Talk to me about inflatable kayaks

[seawallrunner]

I've wanted a kayak for a long time, and have been reticent to buy one because of storage/insurance/transport concerns.

A few weeks ago, while camping at Moore Point on Lake Chelan, I saw a paddler pull in (while we were packing out) with an inflatable kayak. The kayak was a one-person kayak, looked quite large, had a full week's gear packed on it and looked stable and comfortable.

About me - I love kayaking on lakes, I have gone on a few multi-days most recently in Alaska's Inside Passage, have the basics of self-rescue, am interested in using the kayak for moderate adventures (local and WA lakes like Ross or Chelan or others, or Indian arm paddles) nothing too extreme - eg I'm not planning to kayak around Greenland or Vancouver Island :shock:

What are the pros and cons of inflatable kayaks? What features and companies should I look into / avoid?

For me the big attraction is the collapsibility and the lack of worry I would have about storage and transport. I was at Diablo Lake / Thunder Arm yesterday and craved a few hours of paddling on those beautiful still waters...

I look forward to your thoughts, opinions, sharings.

Thank you in advance - Vida.

 

[greg0rn]

This should give you a good start (and the best on the market):

http://feathercraft.com/sit-on-tops/java/

I'd also check on their foldable Kahuna and Wisper, or for longer excursions K-1.

 

[Peter-CKM]

I have hard shell kayaks, inflatable, and a folder.

Inflatables in general are slower than hard shelled kayaks.

Folding kayaks are similar in speed to a hard shell.

Inflatables are generally many times cheaper than a folding kayak (hundreds of dollars rather than thousands of dollars).

Both pack down to about the same size (about the size of a suitcase).

Both actually have some set up and tear down time (more for folding than inflatable). And both really should be cleaned and dried before packing away (and if storing a oat is an issue, then that same issue may prevent you from having a place to lay out the inflatable/folder to let it dry).

If you do go for an inflatable, I'd look at one with some framing in it (like what most of the Advanced Elements have), as this helps get over the slowness some.

 

[KayDubbya]

Hi Vida;

I went through a similar quest a few years ago trying to find a boat that would pack down and fit into our truck camper. I looked at both inflatables and folders (Feathercraft, Folbot, etc.). If you expect that you will be doing multi-day trips (2+) and would like to camp out of your kayak, you should seriously consider a folding frame style kayak. If you are more likely to be day paddling on protected waters, an inflatable could serve you quite well. As the previous poster mentioned, Advanced Elements makes a decent boat. It tracks much straighter than some of the very cheap blow-up boats on the market. It also has an optional "back bone" - a stiffening bar for the bottom that keeps it from bending like a banana when you sit in it. A common complaint with inflatables is their lack of track-ability (going in a straight line). This can be very frustrating and lead to a quick exit from the sport. The AE boat has a rigid bow and stern plate to improve it's tracking.

If you haven't found it already, another good source of information/advice can be found on the Folding Kayak Forum

 

[stevenf]

I have about seven inflatable kayaks and am currently building one of the Yostwerks hybrid folding/inflatables. I do not agree with the "conventional" wisdom regarding infltables and have successfully used them from day trips to two week self supported trips. I would also disagree that the Feathercraft Java is the top of the line. Too expensive and in my opinion, too flimsy for extended trips. I have come to prefer inflatables over hardshells for the paddling I like to do.

The main pros of an inflatable are storage space, stability, ease of assembly and disassembly and ease of transport. The main cons are speed (sloooooooow!), durability (depends on the kayak) and the fact that an inflatable will not allow you to properly develop skills that are useful in hardshell or folding kayaks (good luck rolling one of these). Also depending on the boat, drying can be a major concern. Boats with nylon shells and pvc tubes inside (e.g. Advanced Elements) will trap water and can take days to fully dry. Single walled inflatables like the Innova series don't trap water and dry quickly, plus are much more resistant to salt water than the nylon shell boats (important consideration if you are salt water paddling and don't have space to clean your boat properly after paddling).

Out of all the kayaks in my fleet the one I can recommend as a good all around boat for what you seem to be interested in is the new version of the Innova Sunny, called the Solar, sold exclusively by The Boat People in California. Otherwise the Innova Sunny or the Helios 2 are good all around models. The Helios 1 is also a good kayak, easily capable of carrying gear for a week long trip, but made for a smaller paddler than I am!

I also have an Innova Seaker which is the most "kayak-like" of all my inflatables but I would only rate it okay. It's too heavy (65lbs) and the folded size too bulky. Transport and storage are key benefits of an inflatable and once you remove these advantages the Seaker doesn't make up for them in on-water performance. But I still kinda like the boat and will be using it on several upcoming trips this summer. For lighter trips I'll use the Solar.

My advice would be to look at the Innova line up of inflatables and go for it! Good luck

 

[stevenf]

Also, don't mean to knock the Feathercraft Java too much, but despite the price it has all the issues with trapping water and taking a huge amount of time to dry completely that the Advanced Elements and similar boats do.

 

[seawallrunner]

Thank you so much for your thoughts and advice! Please keep 'em coming.

Indeed, I was thinking today about the pros and cons of foldables too.

Here is a picture of the kayak that arrived at our campground at Moore Point at Chelan a few weeks ago:

...and here's a closeup, using a big image.
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7109/7140 ... 72_o_d.jpg

As you see, this would have been a great day for a paddle !! Any ideas what kind/brand of kayak he has?

V

 

[stevenf]

Not sure but I think that's one of the Sevylor/Coleman K1 pointers.

 

[AEMan]

The main pros of an inflatable are storage space, stability, ease of assembly and disassembly and ease of transport. The main cons are speed (sloooooooow!), durability (depends on the kayak) and the fact that an inflatable will not allow you to properly develop skills that are useful in hardshell or folding kayaks (good luck rolling one of these). Also depending on the boat, drying can be a major concern. Boats with nylon shells and pvc tubes inside (e.g. Advanced Elements) will trap water and can take days to fully dry. Single walled inflatables like the Innova series don't trap water and dry quickly, plus are much more resistant to salt water than the nylon shell boats (important consideration if you are salt water paddling and don't have space to clean your boat properly after paddling).

Steven,

Just wanted to clarify. The outer shells of the Advanced Elements kayaks are actually made from rip-stop polyester and we added a water repellent backing, to the fabric outer cover, in 2008. Also, all AE kayaks have no issues in saltwater. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at the number below. Thank you.