TAKING A SEA KAYAKING VACATION

Are you tired of the same type of vacation year after year? Are you and your family looking for a new adventure, something you can experience together, you know, something exciting? If so, then you might consider taking a sea kayaking vacation together as a family. More and more, families are looking for outdoor activities that offer a number of factors to include physical exercise, some element of discovery, and excitement, everything sea kayaking has to offer.

A sea kayaking vacation takes you directly into the heart of the outdoors, to a place without motors, no pollution, no noise, just you, the effortless glide of the kayak, the rippling of the water, the pristine beaches, mountain peaks, blooming flowers, and an occasional bird flying overhead. The experience is something that children to seniors can enjoy, taking home with them a memory that can be cherished for life.

Depending on where you decide to sea kayak, you will find yourself meandering between glaciers, narrow twisting fjords, magnificent mangroves, and romantic waterways, all unspoiled regions of the world without so much as a human footprint. You will have the opportunity of a lifetime to watch sea turtles, whales, dolphins, and other marine life, many curious as to why you are in their turf.

Then when you go ashore, you will have even more opportunities of hiking, snorkeling, scuba diving, windsurfing, or just lying out on the sandy beach to soak up some of the sun’s warm rays. Many of the places around the world where sea kayaking is popular offer quaint towns, perfect for sightseeing, shopping, and dining on local cuisine. For instance, Canada, Baja, Chile, and Alaska are all top sea kayaking destinations.

You and your family will have a number of choices for each destination regarding duration. For instance, you could take a simple two-day, three-night sea kayaking trip or go all out with a nine-day, ten-night trip. Typically, the length of the sea kayaking vacation will depend on the age of the children and their tolerance for “roughing it”. However, you would likely be surprised even by the smaller children who are eager to keep going on this type of vacation.

While each type of sea kayaking vacation offers something unique and wonderful, one that is exceptional for families is the whale-watching trip. With this, all kayakers make their way out to the water where everything is eerily still. Then without having to wait too long, you hear a loud puff while noticing shooting of water and seeing a massive dorsal tail of a real killer whale.

Whale watching is just one of the many miraculous experiences you can have while sea kayaking. For instance, you might also see Pacific white-sided dolphin, Dalls’ porpoises, sea lions, river otters, and while on shore, black tailed deer, black bear, mink, and bald eagles. Just imagine the children and the incredible stories they will have to offer at school when they return from the most magical experience of a lifetime, seeing these and other living creatures up close.

Just remember that you want to choose a sea kayaking vacation that suits your needs best. For example, the destination will be the deciding factor on the type of gear needed. While many wonderful outfitters provide the kayaks, as well as organize all the accommodations, meals, and other activities, other outfitters organize on just the bare bones. For a family sea kayaking vacation, we suggest you stick with a warm water trip to some place such as Baja or Belize. There, you would use sit-on-top kayaks in which the body fits snuggly inside the cockpit. This way, should the children capsize, they can get out of the kayak easily and enjoy the warmth of the water.