30A Kayaking

Is there any more beautiful place for kayaking than the Emerald Coast? We don’t think so.

It’s the reason there’s no shortage of sought-out kayaking spots along 30A or of kayak rental services.

Whether kayaking is just one part of the journey or the destination itself, whether you’re out in the pristine turquoise waters of the Gulf or taking a scenic paddle through a coastal dune, your 30A outing could be the kayaking trip of a lifetime.

What to Know About Kayak Rentals 30A Florida

If you’re eager to rent a kayak on 30A, here’s what you need to know first.

1. Different Types of Rates for Kayaking 30A Rentals

Before you can book your kayak rental, you need to think about how long you want the kayak. Different rental services in our area structure their rates differently, with options ranging from hourly rates to daily rental rates and even weekly rental options.

• For a short trip planned to last only a couple hours, an hourly rate will likely save you money.
• At a certain point, you’re better off paying a flat rate for the day than an ever-increasing hourly cost.
• Although weekly rentals cost the most, they offer significant savings over multiple rentals at the daily rate. Some rental services also offer multi-day packages shorter than a week, so you’re not paying for more time than you need.

Depending on which type of rental rate structure makes sense for your plans, you might want to shop around a little bit.

2. Different Types of Kayaks

What kind of kayak do you want to rent? Different rental services offer different options.

For some of our visitors, a kayak is a kayak. For hardcore water sports enthusiasts, kayak trips 30A may require an exceptional model from a top-performing brand like Perception or Hobie for the optimal experience. Some rental services have only one kind of kayak, while others offer several options to choose from.

Kayaks also come in sizes: single and tandem. Tandem kayaks can hold two to three people, making them an excellent choice for couples and families.

If you’re interested in a kayak fishing 30A experience, just renting a traditional kayak could be a big mistake. Look for a fishing kayak, which offers features like rod holders, equipment mounts, built-in coolers and extra storage space for all the gear you need to make your biggest catch yet.

3. Delivery or Pickup?

Being out on the open water: fun. Coordinating the logistics? Not so much.

Many visitors to 30A walk or bike their way around the region. You may not even have a car, if you take a plane to get here. Even if you do, chances are you won’t want to waste the precious time you have here on the Emerald Coast picking up your gear.

Looking for a rental service that offers delivery is a great way to make the most of your time and avoid the hassle of picking up your kayak and other gear. Some 30A kayak rental services offer free delivery – and may even operate on a delivery-only basis – so keep an eye out for whether there’s a delivery charge when shopping around.

4. What’s Included in a Rental

The last thing you want is to get your kayak rental only to realize too late that you’re missing crucial components for a safe water sports experience.

Although most rental kayak services on 30A include things like your paddle, they may not include a life vest, a dolly for easy maneuvering of the kayaks on land, etc.

Find out before you book what your rental will include and what add-ons are recommended or popular for kayaking on 30A.

30A Kayak Rentals Directory

When you’re traveling to the beautiful 30A Gulf front region of Florida, you might not be able to bring your own kayak. Fortunately, kayak rentals are plentiful in our many beach towns. Some of our favorite kayak rental companies include:

Butterfly Bike and Kayak

This longstanding rental company is a great place to rent single or double kayaks, as well as bikes for the family, golf carts (where permitted), baby gear and beach gear.

Where:
3657 E Hwy 30A
Seagrove Beach, FL 32459
(850) 231-2826

The Rental Shop 30A

The Rental Shop 30A offers new single and double (capable of seating up to three people) Perception Tribe kayaks as well as the Perception Pescador Pro Fishing Kayak. You can also rent paddleboards, golf carts (where permitted), beach chairs and more or book your own beach bonfire.

Where:
Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459
(850) 260-0001
info@therentalshop30a.com

Cabana Man

While better known for renting cabanas, umbrellas and beach chairs, Cabana Man also offers kayaks, boogie boards and paddleboards available at both daily and hourly rates.

Where:
Seaside Florida
(850) 231-5046
Info@cabanaman.com

Coldwater Excursions

Coldwater Excursions is better known for its kayak tours than for rentals, but it has available both Perception 11.5 Kayaks and Perception 13.5 Tribe Tandem Kayaks, as well as GoPro waterproof cameras and two types of paddleboards.

Where:
23000 Panama City Beach Parkway
Panama City Beach, Florida 32413
(850) 358-8343

Yellowfin Ocean Sports

With three convenient locations in Santa Rosa Beach, Yellowfin Ocean Sports offers kayak rentals for as little as 24 hours or as long as 7 days. Choose from Hobie Lanai 9′ solo kayaks, Hobie Kona 11′ 6″ two-person tandem kayaks and Hobie Quest 11′ or 13′ solo fishing kayaks equipped with rod holders and storage compartments.

Where:
Seagrove Store
30 Herons Watch Way
Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459
(850) 231-9024

Watercolor Store
Publix Shopping Center
88 Watercolor Way #111
Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459
(850) 231-2440

Inside Grayton General Store
32 E. County Road 30A
Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459
(850) 231-1717

Friends of Camp Helen

If you’re planning a visit to Camp Helen State Park in Panama City Beach, you’ll want to take a kayak down scenic Lake Powell, the largest coastal dune lake you will find in Florida. You can rent kayaks for an hour or an all-day trip on-site from Friends of Camp Helen.

Where:
23937 Panama City Beach Pkwy
Panama City Beach, FL 32413
(850) 233-5059

The Beach Chair Company

The Beach Chair Company offers daily rentals of ocean kayaks with 2- and 3-seater capacity as well as fishing-ready kayaks.

Where:
Santa Rosa Beach
(850) 200-3595

Rent Gear Here

Rent Gear Here offers many types of rentals, including double tandem kayaks and water sport adventure packages. The Seagrove location of Rent Gear Here serves Inlet Beach as well as Alys Beach, Rosemary Beach and Seacrest Beach.

Where:
Seagrove – 30A
4042 E County Highway 30A
Santa Rosa Beach, Fl 32459
(888) 750-7606

Jongle Beach

Jongle Beach offers half-day and full-day rentals on single and double kayaks, as well as paddleboards, bikes, beach chairs and bonfire packages.

Where:
17 Gulfview Heights St.
Santa Rosa Beach, Florida 32459
(850) 687-5484

Reef Beach Services & Rentals

Reef Beach Services & Rentals offers 2-person kayaks for daily and weekly rentals. You can also rent paddleboards, boogie boards, and so much more.

Where:
43 Cassine Way #101
Santa Rosa Beach, FL 32459
(850) 296-9077

30A Longue Vue Beach Service

30A Longue Vue Beach Service rents 3-seater kayaks by the hour – perfect if you’re looking for an affordable option for a short kayaking adventure during your stay with us!

Where:
Longue Vue Drive
Rosemary Beach, Florida
(850) 687-3300

Stay Afloat Paddle and Board & Beach Happy Hammocks

Stay Afloat Paddle rents single or double kayaks by the day for independent exploration and offers eco-tours for a more structured voyage. Our suggestion: plan your kayak trip for the morning and rent a beach hammock for some afternoon relaxation.

Where:
17 White Dune Cove
Santa Rosa Beach, Florida
(850) 687-5010

Fun Pug Bike Rentals

Not just bicycles, Fun Pug rents one-person, sit-on-top kayaks by the day.

Where:
Santa Rosa Beach
(850) 374-7533

VayK Gear

The 30A branch of VayK Gear offers daily and weekly rates on single and tandem kayak rentals, as well as bikes, boards, games and chairs.

Where:
Delivery across the beaches of 30A
(888) 577-7412
support@vaykgear.com

30A Kayak Tours Directory

The serenity of a self-paced journey traversing the waterways of beautiful 30A Florida may be all you’re looking for. If you’d like to learn more about our intriguing region, though, a guided tour will offer you the inside scoop on some of the very best kayaking sites the Panhandle has to offer.

Experienced tour guides lead small groups on eco tours of local springs, coastal dunes and Cobia Reef, our thriving artificial reef ecosystem. They direct your attention to the scenic details only the locals tend to notice, educate you on the animals and plant life you catch while sightseeing and regale you with the history of these hidden gems.

Coldwater Excursions

For a stunning voyage through the scenic creeks of the Florida Panhandle, consider Coldwater Excursions’ two guided eco tours. Tour costs include kayak and gear rentals.

The Cypress Spring tour is a five- to six-hour exploration of spring that starts with a brief paddle down Holmes Creek and offers the opportunity to travel the creek’s best kayaking trails – some of the best in 30A – as well as snorkel with included SeaDoo Underwater scooters.

The Econfina Creek tour is a seven- to eight-hour outing that takes you through as many as 11 springs spread across the six-mile creek. Kayakers typically paddle 2.5 to 3 hours at a leisurely pace and spend the remainder of their time sightseeing and enjoying the springs.

Lake Powell Moonlight Paddle

For a truly unique experience, consider the Moonlight Paddle guided tour of Lake Powell, the largest coastal dune lake in the state. Offered only during the full moon, this two-hour paddle tour will have you seeing Camp Helen State Park in a brand new light.

The affordably-priced tour includes your rental gear and admission to Camp Helen State Park for the day.

Western Lake Tour – Rent Gear Here

Spend the morning exploring a stunning salt marsh ecosystem by kayak with Rent Gear Here’s tour of Western Lake. Launching from Grayton State Park, the coastal dune tour includes gear, instruction and a guide for parties ranging in size from 5 to 14.

Rent Gear Here also offers a Bay Eco Tour of the Choctawhatchee Bay, including top-of-the-line Hobie Outback MirageDrive kayaks in the cost of the tour.

Sea Turtle Reef Kayak & Snorkel Tour – Adventure 30A

If you’re interested in both kayaking and snorkeling – and you want to venture out to a reef destination a little further from your vacation home-away-from-home – Adventure 30A’s tour of Sea Turtle Reef in Grayton Beach State Park is a great option.

Tours run every day from 9 A.M. to 6 P.M., so scheduling is easy, and you can choose either a kayak or a paddleboard.

30A Kayak Fishing Charters

For fishing enthusiasts, a kayak offers you a way to get out in the water with simplicity. You’re closer to nature than you would get in a traditional fishing boat. No sails to mess with, no engine to gas up before you embark – just you and the fish.

You can simply rent a fishing kayak, but 30A kayak fishing charters give you the gear and so much more. With the help of knowledgeable tour guides, you can enjoy inshore or offshore fishing in the best spots in 30A.

Kayak Fishing Destin and Bay Baits tackle and retail store are two of the companies that offer guided kayak fishing 30A adventures.

The length of a 30A kayak fishing tour varies from a few hours to overnight. If you’re thinking of booking a 30A kayak fishing charter or tour, we recommend paying close attention to what is included and what you must bring. To comply with local laws, visitors may be required to purchase a Florida fishing license prior to embarking on a kayak fishing trip.

Where to Kayak 30A

Where do we love kayaking in 30A? We’re glad you asked.

There are so many breathtaking bodies of water here that it’s hard to choose. From the gorgeous Gulf to the rare coastal dunes, you simply can’t go wrong.

Here are a few of our favorite 30A kayaking destinations:

• Cobia Reef, an artificial reef developed off the coast of Inlet Beach. Cobia Reef is our most highly recommended kayaking spot for our guests, because it’s as close to the Latitudes and Attitudes beach house as possible. It’s just a one-and-a-half minute walk from the house to beach access near the reef.
• Western Lake, a 100-acre coastal dune lake within Grayton Beach State Park in Seagrove Beach.  
• Lake Powell, the largest of the rare coastal dunes to exist in Florida, which is accessible from Camp Helen State Park.
• Sea Turtle Reef, another artificial reef. If you’re exploring Grayton Beach State Park by kayak, make sure you leave yourself plenty of time to explore this bustling ecosystem, which happens to be the oldest of the artificial reefs.
• Econfina Creek, home to many beautiful natural springs about one hour’s drive from Inlet Beach.

Southern Living and Travel + Leisure have highlighted the wonder of our little section of the Florida Panhandle, naming Inlet Beach among the top “beaches that look like the Caribbean” and South Walton County a “trending destination” for 2022. Read more about what they had to say.