Inflatable Kayaks?
Discussion
Has anyone had a go on one of these?
I'm keen to buy a couple of kayaks for a bit of estuary/sea paddling, possibly a bit of fishing. I've had really big Canadian kayaks in the past, but want to go for two small ones this time. I am finding myself completely ignoring the inflatable versions, but I've never actually tried one. I'd be worried about popping them on the rocks!
Are they good? Awful? Neither?
There are a few suggestions here: https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
Basically the options worth having are pricey.
Basically the options worth having are pricey.
Depends on your budget
I had an Intek K1, which is made from a polythene. I wouldn't go fishing in it, a hook will puncture it but it has compartments to stop full deflation.
The main disadvantage I found with it was the tendency for them to blow off course when the wind picks up. They are not much more controllable than a child's blow up unicorn in the wind
You can spend £1500 on an inflatable which doubtless will perform better.
I had an Intek K1, which is made from a polythene. I wouldn't go fishing in it, a hook will puncture it but it has compartments to stop full deflation.
The main disadvantage I found with it was the tendency for them to blow off course when the wind picks up. They are not much more controllable than a child's blow up unicorn in the wind
You can spend £1500 on an inflatable which doubtless will perform better.
I recently bought a Seyvlor Madison. It’s pretty good, strong enough for the type of stuff I’m going to use it for and large enough for two for a short paddle or 1 with a substantial liquid lunch supply. I borrowed an Intex Explorer K2 off a friend a while back and it was pretty flimsy feeling but slightly quicker than mine through the water. The friends I went out with the other day were in rigid kayaks which are much quicker through the water and less affected by the wind and if I had the space to store one easily and a roof rack on my car I would have opted for one over the inflatable.
I think a lot of it depends on your usage. Mine is going to be exclusively pub crawling up and down a river so mostly mud or small shingle banks/shores so no rocks or barnacles that will puncture it and no real waves to contend with. That it can be folded up and shoved in the boot of my car with ease and then bunged in the shed or a cupboard once dry is what sold it to me. If I was going to use on open water or a lot more often I’d be far more inclined towards the rigid type for ease of assembly (ie none) ease of cleaning, stability and speed. Essentially an inflatable is by its very nature slightly compromised but depending on your situation may be perversely the better option.
My advice would be to rent or borrow a half decent example of each type and give them a go. They’re not exactly cheap either way so best to try before you buy although the resale values are very strong so if you do decide to up/downgrade before next summer you should get a fair whack of your investment back.
Edit to add: I appreciate you’ve had decent large kayaks before but the smaller cheaper ones are a different kettle of fish I think. Reading back my post reads a bit like teaching granny to suck eggs, wasn’t meant like that. More the experience of someone who did the same umming and ahhing recently.
I think a lot of it depends on your usage. Mine is going to be exclusively pub crawling up and down a river so mostly mud or small shingle banks/shores so no rocks or barnacles that will puncture it and no real waves to contend with. That it can be folded up and shoved in the boot of my car with ease and then bunged in the shed or a cupboard once dry is what sold it to me. If I was going to use on open water or a lot more often I’d be far more inclined towards the rigid type for ease of assembly (ie none) ease of cleaning, stability and speed. Essentially an inflatable is by its very nature slightly compromised but depending on your situation may be perversely the better option.
My advice would be to rent or borrow a half decent example of each type and give them a go. They’re not exactly cheap either way so best to try before you buy although the resale values are very strong so if you do decide to up/downgrade before next summer you should get a fair whack of your investment back.
Edit to add: I appreciate you’ve had decent large kayaks before but the smaller cheaper ones are a different kettle of fish I think. Reading back my post reads a bit like teaching granny to suck eggs, wasn’t meant like that. More the experience of someone who did the same umming and ahhing recently.
Edited by djc206 on Saturday 24th July 18:50
I have a couple of K1s. If you want to spend a sunny afternoon on the canal with a picnic they're great.
Even took them into the sea last weekend. Launched on the Adur and paddled out into the sea and stopped on the beech for a break. Unfortunately my phone overheated so Strava didn't capture the return journey.
I wouldn't want to do the sea in them if there's any sort of wind or substantial waves.
Even took them into the sea last weekend. Launched on the Adur and paddled out into the sea and stopped on the beech for a break. Unfortunately my phone overheated so Strava didn't capture the return journey.
I wouldn't want to do the sea in them if there's any sort of wind or substantial waves.
I bought a Lidl one a couple of years ago just to mess about in the sea when I was on holiday and not able to take a real kayak of any sort. It was useless, as someone else said, you'd be as well with a plastic blow up unicorn.
I did however have a play on a decent one a few years ago. I was visiting the international standard slalom course in Pau and thought I'd hire a boat and have a go...nope, the French weren't having it. I didn't have a French qualification in kayaking so in spite of having competed there in the past, they would only let me loose in a blow-up sit-on-top. It was a bit unwieldy and I couldn't make a couple of the gates, but it was good quality and a lot of fun. Sorry I don't know the make.
I did however have a play on a decent one a few years ago. I was visiting the international standard slalom course in Pau and thought I'd hire a boat and have a go...nope, the French weren't having it. I didn't have a French qualification in kayaking so in spite of having competed there in the past, they would only let me loose in a blow-up sit-on-top. It was a bit unwieldy and I couldn't make a couple of the gates, but it was good quality and a lot of fun. Sorry I don't know the make.
Edited by Desiderata on Saturday 24th July 21:51
Genuine LOL!!! (Possibly because my first ever attempts at swimming were with the assistance of a Pushme-Pullyou swim ring, so its very easy to picture) I'll quote this from the thread I linked...
I did this in my Gumotex Seawave in a fair breeze (F3-4) and decent amount of wind blown chop. We've also just got a Feelfree Corona (
) double SOT but only used it once so far in a breeze and the Seawave tracks better and I'm not sure it's any less efficient to paddle. It is a fair bit more expensive though.
I did this in my Gumotex Seawave in a fair breeze (F3-4) and decent amount of wind blown chop. We've also just got a Feelfree Corona (
) double SOT but only used it once so far in a breeze and the Seawave tracks better and I'm not sure it's any less efficient to paddle. It is a fair bit more expensive though.Bill said:
I'll quote this from the thread I linked...
I did this in my Gumotex Seawave in a fair breeze (F3-4) and decent amount of wind blown chop. We've also just got a Feelfree Corona () double SOT but only used it once so far in a breeze and the Seawave tracks better and I'm not sure it's any less efficient to paddle. It is a fair bit more expensive though.
Fair play, I wouldn’t want to do that in an inflatable kayak. I do the journey from keyhaven to Yarmouth pretty regularly but in a powerboat or sometimes a sailing dinghy, much less physical effort!I did this in my Gumotex Seawave in a fair breeze (F3-4) and decent amount of wind blown chop. We've also just got a Feelfree Corona (
) double SOT but only used it once so far in a breeze and the Seawave tracks better and I'm not sure it's any less efficient to paddle. It is a fair bit more expensive though.I hope you stopped in the red lion for lunch?!
Have you considered an inflatable Paddle Board (iSUP)?
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...
I have an intex explorer K2 I bought last year and took to Crantock to use in the river. I've used it just that one time as it was a real struggle upstream so made the decision to buy a proper kayak, probably a sea fishing version.
Weird coincidence is that I inflated it this morning to out it on ebay.
Weird coincidence is that I inflated it this morning to out it on ebay.
robwilk said:
We actually had one of these a couple of years ago, was pretty good for the price. Certainly a good buy for occasional use and a bit of messing about. Took it up and down the Thames and out into Studland Bay where we managed found it had a small leak from somewhere so returned it to AmazonHow about a 4m 10kg one that fits in your Porsche frunk 
Just bought a Kayacat to go with a couple of Sups we have. Really well thought out. The design and build quality is very good, except for the pump which is pony. Adapted a proper Sup pump and it goes up in a few minutes or really quickly with a 12v one (eg Sevylor).
Speaking 12v I have a plan for a lightweight motor too.
Just bought a Kayacat to go with a couple of Sups we have. Really well thought out. The design and build quality is very good, except for the pump which is pony. Adapted a proper Sup pump and it goes up in a few minutes or really quickly with a 12v one (eg Sevylor).
Speaking 12v I have a plan for a lightweight motor too.
richardxjr said:
How about a 4m 10kg one that fits in your Porsche frunk
Just bought a Kayacat to go with a couple of Sups we have. Really well thought out. The design and build quality is very good, except for the pump which is pony. Adapted a proper Sup pump and it goes up in a few minutes or really quickly with a 12v one (eg Sevylor).
Speaking 12v I have a plan for a lightweight motor too.
That looks brilliant. Just bought a Kayacat to go with a couple of Sups we have. Really well thought out. The design and build quality is very good, except for the pump which is pony. Adapted a proper Sup pump and it goes up in a few minutes or really quickly with a 12v one (eg Sevylor).
Speaking 12v I have a plan for a lightweight motor too.
we got the itiwit '2 person plus a kid' grey and orange one.
used it for the first time yesterday and in the main we are happy with it. it will never compare to a proper kayak but we found it went along at a good pace and was easy to manoeuvre.
we got it as we live in an apartment and have nowhere handy to store a rigid kayak. it packs away fine but drying it is a rigmarole.
so currently the floor bladder is out the bottom of it, wipe up the pool of water the bag was sitting in and inflated the sides and its currently drying out.
we were out in a sea loch and i haven't rinsed it out i hope it will be ok, it didn't get THAT wet on the whole. should probably take it to a regular loch to wash it off.
it seems very resilient to knocks and I don't think it would get punctured easily.
we had an iSUP, which was great, but not enough room for two, two become pricey (for us) and they aren't quite as relaxing as sitting in a kayak. we hope to wild camp in some inaccessible places and the kayak makes it more practical for packing the tent in etc.
used it for the first time yesterday and in the main we are happy with it. it will never compare to a proper kayak but we found it went along at a good pace and was easy to manoeuvre.
we got it as we live in an apartment and have nowhere handy to store a rigid kayak. it packs away fine but drying it is a rigmarole.
so currently the floor bladder is out the bottom of it, wipe up the pool of water the bag was sitting in and inflated the sides and its currently drying out.
we were out in a sea loch and i haven't rinsed it out i hope it will be ok, it didn't get THAT wet on the whole. should probably take it to a regular loch to wash it off.
it seems very resilient to knocks and I don't think it would get punctured easily.
we had an iSUP, which was great, but not enough room for two, two become pricey (for us) and they aren't quite as relaxing as sitting in a kayak. we hope to wild camp in some inaccessible places and the kayak makes it more practical for packing the tent in etc.
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