Nothing beats the freedom of being out on the water, so water sports are an easy choice. If you’re trying to decide whether to get into kayaking — which has been going strong for a very long time, and isn’t going anywhere — and the new popular kid on the block, stand up paddle boarding, though, things get a little tricky. They’re both so much fun, after all!
Committing to either one of these sports takes time, a whole lot of practice, and will inevitably lighten your wallet as you stock up on all the gear you need to really make the most of your new hobby. Not everyone can do both, then, and not everyone would want to.
How do paddle boarding and kayaking compare? If you already know you’re going to do one, and just one, which should you pick?
Simple. Use this guide to help you narrow your choice down, by picking the things that are most important to you!
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Kayak vs Paddle Board: What’s Easier to Get Into?
If being able to get basic mastery of your gear means the world to you, you’ll be itching to know whether kayaking or paddle boarding has a bigger learning curve.
We’re sorry to say that the answer to this question won’t necessarily help you pick between stand up paddle boarding and kayaking, because both sports are fairly easy to get into. With the right instructor, it’s possible to get started with either in just one day — by sticking to calmer waters close to shore.
Kayaks are quite hard to get into and out of if you’re completely new to the sport, though, while paddle boards are more intuitive — no matter who you are, you’ll already have balanced on something before, and that’s all you really need to do to stay on a SUP. If you do fall down, which will happen, getting back on your SUP is straightforward.
Once you’ve had your first few sessions, you’ll still need to be careful as you gradually build up your skill level, and you definitely don’t want to go whitewater kayaking or paddle boarding on your own as a novice in either case.
The final verdict? Paddle boarding and kayaking are both easy to get started with, but getting good at kayaking is harder than getting good at paddle boarding. (No, that doesn’t mean that paddle boarding gets boring quickly! There’s still always more to explore.)
Kayak vs SUP: What’s Cheaper to Get Started With?
The cost of the essential gear you’ll need to get started can sometimes help you pick between two hobbies, but kayaking and SUP gear come with painfully similar price ranges. On the extreme budget end of the spectrum, you can get a cheap paddle board or a cheap kayak for around $200 to $350.
In both cases, the semi-pro end of the price range takes you to around $3,000. The golden middle road also similar — expect to spend between $500 and $1,000 for a very decent and durable kayak or paddle board.
The jury’s out on this one, then. Sorry about that!
What’s Faster? A Kayak or a Paddle Board?
Are you a speed junkie? Are you hoping to use your paddle board or kayak as a means of transportation, rather than just for fun? Do you have friends who kayak or paddle board, and you’re wondering if you would be able to keep up with them if you pick the other option?
Figuring out whether a kayak or a stand up paddle board is faster may just play a key role in your decision-making process.
Answering this question isn’t as easy as it sounds, because it depends on the kind of paddle board or kayak you’re talking about. It may be helpful to know that most kayaks — meaning the kind most people who kayak for fun use — are faster than most stand up paddle boards.
A racing paddle board with a pro rider will outpace a medium-range kayak operated by a clumsy newbie any day, though, so there are definitely exceptions to this general rule.
If speed is important to you, though, we do have a clear winner here. You’ll typically be able to move through the water faster on a kayak than on a stand up paddle board. Can SUP riders and kayakers “play together nicely”? You bet. One of you may have to slow down a bit, but the two sports are compatible.
What’s Safer? Kayaking or Paddle Boarding?
Let’s be clear: kayaking and paddle boarding are both as safe as the rider makes them. Both sports come with some degree of inherent risk, and those risks become much more significant if the rider sets off to explore dangerous waters without much experience under their belt.
Developing excellent situational awareness will help you stay safe, whether you’re in a kayak or on a stand up paddle board. Having a buddy with you always helps a great deal, too, especially if you are out on the ocean or traversing angry rivers.
There’s one kayaking risk we’d like to highlight that paddle boarders just don’t have to worry about to the same degree, though, and it’s a surprising one — repetitive stress injury.
Kayakers are stuck in the same position the entire time, and paddling requires them to make the same repetitive paddling motions again and again. If you’re already dealing with RSI, from an office job for instance, paddle boarding may be the better choice for you.
To sum this part up, kayaking and paddle boarding both come with a certain degree of risk. Gaining experience and using your common sense help you mitigate that risk, which is very similar in both cases. Kayaking makes you more vulnerable to repetitive stress injury, however, and that may not be something you are comfortable with.
Kayaking or Paddle Boarding: What’s the More Challenging Workout?
Is getting a challenging workout your primary goal? Kayaking and paddle boarding are both guaranteed to tire you out, but stand up paddle boarding wins hands down here.
When you ride a SUP, you have to engage your core, back, shoulders, arms, and your legs, making stand up paddle boarding a full body workout. Kayaking offers a brutal upper body workout, true, but if you’re after a well-rounded athletic program, you’ll still need to drag yourself to the gym, or onto a bike, for that dreaded “leg day”.
If you’re hoping to pick up kayaking or stand up paddle boarding with the explicit goal or burning as many calories as possible to get you to your goal weight, meanwhile, stand up paddle boarding burns more calories per hour.
While we’re on the subject, stand up paddle boarding isn’t the only thing you can do on a SUP. SUP yoga, which is exploding in popularity, is an entirely new way to enjoy your stand up paddle board.
Yoga is a great way to help you become more flexible while you learn to maintain your balance better, while kayaking just can’t offer this same potential.
Should you choose kayaking or stand up paddle boarding? If you’re just in it for the fitness perks, that’s not even a question. Stand up paddle boarding will win that contest every single time.
Is Kayaking or Paddle Boarding More Versatile?
Be honest with yourself here — do you get bored easily? If the answer’s yes, the versatility of the sport you’re choosing will matter a great deal. In other words, just what can you do with a kayak? What can you do with a paddle board?
Of course, kayaking and paddle boarding are both inherently versatile in that you can take your SUP or your kayak pretty much anywhere. You may start out on a quiet lake, but once you really get going, you can absolutely go whitewater kayaking or paddle boarding, venture out onto the ocean, or see much of the world right from your kayak or stand up paddle board.
Folks who like fishing may be thrilled to learn that you can fish from a kayak or a paddle board, though both SUP fishing and kayak fishing have quite a steep learning curve and you’ll be dealing with limited storage options in both cases, too.
This is where we mention the yoga again. SUP yoga is amazing, and really helps you develop your inner balance and strength. Less well known is the fact that plenty of kayakers practice yoga in their kayaks, too. They are limiting themselves to poses that can be done while sitting down in their kayaks, which is quite a shame, but they’re still doing it.
That’s a tie again, then, but hold on — we’re not quite done yet.
A Look at the Other Perks of Kayaking vs Paddle Boarding
Other things to consider as you decide between kayaking and paddle boarding include:
- The amount of gear you can take out onto the water. With a SUP, you are generally limited to the gear you can fit into the bungee ties on the stand up paddle board. Kayaks can, depending on the type and model, have significantly more storage capacity that can be rather welcome for those who are planning long trips.
- How you’re going to store your kayak or SUP. Inflatable SUPs are deflatable too, of course, and that makes storing them easy. Kayaks generally require more space to store. This means that stand up paddle boards are also easier (which often means cheaper) to transport; you can even take an inflatable SUP on an airplane.
- Climate conditions should be considered, too. If you mainly plan to kayak or paddle board near where you live, know that SUPing in freezing water can be a challenge, because you’ll definitely get wet. Kayaking in hot weather is just as annoying.
- Are you clumsy? A kayak may be better for you. Riding a SUP requires an excellent sense of balance, all the time. You can take breaks and relax, just a little bit, while sitting in a kayak.
Finally, what’s more fun? Paddle boarding or kayaking? Because that’s entirely subjective, we can’t answer that question for you — but you can. Do you feel more drawn to paddle boarding or to kayaking? Ultimately, we’d advise you to go with the sport you think you’ll enjoy more.
Kayak vs Stand Up Paddle Board: Which Is Better?
Paddle boarding and kayaking are both great water sports. One isn’t better than the other — but one will be better than the other for you.
- Choose kayaking if you’re after speed on the water, you think you may want to travel across longer distances, and you want the option of packing a lot of gear. Kayaking may also be the better choice if you dream of touring more volatile waters.
- Are you after a fun workout that’s easy to master and that will burn a lot of calories while building strength across every muscle group you have? Do you still want to have the option of becoming more serious about racing? Do you love the idea of practicing yoga out on the water, including handstands? Sounds like you’re team SUP.
One final question to consider is this. Do you already know people who are seriously great at kayaking or paddle boarding, and who often go on trips? You may want to join their bandwagon, because having the ability to gain useful tips from seasoned pros is a very nice bonus that should never be underestimated. What’s more, if you enjoy your water sports in the company of others, you may want to consider getting into the sports that your relatives or friends already love, so that you can have fun on the water together.
Do you still love the idea of kayaking just as much as you’re called to try stand up paddle boarding? There is such a thing as a SUP-kayak hybrid, and while these bad boys do have their own unique limits, they may just allow you to enjoy both.
