Known as one of the most popular open water sports, kayaking is also a way to get rid of the smartphone and bond with nature. However, the smartphone itself may help kayaking enthusiasts to enrich their kayaking skills. So, why not explore the sport a bit with the help of the best kayaking apps available on Playstore and Apple Store?
Before dipping the paddle and kayak to the water, you need to gear yourself with some insights about the location, the weather, or maybe with a virtual coach to train your skills. There are various apps offering different features to assist you from the preparation to the finish line of your kayaking trip.
You don’t need to wander around Google or Play Store or Apple Store, just take a look one by one to find the kayak tracking app or kayak training app.
Table of Contents
10 Best Kayaking Apps For Kayaking Enthusiasts
Locate the water
1. Go Paddling
Finding the location to go for water boat sport is one of the first things you need to do. Equipped with GPS that can help users to locate their routes and navigate their location, Go Paddling is a free simple kayaking app built to answer that need.
Go Paddling allows its users to detect the nearby kayaking launch point, and uncover more than 25 000 paddling locations around the world for kayaking, canoeing, and paddleboards.
Maps and graphs which are useful for water boat sports lovers are ready to serve the users as well. One feature that makes this app one of the best kayaking tracker apps is the details of each location written down by the community.
Despite the fact that Go Paddling is a free kayaking app, the features are more than enough to help users while they go paddling or boating. Satellite maps and a variety of features are ready to accompany users to hit the water with paddles.
Download on Google Play Download on the App Store
Kayaking Tracker
2. Sports Tracker
Since the technology transformation, sports experience has become much more different, particularly with the presence of sports trackers. Sports tracker apps or features will inspire you to do the best and achieve new goals.
Sports Tracker is an all-sports tracker app that offers features for paddlers to track their paddling session, just like it does for daily sports activities like running, cycling, or swimming.
You’ll get to track and observe your exercise and performance, and in addition to it, the GPS feature it has will help you calculate time and distance. Users can choose their favorite map type, from satellite, hybrid, or terrain.
A feature named “On this route” gives you access to analyze the route performance. Plus, an audio feedback feature will be beneficial for you to plan effectively your activities, let you save routes and plans. Sports tracker is clearly supporting you as one of the kayak tracking apps to have.
Download on Google Play Download on the App Store
Plan Out Safety
3. River App
Not testing the water, instead, paddlers should check the water condition before plunging the paddle. River App will do this job for paddlers, and reassure them of safety before kayaking.
With data support from various credible sources ranging from America to part of Europe, River App informs users about the river and water levels from around 15 countries plus USA, the water temperature in many rivers and lakes. Users can use the push notification feature to get the river alert.
This kayaking app is one of the must-haves. You can either choose the free version or unlock more tools by subscribing to the pro version. To this pro version, River App reveals the past water condition and forecast of water level and flow in many stations. Some specific features you’ll find helpful for kayaking are :
- Viewing map for runnable kayaking route and gauge
- Exposing the navigability of kayaking routes (low to high water), and navigability of river conditions
Download on Google Play Download on the App Store
4. Tides Near Me
Besides the water level, for another safety and experience reason, you will need information about the tides as well. Tides Near is a free app to accompany other essential kayaking apps during the journey on the water.
Tides Near Me delivers information about tidal conditions from across 5500 stations in the US, UK, Ireland, Australia, New Zealand, India for each of their users.
You can use this app to prepare your kayaking journey by learning the past condition and forecasting tide and current. With fully automated tide tables, you can also have information about lunar and radar data. Do not underestimate this type of information for your safety before heading out on the water.
Download on Google Play Download on the App Store
5. Open Canal Map
Open Canal Map is similar to River App, yet it’s built for tracking UK Canal and river. Open Canal Map is generated by users, you may find updates throughout the time being.
Check out the history of rivers and canal conditions or figure out the forecasting to plan your next head out on the water, you can also access the maps and graphs that this kayaking app provides.
With the support of your device’s GPS, Open Canal Map can accompany you and tell your location, distance, speed, or duration. It also can be linked to your smartwatch.
By using Open Canal Map, you can check and detect the waterway, waterpoint, bridges and identify the open times. Not only useful for kayaking, but this app is also surely helpful for all water sports.
Download on Google Play Download on the App Store
Train Your Skills
6. CrewNerd
Just like the other sports, kayaking needs training. You can not go forward or reinforce your paddling skills without proper training. The good news is paddlers can train themselves with the handy help of the CrewNerd App! This kayaking app can be downloaded from Play Store and Apple Store.
CrewNerd sends an extensive tool and feature to develop training habits for rowing, canoeing, kayak, stand-up paddleboarding, or dragon boat. Users can create custom workouts, based on distance, time, and strokers. Or, just use the pre-programmed workout, and set up reminders to get up and do the training.
Your training activities data are recorded, you can observe it afterward in maps or graphs if you wish, or just export them to other formats of your preferences. CrewNerd is one app working like a whole trainers crew for you with its features below :
- As a kayak tracking app, CrewNerd will provide you the data of stroke rate, distance, speed or pace, heart rate, course, and many other data which can be displayed (two of them) on the main screen of the app
- Custom courses by planning the start and finish line in the Google Earth app, it will count down the timer automatically once you pass over the start and hit the finish line
- Live tracking to let your coach or spectators monitor you during workout sessions or races, is great for safety
- Audible feedback during workout available, great support for hands-free operation, and fellow athletes with blind or vision-impaired
- Recorded data can be uploaded to other apps like Strava, or TrainingPeaks
Download on Google Play Download on the App Store
7. Paddle Logger For Water Sport
Aside from CrewNerd, iOS users can use Paddler Logger for their training sessions. Recording your first paddling session or genuine training session, track the goals, and better prepare for safety when hit the water, you can do it all with this kayaking app.
With 3 simple steps, users can start to use the app. It will be beyond great if you have an Apple watch and integrate SIRI within the app to help you direct the app with your voice during a workout.
Paddle Logger comes in a free version and paid version. With a free or paid version, users can take advantage of connecting to family or friends through the PaddleLIVE service feature, a good feature to make it one of the top kayak tracking apps. With a simple one-time setup, you will then be digitally linked. Explore the new experience training journey with the features Paddle Loggers brings to you :
- Figure out your condition, from heart rate, calories, bounce, interval times, meter per stroke, and optimize your kayaking session plan
- Use the Paddle Logger Widgets feature to view your paddle statistics – for the pro version
- Get data and maps with a detailed digital logbook
- Set up a virtual race with pre-loaded race distance – exclusive for pro users
- Track the speed progress during your journey through the Satellite Trip Maps feature – for pro users
- Integrated to Apple Health
Monitoring The Weather
8. Met Office Weather Forecast
Do not forget about the weather. Even if your kayak is ready, the river is open, but without monitoring the right weather situation, you can even plunge the paddles.
There are many weather apps to assist your kayaking session, along with the best kayaking app you keep on your smartphones. For the UK, the Met Office weather forecast is one of the top-picked weather forecasts for your kayaking journey.
Users can examine the weather forecast in different locations in one simple display. In addition to that, it brings a quick switch mode for daily or monthly forecasts regarding a favorite location. Bring Met Office in your hand and check out the weather every time you need, prepare your kayak trip better :
- Get instant notification of UK Severe Weather alert for your favorite locations
- Figure out the wind speed, direction, and gust
- Learn about the UK surface pressure map, UV index, visibility, humidity, and pressure
Download on Google Play Download on the App Store
9. Weather Underground
Weather Underground will unveil the weather condition in a broader view. Supported by 270 000 personal weather stations, this one brings crowd-sourced data and generates accurate weather reports to a precise location user select.
Users are allowed to report the real weather condition in case there’s a difference between what the app reports and what the real observation results are. With a severe weather alerts feature, the app will notify users about extreme weather.
Exploring details of air quality, UV index, sunrise and sunset, moonrise and moonset and temperature and real-feel, wind speed and direction or dew point and visibility, will be good in order to plan your kayaking trips in each season you wish to go for. Best use of this app with following features :
- Smart Weather Forecast: inform the app of the proper weather condition for your kayaking trip, and let Weather Underground tells you to go once it happens
- Plot your kayak session for the week using the 10 daily and hourly weather forecast
- Save favorite location and recent searches
Download on Google Play Download on the App Store
Kayak And Fishing
10. Navionics
While kayaking can be the center of the whole set out on the weather, sometimes you can combine it with other water activities to let you experience something different.
Fishing is one of the most popular activities you can do on the water. To get the best out of time, use Navionics as an addition to the top kayaking apps of your choice.
Navionics guides users with detailed nautical charts plus advanced features. Users will not only get information about current, tides, weather but can take advantage of the daily chart updates to locate the best location for a fishing stop on the water, lakes, or marine areas. Enjoy some of the features for your kayak and fishing trip :
- Plotter synchronization: transfer routes and markers
- Track your timeline
- Sonarchart shading to display interesting perspective of underwater topography, explore the water to get your fish ready
Download on Google Play Download on the App Store
After checking out the pre and post-kayak trip necessity, you may find one or two of the best kayaking apps you need. Just to remind you once again, try to protect your smartphone away from the water. Otherwise, all the necessary companions you’ve downloaded won’t be available at the most needed time.
