Inflatable Kayaks

[boatman3]

Does anybody have any experience with these? I am leaning towards an inflatable because of how much easier they are to move around and because i'll be able to fit them in my rv much easier. I am leaning towards a sea eagle 330 or 370. Does anyone have experience with them? I just want to use them for lake use, so nothing to crazy. If you have used them, do you think that they will work well for that?

If you have any other recommendations, then let me know.

thanks in advance for your help.

[DGShaffer]

I have the 330 and my wife and I fit in it together but my legs go around her a bit. It's pretty heavy so I made a dolly for transporting it which made it much more friendlier to use. The build quality is very good and the foot pump does the job but I use my pancake compressor to speed things up.It all packs nicely into the provided duffel bag but again, it's heavy.

Here is a photo of it inflated and strapped to the dolly. I've since added 12" wheels to the dolly

[MandG-Fun]

For the areas that we kayak (mostly flat water), my concern with the inflatables is that they sit high in the water and are very susceptible to being blown by the wind. DGShaffer, what is your experience with wind?

We just lug around a 2 person Hobie that we carry on top of the Jeep, which I agree is not what you are after. I'm starting to wonder if its time for us to make a transition to something more portable too.

Boatman3, have you looked at the foldable models? They look pretty cool. Just found this one from REI.

[S-n-L]

Price may be an issue, but if you can spend a bit more here is an amazing inflatable kayak that I purchased 3 years ago.

Link here: AIRE | Rafts, Catarafts, Inflatable Kayaks Whitewater Rafting Accessories and Boats

What impressed me was the performance and versatility. Also, they have a 10 year no fault warranty. If it gets damaged for any reason they will fix it or replace it, even if you put a knife through it or run over it with your car.

We have enjoyed this kayak very much. You can use it as a one or two person. It is very rigid for an inflatable.

Aire is one of the the top manufactures of inflatables that run the big, bad rivers tours.

Stuart

[charliej]

I picked up four of the Intex K1's and took them out last week. These are not the high end, but for $79 they did fine for our lake use. Not for a big person. We all kept our legs out on top because they get hot inside the kayak.

[focker]

Have you seen the new Oru Kayaks, VERY cool!! Home | Oru Kayak | Explore outside the box

Also noticed that the owners of this website run a Kayak forum:
Mountain Buzz - Whitewater Kayaking & Rafting Community

[Neumann]

We have a Sea Eagle 370. Have had 4 years now. Used it in ocean, lakes & bays. It weighs 34#. Easy to carry. Easy to store in back of jeep. Not had a problem with low wind blowing it around.
Hal

[Doug Sage]

I had an inflatable and switched to a rigid. I had problems with the inflatable tracking straight and had to get a skeg. It was affected by the wind. It took more effort to paddle and would not go as fast as a rigid hull. The final straw was when I was in the Texas Gulf Coast and slit the bottom open in an oyster bed. You have to be careful of things like that. Sticks, stumps, etc can be an issue in a lake. Another issue is you have to thoroughly dry the inflatable inside and outside to keep it from molding.

[JohnBoyToo]

Originally Posted by focker

Have you seen the new Oru Kayaks, VERY cool!! Home | Oru Kayak | Explore outside the box

Also noticed that the owners of this website run a Kayak forum:
Mountain Buzz - Whitewater Kayaking & Rafting Community

We saw the Oru on Shark Tank and thought that was too cool !

[Moonrover]

Inflatable works well for us too. The vast majority of our time on the water is small meandering creeks, small lakes, and canals. Wind is a non-issue, but as noted, out on a big windy pond, you may have work harder than a low-slung hard shell.

We pack the Sea Eagle Explorer 420 and all accessories in the front bay of the motor coach. Last summer I made a two wheel collapsible dolly to get the inflated kayak from the staging area to the water. Sort of stole the design from a "store bought" model then modified it to suit. It is made from PVC pipe, a few hardware parts, and fat 12" rubber tires. Works like a charm. Highly recommend making one.

[Moonrover]

Originally Posted by DGShaffer

I have the 330 and my wife and I fit in it together but my legs go around her a bit. It's pretty heavy so I made a dolly for transporting it which made it much more friendlier to use. The build quality is very good and the foot pump does the job but I use my pancake compressor to speed things up.It all packs nicely into the provided duffel bag but again, it's heavy.



Here is a photo of it inflated and strapped to the dolly. I've since added 12" wheels to the dolly

Does "big dog" get to ride in the kayak too? He looks like a lover of water.

[TdogKing]

Look into AirKayaks.com I just read a article about there from a RVer' sounded like they liked it.

[Twomed]

Inflatable Kayaks | Inflatable SUPs | Kayak Accessories | Advanced Elements

A little more $$ but five years on ours and zero issues. Very comfortable, tracks well, fast as most cheap plastic yaks if you have a need for speed. Cheaper on Ebay last year models from some big dealers...usually.

[hone eagle]

I use a Advanced elements,higher pressure boat is a better boat ,but they cost more.
get what you pay for?