Wondering what fitness trackers and watches do kayakers use? I will give you here 12 of the best ones that are most popular among kayakers.
It’s important to incorporate technology into all activities of life. Especially, when there is technology available which could make your experience so much better, then why not go for it?
For adventurers and people who have a lifestyle that involves going hiking in tough terrains or going kayaking, the needs for technology are different, as well.
Here is a related article that might interest you on Fitness Trackers Without Nickel And For Sensitive Skin (2024).
Along with all this, it is also crucial to remember that it is very important to use a fitness tracker during kayaking. It serves as an important tool for navigation, safety, and tracking.
Table of Contents
What To Look For In A Watch For Kayaking?
There are plenty of things you should look out for, before choosing the ideal watch for your kayaking adventures. This includes several features:
Water Resistance:
Goes without saying, this one. You need a tracker that offers enough water resistance to withstand the demands of water you will face during kayaking.
That includes splashes, some level of submersion, maybe even rain. Your tracker should be able to remain functional during all these.
For that matter, you would probably need a tracker that offers water resistance up to 5 ATM. Almost all of the fitness trackers offer that kind of protection, so it should not be hard to find.
Size:
The size of your tracker needs to be big enough to read from the screen. It should have a sizeable screen, but at the same time, it should not be too bulky.
Lighter the watch, the better and more comfortable you will feel while kayaking. The band length matters a lot too! Your watch should have a band that suits your wrist, which would allow for more comfort during paddling.
Battery Life:
GPS tracking can drain the battery really fast. So, it is ideal to purchase a tracker that offers the longest battery life during your expeditions. You would not want your tracker to die on you during your activity, surely!
Ease of Use:
The easier it is to use the functions of a watch, the better it is. You want to stay focused on your activity and not let your watch distract you from it. That is why it is important to have a watch that is more functional and easier to use. Button based interfaces can be preferred in such circumstances because of gloves and wet hands.
So, we look at the fitness trackers that are suited most to people who often go kayaking. We will try to cover the demands of professional kayakers and also the ones who do it for fun but still want to keep a track of how well they have done.
Here is an article on my website that you must read, its about 15 Best Fitness Trackers Compatible with MyFitnessPal(MFP) In 2024.
Top 12 Best Fitness Tracker And Watches Used By Kayakers
We are going to share with you the best result given the advanced features of smartwatches that will track your health and fitness while you are kayaking.
It is important to incorporate technological benefits into all activities of life. If technology allows you to help in all the positive ways, why don’t you avail them.
Smart Watches with fitness tracking is an amazing system. So, let’s start exploring some of the best fitness tracker watches.
1. Amazfit Band 5 Activity Fitness Tracker
Are you wondering if the fitness tracker watches what will give you the tracking result while you are kayaking? Then this watch is for you!
The Amazfit band 5 smartwatch has Alexa built-in. The amazing fact is you can talk with this smartwatch and ask anything, you will get a translation if you need any. It has an outstanding battery life of 15 days. You can constantly check the blood oxygen level and saturation measurements. This is probably one of the best fitness trackers and watches.
In this watch, you will get a health assessment system with 11 sports modes and 5 ATMs. It is good at stress monitoring, sleep cycle monitoring, and also monitoring breathing exercises. Moreover, you will get a water resistance watch as the Amazfit band 5 has a water resistance capacity.
This watch has special features for women’s health monitoring. Moreover, you will be happy to know that this watch supports and runs all the activities while you are doing kayaking or any other similar kind of job.
2. Fitbit Charge 5 Advanced Fitness and Health Tracker
This is another best option as a fitness and health tracker with a smartwatch. It has a built-in GPS system. You can optimize your daily workout progress through this watch.
It will inform you about daily sleep monitoring, and stress monitoring, and show the result of your body’s reaction with the help of the EDA sensor. So that, you can enhance your progress and keep aware of your health and body.
Many of you wonder if this watch runs through while doing any hard and fast job. The answer is yes. You can measure the health tracking with constant measures of SpO2, the variability of heart rate, the temperature of the skin, and so on at the time of kayaking.
This watch also helps you to track the calorie burning of your body. However, if you want a good-looking and best health and fitness tracking watch, then it would be a better option.
3. Apple watch series 8
With the more powerful and advanced sensor, the apple watch series 8 comes to serve you. This would be your essential companion for the correct and advanced measurements of health and fitness tracking. It has premium design quality with an aluminum case and a midnight sport band. You will get easily customizable features with advanced safety features.
This watch also becomes the best fitness partner for you by measuring all the health and fitness details. It will show you constant measures of heart and pulse rate monitoring with oxygen saturation level. Moreover, it supports workout apps which are also compatible with any other devices of iOS.
You get the best result from other health and fitness monitoring sectors like sleep cycle monitoring, stress level, and so many other durable and advanced features. So, as a kayaker, you can also try out this one which surely is not going to upset you.
4. Google Pixel Watch
Google Pixel Watch is an android smartwatch that has also worked as a good fitness tracker. It has a premium outlook with a matte black stainless steel body. This would be a new experience with wear OS which is from google.
This watch will help you to stay active as it constantly notifies you about your progress in health and fitness facts. You will be happy to know that this watch supports its all functions and actively measures all the things if you do kayaking or any other activities like this.
This watch tracks calorie burning, regular activity, sleep, and heart rhythm. You can save the date by accessing the calendar and also allow you to use google maps on this watch. If any emergency SOS occurs, this watch atomically makes contact with the saved contacts.
You can pair up this watch with your pixel buds and pixel phones and can listen to music if you want. However, you can control and see everything in your nest by using the features of this watch. As an adventurous person, all these features will be very beneficial to you. So, to get overall services and health benefits with smart fitness tracking things you can buy this pixel watch.
5. Samsung Galaxy Watch 5 Pro
Samsung galaxy watch 5 pro is a smartwatch that is a Bluetooth watch with a smart and premium outlooking of sapphire crystal glass, and a titanium frame. It is a US version watch. It has all the smart features with advanced technological support such as – GPS tracking, fitness, and sleep tracking, an improved battery system, etc.
It analyzes the sleep stages with detailed tracking information on sleep cycle tracking. It has a body composition analysis system that can read the body fat, muscle, body water, metabolic rate, and BMI functions.
This is a nice and premium-looking watch with advanced and durable technology. It improves the sensor quality of it so that you will get the accurate result from this watch while you do kayaking, rowing boats, etc.
6. Garmin Fenix 6 Pro
This is quite possibly the most suited piece of technology for kayakers. It is the top of the line, a premium watch made for the most daring and adventurous person. If you consider yourself an adrenaline junkie and like to test yourself against nature, then this watch is perfect for you!
It has the best GPS functionality due to its communication with both GPS and GLONASS satellites. This offers an insane amount of accuracy in navigation. It records your kayak stroke count, stroke rate and distance between each stroke.
The battery life is insane considering it also monitors your heart rate, distance, and pace. It will give you up to 20 hours with GPS on and 35 hours in UltraTrac battery saving mode, as well.
It has button navigation which is ideal in kayaking conditions and also comes with a backlight for night usage. Plus, it’s rugged and strong build along with water resistance up 100 meters makes it the best possible option on the list.
More features include a barometric altimeter with a 3-axis compass and a gyroscope. It also has a map feature along with sun/moon tides app, as well. It really is a monster of a tracker!
7. Polar M400 GPS Smart Watch
This lightweight watch weighing only 51 grams was not ideally made for watersports. It is multisport which is probably the best smartwatch for runners.
However, being water-resistant, and having great GPS technology means that it has proven to be a very good option for kayakers, as well.
Its GPS will track your location, distance, speed and along with all those features, it will also map your journey.
The best feature it has is a ‘return to start’ feature which will show you how far away you are from your starting point. You can also create a kayaking profile via the app of this smartwatch, which is a huge bonus.
For design, it comes in multiple colors and it comes in a lovely design. It comes with longer straps to suit the needs of people with larger wrists and it has a large screen which is easier to read.
It offers eight hours of battery life while using the GPS feature. It is also compatible with a heart rate monitor if you want to attach one!
8. Garmin Forerunner 15
Hardly a surprise that Garmin dominates the list. They really do make the best smartwatches in all domains! This is the ideal watch in terms of affordability and simplicity.
The Garmin Forerunner 15 is a basic watch that offers a basic level of GPS functionality which is combined with general activity tracking. It can take a few minutes to connect to satellites in new locations but once it’s done, it is accurate and reliable.
The battery timing is up to 8 hours and it offers water resistance up to 5 ATM. It is an easy watch to use with a simple display and is comfortable and light wear.
9. Suunto Ambit 3
The Suunto Ambit 3 is a sleek and sexy watch. It is a hardened and durable watch while really is made for the outdoor world.
The Suunto Ambit 3 is water-resistant and proves to be the best partner for your adventures. It has a number of features that make it a really strong candidate for you to buy.
Along with all that, it offers tools that can keep you up to date with your speed, pace, recovery times, distance, etc. Plus, it offers you the ability to navigate through routes, and discover new ones, as well.
It has FusedAlti which helps you read your altitude and also offers sunrise/sunset and temperature alerts.
10. Garmin Vivoactive
Garmin Vivoactive has an ultra-thin 8mm design and an in-built GPS tracker. This is made for people with highly active lifestyles.
You can also customize the design along with a beautiful sleek design that not only looks good but is also comfortable.
It has a very powerful battery that can last 3 weeks in activity mode and almost 10 hours in GPS tracking, as well.
Vivoactive is also water-resistant up to 50 meters. It is sun-light readable, offers high visibility and resolution and is very easy to navigate, as well. The only problem can be the fact that it does not come with a wrist heart rate monitor.
11. Huami Amazfit Bip
The Amazfit Bip costs you less than a hundred dollars but offers you most of the functions that are offered by smartwatches on this list. I actually reviewed it on my website as the best budget GPS watch.
This affordability meant that we could not keep it out of the list. It is also equipped with the ability to connect with GPS and GLONASS, which means you are never losing a signal.
It maps your routes accurately and covers features such as distance, speed, and also calories burnt. It has a very good battery life and is water and dust resistant. Along with all these features, it only weighs 32 grams!
12. Garmin Vivosport Activity Tracker
Surprise, surprise! Another Garmin product on the list. The Vivosport Activity Tracker is a slim and lightweight tracker that sells comfortability and is perfect for people who have smaller wrists or just want something small on the wrists, especially during kayaking.
The GPS tracking of this little devil is insane! It is very reliable and has a readable color display to go with all those features.
It has an 8-hour battery life on GPS mode and offers water resistance up to 50 meters. You can even swim it while wearing it.
The Vivosport Activity Tracker comes with a LiveTrack functionality that can also map your journey and offers basic features such as tracking distance, speed, time, etc.
Frequently Asked Questions [FAQs]
At this stage of the article, let’s see some FAQs, that people frequently ask about Fitness Trackers And Watches Used By Kayakers.
Can Garmin Track Kayaking?
Yes, Germin watches are compatible with kayaking. Germin 5 would be the best option if you would like to use kayaking. Not only kayaking but also supports and gives results while you are doing surf skies, boat rowing, canoes, etc.
Which Is Safer Sitting On Top Or Sitting In A Kayak?
For kayaking, the enjoyable part is paddling. So this factor is important. Apart from this, both options are totally safe. But if you want to be a little more aware then sitting on the top would be the best.
Conclusion
Nowadays, the functions of smartwatches are being advanced and try to give maximum features to track health and fitness facts. All the good branded and durable watches promise to come with the best features with accurate results.
You can choose any of the mentioned watches if you really find the best choice for fitness tracking smartwatches when you are a kayaker, boat roar, hiker or do any job that is tough.
For adventurous people, all of these watches surely change the game of your day-to-day life.
Also, you have to check out my post on How Do Fitness Trackers Track Steps, Stairs, Stress And Calories.
As a professional trainer and a gadget lover, I’ve spent a lot of money and time buying wearable activity trackers, smartwatches, and gadgets, and checking them out. My site is focused on helping you with your activity tracking and smart technology journey. I try to provide the most helpful updated content on this subject. Hopefully, you will love my blogs and be a regular around here.