Anybody have one? Do you like it? I'm looking for something highly portable and an inflatable kayak sounds perfect IF it actually floats well and has some stability.
Inflatable kayak
- Thread starter vraiblonde
- Start date
Hessian
Well-Known Member
NO....
There are plenty of people who have mulled it over (storage. portability advantages) but I am very skeptical.
IMO, you would do best to buy a light 12-14 foot flat water yak, put rollers on your roof rack, and be content with loading a 50 pound boat.
That being said,...I have NOT been in an inflatable, but I have yet to hear from someone who loves theirs. (They are slower to paddle too)
There are plenty of people who have mulled it over (storage. portability advantages) but I am very skeptical.
IMO, you would do best to buy a light 12-14 foot flat water yak, put rollers on your roof rack, and be content with loading a 50 pound boat.
That being said,...I have NOT been in an inflatable, but I have yet to hear from someone who loves theirs. (They are slower to paddle too)
I've heard good things about this one, saw it on "How it's made" and had to look it up.
http://www.orukayak.com/products
RPMDAD
Well-Known Member
Merlin, i am not sure that is an inflatable, looks like a folding kayak. The inflatables i have seen cost a lot less than that one.
http://www.basspro.com/Kwik-Tek-Air...uctextensions&kpid=60637&kpid=60637_Orange_12
http://www.leisurepro.com/p-ravsrkn...ueXOkiyN1KS58OkKv1ffM4QcqUOSCS-aY-BoCeCHw_wcB
http://www.basspro.com/Kwik-Tek-Air...uctextensions&kpid=60637&kpid=60637_Orange_12
http://www.leisurepro.com/p-ravsrkn...ueXOkiyN1KS58OkKv1ffM4QcqUOSCS-aY-BoCeCHw_wcB
PeoplesElbow
Well-Known Member
Is it for an inflatable woman? You can ride those down a lazy river btw.
I was actually going with the highly portable part. This one is much more rugged than the rubber raft version.
Worthless without pics.
DoWhat, we just want to paddle around a lake. Nothing too ambitious. We've thought off and on about buying kayaks, then we crunched the numbers and figure that money would buy an awful lot of rentals. So that's where we are unless I can make a good case for inflatable kayaks.
I like that! Thanks!
Tilted
..
I have no experience with inflatable kayaks, so my thoughts on them have limited value and can only be quite general.
But I've had enough experience with polyethylene and fiberglass kayaks to have a decent sense of what might be desirable. I don't see where an inflatable kayak could have nearly as ideal a hull design (for various purposes) as a composite or even a polyethylene one could. And the lost hull rigidity likely translates into lost efficiency when it comes to translating the energy expended by the paddler into the motion of the kayak. I can see where the convenience of an inflatable might be more important in some situations. But if I were going to be doing much paddling, I think I'd want something that wasted less of my effort.
But I've had enough experience with polyethylene and fiberglass kayaks to have a decent sense of what might be desirable. I don't see where an inflatable kayak could have nearly as ideal a hull design (for various purposes) as a composite or even a polyethylene one could. And the lost hull rigidity likely translates into lost efficiency when it comes to translating the energy expended by the paddler into the motion of the kayak. I can see where the convenience of an inflatable might be more important in some situations. But if I were going to be doing much paddling, I think I'd want something that wasted less of my effort.
Tilted
..
If the point is just a convenient way to be on the water, and not to paddle meaningful distances, then perhaps an inflatable makes sense. As I indicated in the previous post, I don't have experience with them. But I suspect they're fine for just putzing around.
glhs837
Power with Control
The oru is very cool boat. But that comes at a cost. $1200 or so. Unless you really have no way to move a conventional kayak, that money could get a much nicer boat. Having spent three years paddling my little 9.5 rotomolded recboat around. I think after a year, you might get very tired of the performance of an inflatable. You will spend s lot of extra effort just moving it through the water and keeping pointed straight
Dakota
~~~~~~~
Agree and they are such a pain in the butt to get straight.
Now an inflatable paddle board is something I could tolerate. A good one, not the lower end models.
I have a friend who goes all the time - like every weekend almost. I keep saying I'm going to try it but haven't yet.
Misfit
Lawful neutral
If you do, let me know how it goes. I have this vision of me heading out to sea, face upturned in the mist while dolphins leap next to me and a giant sea tortoise whispers “be free little Misfit, be free!”
Bonehead
Well-Known Member
Vrai
Take a look at the sea eagle website. I own the 386 boat and my wife owns the needle nose paddle board. My boat weighs about 32 pounds and the paddle board 21. My kayak is over 12' as is the paddle board. Both excellent quality and don't seem inflatable they are very rigid. My boat paddles just like a hard shell boat and tracks true. I have owned a couple of hard shell boats before. They are pricey but you get what you pay for. Sea Eagle customer service is excellent as well.
Take a look at the sea eagle website. I own the 386 boat and my wife owns the needle nose paddle board. My boat weighs about 32 pounds and the paddle board 21. My kayak is over 12' as is the paddle board. Both excellent quality and don't seem inflatable they are very rigid. My boat paddles just like a hard shell boat and tracks true. I have owned a couple of hard shell boats before. They are pricey but you get what you pay for. Sea Eagle customer service is excellent as well.
I will probably start out (if I ever do) in one of the local creeks. The dolphins will have to be patient with me.
We had a Sevylor (sp) inflatable kayak (2-person..supposedly) and it was pretty worthless. Back in the day I had a Folbot, with sail kit too, and it was actually a decent little craft but something of a pain to set up and a bit on the fragile side. Used the patch kit often.
The one that Merlin linked too..that looks excellent at first glance.
Some good discussion of the range of "folding boat" options here... http://foldingkayaks.org/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=176&start=15
The one that Merlin linked too..that looks excellent at first glance.
Some good discussion of the range of "folding boat" options here... http://foldingkayaks.org/phpBB/viewtopic.php?f=5&t=176&start=15
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