A 125-lb person will burn roughly 283 calories per hour kayaking, while a 200-lb person will burn up to 454 calories per hour. Overall, it seems that kayaking can burn around 200 to 300 calories per hour of paddling. While this may not seem like much when compared to the number of calories burned in other activities, like running or swimming, working an activity into your daily life is often about quality over quantity! Kayaking is certainly a leisurely exercise that you can enjoy for longer periods at a time.