Once I settled on what company that I wanted to go to Antarctica with, I had another decision to make… whether or not to go Antarctica kayaking! It was a pretty hefty extra expense, and I just didn’t know if I was fit enough or if it was even worth it. Now that I’m back, I really wanted to put together the kind of article I wish I could have found before I went on my trip, so you can learn more about kayaking in Antarctica. The kind of article that answers all of my questions and questions that I didn’t even know I had! Please keep reading to see what this experience was truly like to see if Antarctica kayaking is for you!
Kayaking is experiencing Antarctica in your own little world
Going to Antarctica? Read these!
- Why I picked G Adventures
- My Antarctica Trip Cost
- G Adventures Antarctica Cruise Review
- What it is like to go Camping in Antarctica
Is Antarctica Kayaking Always Available?
Unlike camping, Kayaking is available on every cruise itinerary, although not necessarily every day. When I was first considering it, I thought that kayaking was only a one day option! Honestly, even if that were true, I probably still would have done it, lol. But actually, weather depending, you can go twice a day!
Do You Need Special Gear to Go Kayaking in Antarctica?
Absolutely. Not just because you’d be kayaking, but also because you’re in cold water! But, that is all provided by the company! You’re provided a dry suit, booties, pogies, spray skirt, kayak, and paddles! All you need!
Pigtail crew all suited up!
One thing I was a little worried about was fitting in the kayak. I received an email that said you must fit certain dimensions to be able to kayak. Ok… well I measured, and it would be tight, but I should fit. I was a little confused because I’ve kayaked a lot before, and it was never a problem.
However, once I got there, I felt much better. They have dry suits up to 5XL! So, no worries they should have equipment for pretty much anyone!
They even fit you in your kayak before going in the water to make sure you’re maximum comfortable
Does It Cost Extra to Go Kayaking in Antarctica?
Yes, it does. Some people don’t like that you have to pay extra for something, but I didn’t mind since the company I signed up with, G Adventures, was cheaper than most of the other companies anyway. And I think it’s preferable to add something you want rather than having to pay for something you might not use. Plus, by keeping it an optional extra, it keeps the numbers down.
Can you imagine if the WHOLE ship wanted to go? Just these cool kids.
You definitely don’t want a lot of people out kayaking with you.
The price for kayaking depends on which itinerary you choose since the number of days varies!
Amazing guidance for an amazing vacation!
Carly helped me find the perfect trip based on my wants, needs, and timeline. I ended up going to Bolivia with G Adventures. She arranged everything and sent a detailed itinerary with everything I needed. She was always available to answer questions. I had the time of my life on this trip and am so grateful!
Amazing Experience
Carly helped me originally book a trip to South America. However, due to the civil unrest in Peru my trip had to be canceled last minute. Carly was extremely helpful in changing my trip so that I could still go somewhere else without feeling like I missed out on a vacation. Within a few days I was already booked and ready to go to Costa Rica. It was truly an amazing experience and I can’t think Carly enough for all that she’s done for me!
😀
Working with Carly was very easy–it was like asking a fellow traveler for assistance which is wonderful. Knowing Carly has the experience I could trust her advice. Booking the Uzbekistan/Turkmenistan tour was easy and her insights for hotels on my extra days were helpful along with inputting my flight details with G Adventures. I would definitely use Carly again and appreciate her insights!
Carly is awesome to work with!!
Carly made our trip to Antarctica so easy!! We had no idea where to start when planning a trip to Antarctica. Carly helped laid out all of the options we had and the pros/cons of each. It was great that she had first hand experience in Antarctica and on some of the cruise companies. I would highly recommend her to others!!
Carly found the PERFECT trip for us!
I happened to meet Carly in a women’s travel Facebook group when I started asking questions about the best photography equipment if I was to go to Antarctica one day… SO GLAD I MET HER! After considering companies online on my own, we turned to Carly to help suggest a trip that would best fit our desires and budget. We were two women in our late twenties and my best friend’s father in his 60s. With Carly’s help, we secured the perfect trip and found reasonable discounts that worked for us.
After securing our trip, Carly was an amazing resource to us as we prepared and packed. I even got a hold of her via Facebook messenger while in Ushuaia when we had an issue with our cab plans. I trust her completely and would happily book with her again and again.
If you are not sure about going to Antarctica. Go! The Drake Passage was amazing if you are in for the ride. The scenery is breathtaking. The wildlife is unmatched. And, especially on Quark, I felt they had excursion options for all fitness levels! I had just finished chemotherapy and was running slower than normal – and I was capable of doing everything I set my mind to…even climbing mountains and kayaking and polar plunging! The staff always made me feel supported!
Carly Cares!
Wanted to go to Jamaica for my birthday with a girlfriend and had NO clue where to stay, what we wanted to do or even where to start! Carly took our financial concerns plus our all-inclusive resort request and managed to come back with our dream vacation all within our budget parameters. Before we left for paradise, she ensured she sent me a customized folder with all the specifications regarding our vacation so we didn’t have to sort through endless emails or stress out about finding answers to questions we had during our trip. There were some slight issues with the hotel accommodations when we arrived but Carly responded within MINUTES of messaging her to try and help us resolve everything! I asked her for a customer service number to call but she insisted on calling them directly on our behalf and made everything better than we could have imagined! HIGHLY recommend contacting and using Carly’s services when planning any travel as she is very knowledgeable and proved to be a valuable resource!
You need a trip advisor!
I worked with Carly while booking my trip to 5 different countries in Africa. I am so glad I decided to! At first I thought why do I need her its not like I am organizing the trip all by myself- I was using a company. But I was wrong. There was still a lot of deadlines and small details that needed to be addressed like which countries required visas ahead of time, what vaccines were required etc.
She kept everything super organized which led to much less stress on my part. She even gave me this super organized folder that included extra copies of the itinerary, my flights and packing lists that I know keep as a remembrance of the amazing trip I took. I highly recommend Carly!
An Amazing Adventure
Thank you Carly for booking our trip to Morocco. You were always available to answer our questions and made our adventures go smoothly. We will be reaching out to you again in the future for future adventure bookings.
Travel made easy
We were thankful to have Carly work with us to plan our trip to South Africa and Zimbabwe. She recommended a tour that fit our wishes, always answered questions within a reasonable time frame, and kept an eye on our plans to make sure we did not miss booking any extra hotels, flights, or interesting excursions.
So easy and So fun!
I have always planned and booked my own vacations: Iceland, Egypt, Spain, Italy, Peru….But I doubt I will again. Carly made everything so easy and stress free! The tour with G Adventures was amazing, but Carly was also booked my hotels for extra time before and after the tour began. This was one of the best vacations ever partially because I didn’t have to sweat the details! Thank you Carly!
A faboulous trip!
I had a pleasure of boking my G Adventures Morocco trip with Carly Heyward whom I met online in one of the travel groups. Carly exceed my expectations, she went above and beyond of what I expected from a travel agent. Her customer service focus is unmatched. She was very organized and patient in answering my numerous questions. I was super impressed with Carly’s knowledge, dedication and commitment to meeting the needs of the customer. I would not hesitate to book another tour with Carly, as a matter of fact, I am already looking at booking my next trip. Thank you, Carly, for helping us create the memories of a lifetime!
Highly Recommended!!!
Carly helped me book my family trip to Peru with Intrepid. It was our first time joining a group tour and I was very nervous about how it would all work. Carly gave me expert advice, insights and tips! It definitely helped that she had personal experience travelling to Peru! It was a pleasure working with her and I would not hesitate to book another trip with her in the future!!!
Smooth sailing in Egypt
I usually book my trips independently, but I knew Egypt would be a tricky one. I meet Carly in the Girls Love Travel Facebook group. Since we are both teachers, we hit it off. She helped me book a 10 day trip through Egypt. She was professional, flexible and easy to work it. I will reach out to her in the future when I feel safe traveling again. Peace, love and travel!
Well Taken Care of on our Trip of a Lifetime
Planning a trip like this takes a lot of time and effort. Carly started by making a Zoom presentation to my two traveling companions and I on the various options for Antarctic tours. After understanding what we were looking for, Carly encouraged us to use Quark. What a recommendation!! All aspects of the Quark crew were top notch, from the tour guides to the dining room / kitchen staff to navigation to housekeeping.
It was almost a year between the time we committed to the trip and actually left for it. During that time, Carly was very responsive to questions we had while preparing. Even after the trip, she continues to take care of us, helping me get a refund for one of the services I paid for but didn’t use. I give Carly my top recommendation.
Perfect trip!
My family’s trip to Disney World and Universal Studios was perfect! I especially loved the packet that Carly sent to us; it included our itinerary and our Universal tickets with confirmation codes too. Carly is the best!
Beautiful Adventure, Perfect Planning
We recently booked a trip to Iceland through Carly, and it was fantastic! We never thought we’d be able to take a trip like this, but with Carly’s help and recommendations, we were able to see the most amazing parts of Southern Iceland. She helped us find the right tour for us in our budget, and by relying on her experience and expertise, we were able to book a tour that enabled us to see so much of the country in just 5 days. She prepared a detailed itinerary for us, and the entire trip went smoothly – from transferring from the airport to our accommodations, meeting up with our tour group, and through the return trip home. We would highly recommend Flight of the Educator, and can’t wait to plan our next adventure through her!
SERIOUSLY FABULOUS
Carly was amazing from day one!
I originally booked for a different destination in Saint Martin but there were some issues with the resort. Carly personally spent hours on the phone to get things resolved and us transferred to a new resort. Top notch personal attention to details and even made us an itinerary!!
Seriously cannot recommend this lovely soul enough! So helpful and friendly!!!
Will I See Any Wildlife When Antarctica Kayaking?
As with anything and anywhere in Antarctica, there are no guarantees! However, I can attest that I did, in fact, see a lot of wildlife! A lot depends on luck, but because the kayaks don’t have motors, we can get pretty close to the wildlife because we don’t scare them!
Penguins swimming so close!
You still have to maintain certain distances from animals based on species for our and their safety, but the animals do come close to see who you are.
Def some side-eye wondering who we are
One thing that surprised me about penguins is how they jump out of the water like dolphins. I had NO idea that they did that. Seeing them do it from way up on the ship was cool, but eye level on the kayak was something else.
Did you know they swam like this?
We also got to see some snoozy seals.
Waving us away
What Is the Weather Like While You’re Kayaking?
Weather can change day by day, hour by hour, or even minute by minute. The crew will not let you go out kayaking if the conditions are not suitable, and they monitor the weather at all times to ensure your safety!
Every day we went out was absolutely picture perfect <3 There was only one day that the wind conditions were too high for the kayaking, so we just did a regular landing instead.
Do You Have to Be Physically Fit for Kayaking Antarctica?
They definitely caution you that you need to be fit and have some kayaking experience. Kayaking in Antarctica should NOT be your first time in a kayak! I’m considered overweight, and I saw some people larger than me, and they were able to do it. It’s person-powered, so you’re in control of how fast you go and for how long.
You're in charge of how much you paddle! Can always do the trick of taking pics if you need a break 🙂
There was only one day that I started getting really tired, and that was because we went longer than normal. But then we had a little break while we were all looking at a seal.
How Do You Get In and Out of the Kayak?
Never fear! There will be a person or two holding the kayak steady while you and your partner get in. They will also help you put on your spray skirt and hand you paddles!
What If There is an Emergency?
A zodiac follows us around just in case. One time we paddled so far from the ship that we all got into the zodiac and dragged the kayaks behind us. I wish we did that every time because paddling away is so much more fun than paddling back.
So happy for the ride back
But in the event of the weather turning, an injury, or some other emergency, you’ll have quick access to a rescue boat. Yay!
What Should I Bring To Be As Comfortable As Possible?
These are things that I did think to bring!
These are helpful items that should be on anyone’s packing list, but when I was out on the water, I definitely wanted a hat! This is my fave hat because it has a blu tooth music speaker in it, it can buckle on my head (helpful if windy), covers my ears as well, and also has a mouth flap that’s attached.
I also had a gaiter to warm my neck, chin, mouth or nose. Very versatile and easier to move around than the above hat mouth covering. Make sure to get wool!
I also got this dry bag for my cell phone. My cell phone is actually waterproof, but it’s not drop-proof! This bag allows me to touch the screen through the bag, but I often just took my phone out of the bag since the water was so calm.
These are things that now that I’ve gone, I wish I’d had!
If you have a Go Pro you MUST have a way to attach to the kayak. TRAGEDY because my Go Pro was slid into a mount, but the MOUNT came off. You either need to find a way to also tie it to the kayak (seemed overkill, since what was the point of the mount? But joke’s on me since mine fell in the water) or a floating thing attached to your Go Pro. They are waterproof… but they do not float D:
I had some nice touchscreen gloves, but I wish I had gotten *waterproof* gloves. Your hands will go inside some pogies which are basically like wet suit material around your hands… but as the name suggests, your hands will be wet. It def keeps them warmer than without, but not dry. Some nice waterproof gloves underneath with some gripping would be much more comfortable. Touch screen fingertips also a pro!
I also wish that I had brought a Go Pro pole. Sometimes the Go Pro was mounted on the kayak, sometimes on my head, but a pole would be nice! A few times there were penguins (or for some lucky people, whales!!!!) zooming around us underwater. I wish I had my pole to dunk my camera in to catch that footage! My friend did it but her hand was frozen afterwards. Also, bring something to wipe the droplets of the lens when you’re done.
What if I Change My Mind?
You can change your mind up until you go out the first time for no penalty. There is always a waitlist so there is NO shame in backing out because someone will very happily take your spot. However, once you get started, you can’t get a refund.
But come on... come see this!
Overall, is Antarctica Kayaking Worth It?
The Best
The silence. Several times we would just float there and hear the roar of SILENCE. You get so up close with nature; it is soul-stirring. I’m a fairly cheap person by nature (how else can I afford these wild trips??), but when I tell you that kayaking was worth every penny, I hope you believe it. I couldn't wait to write about my experience in my Antarctica travel Journal!
The Worst
The worst was having to decide to kayak or land. Almost every time you had to choose, but we did have a landing where we got to paddle first and then go on land. That was the day I lost my camera to the water 🙁 I would say that was the worst, but that will not apply to you because you’ll learn from my mistake!
Major things to consider:
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- You should definitely book it even if you’re not sure about it because it will sell out. You can always drop it later for no financial penalty.
- Try and get in first or paddle at the front to get more pics without other travelers.
- Make friends with other boats and take pics of each other!
I took this pic and they took some of us! Not as good, so it's important to show people what you want
- Sometimes the ship’s professional photographer will join you on the paddle in the zodiac. Photographers are not paid, but if you buy them a drink, they’re more likely to take more pics of you 🙂 #Bribery
- Better to be too warm and take layers off than be too cold and not have enough to put on!
- Bring a dry bag for anything you want to bring!
Whipped out my DSLR from the dry bag to get this one
- Make sure everything is attached to something, so you won’t drop.
- Always know what you’re putting in what pockets, so you don’t have to search for things all the time.
- Bring chapstick!
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3 comments
Oh my god..what an adventure..I wish I could do something like that too..loved the post
It’s my dream to go kayaking in Antartica! I have looked at Antartica trips and few times and noticed the kayaking was always extra. I was disappointed about that, but you made a good point that it means less people will be out kayaking with me then. Thanks for sharing all your tips, it seems like it would definitely be worth it!
Wow this is so cool! This is so high on my bucket list, I really hope to go someday. Looks like an amazing trip! ?
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