Gift Ideas for the Kayaker in Your Life – 2022 Edition

It’s December. Have you found the perfect gift for the kayaker you love? You’re in luck. We can help.

The Gift of Instruction

Every kayaker I know benefits from skill-building work. If you’re in the greater Puget Sound area, we highly recommend Robert Nissenbaum – he is an excellent instructor who is talented at helping kayakers at every level improve their skills and confidence. He teaches rescues, paddling technique, trip planning, and safety – all with patience, good humor, and support. He has scheduled classes, small group, and private sessions available.

Inspired by IKEA

After gearing up for WA360 last year, we didn’t end up with a lot of new gear this year. The exception was all from IKEA. In the summer of 2022, IKEA partnered with the World Surf League to create the limited edition KÅSEBERGA collection. Being limited edition, everything is now sold out in the US… but these items might still provide some inspiration. Or if you have an international connection (Australia, say?), they may be able to snag some remaining inventory locally.

Our favorite item is the surf poncho (similar to these offerings on Etsy). If you’re crafty, you could probably DIY a custom version for your favorite kayaker. For your reference as you shop or craft, the features we like best on the KÅSEBERGA version are…

It’s made of cotton terry, so it doubles as a towel and a changing room.
The kangaroo pocket hides a reach-through to make it easier to discretely change clothes.
The arms are wide enough to easily pull your arms inside, but long enough to keep you covered.

The other really nice item in the KÅSEBERGA collection that may inspire you is the mesh bag. What’s so special about a mesh bag, you ask? This one is partially made from ocean-bound plastic. It’s heavy-duty enough to handle your wet gear, but allows you to leave the sand at the beach. We also love breathability to tote our wet gear home.

We’ve Said it Before…

We’ve written before about the gear we use – and we stand by the ideas in these posts:

Our Biggest Recommendation

Of course, we think the best gift you can give is the gift of a kayak. Whether your special kayaker wants an in-stock kayak or a custom kayak of their own, we can help.

Order Now through December 27 and we’ll Give Back

As we have in years past, we will donate 10% of proceeds on all orders placed through Tuesday, December 27th (our own, extended, Giving Tuesday). We will split donations between four worthy organizations in our area. They work everyday preserving our wildlife and waters and encouraging people to experience all the sea has to offer. We wrote a bit about each of them the year we started this tradition – check out:

Adventures with Whales for our thoughts on the Orca Network
In Service to the Ocean for more on the Ikkatsu Project
Inspiring Adventure on why we chose the Northwest Maritime Center
When the Road Less Traveled is Water to read what we love about the Washington Water Trails Association

And a Smaller Gift Recommendation

And if a full kayak isn’t in the cards for this year, you can find just the right upcycled kayak ornament on our Etsy shop.

Shop Local

As always, we recommend you shop with your local, independently owned kayaking supply shop. In the Puget Sound area, check out one of the great outfitters below.