Canoe and Kayak Accessories and Equipment

by Product Review Lad | Last Updated: August 10, 2020

This article is all about amazing equipment and accessories for canoeing and kayaking. Each product I’ve reviewed in this article can be extremely useful when getting out on the water. I’ve been kayaking on open water for a few years and find it a great way to relax and unwind. Hopefully this page gives you some great canoe and kayak accessories to help make your water time even better. 

This page mainly covers clothing for canoeing and kayaking but also some other handy items. So lets begin with something I class as an essential.

**Note** – A quick hello to anyone reading this, I’m Alastair AKA Product Review Lad. I started this site to help people choose the best products to buy, and hopefully what you’re about to read will aid you in your choice. This page includes affiliate links to the likes of Amazon, which if you make a purchase I qualify to earn a (typically small) commission. Don’t worry as this won’t cost you anything, the likes of Amazon pay any commissions. Thank you in advance for your support as this helps Product Review Lad to create the best reviews.

Kayak life vest

Accidents happen, and they can be fatal if ill prepared or just plain unlucky. One of the major requirements while kayaking or canoeing is to wear a life vest. NRS Vapor manufacture one of the best available and I recommend it to anyone for kayaking or canoeing. It offers the best flotation without being restricting on movement, allowing for great safety without impeding ability on the water.

To see our full review of the best life vest for canoeing and kayaking, whether it be for hot weather, fishing, comfort along with several other categories, click here.

Water Shoes

One think you may forget about for kayaking and canoeing is footwear. Depending on what you plan to do, a pair of trainers can be sufficient. If you plan on being in or out of the water, or hiking and kayaking a great pair of water shoes is a great accessory. To view our full review of water shoes click here.

Our recommendation is Merrell’s which are prefect for running, hiking and being in the water.

Gloves 

After I bought my first kayak I couldn’t wait to get out on the water,  I went to a near by lake and spent around 2 hours paddling. Later that night my hands felt sore and the insides of both of my thumbs were blistered! To solve this I purchased myself a set of kayaking gloves. After researching for a while I chose WindRider Pro Sailing Gloves.

WindRider Pro Sailing Gloves

These gloves come as either 3/4 of full length finger coverage. Personally I would advise the 3/4 finger gloves, but this is down to personal preference. The palm padding is of good quality and wears well. Recently WindRider have improved their padding to help grip the paddle! The material on the rear of the hand is especially useful during the summer months, due to being more breathable than most gloves of this type. This is the perfect canoe and kayak accessory.

One thing to be careful of when buying these gloves is the sizing, some people find that the gloves are larger than expect. I didn’t find this a problem when buying, luckily WindRider include a size chart in their description for help when purchasing. To use this measure around your palm and match this to the chart and the gloves should fit!

These gloves are great value for their quality. Personally I think no matter what type of canoeing or kayaking you do, or how long you do it for, these are essential for the sake of your hands.

Waterproof Poncho / Raincoat

The next item to be reviewed really is a no thrills product, but I will always carry one with me if I know there is any chance of rain. Unfortunately before I bought one I got caught out, big style. Just picture this, you’re kayaking on a lake with no cover and about 30 minutes from your vehicle and the skies open. I can tell you, that really isn’t fun. 

This is a slip on hooded rain poncho, thinner than a typical raincoat so lighter yet still extremely durable.  It is a one size fits all, i’m 5’10 and it is a good fit for me (a little below the knee). Another benefit of the Foxelli Waterproof poncho is that it folds into a small 3.5 x 9″ bag so it can easily be stored within your canoe or kayak.

Canoe and Kayak Anchor 

Some people probably wont need this depending on what you do on the water. An anchor will be of use for anyone who goes fishing while on the water or, anyone who is stopping on open water for any period of time.  An anchor will help stabilize your craft which is especially useful while fishing. The best anchor we have reviewed is from OceanMotion, their 3.5 lb kayak anchor comes with a 40ft reflective rope and holds in strong waters very well. 

This anchor is galvanised and so has great durability against rust. The shape and design of the anchor gives it good grip while in the water, providing good stability. One major advantage of this anchor is its compact size which makes it prefect for the limited available storage in a canoe or kayak. 

For holding my 11′ kayak I have found the quality of the product does the job perfectly.

To view our full review of the best kayak anchors click here.

GoPro HERO

If you love the sites that you see while kayaking and canoeing and want to capture it or show it to others, the GoPro HERO is the best way to do so in full HD. One key feature of the HERO is that it is fully waterproof up to 33ft. The HERO is the base model of HERO series and films at 10fps which is typically sufficient for filming.  If you want a better recording quality then I suggest looking at the HERO 6 Black or the HERO 5 Black. Video stabilisation is standard through the HERO Range and is a very useful tool.

These are the Products I recommend as key canoe and kayak accessories. These will help you to get the most enjoyment out of your time on the water.

If you have any comments or recommendations please contact me via the contact page.

Have fun,