Canoe diving and Kayak diving are recreational diving where the divers paddle to a diving site in a canoe or kayak carrying all their gear in or on the boat to the place they want to dive. Canoe or kayak diving gives the diver independence from dive boat operators, while allowing dives at sites which are too far to comfortably swim, but are sufficiently sheltered.
The range can be up to several kilometres along the coastline from the launching point to a place where access would be difficult from the shore, although the sea is sheltered. It is a considerably cheaper alternative to using a powered boat, as well as combining the experience of sea kayaking or canoeing with scuba diving.
Other advantages of canoe and kayak diving include:[1]
- breathing gas is not needed for getting to and from the site,
- passage through a surf line can be easier on a kayak than on a wider boat,
- rip, tidal and longshore currents are easier to manage
- no engine is required - this is cheap, light and has a low environmental impact,
- the canoe or kayak can get to places that are inaccessible to larger boats,