Inflatable Kayak

We sold two single Sevylors recently. As long-term canoeists we thought they would be useful in extending our cruising. In reality, after the first enthusiasm wore off we found we couldn't be bothered with inflating them and setting them up, and they took up useful space. It was far easier to row the tender, already inflated.
 
Sevylor hudson i think we have two and a bit man size , bought as slightly bigger than colorado , im no wee un , thouroughly recommend , amazingly stable can step off stern onto it without worry of tipping , paddles easy and straight and was light enough for trouble and strife an i to carry up rocks and paddle length of loch coruisk , a must if you ever get chance .
 
Glad you reminded me. Forgot i have a new Bic Yakair 2 in the garage. Used it once and brilliant.Paddled and behaved like a rigid sea kayak.
 
Checked out the new mooring yesterday (perfect spot :D) right opposite Westlands where you can keep your tender - It's going to be much easier to use one of these a Sevylor adventure most of the time. The slip is only a few hundred yards from the boat.

http://www.garden4less.co.uk/sevylor-adventure-2-person-canoe-kayak.asp?partner=fr

Looked at one with a paddle yesterday for £200 - looked pretty strong with the tough fabric outer - shouldn't take long to inflate with a 12V pump from car, then boat!
 
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King Penguin said:
If my pockets were deeper, a Keppler folding kayak would be on my list as the water performance is as good as a rigid kayak and they fold down to the size of an inflatable.............
Click to expand...

I used to do the white water stuff in a single seat Klepper. I bought it new when I was 16 and I could afford it. Yes they are expensive today, probably due to a terrible currency exchange rate than in former times.

I do remember them as tippy to get into or out of, even on low river banks so I would not think a kayak would be OK to board from the high freeboard of a yacht.

I had a pedal operated rudder on mine so very stable in direction.

Those were good days. British Rail carried a folded kayak free of charge because of the sport thing. Tickets were cheap so travelling between rivers was just a choice of what you wanted to do rather than what you could afford to do.
 
Are the widely-available Sevylor range as tough as most of today's other inflatable boats? We prodded some in a Nauticalia store, and were concerned that they felt a bit soft - beach-toy territory. That may not be fair comment though - plenty of positive reports here.

Now for the inevitable stupid question...has anyone attempted to rig a leeboard and sail, for effortless journeying?
 
dancrane said:
Are the widely-available Sevylor range as tough as most of today's other inflatable boats? We prodded some in a Nauticalia store, and were concerned that they felt a bit soft - beach-toy territory. That may not be fair comment though - plenty of positive reports here.

Now for the inevitable stupid question...has anyone attempted to rig a leeboard and sail, for effortless journeying?
Click to expand...

Ok, nothing to do with inflatables but i'm going to buy a plastic welder and try this:) http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&v=eN2mNBASYQ4&feature=endscreen
 
dancrane said:
Are the widely-available Sevylor range as tough as most of today's other inflatable boats? We prodded some in a Nauticalia store, and were concerned that they felt a bit soft - beach-toy territory. That may not be fair comment though - plenty of positive reports here.

Now for the inevitable stupid question...has anyone attempted to rig a leeboard and sail, for effortless journeying?
Click to expand...

I looked at one of the cheaper £100 Sevylor ones and yes I wouldn't fancy going out it in it - as you say too beach dinghy in character for me, although probably perfectly OK. The Adventure models are externally wrapped in a type of fine open mesh fabric (plastic I presume!) and looked quite tough to stand up to abrasion. We shall see :eek: £200 all in with a £30 paddle and pump was a bargain :D

You can buy sails of varying types for Kayaks the decent one's from America are not cheap though about £500 the cheaper British junk rig type and 'V' shaped one's are a bit limiting for use! The danger with a sail is that you have to remember you will probably need to paddle back!
 
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If you want a serious kayak that is inflatable then you should have a look at the Sea Eagle. It is from the States but there are UK suppliers. It is not cheep but after spending loads of time looking at lots of different ones this one came out as the best. It can be adjusted for one or two people and tracks really well.
 
Sectional hard kayaks as alternative

In our experience - we sell them - a hard-shell kayak will perform much better than most if not all inflatable kayaks, certainly at the budget end. By "better" I mean you will get further or faster or both for the same amount of paddling effort. They are usually easier to keep in a straight line too (when you want to), not least because they also tend to have less windage.

The problem with solid kayaks is of course storage and transport, which is why the ones we sell (from Point 65 of Sweden) are sectional, ie made in two or more pieces that clip together... with the further advantage that you can use them as either a two-piece, one-person kayak; or a three-piece, two-person kayak. You can even add more "middles" if you wish.

They clip together in a few seconds, various videos online. Much quicker and easier than an inflatable (even with an electric pump) or "skin-on-frame" kayak.

The dismantled sections are of a size that will fit in an estate car, across the aft deck of a yacht, or even down a spare quarter berth if you have one. The stored volume is obviously greater than a deflated inflatable but a lot easier to deal with than an equivalent kayak in one piece.

Nothing is impossible to damage but these are rotomoulded plastic and we have been fairly rough with them (surfing onto gravelly beaches etc) without any problems. Certainly you can tow a fishing line without fear of punctures.

We sell the Point 65 range currently comprising:
- Tequila sit-on top (£489 for two-piece, inc backrest and paddle). A note on the backrest, it is removable but solid, so doesn't sag after a few minutes.
- Martini sit-inside

And will launch at London Boat Show 2013 their two new models:
- Apollo sit-on top with sections just 4ft 7" long (pricing tbc, but cheaper than Tequila)
- Mercury sit-inside, a higher performance version, 14ft one-person, 18ft two-person, with a bow section that "nests" into the cockpit

Hope this information is useful to anyone looking at an inflatable kayak - if you can deal with the pieces a sectional one must be worth consideration.

Ian, Nestaway Boats Ltd
 
Apollo sectional sit on. 8' 10" long complete with a 4' 7" long bow section.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=CQTNN6nv-jI

One review

Aug

7

2012
3.0Jury still out on this one
By J3G


Compact
Easy Entry & Exit
Good Maneuverability
Cons

Poor Tracking
Slow
Best Uses

Flat Waters
Rivers
Comments about Point 65 Apollo Sit-On-Top Kayak - Bow Section:

This boat is compact, no frills, when taken apart it will fit in the back of my Jetta with the seats down. Assembles in seconds feels stable on the water.Storage is easy since the boat is in two pieces and is flat.

Now the cons, this boat tracks very poor and is slow. That is to be expected with an almost 9 foot boat. Some hand grips anywhere in the side would be great for moving only grips are at each end. No drains except for the seam means water pools around your feet, bottle holder, both cargo areas. Very low profile in the water makes it look like you are sinking compared to other kayaks. Very little literature came with this kayak.

Overall if you really cannot store a normal kayak then this is a good option to own your own boat. I am unable to store a one piece boat so that is why this boat makes sense for me. The boat is a compromise and that is its greatest pro as well as its greatest con.
 
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Which ever inflatable canoe you buy, don't do what I did and keep it in the shed over winter (was an end of 2011 season bargain at SBS) - 1st time we got it out this year we discovered the mice had destroyed it in several places. Kids (and me) very disappointed.
 
Sorry to hear that, blimmen mice :rolleyes: they lunched on my boat cover and Scout tent. I have moved the sprayhood into the loft, we've only got squirrels up there :eek:

I will stick with the Sevylon inflatable as you are more protected in winter. A wet sit on this time of year is not a good idea but the Point65 Tequila would be a good idea for seasonal sailors. It's also half the price!
 
Apollo sectional kayak

Re Apollo kayak - we haven't seen or tried one ourselves yet, the first officially imported one in UK is going to be on our stand at London Boat Show. Or not, if when we see it/try it in early January we don't think it's worth selling!

However I suspect the quoted comments from an online review, about the Apollo being "slow" with "poor tracking" need to be put in context, ie "when compared to longer kayaks".

The Apollo is cheaper and even more compact to store than the already popular Tequila, so we think there may be a market for it even if a little performance is sacrificed due to its shorter length. Please let's not write off a product based on one online review, before it's even reached these shores...

Re the lack of drains etc that's probably indicative of the intended market. Lazy days on the river in the sunshine, not wilderness whitewater expeditions... a lot of kayak owners in the "sunshine" category fit (or invent if not supplied) plugs to the drain holes, so that they don't get water coming UP through them.

Some other comments, in no particular order:
- As a general rule, when carrying the same load, a longer kayak will be easier-driven/faster, and easier to keep in a straight line, than a shorter one. This applies equally to inflatables, so if you're looking at two inflatables of otherwise similar design/construction then we'd nearly always recommend the longer one.
- As a further generalisation a hard kayak is going to perform better than an inflatable one. Many people are perfectly happy with their inflatables, but then astonished how much easier it is to make progress when they try a solid one. You'll get further or be less tired after the same distance.
- The Tequila Solo (two-piece one-person) is actually longer than a lot of single person sit-on-tops, partly, we guess, because it can be (it divides in two for easier transport/storage).
- the really cheap inflatable kayaks tend to sag in the middle, which doesn't help performance. You can't pump them up any harder because the (usually single skin pvc) fabric just stretches... if the budget will stretch the double skin ones are better and ideally one with a high pressure reinforced floor.
- There are some excellent inflatable "hybrids" about with framing to improve stiffness and shape (and/or framed kayaks with inflatable bits) but these types are not at the cheap end of the market nor the quickest things to assemble.

Ian, Nestaway Boats Ltd
 
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