Gifts for paddlers: kayak, canoe and paddleboard ideas

Q: How do you choose between kayak, canoe and paddleboard?

Here's how the three compare. Kayak: the widest spread, from an easy river tour to a two-day sea course, so there's one for a first-timer and one for someone who already paddles. Prices run from £36 for the Chester river tour up to a from-price of £225 for the two-day course. A couple of the river trips need two people booked. Canoe: a two-person boat, so most of these are a present for a pair. Several need two people booked and one needs four. Prices on the pages run from £36 to £125, and the top figure is a flat price for a two-day camp. Paddleboard: the lesson is the gift. Book it first and buy the board later, because an instructor will show them in a couple of hours what they'd actually want to own. The six in the guide run from £40 to £65, and some are from-prices. Still torn between a kayak and a board? SUP vs kayaking sets out which to try first, and the difference between a kayak and a canoe does the same for the other pair.

What's the best gift for a paddler?

Start with the boat, because paddlers are loyal to it. A kayaker will tell you a canoe is a wobbly bathtub, a canoeist thinks kayakers sit in a coffin, and someone on a board will defend standing up as the only honest way to see the water. Buy for the boat they already like, and put the money into time on the water rather than kit, which is personal and easy to get wrong. If you can't tell which they'd choose, a gift voucher lets them pick.

Pick the boat below and the guide does the rest: what each experience costs, who's allowed on it, how many people have to be booked, and what to bring.

Which paddle sport are you buying for?

If they...	Read	What's in it
paddle sea or river kayaks, or you want to start them on one	Gifts for kayakers	Six guided tours and courses from £36, from a first sea tour to winter coaching
would rather share a boat, or fancy a night on a river	Gifts for canoeists	Six canoe trips from £36 on the page, including a two-day camp
like the idea of standing up on the water	Gifts for paddleboarders	Six SUP lessons and guided trips from £40 to £65

How do you choose between kayak, canoe and paddleboard?

Here's how the three compare.

Kayak: the widest spread, from an easy river tour to a two-day sea course, so there's one for a first-timer and one for someone who already paddles. Prices run from £36 for the Chester river tour up to a from-price of £225 for the two-day course. A couple of the river trips need two people booked.

Canoe: a two-person boat, so most of these are a present for a pair. Several need two people booked and one needs four. Prices on the pages run from £36 to £125, and the top figure is a flat price for a two-day camp.

Paddleboard: the lesson is the gift. Book it first and buy the board later, because an instructor will show them in a couple of hours what they'd actually want to own. The six in the guide run from £40 to £65, and some are from-prices.

Still torn between a kayak and a board? SUP vs kayaking sets out which to try first, and the difference between a kayak and a canoe does the same for the other pair.

What if you can't choose?

Then the voucher does the choosing for you, and it works for all three boats. It lasts 18 months, so they can wait for warmer water, and you can add a suggestion such as a paddleboard lesson without tying them to it. Buy a gift voucher.

Browse more kayaking experiences and paddleboarding experiences across the UK.

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Questions about paddling gifts

Which paddle sport is the best gift for a beginner?

Whichever one they'd talk about afterwards. A guided session beats a hire slot for any of the three, because a guide handles the launch, the route and the water. If you know nothing about their taste, a paddleboard lesson is the easiest to give, since the lesson comes first and the kit can wait. Check swimming before you buy, though: several of the paddleboard pages ask for a swim of 15 to 50 metres, while the Llangollen aqueduct canoe and the Dartmouth half-day kayak say it isn't needed. A canoe suits a pair who'd enjoy the arguing.

Do paddling experiences run in winter?

It depends on the page, so check the dates before you buy a booking. The River Avon lessons and trips run April to October, the East Lothian improver lesson April to November, and one advanced kayak course runs only from 1 October to 17 March. Most pages state no season at all. A voucher lasts 18 months, which gives them time to wait for warmer water.

How much does a paddling gift cost?

Across the three guides, kayak experiences run from £36 up to a from-price of £225, canoe trips from £36 to £125 and paddleboard lessons from £40 to £65. A from-price is the lowest price shown on the page, and what you pay depends on group size and date, so check the page for your party.

Can I give a voucher instead of picking an experience?

Yes. A gift voucher is valid for 18 months from purchase, arrives by email within minutes and works on any activity on adventuro, subject to availability. It can be used in parts. It's digital only, so there's no card to post, and you can add a suggestion for them to follow or ignore.