A good kayak flag should be at the top of every serious paddler’s kayaking safety kit. Especially if you plan to paddle at night, in high boat traffic areas or in larger ocean swells, a kayak safety flag can mean the difference between being seen and being toast.
Whether you’re fishing, towing another kayak to safety or just exploring the great outdoors, a kayak visibility flag helps you stay out of harm’s way. For scuba and snorkel enthusiasts, a good kayak dive flag can also help alert boaters when you’re not able to signal yourself.
The best kayak safety flags are equipped to fit nearly any boat, and some offer additional safety features such as LED lights and adjustable flag poles and mounts. (See below for recommendations on mounts, poles and flag holders.)
Kayak flags don’t have to be expensive, but they do need to have a place on your boat.
A QUICK RUNDOWN: THE 7 BEST KAYAK FLAGS FOR SAFETY AND VISIBILITY (CLICK LINKS BELOW TO SEE PRICES ON AMAZON.COM)
| PHOTO | KAYAK FLAG | BEST FOR | INCLUDED |
|---|---|---|---|
| YakAttack VISIPole II | 360-degree visibility | Kayak flag, pole and light (MightyMount ready) | |
| Hobie VISICarbon Pro | Fishing | Kayak safety flag, pole, LED light and mount | |
| Forever Wave Jolly Roger Flag | Kayak pirates | 12x18-inch kayak pirate flag (double-sided) | |
| Country Ent. Telescopic Safety Flag | Budget kayak safety flag | Spring-loaded telescoping flag pole, orange flag, mount | |
| Premium Quality Dive Flag | Diving (U.S.) | 20x24-inch flag | |
| Shoreline Marine Propel Safety Flag with Mount | Red kayak flag | Kayak flag, telescoping pole and kayak flag mount | |
| Fu Len Red Bungee Flag | Transporting kayaks | Red kayak flag |
While the large base will fit snugly into the rod holders on some fishing kayaks, YakAttack has designed their safety flag to be able to be used with its GearTrac or MightyMount systems — meaning you can mount it almost anywhere.
(For a great kayak flag mount, the MightyMount is a pretty versatile choice.)
The included LED light is manufactured to last for 10,000-plus hours, and will last 100 hours on three AA batteries. To turn it on, simply twist the top of the flag. The flag itself can also be slipped over the light to create a soft glow less likely to scare fish away (a nice option for a kayak fishing flag — though not recommended in dangerous areas).
If you happen to lose the flag overboard, the VISIPole’s base floats, and the light is waterproof up to 1,000 feet. For an even more lightweight and stylish option, there’s the VISICarbon Pro flag (below), which is foldable.
Extremely lightweight, flexible and collapsible, the VISICarbon flag offers a high degree of visibility from any angle. The flag pole is designed to fit snugly into the rod holders of any Hobie fishing kayak, but can also be attached to non-Hobie boats with an adapter mount such as the MightyMount or GearTrac system (which comes with the flag).
The VISICarbon flag features an LED light and folds down from 48” to 14” — and the whole package fits inside the bright orange nylon flag, which doubles as a carry case.
The carbon-fiber flag pole tubing weighs just 14 ounces, reducing drag and wind resistance while maintaining strength for optimal safety. Hands down, this is the best kayak safety flag available.
Fly it loud, fly it proud, but don’t go looting other kayaks. It’s just not nice.
This double-sided, 12”x18” pirate flag features a zip-on/zip-off mounting sleeve that can slip over most kayak flag poles — perfect for switching out your other flags when the ole’ skull-and-crossbones needs to make an appearance.
While this pirate flag can be flown from kayak, it’s also a great pirate flag for boats, motorcycles, cars or anywhere else the call of the peg-leg is heard.
The stainless steel flag pole extends to 62” (5 feet) and comes with a mounting bracket that can be attached to most kayaks with bolts. While this multi-purpose safety flag isn’t only designed for kayaks, it should work for most recreational paddlers looking for an inexpensive safety upgrade.
This flag does not come with a light or gear-track mounting adapter, but should still be suitable for inland lakes and waters with slower-moving traffic.
This flag, which measures 20×24 inches with a removable stiffening pole, is legal in most states (yes, including Florida) and can be easily assembled and collapsed while on your kayak.
If you plan to display it from your kayak, though, you will need a good kayak flag pole, as it does not come included.
In other countries, kayak dive flags are known as “alpha flags” and are blue and white. If you’ll be free diving, snorkeling or scuba diving in international waters, it’s a good idea to have both.
With a red kayak flag and telescoping flag pole, the Shoreline Marine flag maintains visibility at any height. The kit comes with a kayak flag mount that can be drilled into most kayaks (you can also use a marine adhesive if you’d prefer not to drill), or used with many gear track systems.
Because the U.S. Coast Guard requires orange flags for coastal waters between sunset and sunrise, this flag isn’t suitable by itself for ocean fishing at night. This flag also doesn’t come with a light.
Tie this red kayak flag to the bungee handle of your kayak and make sure it doesn’t end up in someone else’s windshield.
Constructed in 14-inch sections, this durable flag pole/camera mount accessory can be assembled to any length you desire. Need more height? Add another section. It’s also perfect for storage.
Granted, the ExtendaPole works best with RailBlaza accessories (see as lights and camera mounts), but it will work with just about any flag. Like most RailBlaza accessories, it attaches to your kayak via the RailBlaza StartPort.
Compatible with the gear track systems for both Wilderness Systems and Native kayaks, the YakAttack MightyMount Scotty kit allows you to attach Scotty or Cannon bases to the gear tracks installed in your kayak.
By itself, the MightyMount system is still a great solution for a variety of accessories — including YakAttack’s VISIPole II kayak flag — and its small footprint allows it to be installed almost anywhere on your boat.
A great DIY option if you’re just looking for a universal kayak flag pole setup, Dovewill’s cheap and universal rod and flag holder mount will easily attach to most gear track systems, or bolted directly the kayak itself.
Dovewill’s kayak flag kit also includes the flag itself along with a three-piece, collapsible 47” inch pole.
We hope this helps you find the best kayak flag for your boat, but if you have other thoughts or suggestions, we’d love to hear them.
Introduction Tandem kayaks are a terrific way for couples, friends and families to make memories…
Introduction Sit on top kayaks are designed for paddling excursions of all kinds, from weekend…
Introduction A pedal kayak can be an angler’s dream. With two hands free for casting…
Introduction Motorized kayaks are, without a doubt, the newest frontier in recreational watercraft development. Since…