The Amalfi Coast's limestone karst — carved by millennia of wave action and tectonic uplift — hides more than thirty grottos between Positano and Vietri sul Mare, most accessible only by water. Sea kayaking emerged here in the late 1990s when local operators began guiding visitors into the Grotta di Pandora, a marine cave whose interior vault glows cyan at midday when sunlight refracts through submerged openings. The practice formalized in 2004 when the Campania coastal protection authority zoned the cliffs between Amalfi and Atrani as a low-impact recreation corridor, restricting motorized craft within two hundred meters of shore and reserving access for paddle craft, swimmers, and traditional gozzo boats. Amalfi kayak rental operates from Piazzale dei Protontini, a pebble beach at the eastern edge of the marina. The site offers direct launch access to the coastline's most dramatic geology: the Fiordo di Furore four kilometers west, the twin arches at Capo di Conca, and the vertical dolomite face above Atrani. Most rentals include a wetsuit, spray skirt, dry bag, and waterproof chart marking the mapped grottos. Guided tours typically paddle east toward the Grotta dello Smeraldo or west past the Torre dello Ziro, a sixteenth-century watchtower perched eighty meters above the waterline. The coastal shelf drops to thirty meters within fifty strokes of shore, and visibility in calm conditions exceeds fifteen meters — snorkeling gear accompanies most advanced packages. The Amalfi paddle season runs March through October, though July and August bring crowded launch windows and afternoon chop from ferry wake. Spring months offer the clearest water and fewest boats; autumn yields warmer sea temperatures and stable barometric conditions. The coast's microclimate — sheltered by the Lattari Mountains — means the shore remains ten degrees warmer than inland Salerno, and morning fog burns off by nine. Rental durations range from two-hour introductory paddles to full-day expeditions that reach Praiano or Minori, with most operators requiring basic swimming competency and prior kayak experience for routes beyond the immediate harbor zone.