You may have paddled down rivers or lakes, but kayaking on the sea really is something else. The ocean seems to breathe beneath you, its vast expanse making you feel at once utterly insignificant and connected to something very big indeed.
And if it’s scale you want, this southern dent in Alaska’s great bulk is the place to be. Its calm waters mean even beginners can paddle past icebergs, watch glaciers calve, and spot whales and sea otters; experts can range far and wide, packing gear into canoe bags and camping on remote stretches of the coast.
A sea kayak or touring kayak is a kayak developed for the sport of paddling on open waters of lakes, bays, and the ocean. Sea kayaks are seaworthy small boats with a covered deck and the ability to incorporate a spray deck. They trade off the manoeuvrability of whitewater kayaks for higher cruising speed, cargo capacity, ease of straight-line paddling, and comfort for long journeys.
Sea kayaks are used around the world for marine (sea) journeys from a few hours to many weeks, as they can accommodate one to three paddlers together with room for camping gear, food, water, and other supplies. A sea kayak usually ranges anywhere from 3.0–5.5 m (10–18 ft) for solo craft, and up to 7.9 m (26 ft) for tandem craft. Beam width may be as little as 53 cm (21 in), and may be up to 91 cm (36 in).
The term “sea kayak” is said to have originated with the publication in 1981 of a book of that name by John Dowd, who said “It wasn’t called sea kayaking until my book came out, … It was called kayak touring or sea canoeing or canoe touring, blue-water paddling, coastal paddling, all those things.” Wikipedia