I love kayak diving, I am a member of Kayuba. You are welcome to come to one of our meetings and we are having the next one Monday night (
see our website for details). I've been shore diving for close to 30 years, kayak diving for about 1-1/2 years, and I think kayak diving is a WHOLE lot safer. I like that I have the platform above me, much more visible than just the flag I carried for beach diving.
You can also bring stuff back with ease. I've found anchors, and of course lobsters, and it's easier to paddle them back than to swim them back.
That said, you have to have REALLY good lines and knots. I relied on a caribiner clip to attach my tow line to my yak and it failed...LUCKILY a buddy was right there, still ON his boat and got it back to me. Another time, my paddle leash failed while I was diving, I came up and no paddle. Another friend retrieved it for me but now I have a spare to keep on board. And, of course, everything has to be tied on really well.
It is a beautiful sport, very relaxing, and you can spend more of your air on the dive than on swimming to your dive spot. I have a handheld GPS with my spots marked. I also carry a VHF and a cell phone with me.
I love that I can now dive spots that were previously inaccessible by just swimming, unless I was trying to beat Neal Watson's world record, lol. I also love that I can keep a cooler with ice cold water/tea and fruit and snacks etc. with me.
So, is it safer than a boat dive? Probably not. But it's a lot less expensive, and it is a BEAUTIFUL sport. It is a WHOLE lot safer than a traditional beach dive.