, every composite sea kayak will benefit from a keel strip as the hull’s gel coat wears down in high-use areas. Keel Eazy is a great gift for kayakers that allows moderately handy paddlers to breathe new life into a fiberglass or kevlar boat with a durable PVC keel strip and only a few basic tools. It takes about a half-hour to install two-inch peel-and-stick Keel Eazy on a typical 17-foot kayak, using a heat gun and roller for a professional application. Multiple colours are available to match (or accentuate) your boat.
NRS Ninja PFD
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NRS AMAZON BACKCOUNTRY REI
The NRS Ninja is a super low-profile PFD for whitewater and sea kayakers. Just like its namesake, the Ninja is all about range of motion: flotation is concentrated around the core to free up your arms and shoulders for paddle strokes. It translates to a feeling of freedom on the water, especially for paddlers who love to push their limits freestyle paddling, creekboating, rock gardening or surfing. It’s one of Paddling Mag’s top picks for best life jackets of the year.
Kokatat Gore-Tex Pullover jacket
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The Kokatat Gore-Tex Pullover is a perennial favourite amongst sea kayakers looking for a versatile, everyday jacket that offers great protection from wave spray on the water and precipitation in camp. I’ve owned multiple generations of these jackets and used them for hundreds of days on sea kayak trips and canoe expeditions—and they’ve never let me down. Gore-Tex Paclite fabric offers the ultimate combination of reliable protection from the elements and breathability to keep you dry on the inside, all made to Kokatat’s legendary high specifications for comfort and durability.
Sea to Summit Evac Compression HD dry bag
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SEA TO SUMMIT AMAZON BACKCOUNTRY REI
A good dry bag will consistently rank amongst the best gifts for kayakers. The Sea to Summit Evac Compression HD dry bag combines durable, reliably waterproof yet lightweight Cordura eVent fabric with a compression system to force excess air from bulky items, such as clothing and sleeping bags. Eight- and 13-liter models are good all-around choices for most paddlers that fit almost every hatch size.
Paddling the Salish Sea guidebook
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AMAZON BARNES & NOBLE BOOKSHOP.ORG THRIFT BOOKS
Veteran Pacific Northwest kayaker Rob Casey has penned the ultimate guide to kayak touring in Puget Sound, the San Juan Islands, Olympic Peninsula and southern British Columbia. Paddling the Salish Sea features 80 routes to inspire paddlers of all skill levels. This is a great holiday or birthday gift for kayakers or armchair adventurers alike, with a mix of day trips and overnight tours and an excellent overview of the region’s diverse human and natural history.
PAKA Everyday Baselayer
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Available in men’s and women’s styles, the PAKA Everyday Baselayer is ideal for wearing next to your skin under a drysuit for cold-weather paddling. The blend of natural alpaca and Tencel synthetic fibers is soft, breathable, odor-resistant and durable—with a cut that transitions effortlessly from the backcountry to the cafe.
Mammut Rime IN Flex Hooded Jacket
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This lightly insulated, alpine-inspired jacket works just as well as a warm layer on a sea kayak expedition as it does in the mountains, making it a great gift for paddlers. The Mammut Rime IN Flex jacket is slim-fitting to make the most of its synthetic insulation and take up less room in a kayak hatch. The hood is a nice touch to seal in warmth.
Kokopelli Twain
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The Kokopelli Twain is a tandem flatwater packraft for adventurous duos that excels on lakes and smooth-flowing rivers. A sleek bow and stern profile and a built-in skeg improve glide and keep you tracking straighter than other packrafts for more efficient paddling. With an overall length of 10 feet, when paddled solo, the Twain is a packhorse with oodles of space for gear, a bike or a canine companion—yet it still tips the scales at less than 14 pounds, which is lighter than most two-person inflatable kayaks. Impressively, it manages to pack down the size of a sleeping bag.
NRS HydroLock Map Case
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NRS AMAZON BACKCOUNTRY OUTDOORPLAY
It’s tough to find a reliable, waterproof map case that can survive the rigours of riding on the deck of a sea kayak for more than a trip or two. Most suffer from blown seams or defective zip seals way too soon. That’s why the NRS HydroLock map case is such a great gift for kayakers. The medium size fits a good span of coastline at most map scales.
Luci Outdoor 2.0 lantern
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MPOWERD AMAZON BACKCOUNTRY REI
I received a solar-powered Luci lantern nearly 10 years ago, and it’s still going strong. It is a welcome companion to brighten the mood in my tent on late-season kayak trips. The upgraded Luci Outdoor 2.0 still makes a great gift for kayakers. It lasts up to 24 hours on a charge and can be topped up with a USB cable, along with the original solar panel. The disk-shaped lantern inflates to create a pleasant glow for reading or playing cards in the tent, and takes up no space in the hatch when deflated.
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Feature photo: iStock
