The pair were fishing when their boat overturned in wind three-quarters of a mile off Walton-on-the-Naze.
Lee Holt, 67, said there had been a "strong offshore wind" which had not been so noticeable on shore.
Beach patrol staff sent a jet ski out to right the boat and bring them back in on Tuesday lunchtime.
Mr Holt, from Frinton, had been out with Jim West, 72, from Holland-on-Sea, at their "normal spot" near Walton Pier when they flipped over at about 11:30 BST.
Mr Holt said: "We started drifting towards the Naze and the anchor was not holding, so we decided to pick it up and turn back and as we were doing that we turned over, lost our paddles and rods and ended up in the water."
Harry Castle, from Tendring District Council's beach patrol team, rode out to get them back in the kayak and tow them to dry land, where Luke Hood helped look after them.
Once they warmed up, they did not require medical treatment.
Mr Holt said: "The way they continued to care for us was fantastic and we cannot thank them enough.
"One of them even went out again to try to salvage our equipment."
Two men have said they are "very grateful" to beach patrol staff who rescued them when their kayak capsized off the Essex coast.