Your first sea kayak trip, in a Tromsø winter
None of the five winter kayak tours from Tromsø asks for experience. The guides fit your drysuit and teach the stroke before you launch, then keep the group on sheltered water. This guide covers what happens on the day if you have never sat in a kayak.
No experience needed, on every tour
All five listings take complete beginners. Destination Tromsø's tours start with a safety briefing and a short technique lesson, and Steam Tours give a safety and stroke briefing on their pier before anyone gets in a boat.
The bays the guides choose are sheltered, with the shore close at hand, so your first strokes happen on calm water. Our guide to the bays on Kvaløya describes where each tour paddles.
What happens before you launch
The start of the day is about kit. You pull a drysuit over your own warm layers and add boots and gloves. On Steam Tours a buoyancy aid and paddle jacket go on as well.
On the easy-going tour this happens inside a heated gamme, a Sámi turf hut, where the guides also advise on what to wear. The drysuit seals at the neck and wrists, so a snug fit matters more than looks.
Then comes the lesson. The guide shows the basic stroke and how to steer, and the safety briefing covers what to do if you tip over. Ask your questions now, because talking is harder once the group spreads out on the water.
Why a double kayak feels steadier
A double kayak is longer and wider than most singles, which makes it much harder to tip. Two people share the work, so a tired arm in one seat matters less over a few hours.
The person in the back usually steers, so put the calmer paddler there. Agree on who calls the turns before you push off, and the boat will go where you want far sooner.
If you both want a turn at steering, ask the guide whether you can swap seats at a break. Swapping lets each of you feel how the boat answers from the back.
Destination Tromsø's easy-going tour at ~$227 uses doubles throughout the winter. It holds 5.0 from 28 reviews and lasts four hours, including the bus out to the basecamp and back.
Two to a boat, warm hut first
Destination Tromsø's 4-hour easy-going tour, in stable doubles on sheltered channels, with your kit handed out in a heated gamme and a fire at the basecamp afterwards.
How cold the water is
The Gulf Stream keeps Tromsø's sea from freezing, and in winter the water stays at around 4–6 °C (39–43 °F). That is cold enough to take your breath away, which is why everyone wears a drysuit.
The air is often colder than the sea, around -4 °C (25 °F) in January. A drysuit keeps water out but does not warm you, so the layers underneath do the work, as our guide to drysuit layers explains.
Hands and feet feel the cold first. Destination Tromsø hand out warm gloves and boots, Steam Tours give neoprene gloves and paddle shoes, and wool socks underneath help on every tour.
Overheating is possible too, especially on the walk to the water. Dress in layers you can adjust rather than piling on everything you own.
How tiring the paddling is
Guided tours on sheltered bays usually move at an easy pace, with pauses to watch wildlife or take a photo. Your arms tire first if you grip the paddle hard. Hold it loosely and turn from the waist as the guide shows you.
The 5-hour tours include the bus and the fire, so the paddle itself is shorter than the day. If you doubt your stamina, Steam Tours' 2-hour paddle at ~$183 is the shortest option, though you reach its pier on your own.
What a capsize means in a drysuit
Capsizes are rare on calm water in a sheltered bay, and rarer still in a double. If one happens, the drysuit keeps the water out and the buoyancy aid keeps you afloat while the guide follows the drill from the briefing.
Nobody can promise you will stay dry, and this guide will not try. What the briefing gives you is a plan, and listening closely to it is the most useful thing a first-timer can do.
Age limits and other conditions
The minimum age is 14 on Destination Tromsø's and Steam Tours' tours, and 15 on KaruArctic's. Destination Tromsø also sets an upper limit, with no one over 80 on either of its tours.
KaruArctic asks that you can swim and that you speak and understand English, so you can follow the guide on the water. It also sets height and weight limits, which our tour comparison lists in full.
Destination Tromsø and KaruArctic exclude people with mobility impairments, and Steam Tours exclude wheelchair users and pregnant women. If any of this applies to you, check with the operator before you book.
Habits that help on the first trip
- Use the toilet before the drysuit goes on, since it is slow to take off
- Wear wool or synthetic layers, never cotton
- Keep your phone in a dry bag, or ask the guide where to stow it
- Tell the guide early if your hands or feet start to feel cold
- Bring a dry change of clothes for the ride back
- Eat a proper breakfast, since the long tours serve only a snack
Getting to the start is the other worry for first-timers. Our transport guide covers every meeting point, and the price guide shows what each tour includes.