
No-one knows for sure, but in my personal experience the rise in popularity of sea kayaking seems, once again, to be with people with a mountaineering rather than paddling pedigree.
This reminded me of an article I wrote shortly after getting into kayaking for The Herald newspaper and was published on 12th Feb 2005. Continues
There was a light Southerly breeze blowing across the islands of Eigg and Rum, as six of us eased out of Elgol and into one of the southern most jaws of the Isle of Skye, the one with the most vicious looking teeth. The jagged, broken rock of the Black Cuillin draws mountaineers from all over the world but, for the first time, I was heading into its heart with no rucksack on my back and no boots on my feet. Instead, I was wearing what looked like a sixteen foot long, bright yellow, plastic banana - a sea kayak.
The paddle from Elgol into the Cuillin is one of the best in Europe. The last time I'd walked to Coruisk I'd carried unappetising, dehydrated food and the bare minimum of equipment, just to cut the weight of my rucksack. Now as we glided across the water of Loch Scavaig, I had a roomy tent, an inflatable mattress and a selection of tasty meals all packed into the water-tight hatches of the sea kayak. Gordon Brown of Skyak Adventures, who guided our trip, estimated that they could hold the entire contents of a giant expedition rucksack and the sea, not my shoulders, would take the strain.
Listen to Gordon describe this and two other routes on skye in a Podcast

"More women over the age of fifty are taking up sea kayaking than knitting", explained Ian Miller of the Scottish Canoe Association, "and what's more, they're usually good at it!" Now, I don't know where he found that statistic, and the seas certainly aren't full of frantically paddling mothers, but he makes an important point. Beginners love sea kayaking because it's so easy to get started. Provided you're not too fat to fit into a kayak, just about anyone can pick up a paddle and make progress. Trust me, it really is that easy. Of course, you quickly need to learn how to turn, stay upright and, when that fails, how to get back in your boat. But a good instructor can start you on a learning journey that will take a lifetime to complete. And the places you'll visit along the way are simply stunning.

Being among these massive mountains is inspiring and, at the same time, a little intimidating.

Grey domed heads rose slowly from the dark waters, the following morning, the black eyes of the seals swivelling to watch us leave their harbour home, heading for the island of Soay. Gavin Maxwell bought this island in 1945 to set up a shark fishing business. We ate lunch beside the rusting remains of a huge steam engine he’d used to render down the shark livers into a valuable oil, then picked our way around his crumbling factory and sheds, all of which are gradually being reclaimed by nature. It’s a sad place in a spectacular setting, and I was pleased to leave and paddle back to Elgol.
