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Typically the focus of kayaking is forward movement whether it is through rapids or cruising across a bay, lake, or stream. There are occasions, though, when it would be good to stop for fishing, go for a swim, or just take a break.
That’s where an anchor is exactly what is required. Selecting one that is the right size and design to suit your kayak and needs is important and takes careful consideration.
To help you choose the one that fits your situation, some of the best anchor sets for kayaks are reviewed below with a comparison table as a starter, followed by descriptions, key features, photos, videos, and a simple buying guide.
If you have any questions or concerns, please use the comments section at the bottom.
For more reviews of canoes, kayaks, boats, and accessories, please check out these popular posts:
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Best Kayak Anchor Systems
- Best Marine Kayak Anchor
- OceanMotion Kayak Anchor
- Airhead SUP Anchor
- Airhead Complete Kayak Grapnel Anchor
- Seattle Sports Kayak Anchor
- Advanced Elements Canoe and Kayak Anchor
- Extreme Max BoatTector Kayak Anchor
- Compass Kayak Anchor
- Attwood Grapnel Kayak Anchor
- Pelican Compact Kayak Anchor
Best Kayak Anchor Systems Comparison Table
| Picture | Anchor | Weight | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|
  | Best Marine Kayak Anchor | 3.5 lbs | 4.8 |
  | OceanMotion Kayak Anchor | 3.5 lbs | 5 |
  | Airhead SUP Anchor | 1.5 lbs | 4.4 |
  | Airhead Complete Kayak Grapnel Anchor | 3.33 lbs | 4.6 |
  | Seattle Sports Kayak Anchor | 1.5 lbs | 4.3 |
  | Advanced Elements Canoe and Kayak Anchor | 3 lbs | 4.5 |
  | Extreme Max BoatTector Kayak Anchor | 3.5 lbs | 4.6 |
  | Compass Kayak Anchor | 3.5 lbs | 4.9 |
  | Attwood Grapnel Kayak Anchor | 3.5 lbs | 4.5 |
  | Pelican Compact Kayak Anchor | 3 lbs | 4.0 |
| Picture | Anchor | Weight | Rating |
The Best Marine and Outdoors Kayak Anchor comes with a full kit of accessories that is great for not only kayaks, but also canoes, paddle boards, jet skis, and other small boats. It has a compact 4-fluke design that deploys them by sliding a collar and stores in a convenient nylon bag. The sturdy 40-foot marine rope provides additional horizontal drag to further secure your vessel. Given great reviews by users, pricing is reasonable and it comes with a 1-year guarantee.
- Weight: 3.5 pounds
- Material: rust-resistant galvanized iron
- Expanding 4-fluke fold-up design with a sliding collar
- Accessories: 40-foot marine-grade rope, durable nylon storage bag, buoy ball with a stainless steel hook
- 1-year guarantee
View More From Best Marine & Outdoors
The OceanMotion Kayak Anchor is another great model for a range of small watercraft very similar to the Best Marine anchor above, with a few added benefits. The rust-resistant galvanized iron 4-fluke design comes with an extra durable braided nylon rope with a reflective tracer for easier visibility and it also has a stainless steel clasp. There is also an inline buoy and padded storage bag along with a generous 2-year warranty making this the pick of the batch.
- Weight: 3.5 pounds
- Material: rust-resistant galvanized iron with a stainless steel clasp
- Expanding 4-fluke fold-up design with a sliding collar
- Accessories: 40-foot braided nylon rope with a reflective tracer, durable padded nylon cinch-top storage bag, inline buoy
- 2-year guarantee
The Airhead SUP Anchor Kit has a 1.5-pound grapnel anchor suitable for temporary anchoring in mild shallow conditions suitable for use with smaller kayaks and SUPs. The 15-foot yellow rope and bright red anchor make it easy to see in low light conditions. It has a spring hook for attaching the line and a padded nylon storage bag with a D-ring to secure it to the vessel when not in use. Pricing is in the range with most of the other anchors reviewed here and it comes with a 1-year limited warranty.
- Weight: 1.5 pounds
- Material: bright red anchor (material not specified) with a stainless steel spring hook
- Expanding 4-fluke fold-up design with a sliding collar
- Accessories: 15-foot bright yellow rope (material not specified), durable padded nylon storage bag with webbing a D-ring to secure to your Kayak or SUP
- 1-year limited warranty
Airhead Complete Kayak Grapnel Anchor
The Airhead Complete Kayak Grapnel Anchor system is heavier than the Airhead SUP Anchor system reviewed above with a red-coated 3.33-pound grapnel anchor and a slightly longer 25-foot marine-grade rope suitable for kayaks, canoes, and larger personal watercraft. The line connects to the craft with a heavy-duty stainless steel snap hook, has an inline buoy, and padded carry bag easily stored in a hold or under the seat.
- Weight: 3.33 pounds
- Material: bright red-coated anchor (material not specified) with a stainless steel snap hook
- Expanding 4-fluke fold-up design with a sliding collar
- Accessories: 25-foot marine-grade rope, durable padded nylon storage bag, inline buoy
The Seattle Sports Kayak Anchor Kit comes with 50 feet of bright yellow polypropylene line for easy visibility and deeper deployment. With 1.5 and 3.25-pound versions, you can select the one that best suits the size of your kayak or small watercraft. The aluminum anchor comes with a drawstring storage sack, and 2 carabiners and an anchoring ring to allow bow or stern deployment.
- Weight: 1.5 pounds (also comes in 3.25 pounds)
- Material: aluminum anchor
- Expanding 4-fluke fold-up design with a sliding collar
- Accessories: 50-foot yellow braided polypropylene line, 2 carabiners, deployment and anchoring ring for bow or stern deployment, drawstring storage sack
Advanced Elements Canoe and Kayak Anchor
The Advanced Elements Canoe and Kayak Anchor is a 3-pound model of galvanized steel with the 4-fluke design and sliding collar. Setting it apart from the other sets reviewed here is the 60-foot anchor line suitable for deep water. It also comes with a ball line float, and a mesh carry bag for the anchor and line. The pricing is in the range of all the models reviewed and it comes with a 1-year warranty.
- Weight: 3 pounds
- Material: rust-resistant galvanized steel anchor
- Expanding 4-fluke fold-up design with a sliding collar
- Accessories: 60-foot anchor line, carabiner clip for attachment to the boat, ball line float, mesh travel bag
- 1-year warranty
Extreme Max BoatTector Kayak Anchor
This Extreme Max BoatTector Kayak Anchor (3006.6785 galvanized/deluxe kit) is 3.5 pounds of rust-resistant galvanized steel that comes with a 4-foot anchor chain and a durable 25-foot hollow-braid polyethylene anchor line suitable for rocky or weeded bottoms for short-term anchoring. The line comes with a steel snap hook and a foam marker buoy for all to keep track of the position. This comprehensive kit comes with a padded nylon bag that it all packs into for transport and storage.
- Weight: 3.5 pounds
- Material: rust-resistant galvanized steel anchor and galvanized anchor chain (3/16-inch x 4-feet with ¼-inch shackles
- Expanding 4-fluke fold-up design with a sliding collar
- Accessories: galvanized anchor chain, 25-foot hollow-braid polyethylene anchor line with a steel snap hook, marine-grade foam marker buoy, sturdy padded nylon storage bag
The Compass Kayak Anchor Kit has a bright red painted rust-resistant galvanized steel anchor and 40-foot marine-grade anchor line with a stainless steel snap hook, and an easy to see red and white anchor buoy. It comes with a 5-liter dry bag for items like your wallet or cell phone, as well as a padded nylon bag for the anchor and accessories. This one is a great pick for medium-sized kayaks, canoes, SUPS, or jet skis, and comes with a generous money-back guarantee.
- Weight: 3.5 pounds
- Material: red painted rust-resistant galvanized steel anchor
- Expanding 4-fluke fold-up design with a sliding collar
- Accessories: 40-foot marine-grade anchor line with a stainless steel snap hook, padded nylon storage bag plus a 5-liter PVC dry bag for valuables, red and white anchor buoy
- Money-back guarantee
The Attwood Grapnel Kayak Anchor (11949-4) is a rugged basic galvanized iron anchor. It has the same fold-up 4-fluke design with a sliding collar of all the models here. This 3.5-pound anchor will serve well medium-sized kayaks, canoes, and other small watercraft in shallow water. It comes with a large snap hook, marker buoy, and nylon storage case, at a price at the bottom end of the range of the anchor kits reviewed here.
- Weight: 3.5 pounds
- Material: rust-resistant galvanized iron anchor with a red finish
- Expanding 4-fluke fold-up design with a sliding collar
- Accessories: 25-foot anchor line with a large snap hook, marker buoy, sturdy nylon storage case
The Pelican Compact Kayak Anchor is a basic anchor kit at a budget price. It comes in 3-pound and 1.5-pound versions with a 20-foot marine-grade anchor line, and a sturdy nylon storage bag. It won’t be suitable for deepwater and lacks any metal clips or an anchor buoy but does come at a very low price.
- Weight: 3 pounds (also comes in 1.5 pounds)
- Material: rust-resistant galvanized anchor (metal unspecified)
- Expanding 4-fluke fold-up design with a sliding collar
- Accessories: 20-foot marine-grade anchor line, durable nylon bag
Best Kayak Anchor Systems Buying Guide
Anchor Design – The most commonly used and effective type of anchor for kayaks is the grapnel design. This type has four flukes on hinges that extend from the base of the anchor which catch on the bottom structure to hold the kayak in position as the anchor is pulled along. These can be effective on a variety of bottom materials including mud, sand, rocks, grass, or corals. Because of this grasping capability grapnel anchors need not be heavy like “mushroom” or “deadweight” designs often used with larger watercraft. 1.5 to 3.5 pounds is usually all that is needed to be quite effective for kayaks and other such small vessels.
The grapnel anchor design has a sliding collar that can be placed over the flukes to hold them in a closed position for storage or for use as a deadweight-style anchor. When the collar is lifted up the anchor shaft it allows the flukes to fold out into the open position. Once there, the collar slides down the shaft to hold them in place.
Scope – Scope is a term that describes the ratio of the length of the rope/chain from the boat to the depth of the water. If there is too little rope the anchor can skid along the bottom without catching hold. If the line is too long the line itself can get snagged or tangled in bottom-matter requiring special effort to get free that could include cutting the line and losing the anchor. The rule of thumb rope length to depth ratio is 7:1. This means that for every foot of depth you need 7 feet of rope.
Anchor Mounting Points – The anchor line is best mounted on the bow or stern of the kayak such that the position is facing downstream or upstream rather than sideways in the current or wind subject to taking on waves. Most kayaks have mounting points where you can tie-off or use a clip or carabiner to attach. Some such as inflatable or foldable models do not have such an anchor mounting point and in that case, you would need to look into some sort of mounting plate or other special attachment.
Anchor Trolley – This is an additional piece of gear that allows you to switch the anchor mounting point from bow to stern and back again while remaining seated. Useful in any body of water, it can be especially so for sea kayakers allowing adaptability to waves and wind to avoid getting into a side-on position where you can take on water. A trolley also allows fishermen to change their casting direction while seated. Seats usually face in one direction so without the trolley, you would have to reposition the kayak to change your seating direction.
For more reviews of canoes, kayaks, boats, and accessories, please check out these popular posts:
Kayak Bilge Pumps Inflatable Canoes Electric Pumps for Inflatables Pedal Kayaks Ocean Fishing Kayaks Fishing Kayak Paddles Waterproof Bags Canoe Paddles Canoes Kayak Shoes Kayak Helmets Kayak Wetsuits Kayak Roof Racks Kayak Carts Kayak Drysuit Review Kayak Paddles Kayak Life Vests Women Kayak Life Vests Marine VHF Radios Small Outboard Motors Kayak Trolling Motors Kayak Fish Finders Marine GPS Marine Binoculars Women’s Kayaks Touring Kayaks Tandem Kayaks Whitewater Kayaks for Beginners Lake Kayaks Ocean Kayaks Fishing Kayaks Beginner Kayaks Recreational Kayaks Inflatable Kayaks Inflatable Boats
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