--- title: Transparent Kayaks Let You See Ocean While You Paddle description: For those who want to see just how dazzling the ocean's coral reefs and marine life can be, a kayak company has the answer. canonical: https://time.com/4678706/transparent-crystal-kayak/ author: TIME article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2017-02-22T16:20:58.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-05-11T04:43:49.880Z og:title: These Transparent Kayaks Let You See the Ocean Below You og:description: Get up-close views of marine life og:url: https://time.com/4678706/transparent-crystal-kayak/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt863aaed5e3bc4a10/6988bb572dce0162ef9ec5d6/crystal-kayak-company-kayak217.jpg?branch=production&width=930&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 930 og:image:height: 523 og:image:alt: crystal-kayak-company-kayak217 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: These Transparent Kayaks Let You See the Ocean Below You twitter:description: Get up-close views of marine life twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt863aaed5e3bc4a10/6988bb572dce0162ef9ec5d6/crystal-kayak-company-kayak217.jpg?branch=production&width=930&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # These Transparent Kayaks Let You See the Ocean Below You > Sponsored content. 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They are at time.com/newsletters and are separate from a paid subscription. ### Sources * TIME Newsletters: [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-sub-2026q3/newsletters?i=3077618d-00f6-411f-b15d-3b4294662b91&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1) * TIME Subscriptions: [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-sub-2026q3/subscribe?i=3077618d-00f6-411f-b15d-3b4294662b91&cr=time-sub-2026q3-v1) by [Talia Avakian / Travel + Leisure](https://time.com/author/travel-leisure/) ## Talia Avakian / Travel + Leisure Feb 22, 2017 4:20 PM UTC by [Talia Avakian / Travel + Leisure](https://time.com/author/travel-leisure/) ## Talia Avakian / Travel + Leisure Feb 22, 2017 4:20 PM UTC For those who want to see just how dazzling the ocean’s coral reefs and marine life can be, a kayak company has the answer. [The Crystal Explorer](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01A26AMY0/ref=as%5Fli%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=timesyndtl-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B01A26AMY0&linkId=600fa505732bf1e0cda1255d021ea0a7) from Florida’s Crystal Kayak Company is a completely transparent canoe-kayak hybrid that lets you get up-close views of the water while gliding over it. Made from 100 percent Spanish Lexan, the same material used to make windshields in airplanes, the kayak is highly durable when it comes to withstanding cracks. It’s also a lighter alternative to your typical kayak, at just 47 pounds.  Courtesy of Crystal Kayak Company “We want it to be perfectly easy to use, whether you’re a beginner or an expert,” Brian Maxfield of Crystal Kayak told _Travel + Leisure_. Design elements like high sides, an open cockpit, and ergonomic Kayak seats placed low in the vessel allow for easy maneuvering through the waters. Thanks to its two person spacing, you can also sit in tandem with an instructor or friend and enjoy the views. Crystal Kayak Company launched the product, which has become their best-selling item, three years ago, but it was a drone video they shot a year back that truly put the item on the map. The company, which ships its kayaks across the world, also works with hotels and rental companies, giving you the chance to try them out yourself at spots like the [Spa Retreat Boutique Hotel](http://www.thespajamaica.com/) in Negril, Jamaica, and [Vegas Glass Kayaks](http://vegasglasskayaks.com/) in Las Vegas, Nevada.  Courtesy of Crystal Kayak Company “Being down in Florida and traveling often to the Bahamas, we have seen people who travel from all over the world to see exotic destinations, only to sit on the beach,” Maxfield said. “We had been in one of these kayaks before where the sides were opaque but the bottom was transparent, but wanted a way to see more than just a 20 percent view, so we decided to create it to give people a reason to get out into the water,” he added. The [kayaks](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01A26AMY0/ref=as%5Fli%5Ftl?ie=UTF8&tag=timesyndtl-20&camp=1789&creative=9325&linkCode=as2&creativeASIN=B01A26AMY0&linkId=600fa505732bf1e0cda1255d021ea0a7), which cost $1,499, also come with buffing pads, cleaning solution, a beach trolley for transport, wall hanging straps, and carbon-fiber paddles.  Courtesy of Crystal Kayak Company According to Maxfield, 80 percent of scratches can be removed with just a magic eraser, thanks to the materials used to create the kayak, all of which are marine-grade quality. The company is currently working on various other transparent aquatic toys, which they will provide more information on in the future. [(_Read TIME’s affiliate link policy_.)](http://time.com/4605406/time-affiliate-link-policy/) _This_ [_article_](http://www.travelandleisure.com/trip-ideas/beach-vacations/transparent-kayaks-crystal-kayak-company) _originally appeared on_ [_TravelandLeisure.com_](http://www.travelandleisure.com) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4678706/transparent-crystal-kayak/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4678706/transparent-crystal-kayak/"},"headline":"These Transparent Kayaks Let You See the Ocean Below You","datePublished":"2017-02-22T16:20:58.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T04:43:49.880Z","description":"Get up-close views of marine life","url":"https://time.com/4678706/transparent-crystal-kayak/","keywords":["outdoors","Tech","Travel","onetime","timeshop"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt863aaed5e3bc4a10/6988bb572dce0162ef9ec5d6/crystal-kayak-company-kayak217.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Talia Avakian / Travel + Leisure"}],"articleSection":"","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt863aaed5e3bc4a10/6988bb572dce0162ef9ec5d6/crystal-kayak-company-kayak217.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"crystal-kayak-company-kayak217","caption":"","creditText":"","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/tag/outdoors/","name":"outdoors"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4678706/transparent-crystal-kayak/","name":"These Transparent Kayaks Let You See the Ocean Below You"}}]}] ```