What to look for in Inflatable kayaks?

Kayaking has become a very popular outdoor sport for all walks of life. Great for family outings, friend and group gatherings on just about in any body of water.

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However, not everyone own a pick-up, large SUV or the ability to house a kayak trailer. 
What to look for in an inflatable kayak?

Many really don’t have the strength to hoist some of these hard shell kayaks from the top of their vehicle or the vehicle that could safely mount a hardshell kayak on top. Then there is the issue of portability, here is an example; during the winter you travel to warmer climate for your yearly 4 month vacation and you really enjoy kayaking, but its difficult to place a 15ft hardshell kayak in the cargo hold of a commercial airline. So what to do?

Well, let me tell you about my story; I drive a Mercedes and there is no way I was going to put a kayak roof rack on top, or a trailer hitch on my ride but I love kayaking and combining my wildlife photography in a kayak. I travel all over the southern states visiting many state parks, national parks, reserves which most have a lake, river or some form of body of water. In a kayak I can see wildlife that I can't see being land bound. I can get into areas where wildlife abounds and get there in stealth mode to capture breathtaking photographs. So my answer was an inflatable. However, the research was intensive. Ya see I have one more additional factor I have to look at and that's gators. Yes I live in Florida where gators are in almost every body of water. Even sometimes in my neighbors pool. There are many manufactures of inflatables and I researched them all before I settled on my manufacture of choice. Below is a list of inflatable kayak manufactures.

Manufacturers

Advanced  Element

Airis

Aquaglide

BIC
Coleman

Conquest

Grabness

Innova

Hobie

Intex

Sea Eagle

Sevylor

So there are several things to consider; Where you are going to paddle

• Sit-on-top or sit-in
• Beam Size
• Sport, leisure or fishing
• Solo or Tandem
• Durability
• Manufacturing materials
• Manufacturer Warranty
• Customer Service
• Certifications
• Cost

If you noticed cost is last as it should be. Let me explain. Lets look at each consideration. 

Where you are going to paddle; this plays a big roll in the decision making process. Will you be paddling on rivers with rapids class II, III or higher? Will you be paddling lazy rivers, lakes or how about ocean?

So in your research for your inflatable find out its rating to meet your needs. An improper rated kayak can cause some serious problems.

Sit-on-top or sit-in; These are the major types to consider. 

A sit-on-top is exactly what it sounds like. You sit pretty much on top above the waterline. These are the most stable, great for lakes, rivers with the occasional class I or II rapids. Very safe and difficult to capsize.

The sit-in is a type kayak you sit into below the waterline. These type are a lot of fun but not as stable as sit-on-top and can easily take on water. Too much water you will get tossed out. Not fun, I know.

Beam Size; 

The narrower the beam the faster the kayak but less stable. The larger the beam the better the stability. But if you're looking for speed the narrower the beam the narrower the kayak which cuts through the water faster.

Sport, leisure (Recreational) or fishing (Angler); 

For sport your probably looking at a kayak very long and with a narrow beam. 

For Whitewater like class IV/V rapids make sure that your kayak is self bailing but most importantly make sure that the kayak you choose is rated for the class rapids you plan on paddling.

Angler; And when it comes to fishing or the angler there are Angler kayaks. Certain inflatable kayaks can make excellent fishing boats. They are very comfortable and sometimes you can even have the option of mounting a small motor. The great thing about owning an inflatable fishing kayak is the ability to take it with you anywhere… on road trips, camping trips and traveling by airplane or by vehicle to far away destinations.

Recreational; The recreational kayak is the most popular and make up the largest segment of sales. A recreational kayak is a type of kayak that is designed for the casual paddler interested in recreational activities on a lake or flat water stream.

The most common considerations when choosing a recreational kayak include sit-on-top vs. sit-in, solo vs tandem, amount and type of cargo you expect to carry, and ease of transportation. Well, on the inflatable front ease of transportation is not an issue. 

AE1017 AF Sport

AE1007-G Convertible

Solo vs. Tandem; Solo or tandem kayak, either sit-on-top or sit-in, is really based on how you wish to enjoy this sport. I own both, solo when I want to just enjoy the tranquility of the lake or river I'm planning to paddle. Whereas the tandem when I want to just enjoy the conversation and camaraderie. Both have their challenges but the tandem requires cooperation from both parties. The strongest paddler should sit in the rear and let the front paddler dictate the pace.  Synchronization is the key to successful tandem paddling once you become a synchronized team tandem kayaking is a blast.


Durability; In the inflatables world durability is one of the most important factors. You know the old saying you get what you pay for? Could not be more true with the subject of durability. 

Many of the inflatables being offered could in no way pass my durability tests. Many are just glorified floaties with fancy colors that are very unstable. Also the inflatable does not have multi main chambers or if a single main chamber it's not protected with an outer skin, kinda like an inner-tube.  One protruding branch can and will easily puncture your boat and you're in trouble.

In this photo you see several different potential issues. Both occupants are not wearing their PFD's. The boat appears to have exceeded its weight limit making it very unstable. The durability of the boat is in question as the boat is buckling raising the bow and stern out of the water presenting potential dangerous situation. I know about this specific boat as I was asked to do a product review on it. It lasted 3 days before I sent it back. Very unstable if you inflate it to its manufacturing specifications as it tossed me out twice just trying to get on it. I have seen this boat out on rivers but have noticed that the owners under inflate them to improve their stability. 

Manufacturing materials; This to me is the most critical component of an inflatable kayak. The materials used and design is paramount. Having your air chambers with welded seams, surrounded by heavy-duty PVC Tarpaulin material and encased in a canvas zippered housing is a design for extreme puncture resistance. With the addition of either a backbone or Drop-stitch floor increases rigidity of your inflatable. Many companies are not even close to this level of technology.

Manufacturer Warranty; you want to do your homework here, many offer good warranties but many really don't stand behind them. Just make sure the inflatable company (manufacturer) you decide to purchase has a good reputation and does indeed stand behind their product. The reason I stated it that way is that many inflatable manufactures sell their their products through distributors, sporting good stores and internet like Amazon and eBay.

Customer Service; Customer Service regardless of how great their product is so important. If you have a situation with your kayak and need to contact their customer service you want a human on the other end or if by email you get a fast response with the goal to address and solve your situation fast and without any hassle. I have heard some real horror stories about some manufactures and many glowing reports on others. So keep that in mind when you are getting ready to make your choice.

Certifications; Some of the aspects of NMMA certification apply to kayaks, while others will not. The kayak’s capacity for horsepower, maximum weight, and number of persons are all things that a third party would look at when inspecting a kayak for NMMA certification.

Looking for a kayak that has NMMA certification is pretty simple. You’ll be able to find the NMMA certification logo on the yacht plate or capacity. This will be located near the helm plate. You can also check with the dealer if you fail to find it.

Whether or not your kayak is NMMA certified isn’t going to keep you from getting a kayak. It’s just something that is really in the best interests of you, and whoever else might use the kayak, to have when you go to purchase your kayak.

The combined standards of the USCG and ABYC result in a kayak that’s not only safe to use, but is also going to be able to perform according to its specifications.

Cost; I left cost as your last consideration as I have seen inflatable kayaks below $100 and as high as $2000. I personally don't place a price on myself or my families safety. There are many mid priced inflatables that will address safety. Firstly see if its certified. It is not for me to state your budgetary requirements. But I just ask to look at all the other considerations first.

So finally you might be wondering what inflatable kayak I settled on. Well after exhausting research I settled on Advanced Elements kayaks. Their build quality, technology applications and overall performance is hands down the winner in my book. Their Customer Service is exemplary and finally the product just looks cool. I own 5 of their kayaks now for all the different applications I employ to enjoy my sport.