Inflatable kayak

[TheletterZ]

Anyone got one? Are they any good? Do you use it regularly do does it sit in a corner gathering dust?

We are thinking of getting a 2+1 kayak. The +1 would normally be a small dog but occasionally might be a niece. Probably up to an hour of splashing about, calm seas/ coves etc...

There is such a huge variation in prices and I have no idea where to start.

We’ve got a double. It’s a good laugh and we take it camping with us, both weekends and for longer trips to France where the weather is better. Nice for a little splash in the waves, perfectly adequate for a decent paddle down a river.

Downsides: VERY heavy. Takes up quite a lot of room in the boot. Er, that’s it.

We had a cheap one years ago and it was absolutely rubbish. Do you kayak often? I mean on like a borrowed or hired one? I would honestly try one out and see how you get on with it. I've done some kayaking in an actual kayak and I can't see how the inflatable ones could ever be as good.

You’d be surprised how decent they can be. Ours is good for surfing the waves. I expect if you get a cheap one it’ll be a bit rubbish.

IIRR ours was about 2-300 quid: canoe, paddles, pump and buoyancy vests. We got it from the shop in Bala.

We got ours in decathlon when were on holiday in France. It's great, we don't use it much here but always take it on holiday.

My cousin just bought 2 from amazon before lockdown. They've only used them a few times but enjoyed it. They were £100 approx....although she said they are now reduced to £40 - we were discussing this only the other day.

I just started a thread on this in sports!!
How do you know they won’t deflate on you? I don’t want to be the twat that gets the coastguard out 😳
Also does anyone know about life jackets for kids & fit?

If you buy a heavy duty one and don’t surf over a load of sharp coral then I would think deflation isn’t a massive worry. They have separate chambers anyway so it’s less of an issue than you think.

Best talk to a decent shop for advice on fitting safety equipment...

We have a river at the bottom of the garden. At the moment although its wide, its only about a foot and a bit deep. We had an inflatable kayak and it was shit with all the stones and rocks and eventually got a puncture.

We now have 1 man sit on kayaks like this

Just got two 2person kayaks. Brilliant on local very gentle river. They've only had two outings so far, but lots of people in my area seem to be getting them at the moment. As we're not able to go on holiday, this is feeling like holiday as we can enjoy our local area in a completely new way. We use a different pump as the one supplied was rubbish.

We’re going to swap our ordinary kayak for an inflatable one, because it will be easier to transport. We already have a blow up SUP and it’s brilliant. My brother’s inflatable kayak cost around £500, with paddles and buoyancy aids. His is a 2+1, and it’s very good.

@Imissmoominmama

We’re going to swap our ordinary kayak for an inflatable one, because it will be easier to transport. We already have a blow up SUP and it’s brilliant. My brother’s inflatable kayak cost around £500, with paddles and buoyancy aids. His is a 2+1, and it’s very good.

Which one are you thinking about?

Sounds like you get what you pay for, how much is reasonable for a semi decent one?

Am kicking myself there was a seyvlor one on gumtree under £100 and I missed it. Bah.

@TheletterZ which blow up SUP do you have? I really want one of these....

We have one we take on holiday abroad with us. You sacrifice one of your bags in your allowance but it’s great fun to take. We use it for inland lake paddling in Scandinavia rather than sea (but the bottom isn’t the right shape for seal kayaking)

We had one, but sold it to replace with a normal kayak. It was quite good fun, but not very manoeuvrable and very heavy when wet. Ver6 happy with our current kayak. Installed a roof rack to transport it.

@Mumdiva99- it was me with the SUP. It’s from Two Bare Feet.

DH has one but has just upgraded to a standard kayak. Inflatable was £100 second hand, new kayak was £300ish. Both good but the proper one is a lot more manoeuvrable in the water.

Is that a Canadian style kayak @wotrewelookinat?

@Imissmoominmama thank you.

I bought two off of amazon recently and we love them. The first was a two seat kayak that was £110 and it's perfect. Came with a pump and oars, really roomy. We used it the other day with my two toddlers also in there (with life jackets on a shallow river!). The second was a 2+1 that was £140 and honestly it not great in comparison. They are both really thick so I'm not greatly worried about them bursting. Couldn't recommend more!

theyre good yes, Id also advise looking at inflatable dinghys as well. Wouldnt go under the £100 mark though and make sure it has serveral inflatable compartments.

@Coldhandscoldheart

Is that a Canadian style kayak *@wotrewelookinat*?

No it’s a sit-on kayak.

Inflatables are hard to steer and control and there's all the faff of inflating and deflating. Your dig’s nails could puncture it.

We have a two person ocean kayak, a roof rack and a set of trundle wheels to get it between the car and the water. I bet you could pick a secondhand one up for the price of an inflatable. Ours was around £700 new but we've enjoyed it for over ten years and it's as good as the day we bought it.

@TheletterZ- my brother’s kayak is a Sevylor Alameda.

I wouldn’t go for an inflatable kayak def not a second hand one.

My ds has a Red SUP which is fab.