For some reason, I’ve spent quite a bit of time Kayaking this summer. I have kayaked in a lake, two rivers, and one ocean. That is about 400% more kayaking than I did in previous summers.

I wanted to name this post Sea Kayaks vs. Regular Kayaks, but it turns out that, as usual, there is much more to the topic than I care to write about.

However, I’ll boil it down based on my personal experience…

The main difference between sea kayaks and regular kayaks is that sea kayaks don’t have a “cockpit” or covered area that you sit in. They are mostly flat. This is so that when an ocean wave topples you, you can easily get back in.

As an aside, if you happen to find yourself in the San Diego area, visit San Diego Bike and Kayak Tours. We took a tour where we kayaked out to a cave, then jumped in the water and snorkeled, then kayaked back to shore. It was a blast. Probably one of the best vacation activities I’ve ever done. (We were at the La Jolla location.)