Reviewed by our gear Geeks:
BEST KAYAK ANCHOR IN 2021
Our experts at work
We gave our Gear lovers one job: Test multiple different Kayak Anchors and write reviews of the best.
The result is 10 of the best Kayak Anchors on the market today.
Christos Nicolaou
Divemaster & Writer A passionate divemaster with a love for preserving the underwater world.
Torben Lonne
Editor at DIVEIN.com Torben is a dive nut, with a passion for traveling and gear.
A kayak anchor is specially designed to keep your craft from drifting in the water while doing things like fishing. They are small enough to transport and are especially useful for angling.
Most kayak anchors on the market are standard foldables and have similar features and specifications, however, some differences can be found in weight and rope length.
The best kayak anchors are durable, robust, and reliable. They are small enough to carry on board, yet strong enough to withstand the pull of strong currents.
We’ve reviewed the best and present the top 10 models currently available.
Remember to check our guide below.
Top 10 Best Kayak Anchors in 2021
- Perception Kayak Anchor
- Gili Sports Kayak Anchor
- Gradient Fitness Kayak Anchor
- Olivia and Aiden Kayak Anchor
- BEST Marine and Outdoor Kayak Anchor
- Extreme Max Kayak Anchor
- Obcursco Kayak Anchor
- Watercraft Kayak Anchor
- Fox Claw Kayak Anchor
- Pelican Kayak Anchor
If you have any questions about the best kayak anchors- then jump to our comment section below and ask our experts.
The Gili Sports kayak anchor is a 3.5 lb 4-fluke folding anchor that is compact enough to carry on your SUP and Kayak and comes with its own anchor line, buoy, and convenient carry bag. We’ve done the work for you and found the best prices on the Gili Sports Kayak Anchor Our recommendations: The Gili Sports kayak anchor comes with a white buoy for easily spotting the anchor and has corrosion resistant properties and will last you a long time. It has an anchor line of 30’ and can be easily stored in the include durable storage bag. The Gradient Fitness kayak anchor has a fluorescent green color so you can easily spot it in the water. We’ve done the work for you and found the best prices on the Gradient Fitness Kayak Anchor Our recommendations: The Gradient Fitness kayak anchor features a four fluke, fluorescent design but only has a 25m anchor line, making it shorter than most other anchors on the market. That said, it does come with an easy to spot white PVC buoy and a stylish storage bag for storage. The Olivia and Aiden anchor is a great accessory for anchoring your kayak. With a long anchor line and sturdy flukes, this anchor is guaranteed to hold on most bottom surfaces. We’ve done the work for you and found the best prices on the Olivia and Aiden Kayak Anchor Our recommendations: The Olivia and Aiden kayak anchor is constructed with galvanized steel and holds ground better with more horizontal drag due to a smart, well-balanced fluke design. It is ideal for small fishing boats, kayaks, canoes, or paddle boards. BEST’s company motto is to help people find inner peace and purpose through kayaking and boating. According to them, this anchor allows you to stop, connect with nature and soak in its surrounding beauty. We’ve done the work for you and found the best prices on the BEST Marine and Outdoors Kayak Anchor Our recommendations: The BEST marine and outdoor kayak anchor features a lock system that reinforces the flukes for more stability. It is made of rust resistant galvanized iron and includes an extra long 40ft marine grade anchor line, a nylon storage bag, a buoy ball and a stainless steel carabiner clip. The Extreme Max is a reliable red anchor featuring a durable marine grade market buoy. It is easy to use and accessible to kayakers. We’ve done the work for you and found the best prices on the Extreme Max Kayak Anchor Our recommendations: The Extreme Max kayak anchor works best in shallower waters as it features a short 25’ hollow braid polyethylene anchor line with steel snap hook. It is ideally suited for use in coral, rocky, or heavily weeded bottom conditions. The Obcursco kayak anchor is great for rivers and lakes. It is popular with kayakers for it’s stylish design and ability to support heavy loads. We’ve done the work for you and found the best prices on the Obcursco Kayak Anchor Our recommendations: The Obcursco kayak anchor features a premium 8mm double braid anchor anchor line that can support loads of up to 2200lbs and can be used in 50 feet depth water. It also has an easy to see yellow buoy that marks the anchor. The Watercraft kayak anchor is a sleek and innovatively constructed accessory used for your kayak that is made to withstand the rigors of the water. We’ve done the work for you and found the best prices on the Watercraft Kayak Anchor Our recommendations: The Watercraft kayak anchor features a powdered coating designed to prevent rust and can be easily stored in the included durable storage bag. Due to it’s dark color it can be difficult to spot in the water and you will need to rely on the red buoy for spotting the anchor line. The Fox Claw kayak anchor is easy to use, stylish, versatile and ideal for shallow environments of any kind. It’s also rust resistant. We’ve done the work for you and found the best prices on the Fox Claw Kayak Anchor Our recommendations: Although it is best suited for shallow environments given the length of the anchor line, the Fox Claw kayak anchor is designed so that you can create better horizontal drag on the bottom surface of ponds, rivers, lakes or oceans. Whether it’s sandy, weedy, muddy, or rocky the Fox Claw kayak anchor will hold, immobilizing your kayak. The Pelican kayak anchor is galvanized, rust resistant and easy to use. This kayak anchor is suitable for any environment and opens to catch onto the floor bottom. That makes it convenient for storing it in the kayak and at 3 pounds, it’s also lighter than most other anchors. We’ve done the work for you and found the best prices on the Pelican Kayak Anchor Our recommendations: The Pelican kayak anchor comes with a convenient storage bag making it portable and easy to store. It has a reliable and effective fluke system that catches on coral and rock, immobilizing your kayak. The kayak anchor line of this kayak anchor is short at just 20 feet, making it suitable for shallow water. The Perception kayak anchor is reliable and easy to use anchor that is included in perception kayak packages. We’ve done the work for you and found the best prices on the Perception Kayak Anchor. Our recommendations: The Perception kayak anchor has a galvanized construction with a four fluke design that works on all types of bottom surfaces. It has an anchor line of 30’ and can be easily attached to your kayak for convenience.
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A Short Note about the Anchors on this List
All the anchors on this list are folding anchors. They are pretty cheap and lightweight. They’ll do the job for short to middle-long anchorages.
For longer periods of time the folding anchors with bigger cups or scoops in them will hold a kayak in place for longer. That’s because silt and debri will collect in their scoops, thus making the anchor heavier.
The downside to folding anchors is that they can also pick up some of that silt and carry it up and into the kayak. An anchor lock side mounted onto a kayak will avoid this and make using it quicker and easier.
This anchor lock from Scotty is affordable and as reliable as they come. It provides the added benefit of a quick release should the need arise.
It’s also typical for anchors in this price range to have cheaper carabiners that tie to the kayak. Consider replacing them with a 3 dollar pair that will probably be better if you’re going to be carrying a lot of gear with weight.
Consider also whether or not you might be happy using paracord instead of the included rope. It’s strong and doesn’t take up as much space.
For more information on other indispensable kayaking equipment, check out our Best Kayak Life Vests, Best Kayak Racks, Best Kayak Trailers, and Best Kayak Paddles.
A Quick Guide to Kayak Anchors
Using an anchor is pretty straightforward, but there are actually quite a few considerations to keep in mind when anchoring a kayak. You might want to consider an anchor lock as well to help pull your anchor up and hold it up without bringing debri into the kayak.
Generally, it’s going to be for kayak fishing that most yakkers employ an anchor to stay at the hole, the place where bountiful fish are to be found and caught. But other paddlers might want to stay at a spot for a while for a lunch break or to observe the sunset or a rare albino unicorn.
To know what the best kayak anchor is for your needs, you need to know first what type of bottom you’ll be casting your anchor onto. Beyond that there a few other points:
- The type of bottom (eg. rocky, sandy, hard clay, etc.)
- What size anchor (ie. weight & dimensions)
- What type of anchor (ie. folding, mushroom, claw, etc.)
- How long a rope you need
As a last point, a pair of kayak gloves will make handling an anchor all that much easier. Take a look at our guide for the best ones.
FAQ – Frequently asked questions about Kayak Anchors
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What are the best kayak anchors?
For a kayak anchor to be considered in the top 10, it needs to be treated with anti-rust properties, and must be constructed from high-quality material.
Check out the list of our favorite kayaks anchors:
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What are kayak anchors used for?
Kayak anchors are used for mooring your kayak. This can be useful for fishing or if you just want to jump out and have a swim. It’s very useful to have a kayak anchor on board as it can help stabilize your kayak when you are not kayaking and keeps you from drifting away from your position.
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How long should my kayak anchor be?
Depending on the depth of water that you will be kayaking in, or at what depth you want to anchor your kayak you will want a different length of anchor line. A short anchor line is between 16’ and 25’, while a medium anchor line is between 25’ and 35’. A long anchor line is between 40’ to 50’ and can be used to anchor in deep water.
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Should my kayak anchor be treated?
We recommend that whatever kayak anchor you buy is either galvanized or has been treated against rust or corrosion. This will protect your kayak anchor from environmental damage, especially if you are using it in salt water. If your kayak anchor does not have this protection it will not last you and will become damaged and unusable over time.
If you already have a kayak anchor or you just bought one, leave a comment in the comment section below and share your experience with it.
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