South Africa

South Africa has a 3000km coastline offering a range of sea kayaking opportunities; from paddling on seaside estuaries to paddling on protected bays and the open ocean. It has long stretches of beach interspersed with rocky headlands and is one of the world's most active coastlines in respect of wave and weather action, but also one of the most diverse, being washed by both the Antarctic Benguella current as well as the sub-tropical Mozambique and Agulhas ocean currents. The coastline spans four provinces from west to east around the far southern tip of Africa, namely the Northern Cape, Western Cape, Eastern Cape and Kwazulu-Natal. The areas are quite distinctive, with a harsh, arid coastline in the west on the Atlantic side of the continent, a temperate one in the south-west and south-east and a subtropical stretch in the east, on the Indian Ocean side of the continent. Water temperatures range from 9-11 degrees Celcius in the west to 22 -24degrees Celcius in the east. The following sea kayak routes have been identified and form a good basis for additional routes being "discovered". Some areas also offer opportunities for "canoe trailing" in open canoes on coastal lakes through forests and mangroves.