Kayaks good or bad?? (1 Viewer)

[ROB1CHELSEA1]

Been thinking about getting a couple of these for a while now, not for the frontroom like the guy in the video but when we were in Scotland we saw a few Kayaks on the water and it looked great fun.
Is the inflatable Kayak a good idea or notoh: Some of you Funsters must have tried it or even still do. Your thoughts please:thumb:


Rob&Jane

 

[Peter JohnsCross MH]

I sell loads of kayaks, the inflatables have the advantage of being able to be packed away:thumb:
Have a look >> http://www.johnscross.co.uk/sevylor-inflatable-kayaks.html

Peter

 

[ROB1CHELSEA1]

Intex K1 Challenger Inflatable Kayak Video Review by Rubber Boats

Sorry here it is

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[Silkcut1105]

hi ive got a 2 man inflatable had some great fun but the wife wont go in it till i lose a lot of weight as it flipped the last time and she wasnt impressed.:thumb:

 

[jonandshell]

We are on our second inflatable.

We have a Gumotex Palava currently, a 'Canadian' design, it has sufficient payload for us and the dogs (250kg).

Our previous was a Sevylor Canyon. It was a tandem Kayak and was a good starter boat with a payload of 165kg. It did suffer from a bit of leakage in the seams and a wet bum would result after an hour or so. Good for keeping cool in the hot sun though!

Do read all the online reviews before you do buy though, it will save a costly upgrade later on when you get the bug!

Oh, BTW, if you don't mind a damp bum after an hour's paddling, we have the Sevylor still!
£50 with collapsible double paddles if you want it!!:thumb:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QTxdWr36Tk"]Sevylor Canyon on the Little Ouse - YouTube[/ame]

 

[2dogs]

I wouldn't go anywhere near an inflatable
and
you won't see me on my kayak without a PFD

Hope your happy with what you get

Cheers

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[jonandshell]

I wouldn't go anywhere near an inflatable
and
you won't see me on my kayak without a PFD

Hope your happy with what you get

Cheers

They were consenting adults in 3 feet of water!

LOL we normally have ours on for the stuff where its needed! 'Elf and safety and all that!

 

[Taran_Las]

Kayak - one of the few words that can be spelt backwards and still be correct.



OK I'll get my splash guard .......

 

[gozomike]

Hi Having used both rigid and inflatable kayaks the main difference I noticed was the inflatable one was taken by the wind more than the rigid. Obviously not a problem on a still day or on protected water. Both can be good fun.

Mike

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[hilldweller]

I thought Wildman was our resident expert - obviously gone to sleep, give him a PM nudge.

 

[Chris]

The rigid ones are pretty heavy.

My brother has a two man jobby which is great but its a two man job getting it to the shore unless you have a trolley of some sort.

 

[WynandJean]

One thing I do know - You an't have your kayak and heat it.
Boom boom
Wyn

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[SuperMike]

That's not a Kayak, that's a Canoe. :Tongue1: They are only good for a paddle in a calm stream, like that in the video. First bit of white water and you would be lost. Also, as mentioned, no PFD, naughty, and no helmet also naughty.

No.2 son, 18 years old and a Scout Kayak instructor, spits feathers when he sees people in these things.

 

[jonandshell]

That's not a Kayak, that's a Canoe. :Tongue1: They are only good for a paddle in a calm stream, like that in the video. First bit of white water and you would be lost. Also, as mentioned, no PFD, naughty, and no helmet also naughty.

No.2 son, 18 years old and a Scout Kayak instructor, spits feathers when he sees people in these things.

Having no PFD or helmet was the least of that bloke's problems in the film 'Deliverance'!

Isn't the definition of a canoe or kayak whether you sit or knee/sit upright? What about a sit-on-top? Is that not a kayak because it hasn't a splash deck?

Look, the river on the vid is 3 feet deep, there are no submerged rocks and it has a slow current. People even swim in it with their toddlers! What's the problem? Did you make your son wear goggles when playing conkers?
We wear our PFDs (floatation aids) when in large expanses or deep water and helmets on choppy stuff, but the river in the vid isn't exactly extreme! There is no risk of rolling or being out of your depth. Why encumber yourself with unnecessary safety gear on a hot summer day?

I beg to differ on the whitewater comment.

A lot of inflatable canoes, including ours, are OK for grade 3 whitewater.
An inflatable will never sink!

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wXgqMr3QwkI&playnext=1&list=PL132698CC2CAB5D09&feature=results_main"]Test du canoe gonflable BARAKA Gumotex - YouTube[/ame]

 

[thehutchies]

My brother's family has a couple of those inflatables and he keeps them on his boat.
They use them for exploring estuaries, riding the surf in to the beach and for fishing: they regularly come back with a couple of decent sea bass for the barbeque :thumb:

As for lifejackets and flares, when we were kids we used to make rafts from old oil drums and planks tied together with baler twine.

Our kids will be doing the same when the weather's a bit warmer.

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[Chockswahay]

Is the inflatable Kayak a good idea or notoh: Some of you Funsters must have tried it or even still do. Your thoughts please:thumb:
Rob&Jane

We have a 2 man inflatable canoe. It is fine for a little paddle about in calm water on a wind less day. Generally I find them harder to paddle and harder to steer but at least you can get them in the boot! We have also had 2 punctures (which is 2 too many!)

We don't bother to use ours anymore, does that say something?

 

[SuperMike]

An inflatable will never sink!

Broken Link Removed

 

[magicsurfbus]

Among the surfing community kayaks are known as 'Goatboats'

I personally think the best type of kayak is a surfboard but I'm biased, having been dropped in on and nearly run down in the surf by too many flailing goatboaters in my time.

If it ever gets to the point where I'm unable to stand up on my own two feet I might consider getting one of those sit-on solid wave ski thingies, but only as a compromise to old age and infirmity.

I actually owned a kayak many moons ago but found it all a lot less interesting than I thought it would be.

Learn to surf and/or windsurf while you still can, and only consider sitting down on the water when you have to.

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[Chybax]

We have a Ocean Malibu 2 XL Kayaka ,tandem sit on
http://www.cornwall-canoes.co.uk/ocean-kayak-malibu-2.htm

Never tried an inflatable so cant comment on them. Dont know how good they are in windy weather!

Would recommend a Yak Buoyancy Aid, gloves are a must as hands can get very cold and a wet suit or wet suit shorts ( wet cold bum)

 

[jonandshell]

Just to keep things on-topic, despite the fact we like a good rigid canoe, we dismissed it due to the problems involved in carrying one on a coachbuilt.

The cost of roofbars and a rack, along with the problem of hoisting a 16 footer up on the roof was not worth the hassle. Also roof-flexing caused by that canoe or kayak in the slipstream could cause failed joints and water ingress (in the van, not canoe/kayak!).

The inflatable, although not the most wind-resistant, sleek craft, lives in a water proof backpack. We take a bus several miles upstream and then paddle back down.

Once back at the van, dry it down with a towel, pack it up and stow it in the garage until next time.

-Easy!:thumb:

 

[Rapphil]

Like jonandshell we have inflatable canoe (seyvlor Colorado) very stable but they only sit right on top of water so watch the wind on expanses of water.
Have used it on river Severn going downstream and riding back on the steam train, wonderful trip both ways! If by myself use a lightweight suitcase trolley to take the strain.
Rigid obviously better but have looked into all sorts of devices for getting one on roof but to no avail and as said could do damage to roof.

Mine was from Brookbank Canoes ordered as package at outdoor show.
Go for it but always treat the water with respect particularly at sea.

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[Cocoro]

Hi,

I have a Sevylor Diveyak in New Zealand which I have caught some very nice fish from either launching from the beach or from a friends sailing yacht. The idea to help avoid punctures is to not to have too shorter rod. It helps keeps the fish/hooks/spines away from the boat until your prepared to bring it aboard. But it's a 'sit on top' affair so you get very wet. Not tooo bad down there but up here, in the winter I don't want to get sooo wet.

I am no in the market for a kayak for the recently purchase van. There's plenty of space to put a rigid kayak on the roof but being 3.5m high I think it would stay there unless I was massively motivated to go for a spin. The speed of preparation is directly related to the amount you use a thing. Sailing yachts are a major case in point!

So now I'm looking at an inflatable to have some fun with but mainly to go catch dinner. I intend to use it on rivers, say in the South of France but pretty much anywhere I may be but my great wish is to get to the Med coast, out of season and catch some Sea Bream. I may if I get my skates on get down to Sagres in Portugal and use it there. I was looking at pure fishing designed kayaks like the Straightedge Angler but these are sit on tops and limited to one person. Fantastically kitted out for fishing but you need special clothing to combat the cold conditions and regular soakings.

I'm now drawn to the Gumotex boats which a friend has recently purchased. In fact the Baraka featured in the above video. He swears by it. Very, very stable, plenty of room for himself and his wife and importantly for them, their German Shepard. After all, they are German! I like it but speaking with the dealer he tells me it's quite wide and pretty slow and not design to be propelled by one person with a double paddle which I want to do. The Gumotex Scout would be the better choice although again, by one person not perfect. But it is a bit narrower and importantly is a faster boat therefore for one person easier to paddle. Ticks all the boxes really. Plenty of room for the fishing, cool box etc and able to carry Claire and I when we travel together and perhaps for dare I say it......Dolly & Grace the Lurso Poopsy or Lariso Lopsees or whatever they are called. Cute fluffy ankle biters.

I looked very hard at devices to lift a kayak onto the roof of a large motorhome and really found nothing that made the decision to go for a float an easy one. The best I saw was a workmans ladder loader called E Z Glide Ladder rack system. I spoke with them about modifying it for kayaks and they seemed amazed there would be a market but have a look and apart from the additional height for larger motorhomes, it looks fantastic!

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RbaG9dtLCS0"]WEATHER GUARD | EZ-Glide® System Ladder Rack - YouTube[/ame]

There are some sectional kayaks that lock together but the three pieces are still a problem to store at up to two metres long. The frame and skin kayaks that dismantle take a while to assemble and put away and one hole and your done. An inflatable at least has more chambers to keep you afloat. I'm afraid unless your a fanatical kayaker and need a rigid one then an inflatable for a motorhome is the way to go. After all, for very similar reasons, leisure craft liferafts are mostly inflatables as are their tenders and in all my time sailing I never saw one puncture or deflate. Slow leaks became apparent but very rarely a 'pop' and your in the drink! All lifejackets would be solid affairs if it were not for the very same reasons of practicality, space and agility that I now need an inflatable kayak for. I've trusted to an inflatable lifejacket many times without a thought. I think I can also with an inflatable kayak. But I have to say, I will be wearing a solid buoyancy aid when the conditions warrant it.

 

[jonandshell]

I can vouch for the quality of the Gumotex boats.

They are a lot more expensive than Sevylor, but they are much sturdier, easier to dry and more slippery through the water. Plus you get that nice drybag/backpack included!

We have a 'Palava' it has a 250Kg payload and can be paddled solo but I have only done this with a single paddle.

It has taken us around the Fens, The Mosel and the Severn with no problems at all.

On the subject of deflation, quality inflatables have multiple chambers. To puncture all those chambers at once would be as likely as losing a leg to a Great White in the river in the vid! You'll always have something to cling to however catastrophic the incident!

The Gumotex uses a hull material and push valves the same as yacht tenders, etc. I would suggest you get what you pay for with these boats. Just as you wouldn't take a £60 Halfords 'mountainbike' down an alpine descent, you don't want to be trying to do grade 3 with the Kayak advocated by the OP.