Does Apple Watch Track Kayaking?

If kayaking and fitness is your hobby then you’ll want to get a smartwatch that pairs along with the activity nicely. However, you may ask, ‘does apple watch track kayaking?’, or is there a kayaking app you can download for your Apple Watch?

Let’s try to answer the question below.

Is There a Kayaking App for Apple Watch?

The latest Apple Watch models, the Apple Watch Series 7 and 6 in particular, have their own App Store from which you can download standalone apps for your smartwatch. Since the Apple-branded watch is marketed as a fitness and workout companion, it makes total sense that there would be a kayaking app for it.

The good news is that there are several kayaking apps you can get for your Apple Watch, namely the Paddle Logger, Crewnerd, and KayakLog, among others. These apps are either watersport apps or dedicated kayaking apps, with features such as route mapping, paddling speed detection, metric conversions, and weather, just to name a few. There are other ‘kayak apps’ that let you scout out possible paddling locations, log trips, and access marine charts.

Downloading a kayaking app for your Apple Watch is pretty simple- you can either go through the App Store from your iPhone and send it to your connected Apple Watch or use the smartwatch itself and download the app through the built-in App Store. Keep in mind that some apps are free to download while others will require a plan or subscription so you can get all the features available on the platform.

What Can You Track While Kayaking with an Apple Watch?

The Apple Watch is designed to track and record basic movements such as walking, strokes (in swimming), and running, to name a few. The sensors within can track heart rate, distance traveled and calories burned. Paired with the iPhone, you’ll be able to see the data and metrics in real-time or afterward.

The things you can track on the Apple Watch while kayaking will depend on the model of the smartwatch. The latest, which is the Apple Watch Series 7 can detect distance traveled, heart rate, and calories burned. However, the strokes made, paddle speed, and stringent details surrounding the sport will largely go undetected unless you use a specialized kayak sports app.

That said, there is no option to track canoeing or kayaking activity within the Workout app. Your best bet is to set the exercise to ‘Open Water Swim’, or ‘Other’, where you get measurements for calories burned, heart rate, distance, route map and minutes spent exercising. After the workout is done you can relabel the title as ‘paddling’ but it will not change the basis of calories burned.

Apple does update its watchOS every now and then to add relevant workout metrics and measurements for popular workouts. Who knows? Apple may have a dedicated app for canoeing, kayaking, and similar water sports in the near future. In the meantime, it’s best to rely on Apple Watch apps or iPhone apps to record your trips.

Are There Any Better Apps to Track Kayaking From Different Brands?

An Android-based smartwatch is probably the most popular alternative to the Apple Watch, but then you’d find out that there are other brands that can handle kayaking activities quite well.

To this end, you can try Android-based smartwatch apps such as CrewNerd, which will record heart rate, accelerometer, bounce production, and stroke rates, as well as pace, speed, and distance. For branded smartwatches that are built for outdoor activities, you can try Garmin, FitBit, Casio, or Suunto. Each has its own set of pros and cons in the active lifestyle niche. From there, you can do comparisons in terms of watch model, functions, price, and if there are any specific features not found on other brands.

Most of the time these watches will provide essential kayaking functions such as GPS, navigation, weather trends, activity tracking, and survivability in the wild. Activity pacers, heart rate monitoring, and a colored touchscreen display are just icing on the cake.

However, if you’re looking for a kayaking app that’s more granular then there’s no better than the App Store and Play Store. The Apple Watch or any premium Android smartwatch should suffice to meet this requirement.

Apple watches track other sports, including tennis, rock climbing, rowing and rope jumping.