The cheapest and the most forgiving: you need to know nothing beforehand, and it copes fine even when the sea is not completely flat.
The kayak is the easiest thing we hire out: there is nothing to learn and you set off straight from the shore. There are singles and doubles, and the double works well between an adult and a child.
It is also the one that copes best when the sea is not completely flat. If there is a bit of a chop and paddle boarding is off, the kayak still works.
It is hired by the hour or by the day. An hour or two is the usual: plenty of time to run along to the breakwater and back without ending up wrecked.
The single is lighter, turns faster and goes where you want it to without negotiating with anybody. It is the one to take if you are going out for the exercise or want to run along the coast at your own pace.
The double is steadier and quicker in a straight line, because there are two paddles pushing the same hull. It works very well with an adult in front and a child behind, or the other way round. What you have to accept is that a double is paddled in time: if each of you does their own thing, the kayak zigzags.
The sensible thing is to run parallel to the beach and not head offshore. Not because of any rule, but out of common sense: close in there is always a way out and always people about, and the wind cannot catch you out.
The real risk with a kayak on this coast is an offshore wind. It pushes you out to sea without you noticing, because the water by the beach is flat and everything looks calm, and then you have to paddle back against it. If the wind is blowing from the beach out to sea, that is the day not to go far.
Water, a cap and sun cream. You paddle with your back to the sun or facing it, but always under it, and a kayak has no shade anywhere. An hour's paddling in the August sun dehydrates you more than you would think.
Your phone in a dry bag, or left ashore. Watching a phone go into the water from a kayak is one of the most frequent events of the summer and there is no fixing it. And footwear you do not mind getting wet, because you get in and out over the shore, on stones.
Paddling steadily, a recreational kayak moves at about walking pace. In an hour you cover a good stretch of beach and come back, which is exactly the plan that works: go to a recognisable point, take a break and return.
The mistake is aiming for a distant destination. The way out always feels easy because you set off fresh and often with the wind behind you, and it is the way back that teaches the lesson. Half an hour out at most if the hire is for an hour.
Physically yes, and kayak fishing has a big following on this coast. But fishing requires the recreational sea fishing licence, which is personal to each angler and is not issued here: you get it from the regional administration.
The kayak hired for a paddle does not carry the fittings of a fishing kayak — rod holders, cool box, anchor — so it serves for a spur-of-the-moment go but not for a serious day. For that you need a properly equipped kayak.
The hire kayaks are the sit-on-top kind: there is nothing to get out of because you are not wedged inside. If it tips, you fall in the water and that is that; the kayak floats upside down and you right it by pushing from one side.
Getting back on in deep water takes a bit of strength, which is why we suggest not going far from the shore. Close to the beach there is always the option of standing up and climbing on calmly, which is what everyone does the first time.
Yes, in a double kayak and with an adult. The child sits in front, paddles if they want to and rests when they get tired, which is after ten minutes, and the adult keeps the pace going. A child-sized life jacket, compulsory and adjusted before setting off.
It is the most rewarding water activity at that age because it asks them to learn nothing and to balance nothing. Where a child gets frustrated on a paddle board, in a kayak they enjoy themselves from the first minute.
| HOURS | SINGLE KAYAK | DOUBLE KAYAK |
|---|---|---|
| 1 H | ask us | ask us |
| 2 H | ask us | ask us |
| 3 H | ask us | ask us |
| 1/2 DAY (4 h) | ask us | ask us |
| 1 DAY (8 h) | ask us | ask us |
The price is confirmed when you book. Call us and we will tell you on the spot.
If it is not here, call us: two minutes on the phone and it is sorted.
No. The kayak is the easiest thing we hire out: you set off from the shore and you have the hang of it in five minutes.
The double works well for an adult and a child, or two people who want to go together. The single gives you more freedom to go at your own pace.
The kayak is the one that copes best. If it is choppy and paddle boarding is off, the kayak still works.
An hour or two. That is plenty of time to run along to the breakwater and back without ending up wrecked.
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.
