Paddle boarding

Kayak or Standup Paddle Board – Which One Is Better?

Standup paddleboarding has blown up in the recent years while kayaking has been around for a really long time and is again gaining popularity among people that love spending time on the water. But which one is better? Which one should you get? Kayak or standup paddle board? I was an avid standup paddler in the past and recently I have turned more towards sea kayaking so I can give you my first hand experience with both.

We were simply born for a living

There is no definite answer to the question which one is better, kayaking or paddle boarding. It really depends on what do you want to do and how. But when we come to specific uses, things become much clearer. Here you will find pretty much all the things to consider when deciding if you want to start kayaking or standup paddling and after reading this article it should be clear what to choose.

Main Differences Between Kayaking and Standup Paddling

Yes, it depends on what kind of kayak and what kind of paddleboard do you use but in general, if you compare an average paddleboard and an average kayak, this is what the differences are.

Kayaks are faster and therefore better for longer distances, they are safer in bad conditions, have more storage that is more secure, are more comfortable and are better in cold weather.

Standup paddleboards are more versatile, they are really easy to get off and back on (good for warm weather if you want to quickly cool off and good for exploring the coast), they are more widely accessible (and cheaper), they offer a better workout and give you greater freedom of movement.

Now lets get more into details. I think the most important question here is where do you want to paddle and how, this will pretty much determine whether you need a paddleboard or a kayak.

Paddleboard vs. Kayak

If you would count all the wins the standup paddleboard would come out on top with 12 points versus 10 points for the kayak. But after reading this article you should have a good idea what is better for you, these points don’t matter in the end as they are not all equally important. For me personally, kayak is the way to go. The ability to go on longer multiday expeditions while camping on the deserted beaches along the way, hopping from island to island, it’s just such an amazing experience that I would never dare to do on a standup paddleboard.