Inflatable Kayaks

Author
Discussion

RossiT

Original Poster:

345 posts

213 months

Friday 5th August 2022
quotequote all
I'm looking for recommendations for a good quality 2 person inflatable kayak.

It will mainly be used on the canals and lakes. I already have a proper plastic kayak but it's not always convenient to load up the roof rack for a last minute family trip.

Many Thanks

BigGingerBob

1,813 posts

197 months

Friday 5th August 2022
quotequote all
I have a Bestway Wave Line that I use on the river dart which is fairly sturdy for the price. As you’ve got a proper one you’re probably more serious than these kayaks.

I’ve heard good things about Intex ones

Ledaig

1,723 posts

269 months

Friday 5th August 2022
quotequote all
I used to have an inflatable prior to getting a rigid one.

The model in question was the Sevylor Voyager, very stable and transportable - but God was it slow (still good exercise though). I particularly like liked the model as it had a completely separate tough canvas outer with the air filled bladders fitting inside. During the years I regularly used this I never picked up a puncture. A mate using an Intex K2 on the other hand caught it on a hedge (very lightly) when he was getting out and it instantly suffered a puncture as the bladders' had no outer protection.

If I was getting another one now, this is something I would consider to be vital to the specification. I would also look more at one a little more 'kayak' shaped such as the Advanced Elements (although I've not investigated these properly) and also something with slimmer sides as paddling over the wide bladders on some can be awkward.

2xChevrons

3,522 posts

87 months

Friday 5th August 2022
quotequote all
We've done all three 'levels' of kayaking (for use on rivers and canals, mostly)

- started off with a cheap Sevylor which - as per the other poster - was slow and hard work but a decent 'proof of concept'. But it kept picking up pin-prick punctures and then developed one somewhere which I was unable to trace.

- then we got a solid GRP 2-person tandem kayak, which is excellent but unwieldy to transport, relies on being able to get a car reasonably close to the launching point and also depends on my estate car being available.

- So now we've just bought a Bestway Ventura inflatable which has various coatings and PVS layers to keep it safe from punctures. It takes a bit of 'assembly' (especially getting the seats in the right place and secure) but so far has stood up to our fairly light use. It doesn't go or steer quite as nicely as the solid plastic kayak but it's stable, easy to paddle and nowhere near as draggy as the Sevylor.

zax

1,031 posts

270 months

Sunday 7th August 2022
quotequote all
I used to paddle quite a bit in an Advanced Elements tandem, it was relatively easy to inflate and pretty tough, never had any issues with punctures. The only gripe I had (which applies to all inflatables) is how susceptible to wind it was. It had a fixed skeg which was pretty tiny and seemed to have little effect, a SUP-style skeg box with detachable skegs of different sizes would have been much more practical on those windy days...


dudleybloke

20,471 posts

193 months

Sunday 7th August 2022
quotequote all
I have an Intex K1 and K2 and ended up buying a rigid kayak.
They are a bit of fun but puncture fairly easily and are hard work to paddle compared to the rigid. Crap against the wind too.
You get what you pay for with inflatables and the expensive ones are a lot better hydrodynamicly.

djc206

12,752 posts

132 months

Sunday 7th August 2022
quotequote all
I have a seyvlor Madison but as above it’s slow. I don’t do any serious paddling, just pottering around on the river to visit the pub so I don’t really need anything more but eventually I think I’ll go hard shell so I can keep up with the other guys I kayak with a bit easier. Mine seems strong, no issues with punctures so far…

rolster

92 posts

92 months

Tuesday 9th August 2022
quotequote all
I have a sea eagle rl single seat version but have paddled the two seater as well and whilst its bigger its not to much bigger. They both have comfortable adjustable seats but the seats are higher in the back than most which gives good support for tall people and people with tall backs such as myself but might be irritating for smaller paddlers with it interfearing with lifejackets or bouyancy aids. Mine has a cuttaway back with a strip accross the shoulders so its fine. The skeg is the paddle board, surfboard, box type with a locking cross wedge, which is fine for rivers and lakes and at sea if launching from a quay but is a right pain for beach departures and arrivals as its quite a deep fin. You would not want to be in heavy weather at sea but i have a rigid Valley Etian sea kayak for that. When the sea is calm and on rivers and lakes its performs well as the hull when inflated correctly is quite rigid and it tracks well with the skeg fitted. The sides are thin compared with most kayaks so you avoid the thubs getting chaffed on the sides when paddeling but they do offer a bit of windage so very windy days should be avoided. There is no spray deck so be prepared for getting wet if the wind or waves get up but it does not start to wallow unless you get allot of water in it. I have had advanced elements and Oru kayaks in the past along with an old Grabner (think that was its name) german two seater inflatable and have not been super impressed with them. The Oru was fine for light winds and low choppy conditions the advanced elements needed the optional spine but that become uncomfortable and the tracking was atrocious on it. The sea eagle is quite nice to paddle and on reasonable days you wont be dissapointed as long as you dont expect to keep up with a rigid sea kayak as it just wont especially over long trips as you will just tire too quickly. my reason for going the inflatable route is to be able to store it easily and securely in the car boot and then in the garage at home and have a practical kayak to paddle with. My Etian was built for me by the fatory sectioned into three and so it also goes in the car boot but with the back seats down so not so stealthy and i just use that for sea trips along the coast. If i am paddling a river or lake or just very close to shore the the sea eagle is a nice compromise. what most people forget about is the weight and if you are not lucky enough to have a parking spot close to the launch point you have to carry the kayak and so weight matters allot at that point. The rl allows for a strong and sturdy inflatable without being to heavy. My only other point i would say is ditch the standard paddles that come with any of the inflatables and get a carbon paddle (with a paddle leash) in your correct size and with the side width of you kayak in mind. I have a couple, one sectioned in two and one sectioned into four. The four sectioned one is good but i mainly carry it now as a bagged back up paddle, where as it used to be my primary paddle and my other newer two sectioned paddle is now my primary paddle. If weight and wallet are not a priority but you want to still keep the storage size down then the collapasable skin on frame kayaks are very good even in heavy sea conditions. Some even allow you to change the rocker on the go but price then becomes a limiting factor.

OutInTheShed

9,298 posts

33 months

Tuesday 9th August 2022
quotequote all
Some people view kayaking as a 'downhill only' sport, so not all are designed for easy paddling. stability is more important.
I recently bought a Sevylor blow-up dinghy, the fabric seems reasonably tough as these things go, it's obviously a lot lighter than my Avon dinghy, which is kind of the point of it. I have a plastic sit-on kayak, which is OK, but a proper GRP kayak is much less effort to paddle.
Horses for courses.

The Mad Monk

10,612 posts

124 months

Tuesday 9th August 2022
quotequote all
rolster said:
I have a sea eagle rl single seat version but have paddled the two seater as well and whilst its bigger its not to much bigger. They both have comfortable adjustable seats but the seats are higher in the back than most which gives good support for tall people and people with tall backs such as myself but might be irritating for smaller paddlers with it interfearing with lifejackets or bouyancy aids. Mine has a cuttaway back with a strip accross the shoulders so its fine. The skeg is the paddle board, surfboard, box type with a locking cross wedge, which is fine for rivers and lakes and at sea if launching from a quay but is a right pain for beach departures and arrivals as its quite a deep fin. You would not want to be in heavy weather at sea but i have a rigid Valley Etian sea kayak for that. When the sea is calm and on rivers and lakes its performs well as the hull when inflated correctly is quite rigid and it tracks well with the skeg fitted. The sides are thin compared with most kayaks so you avoid the thubs getting chaffed on the sides when paddeling but they do offer a bit of windage so very windy days should be avoided. There is no spray deck so be prepared for getting wet if the wind or waves get up but it does not start to wallow unless you get allot of water in it. I have had advanced elements and Oru kayaks in the past along with an old Grabner (think that was its name) german two seater inflatable and have not been super impressed with them. The Oru was fine for light winds and low choppy conditions the advanced elements needed the optional spine but that become uncomfortable and the tracking was atrocious on it. The sea eagle is quite nice to paddle and on reasonable days you wont be dissapointed as long as you dont expect to keep up with a rigid sea kayak as it just wont especially over long trips as you will just tire too quickly. my reason for going the inflatable route is to be able to store it easily and securely in the car boot and then in the garage at home and have a practical kayak to paddle with. My Etian was built for me by the fatory sectioned into three and so it also goes in the car boot but with the back seats down so not so stealthy and i just use that for sea trips along the coast. If i am paddling a river or lake or just very close to shore the the sea eagle is a nice compromise. what most people forget about is the weight and if you are not lucky enough to have a parking spot close to the launch point you have to carry the kayak and so weight matters allot at that point. The rl allows for a strong and sturdy inflatable without being to heavy. My only other point i would say is ditch the standard paddles that come with any of the inflatables and get a carbon paddle (with a paddle leash) in your correct size and with the side width of you kayak in mind. I have a couple, one sectioned in two and one sectioned into four. The four sectioned one is good but i mainly carry it now as a bagged back up paddle, where as it used to be my primary paddle and my other newer two sectioned paddle is now my primary paddle. If weight and wallet are not a priority but you want to still keep the storage size down then the collapasable skin on frame kayaks are very good even in heavy sea conditions. Some even allow you to change the rocker on the go but price then becomes a limiting factor.
Any chance of a paragraph?

ReverendCounter

6,087 posts

183 months

Tuesday 9th August 2022
quotequote all
rolster, allow me to assist with your phobia of paragraphs:


I have a sea eagle rl single seat version but have paddled the two seater as well and whilst its bigger its not to much bigger.

They both have comfortable adjustable seats but the seats are higher in the back than most which gives good support for tall people and people with tall backs such as myself but might be irritating for smaller paddlers with it interfearing with lifejackets or bouyancy aids.

Mine has a cuttaway back with a strip accross the shoulders so its fine. The skeg is the paddle board, surfboard, box type with a locking cross wedge, which is fine for rivers and lakes and at sea if launching from a quay but is a right pain for beach departures and arrivals as its quite a deep fin.

You would not want to be in heavy weather at sea but i have a rigid Valley Etian sea kayak for that. When the sea is calm and on rivers and lakes its performs well as the hull when inflated correctly is quite rigid and it tracks well with the skeg fitted.

The sides are thin compared with most kayaks so you avoid the thubs getting chaffed on the sides when paddeling but they do offer a bit of windage so very windy days should be avoided.

There is no spray deck so be prepared for getting wet if the wind or waves get up but it does not start to wallow unless you get allot of water in it. I have had advanced elements and Oru kayaks in the past along with an old Grabner (think that was its name) german two seater inflatable and have not been super impressed with them.

The Oru was fine for light winds and low choppy conditions the advanced elements needed the optional spine but that become uncomfortable and the tracking was atrocious on it. The sea eagle is quite nice to paddle and on reasonable days you wont be dissapointed as long as you dont expect to keep up with a rigid sea kayak as it just wont especially over long trips as you will just tire too quickly.

my reason for going the inflatable route is to be able to store it easily and securely in the car boot and then in the garage at home and have a practical kayak to paddle with. My Etian was built for me by the fatory sectioned into three and so it also goes in the car boot but with the back seats down so not so stealthy and i just use that for sea trips along the coast.

If i am paddling a river or lake or just very close to shore the the sea eagle is a nice compromise. what most people forget about is the weight and if you are not lucky enough to have a parking spot close to the launch point you have to carry the kayak and so weight matters allot at that point. The rl allows for a strong and sturdy inflatable without being to heavy.

My only other point i would say is ditch the standard paddles that come with any of the inflatables and get a carbon paddle (with a paddle leash) in your correct size and with the side width of you kayak in mind. I have a couple, one sectioned in two and one sectioned into four.

The four sectioned one is good but i mainly carry it now as a bagged back up paddle, where as it used to be my primary paddle and my other newer two sectioned paddle is now my primary paddle.

If weight and wallet are not a priority but you want to still keep the storage size down then the collapasable skin on frame kayaks are very good even in heavy sea conditions. Some even allow you to change the rocker on the go but price then becomes a limiting factor.

rolster

92 posts

92 months

Wednesday 10th August 2022
quotequote all
The Mad Monk said:
rolster said:
I have a sea eagle rl single seat version but have paddled the two seater as well and whilst its bigger its not to much bigger. They both have comfortable adjustable seats but the seats are higher in the back than most which gives good support for tall people and people with tall backs such as myself but might be irritating for smaller paddlers with it interfearing with lifejackets or bouyancy aids. Mine has a cuttaway back with a strip accross the shoulders so its fine. The skeg is the paddle board, surfboard, box type with a locking cross wedge, which is fine for rivers and lakes and at sea if launching from a quay but is a right pain for beach departures and arrivals as its quite a deep fin. You would not want to be in heavy weather at sea but i have a rigid Valley Etian sea kayak for that. When the sea is calm and on rivers and lakes its performs well as the hull when inflated correctly is quite rigid and it tracks well with the skeg fitted. The sides are thin compared with most kayaks so you avoid the thubs getting chaffed on the sides when paddeling but they do offer a bit of windage so very windy days should be avoided. There is no spray deck so be prepared for getting wet if the wind or waves get up but it does not start to wallow unless you get allot of water in it. I have had advanced elements and Oru kayaks in the past along with an old Grabner (think that was its name) german two seater inflatable and have not been super impressed with them. The Oru was fine for light winds and low choppy conditions the advanced elements needed the optional spine but that become uncomfortable and the tracking was atrocious on it. The sea eagle is quite nice to paddle and on reasonable days you wont be dissapointed as long as you dont expect to keep up with a rigid sea kayak as it just wont especially over long trips as you will just tire too quickly. my reason for going the inflatable route is to be able to store it easily and securely in the car boot and then in the garage at home and have a practical kayak to paddle with. My Etian was built for me by the fatory sectioned into three and so it also goes in the car boot but with the back seats down so not so stealthy and i just use that for sea trips along the coast. If i am paddling a river or lake or just very close to shore the the sea eagle is a nice compromise. what most people forget about is the weight and if you are not lucky enough to have a parking spot close to the launch point you have to carry the kayak and so weight matters allot at that point. The rl allows for a strong and sturdy inflatable without being to heavy. My only other point i would say is ditch the standard paddles that come with any of the inflatables and get a carbon paddle (with a paddle leash) in your correct size and with the side width of you kayak in mind. I have a couple, one sectioned in two and one sectioned into four. The four sectioned one is good but i mainly carry it now as a bagged back up paddle, where as it used to be my primary paddle and my other newer two sectioned paddle is now my primary paddle. If weight and wallet are not a priority but you want to still keep the storage size down then the collapasable skin on frame kayaks are very good even in heavy sea conditions. Some even allow you to change the rocker on the go but price then becomes a limiting factor.
Any chance of a paragraph?
none what so ever

rolster

92 posts

92 months

Wednesday 10th August 2022
quotequote all
ReverendCounter said:
rolster, allow me to assist with your phobia of paragraphs:


I have a sea eagle rl single seat version but have paddled the two seater as well and whilst its bigger its not to much bigger.

They both have comfortable adjustable seats but the seats are higher in the back than most which gives good support for tall people and people with tall backs such as myself but might be irritating for smaller paddlers with it interfearing with lifejackets or bouyancy aids.

Mine has a cuttaway back with a strip accross the shoulders so its fine. The skeg is the paddle board, surfboard, box type with a locking cross wedge, which is fine for rivers and lakes and at sea if launching from a quay but is a right pain for beach departures and arrivals as its quite a deep fin.

You would not want to be in heavy weather at sea but i have a rigid Valley Etian sea kayak for that. When the sea is calm and on rivers and lakes its performs well as the hull when inflated correctly is quite rigid and it tracks well with the skeg fitted.

The sides are thin compared with most kayaks so you avoid the thubs getting chaffed on the sides when paddeling but they do offer a bit of windage so very windy days should be avoided.

There is no spray deck so be prepared for getting wet if the wind or waves get up but it does not start to wallow unless you get allot of water in it. I have had advanced elements and Oru kayaks in the past along with an old Grabner (think that was its name) german two seater inflatable and have not been super impressed with them.

The Oru was fine for light winds and low choppy conditions the advanced elements needed the optional spine but that become uncomfortable and the tracking was atrocious on it. The sea eagle is quite nice to paddle and on reasonable days you wont be dissapointed as long as you dont expect to keep up with a rigid sea kayak as it just wont especially over long trips as you will just tire too quickly.

my reason for going the inflatable route is to be able to store it easily and securely in the car boot and then in the garage at home and have a practical kayak to paddle with. My Etian was built for me by the fatory sectioned into three and so it also goes in the car boot but with the back seats down so not so stealthy and i just use that for sea trips along the coast.

If i am paddling a river or lake or just very close to shore the the sea eagle is a nice compromise. what most people forget about is the weight and if you are not lucky enough to have a parking spot close to the launch point you have to carry the kayak and so weight matters allot at that point. The rl allows for a strong and sturdy inflatable without being to heavy.

My only other point i would say is ditch the standard paddles that come with any of the inflatables and get a carbon paddle (with a paddle leash) in your correct size and with the side width of you kayak in mind. I have a couple, one sectioned in two and one sectioned into four.

The four sectioned one is good but i mainly carry it now as a bagged back up paddle, where as it used to be my primary paddle and my other newer two sectioned paddle is now my primary paddle.

If weight and wallet are not a priority but you want to still keep the storage size down then the collapasable skin on frame kayaks are very good even in heavy sea conditions. Some even allow you to change the rocker on the go but price then becomes a limiting factor.
i still have a phobia of wasting space on messages as a hangover from the telex days!

Stevemr

634 posts

163 months

Wednesday 10th August 2022
quotequote all
We have a sevylor alameda 2 plus 1.
Used it on lakes, rivers and in the sea.
It’s excellent, would think it would take a lot to puncture it to be honest. .
Can be in the water in about 10 minutes, comes with dry bag with straps so you can carry it. It’s heavy but doable.
The only downside is it’s a beggar to get thoroughly dry.

ReverendCounter

6,087 posts

183 months

Wednesday 10th August 2022
quotequote all
rolster said:
i still have a phobia of wasting space on messages as a hangover from the telex days!
telex...telex...telex...nope, I'm getting nothing - did you have to pay by the character or something? The closest I can get is 'pager'...?

rolster

92 posts

92 months

Wednesday 10th August 2022
quotequote all
ReverendCounter said:
rolster said:
i still have a phobia of wasting space on messages as a hangover from the telex days!
telex...telex...telex...nope, I'm getting nothing - did you have to pay by the character or something? The closest I can get is 'pager'...?
Marine telex in the days when I was first at sea you paid per character and so everything was abreviated down to the minimum such as AGW meaning all going well as so on, look on line at marine telex abreviations and you will find allot there on it. I still end up using some telex abreviations much to the amusement of my family. However thread derailed enough on my grammer please assist OP on his queries.

Bill

54,199 posts

262 months

Wednesday 10th August 2022
quotequote all
dudleybloke said:
You get what you pay for with inflatables and the expensive ones are a lot better hydrodynamicly.
This. We have a Gumotex Seawave which is brilliant, we prefer it to the Feelfree Corona SoT that we also have.

ReverendCounter

6,087 posts

183 months

Wednesday 10th August 2022
quotequote all
rolster said:
Marine telex in the days when I was first at sea you paid per character and so everything was abreviated down to the minimum such as AGW meaning all going well as so on, look on line at marine telex abreviations and you will find allot there on it. I still end up using some telex abreviations much to the amusement of my family. However thread derailed enough on my grammer please assist OP on his queries.
Oh I see, thanks for the quick overview, re: OP, currently UU, will SASPO


soupdragon1

4,611 posts

104 months

Thursday 11th August 2022
quotequote all
RossiT said:
I'm looking for recommendations for a good quality 2 person inflatable kayak.

It will mainly be used on the canals and lakes. I already have a proper plastic kayak but it's not always convenient to load up the roof rack for a last minute family trip.

Many Thanks
Best inflatables will be full drop stitch - expensive though

Decathalon do one as a drop stitch base, with regular inflatable sides

Me personally, I've an explorer K2 - literally gets you floating with a moducum of steering control but low speed and susceptible to puncture

I've a 3 seater Decathalon Itwit fully inflatable, no drop stitch but as mentioned earlier, has good protective skin for avoiding punctures. These are good for durablility v the likes of a K2, probably handle a bit better - its just they are a pain to dry out

Finally, the full drop stitch - Storey brand. Entry level for the expensive drop stitch area. No punctures yet, much faster than the rest (other than a hardshell) and more enjoyable overall compared to other inflatables. But you pay for that.

RossiT

Original Poster:

345 posts

213 months

Thursday 11th August 2022
quotequote all
Thanks for the advice and recommendations.

We managed to pick up pre-owned Sevylor Ottawa which was used a couple of times. Initial impressions are very impressive, seems easy enough to paddle, tracks nice and straight and takes around 5 - 10 mins to unpack/pack.

I wouldn't want to carry it over any distance but for our local canals, it's spot on.