SUP vs kayak: speed, distance and wind in real data
Stand up paddling and kayaking compared with the numbers of 37,000 recorded sessions: the average speed, the distance and time of a session, the wind paddlers go out in, the busiest month and the countries, as of November 2026.
By Paula Acebo
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In recorded sessions a SUP and a kayak move at nearly the same speed: 5.9 km/h for SUP and 5.7 km/h for kayak, with breaks included. A kayak session is longer: 8.1 km in 86 minutes, against 6.5 km in 66 minutes for SUP. Both go out in light wind: force 2, which is 4 to 6 knots, is the most common force for both. The session data does not say which is easier or more stable.
Numbers: sessions recorded with the Waterspeed app and shared to its public leaderboard, from January to 12 November 2026, counted on 12 November 2026. The wind is the forecast for the place and time of each session, not a measurement on the water; the shares by Beaufort force count the sessions that have a wind value. We make Waterspeed; corrections are welcome at support@waterspeedapp.com.
SUP vs kayak in numbers
| SUP | Kayak | |
|---|---|---|
| Sessions counted | 28,379 | 8,598 |
| Average speed, breaks included | 5.9 km/h | 5.7 km/h |
| Distance of an average session | 6.5 km | 8.1 km |
| Time of an average session | 66 minutes | 86 minutes |
| Average forecast wind | 6.3 kn | 5.6 kn |
| Most common Beaufort force | 2, in 32% of the sessions | 2, in 34% of the sessions |
| Sessions at force 3 or less | 83% | 90% |
| Sessions at force 4 or more | 17% | 10% |
| Busiest month | July | July |
| Countries with the most sessions | USA 22%, Australia 9%, France 8% | USA 28%, Australia 17%, United Kingdom 7% |
The two counts differ. They come from the sessions shared to the public leaderboard and say nothing about how many people do each sport.
Is a SUP or a kayak faster?
In these sessions the two are close. SUP sessions average 5.9 km/h and kayak sessions 5.7 km/h. Both values are the distance divided by the time of the whole recording, so breaks are included. They do not say which craft is faster at full effort. See average speed by water sport for the other paddle sports and the current values.
Which goes further, a SUP or a kayak?
Kayak sessions are longer. An average kayak session is 8.1 km in 86 minutes. An average SUP session is 6.5 km in 66 minutes. That is 1.6 km and 20 minutes more for the kayak.
How much wind do SUP and kayak paddlers go out in?
Both go out in light forecast wind. Force 2, a light breeze of 4 to 6 knots, was the most common force for both: 32% of the SUP sessions and 34% of the kayak sessions. 83% of the SUP sessions and 90% of the kayak sessions had force 3 or less, which is 10 knots or less. SUP paddlers went out more often in more wind: 17% of their sessions had force 4 or more, against 10% for kayak. See the Beaufort scale for each force in knots, mph and km/h.
When and where do people paddle?
July was the busiest month for both. The USA has the most sessions of both sports, and Australia comes second. For SUP, France, Italy and Germany follow. For kayak, the United Kingdom, Hungary and Germany follow. See where people paddle on the map.
Which is easier or more stable, a SUP or a kayak?
The session data does not answer this. It holds what paddlers did on the water: distance, time, speed and wind. It does not hold falls, capsizes or how long a paddler needed to learn.
How do I track a SUP or kayak session?
Waterspeed records both on iPhone, Android, Apple Watch or a Wear OS watch, and syncs sessions from Garmin, Coros and Suunto watches. On Apple Watch it also counts strokes: this works well for SUP and is still in beta for kayak. See Best kayak and SUP tracking apps for how it compares with Paddle Logger, Strava and Garmin Connect.
