In a kayak you sit still from the waist down with wet hands. That is why the cold is felt sooner than on land, and why a winter outing is prepared differently.
Kayaking in autumn and winter on the Costa del Sol is possible on any day with wind below 15 knots, choosing the day by the forecast and going out mid-morning. From October to May is low season: a kayak can be booked from one day to the next and, if the chosen day turns bad, the date is changed at no cost.
What changes is the cold. In a kayak you sit down, with your legs still and splashed and your hands wet from the drips off the paddle, so your body cools faster than when walking along the shore. In early October the water was 23.2 °C off Fuengirola; as winter goes on it drops, and your clothing and distance from the shore are adjusted to match.
Yes, with the same wind limit as in summer: below 15 knots almost anything is possible, and between 15 and 20 the light kit, which includes the kayak, stays ashore. What changes is that in the low season a booking can be made from one day to the next, so you can wait for the forecast before calling +34 669 06 27 56.
That margin is the great advantage of winter. In July and August you have to book days ahead and then keep your fingers crossed; from October to May you pick the calm morning with the sea forecast in front of you. If, even so, the forecast does not allow a safe outing on the agreed day, the date is changed at no cost.
Because of the posture. On a paddle board your legs work the whole time; in a kayak they stay still, stretched out and nearly always wet from the drips off the paddle and the splash of the chop. Your hands too. And water draws heat from the body much faster than air at the same temperature.
Autumn starts gently: on 2 October 2026 the water was 23.2 °C off Fuengirola, according to Open-Meteo, and swimwear and a T-shirt were enough. As winter approaches it drops, and the day’s temperature can be seen on the home page of the website, updated every half hour along with the wind and waves.
From the waist down, clothes you do not mind getting wet and that do not hold water: swimwear or, once the water is cold, your own wetsuit if you have one. Jeans and cotton are out: when wet they are heavy, do not dry and chill you. Water shoes keep your feet a little warmer than going barefoot.
From the waist up, thin layers of technical fabric and, on top, a light windproof layer that lets you move your arms. If it is too thick, it gets in the way of paddling and ends up coming off halfway through. A hat or a cap with a strap, and sunglasses for the low sun. The life jacket is included and goes on top of everything.
The usual three, each with its own problem. The land breeze, an offshore wind from the north or north-west, pushes the kayak out to sea even when it seems calm at the water’s edge. The easterly brings a swell even when it blows lightly. The westerly raises a chop in the afternoon.
Two scales help in reading the forecast. On the Beaufort scale, force 3 is 7 to 10 knots and force 4 is 11 to 16; on the Douglas scale, a smooth sea means waves of up to half a metre and a slight sea, half a metre to a metre and a quarter. The official reference is the AEMET marine forecast for the coastal waters of Málaga.
Mid-morning, when the sun has warmed things a little and before the sea breeze arrives, which comes in off the water from midday and raises a chop. In midwinter the early hours are the coldest, and paddling with frozen hands is no fun. A well-timed one-hour outing gives you more than two badly chosen hours.
The afternoon is short: in December it gets dark much earlier than in June and the light goes early. The office at the Puerto Deportivo de Fuengirola opens from 9:00 to 20:00 on weekdays and from 10:00 to 18:00 at weekends, and you can drop in beforehand to see the equipment and agree the time.
Paddle closer to the shore than in summer, go with someone if you can and tell somebody on land which way you are going and what time you plan to be back. In winter there are fewer people on the beach and fewer boats nearby, which means fewer eyes if something happens. The usual rule still applies: into the wind first and parallel to the coast.
Your phone goes in a waterproof pouch tied to the kayak or hung round your neck, with 112 and Salvamento Marítimo, 900 202 202, to hand. And turn back sooner: as soon as you notice cold hands, clumsy fingers or the first shivers, head for the shore, even if you have not yet seen the stretch of coast you had planned.
The calm all around. With fewer swimmers at the water’s edge and fewer boats moving nearby, the kayak is more relaxing to handle, and flat-water days are a delight. Bottlenose dolphins also live off this coast all year round, so it is not impossible to come across dolphins in winter too, though nobody can guarantee it.
If they appear, Royal Decree 1727/2007 sets an exclusion zone of 60 metres and bans touching them, feeding them and swimming with them: stop paddling and watch from a distance. And if the day is not right for the kayak but is fine for being at sea, a one to two-hour trip with a skipper to look for them is the alternative.
If it is not here, call us: two minutes on the phone and it is sorted.
Yes, on any day with wind below 15 knots. From October to May you can book from one day to the next and, if the forecast does not allow a safe outing, the date is changed at no cost.
Below, swimwear or your own wetsuit if you have one, no cotton. Above, thin technical layers and a light windproof that lets you move your arms. The life jacket, included, goes on top.
Mid-morning, when the sun has warmed things a little and before the sea breeze arrives around midday. The early hours are the coldest and the afternoon ends early.
Leave us your number and we will call you. In July and August it is worth booking ahead.
Puerto Deportivo de Fuengirola, local 367. You can drop in and see the boats before you book.
At no charge. Going out to see what happens is never worth it.
Life jackets for everyone on board, included in the price.
