Inflatable Kayak

H

Half/Pint

New member
I'm thinking about purchasing an inflatable kayak. I need some advice on what brand and model. I will be using it in flat water on the coast and inland lakes and creeks.

Any advice and recommendations would be greatly appreciated
 
We had a double made by Advanced Frame, sold by West Marine; didn't care for the way it tracked, and using it solo had the front of the kayak out of the water. We sold it less than a year later.

When we were in the Tetons, my wife sold the Sevylor inflatable two person kayak. Not sure the model, but it actually tracked better than the more expensive Advanced Frame we had. It wasn't heavily built, so you'd want to be careful around sharp rocks onshore.

If money is no object, the Hobie inflatables are very nice. I like the pedal action, they are stable and track well. The only downside is the size when packed down: about the dimensions of a travel trunk.

Those are the ones I have experience with - hope that helps.
 
We bought a Sea Eagle fast track double and have been very pleased with it. It inflates easily, I can do it on the foredeck. It is very stable and tracks well. It packs into a reasonably sized bag and I stow it on a roof rack. It weighs about 35 lbs.

Carpy
 
We have an Innova Helios 2 person Kayak and have been satisfied with it. It weighs about 25 # and collapses into its own drybag backpack.
 
I have had a similar experience as Carpy.

We bought 2 Sea Eagle Classic 385ft Fast Track tandems and have really enjoyed them. They have a keel, which allows them to track better than most inflatable kayaks. We also stored them on the cabin of our boat, but I kept them inflated and just strapped them down.

As an example of how we used them, we had them on a trip to Lopez Island and used them to travel all over Fishermans Bay. It was quite windy but they were able to track straight with the keel.

I just looked and they aren't cheap...

Best of luck with your search,

Sarge
 
We bought Sea Eagle SE370 Inflatable Kayak with Pro Package (better seats, pump, storage bag
, paddles) for $250 from Amazon sight un seen and never been in a kayak before. It fits 2 well (I am 6'4" with long legs) and rated for 550 lbs and 12' long. It is easy to inflate with the foot pump and easy to pack up and store in the storage bag. We use it to explore the Pt Charlotte FL canals and have not used it in open water but it is very stable will explore the Harbor soon. We really like it and didnt spend a fortune. I usually take it out in evenings for one or 2 hours while the Admiral is fishing. We enter it off the dock which takes a little skill and cant use the sea wall b/c it is full of barnacles. It would be very easy to use at the beach.

It is a lot of fun and we are kayak novices. It is a great way to met and yak at our neighbors.

Keep in mind this is an entry level kayak and a huge selection of kayaks are available to fit your needs.
 
We own two AIRIS kayaks by Walker Bay, and while we have appreciated their light weight and stability, we have been disappointed by their durability. Each one now has six patches covering small air leaks. The skeg fell off one of them, and it took two months to get a replacement part from Walker Bay. We don't abuse these, but we do pull them up on sandy beaches. Some of the holes are on the sides or on top of the inflatable floor. I think the fabric is not dense enough to withstand even the slightest abrasion. Over the years we've owned many inflatable dinghies, even cheap ones, and we've never had so many problems. Recently, the logo and name plates glued to the sides have become sticky to the touch, like rubber cement. The dealer says we either spilled gas on the kayaks, or have paddled through gas. Nonsense. There's probably a good reason Walker Bay has discontinued most models. We finally decided to get a small Achilles LT-2 dinghy for our TomCat, and we now use the kayaks as little as possible. Very disappointed.
 
I have 2 tandem Sevylor kayaks, we use them a lot. They're comfortable and stable. However, you MUST buy the rudder accessory ($15 I think) or they won't track worth a #$%&@. 8)
 
I've got an Advanced Elements Advanced Frame (single) kayak and love it. It's no touring kayak, but it's perfectly capable of dinghy duties. It's super stable, paddles reasonably quickly, and tracks decently. Similar performance to Ocean Kayak sit on tops that I've used.

Oh, and it's been surprisingly durable. I used it all last summer in Alaska, plus a bunch of other times, and have yet to have an air leak.
 
My wife and I each have Advanced Elements single kayaks. Purchased new from REI in 2004 and used regularly in the summer months in both fresh and salt water, and they are still like new (wash and dry thoroughly after use in salt).

Performance wise, I'll echo everything 20dauntless said - tracks well enough for a 10' kayak, and super stable (lots of fun bobbing around like a cork on Lake Union on busy 4th of July days). We have launched at Cornet Bay and paddled to Skagit Island, used them for exploring Fossil Bay on Sucia Island and Fidalgo bay from Anacortes, taken all over Lake Washington, and even a quick trip out into Admiralty Inlet from Marrowstone island on a calm day.

As with any inflatable boat, you want to make sure they are fully inflated to proper pressure.
 
About 10 years ago I bought a Sea Eagle dink and used it as a tendor for our sailboat. First trip with it was Desolation Sound and I took it to shore to do a stern tie. Just briefly touched a barnical (Sp?) covered rock, and barly made it back to the boat before it deflated completly. We've tried an inflatable kayac and getting in and out for the two of us (neither of which is a dainty dew-drop), is quite difficult and subject to probable dunking in anything more than calm water.

For all of the above, I have gone to a heavy duty dink, an Achilles LT-2 made of Hypalon, which is quite heavy and I find I avoid using it. Even that now has two patches.

Was my experience unlucky or unusal? Am I missing something?

Chuck
 
There are modular kayaks. You can assemble them in single or dual configuration. These are not inflatable, but do break down to manageable pieces. BassPro sells them, but you can probably get them elsewhere.
 
I have a SATURN sit-on-top inflatable kayak that I bought on line for $499. Added a collapsible seat. It's fun at the beach and have fished off of it. Used to tie it down to the roof of the car inflated but found it is easier to carry in a bag while collapsed and inflate with a foot pump which only takes few minutes. It does not track as well as a decent kayak.
 
We recently bought two Sea Eagle Fast Track 385 inflatable kayaks, and have had a ball with them! As mentioned, they have an inflatable keel, and also incorporate a fixed skeg, so they track beautifully (even in a strong cross wind, or substantial boat wakes/waves).

The high pressure air floor is most sturdy, and provides a strong feel of stability (unlike some dinghies we've experienced over the years).

We also purchased the automatic battery powered air pump which makes inflation a snap! These are sit-on (as opposed to a "sit-in") inflatables and the seats are also inflate. (The seats look a little "goofy", but are very comfortable in use, and provide a comfortable angle for paddling).

Even though these are tandem kayaks, we paddle them as singles, which allows our two 75 pound pups to ride along!

We're not sure how they'll hold up long term, but to date they've been great.

PS They are sort of "pricy" but what cost "fun"?!?
 
I have a Hobie Mirage 9i inflatable which has just been been checked out by Hobie and only used 2x for sale. I really enjoy the Peddle action of the Hobie. There is also a 12i (12 foot long) single inflatable.
 
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