Cape Cod Kayaking and Kayak Rental on Cape Cod

Cape Cod kayaking is a terrific way for couples to spend time on the water without having to go to the expense and aggravation of owning a boat.

You know the old joke about boat owners. The two happiest days of their lives are the day they buy the boat and the day they sell it.

With a kayak you don't need to buy expensive fuel, pay expensive mooring fees, scrape the bottom for barnacles, or search for a suitable boat ramp whenever you want to put it in the water.

And with over 600 miles of coastline, 365 freshwater ponds and countless marshes, inlets and tidal rivers, the Cape is the perfect place for visiting couples to enjoy all kinds of Cape Cod kayaking experiences.

There are also a number of kayak outfitters offering equipment to rent, guided tours and lessons, if you need them.

If you're not a very experienced kayaker, we recommend you stick to the ponds, marshes and tidal rivers. Ocean kayaking is not for the feint of heart. The summer months, in particular are fraught with the hazards of speedboats all over the place, the wakes of which can easily swamp a low-lying kayak and the pilots of which can, in all likelyhood, not even see you (kayaks do not show up on radar).

Ocean kayaking does offer a great workout if you're in good shape, but also possibly a real problem if you get caught in an ebbing tide and don't have the strength to paddle back in.

Tides

Some of the tidal rivers in these parts empty out very quickly when the tide goes out (as much as two feet in less than an hour) and many novice Cape Cod kayakers have found themselves grounded on a mudflat, unable to move for several hours until the tide comes back in to lift them out of the mud.

This is called bottoming out, and it's not only very inconvenient, it's also highly embarrassing.

Another point to remember, if you have access to more than one car, is that you can spot a car at the other end of your trip and save yourself having to paddle back to your original departure point. This is particularly beneficial if paddling back means paddling against the tide.

Kayaking Scorton Creek

Insiders' Tip In high summer teenagers from all over town will be doing cannon ball jumps off the bridge at high tide (it's something of a rite of passage here). They're usually pretty good about stopping to allow kayakers to pass, but be aware of this potential hazard, or more importantly, make sure the jumpers are aware of you (singing show tunes at the top of your voice usually works ), as you pass under 6a.

It's just a few miles from our home and offers easy access and parking for a limited number of cars at the State Wildlife Reservation right off Route 6a.

If you start your trip here at high tide, you can head inland and have plenty of time to explore some wonderful salt marshes as far as Talbots Point before the tide turns. You may even have time to hike along the trail there, but be aware that the tide will turn and you'll need to begin the trip back with it or risk being stranded on the mud.

On your return journey, you may decide to pass by your original departure point and paddle on all the way to the ocean at East Sandwich beach.

This is a lovely way to extend your trip by about a mile and a half, but it's best done only if you have a car spotted at the other end. Otherwise the paddle back (against the tide, and after what will have already been several hours on the water) will be strenuous in the extreme.

The water is very clear here, allowing you to peer into it looking for snails, crabs, or even the occasional striped bass.

There are dozens of other wonderful places to take a Cape Cod Kayaking trip. We're planning to take a number of trips in the coming weeks and we'll add to this list as soon as we complete them throughout the summer and fall.