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inflatable kayak


deadcowboy

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Any inflatable kayak that's less than (roughly) $200. is probably meant more as a pool toy.

There ARE some inflatables that are made to last years ( upper-end NRS, AHTKs,Sevylor), but they're usually MORE than they're solid material cousins.

 

For the same bucks, why not go to Dick's (or one of the many other "sports" stores) now, while the sales are on to dump Summer inventory ?

The last Dick's flyer had three "real" kayaks under $200. Sure, they're on the low-end of the scale, but they'll last a lot longer and give you plenty of time to upgrade.

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I've been using this kayak for the last two years and it works great. Handles duel and solo paddling well. Tracks well, is extremely stable and is pretty fast (for an inflatable). Plenty of accessories to add to it if your have different types of paddling in mind. Not so much for white water but great for touring. I would highly recommend this kayak and would defiantly get a second if storage is an issue.

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I'd wanted to get an inflatable kayak for several years. I got married and my wife has a daughter so my plans changed from getting a 1-person kayak to getting a 2-person kayak. I ended up using my REI dividend check and a coupon to pick up the Advanced Elements Advanced Frame Convertible 2-person kayak. I can set it up in about 5 minutes and store it away in about 10 minutes. First impression of it was what I expected. It was slow compared to my wife's hard shell Old Town Otter. But it tracked really well. It was a little floppy in the middle and my 190# weight tended to push the sides out a little bit, making me look like a fat paddler...but not affecting its handling. Oh...and when carrying it it would fold in the middle and drag across the ground.

 

To correct the sides pushing out issue I bought the 2-person spray skirt. We took it out caching around Drummond Island and it was much nicer with the spray skirt, albeit still a slow paddle in the water. The spray skirt kept water from splashing onto our pants which was REALLY nice. It flopped its way over the waves, which was an interesting experience. It was still very stable and easy to maneuver.

 

Most recently I bought the backbone for it in the hopes of correcting its speed in the water and its floppiness when carrying it. Now it is a really nice boat. It is faster than my wife's Old Town Otter. It is sturdy and easy to carry. It still sets up in about 5-10 minutes and takes down in 10-12 minutes. We just used it on Sunday to seek out a 7 stage multicache down the Huron River (about 6 miles). We transported it in a truck, still inflated, along with 2 other hard-shelled kayaks. And it went well.

 

It stores well in the large bag, but I am kinda obsessive compulsive about folding it exactly how it came. I am also able to put the air pump, the spray skirt, the backbone, the seats, and even a lifejacket in the bag with it. Additionally I put in an old easy dry towel to dry it out after use. In order to store it this WInter I gave it a thorough cleaning and drying before putting it away. It is easy to do. Overall I would reccommend it to anybody. And I would warn them not to expect hard shell keyak perfomance right out of the box. For that you need to accessorize it to the hilt. Happy paddling

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My GF had inflatable kayaks and we used those without issue on lakes and slow moving rivers. The only issue is with tracking as its light-weight. However, last year backcountryoutlet had a special where everything was 50% off with a coupon code and we got two Native Watercraft kayaks for around 600$ shipped. I would check out http://www.backcountryoutlet.com/outlet/su...000/Kayaks.html for some tandem kayaks. You can get a stable one where you can stand in it and fish :unsure:

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A decent inflatable costs more than a comparably performing hard shell. Unless storage or carrying it is a serious issue, go with a hard shell. Of course, you may end up spending for a rack for that hard shell.

 

Per victorymike's post, once you buy one, you'll keep adding stuff to it, trying to make it perform. They'll sag under your weight, so you're the low wet spot in the boat, and I've twice seen cachers rip the bottom opened on unseen snags. One guy had a brutal hike out carrying the dead wet boat. He bought a hardshell.

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Even buying all the accessories for mine I still payed less than a hard shell tandem kayak ($150-$300 less). As far as durability with an inflatable, mine has a pretty good hull and I've scuffed and scraped along without rips or tears...and I don't even worry about them. It may not be a rigid hull but it is quite durable. But I paid for a premium inflatable, not an el cheap-o special.

 

I just got married and my wife has 2 solo hard shell Old Towne Otters. Fine for us to paddle around in. We still live in an apartment and store them on our patio. The inflatable is good for paddling around with our daughter. And even better for storing in the apartment. Better yet if you have a car for transporting your boat...much easier to toss in the trunk than a hard-shell. We have 2 Jeeps, 2 trucks, and 2 motorcycles. It is easy to transport either the hard shell kayaks or the inflatable on either the Jeeps or in the trucks. But if I wanted to I could strap the inflatable onto my bike and ride to a put-in spot.

 

Shop around, take the comments here to heart. Don't expect hard shell kayak performance out of an inflatable (but I was pleasantly surprised after accessorizing mine to the hilt).

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My GF had inflatable kayaks and we used those without issue on lakes and slow moving rivers. The only issue is with tracking as its light-weight. However, last year backcountryoutlet had a special where everything was 50% off with a coupon code and we got two Native Watercraft kayaks for around 600$ shipped. I would check out http://www.backcountryoutlet.com/outlet/su...000/Kayaks.html for some tandem kayaks. You can get a stable one where you can stand in it and fish :lol:

 

BTW... she paid 45$ for the inflatable kayaks (yaks were 35$ and paddles 10$) about 5 years ago... looks like it has gone up in price double since that time... http://www.amazon.com/Challenger-K1-Kayak-...6727&sr=8-4

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There are "high performance" inflatables, but they will cost you. The cheap ones are OK for playing around in the pool or on the beach, and maybe for a quick flat water paddle to a nearby island, but not much beyond that.

 

Another problem with inflatables is that you might get it good and pumped up on the shore, but as soon as it hits the cold water the air inside contracts and you have a squishy boat.

 

Unless storage is an issue, forget about inflatables. If money is an issue look for a used hard shell on Craigslist. You can get one fairly cheap. Heck, I just saw a someone advertising a free kayak on on his curb.

 

Check http://www.paddling.net/ for expert paddling advice.

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I have been wanting to get a kayak for some time now, for boating and for caching. I can't afford one but I have enough points on my credit card to get an inflatable kayak. does anyone know how good these are?

 

Do you really need a kayak or would some other inflatable suit you better? Sevylor's heaviest duty raft are pretty nice and would carry gear better than a kayak.

 

I use one like this. With a very heavy PVC bottom and a ripstop nylon top it's pretty tough. I ditched the bench seats and added a plywood floor over the factory slat floor. Then I built a seat onto my plywood floor.

 

It's quite durable. I take it down local (Washington state) rivers. I take dogs onboard with no worries of their claws damaging the boat. With the rigid floor I can stand up even in shallow waters and have no worry of abrading the underside of the raft. And I'm a 270 pound man!

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I was going to buy the Sevylor inflatable kayak but went with their "4-man" Caravelle instead. It got me across the river to an island cache ok but I wouldn't want to use it for much more than that.

 

My son has a sevylor kayak, great fun and surprisingly sturdy.

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I was going to buy the Sevylor inflatable kayak but went with their "4-man" Caravelle instead. It got me across the river to an island cache ok but I wouldn't want to use it for much more than that.

 

My son has a sevylor kayak, great fun and surprisingly sturdy.

My Sevylor is good quality and all just kind of hard to manuever by myself. But yeah they are sturdy and inexpensive, I know they have been making the kayaks for a long time so they must be decent quality.

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My parents have used their inflatables for their trips to St. Maarten. They are able to fly with them and paddle to isolated areas of the beach and the salt water caves. However, they are very slow, and as others have said do not track well. For use in larger or smaller rivers and lakes they have several hard bodies and they have sea kayaks as well that we use at the beach. The inflatable is just for the trips they take where they need to pack the kayak and take it on a plane.

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I would hesitate to trust the quality of a generic inflatable kayak offered by a credit card rewards system.

 

As a few others have mentioned on here, I also own the Advanced Elements AdvanceFrame kayak, though mine is only single-rider, not a convertible. I love my kayak and do recommend it for someone looking for a good, portable boat. It's 35 pounds, comes in a duffle bag, and lives in my trunk for quick access during the summer. The boat cost $450 through REI, and the only additional purchases have been the paddle ($80), air pump (<$20), and the backbone ($90) as mentioned before and extremely useful. It picks your butt up out of the water so you're actually sitting on the water instead of in. I agree, it isn't QUITE like a hardshell, but with that backbone, the kayak is stable and feels solid, and I've run into enough rocks and trees sticking out into the water with no damage to the kayak.

 

This kayak is great for me because it's SO convenient. I can bring it anywhere with me. It takes about 5 minutes to blow up, same to take down. When I was looking at hardshells, which are still very appealing, a good rack for my car would have cost around $300. The alternative to a rack is getting the foam blocks and rope/bungee cords. I don't have to deal with the cost of car rack, nor the hassle of having to load a big kayak onto the top of my car by myself and strapping it down. I'm pretty indepedendent with it. Plus, getting a geocache can often be a spontaneous/spur of the moment/grab an opportunity when you have it sort of experience, and to have the kayak in my trunk already allows me to be ready to hit the water when necessary without extra planning.

 

I haven't ventured into the world of cold-weather paddling. I know there are issues with keeping the air pressure up in these boats when they hit cold water. If you're only likely to use the kayak in the warm weather, I wouldn't worry about it.

 

There are many advantages to the hardshells. However, you also have to take into consideration the hauling AND storing of them. A good inflatable isn't necessarily going to cost any less for the boat itself than a hardshell, though the equipment cost is likely to be less. Really, it just matters if you want the convenience of storage of an inflatable.

 

Overall, my advice is that inflatable kayaks can be great - especially the Advanced Elements ones - but you have to evaluate your situation.

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We just used it on Sunday to seek out a 7 stage multicache down the Huron River (about 6 miles). We transported it in a truck, still inflated, along with 2 other hard-shelled kayaks. And it went well.

 

I'll have to check this out! Visited Ann Arbor last week and took my inflatable out on a short river trip with a friend who had to rent on the Huron. We'll have to get back over there for another excuse to be out on the river and seek out a cache. :)

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