Inflatable kayaks

[wonky]

Hello folks, just about to purchase one of these Sevylor kayaks for my imminent trip to the south west, anybody got one? I'm going to go for the cheapest one (£85) unless one of you knowledgeable people tell me otherwise!

Cheers Wonky.

 

[jfm]

They're brilliant Wonky. I have 2 on board and we have had hours of fun out of them. However, the first one I got years ago was the cheap one and wasn't as good as the more expensive ones, which are made of a full stitched canvas outer skin and a pvc "bladder" inside, so that when you inflate them they become very rigid becuase of the canvas outer bag. The best model for 2-persons is the sevylor colorado, about £280 iirc

 

[longjohnsilver]

They're brilliant Wonky. I have 2 on board and we have had hours of fun out of them. However, the first one I got years ago was the cheap one and wasn't as good as the more expensive ones, which are made of a full stitched canvas outer skin and a pvc "bladder" inside, so that when you inflate them they become very rigid becuase of the canvas outer bag. The best model for 2-persons is the sevylor colorado, about £280 iirc

I'd go for the slightly larger Hudson, 2adults + child, if you're tall like me just gives that bit more space. Great fun and surprisingly stable, and well made. Even more surprisingly it went back into its bag when deflated.

 

[fireball]

They're brilliant Wonky. <snip> The best model for 2-persons is the sevylor colorado, about £280 iirc

Yup - got one of them too .... nice if you just want to pootle about without an outboard ...

 

[The Binman]

Yup - got one of them too .... nice if you just want to pootle about without an outboard ...

However..............If you do strap a plank across the tubes and hang an outboard on it they go like stink!!

 

[Philiz]

However..............If you do strap a plank across the tubes and hang an outboard on it they go like stink!!

Why am I not surprised you've done that

 

[fireball]

However..............If you do strap a plank across the tubes and hang an outboard on it they go like stink!!

What sized outboard? would a 2.5 2stroke do?!

 

[The Binman]

What sized outboard? would a 2.5 2stroke do?!

2.5 HP two stroke will be fine. I used my faithful 5 hp (3.5 but 5 hp for an extra £50) Tohatsu. It makes my kayak fly. have to hold on mind!

By the way your kayak might get a bit hot!








Which just goes to show you can have your kayak and heat it!

 

[wonky]

2.5 HP two stroke will be fine. I used my faithful 5 hp (3.5 but 5 hp for an extra £50) Tohatsu. It makes my kayak fly. have to hold on mind!

By the way your kayak might get a bit hot!

Which just goes to show you can have your kayak and heat it!

Love it

Thanks for all your replies, even you Binman, you mentalist!!

 

[benjenbav]

I've been on the boat this week doing odd jobs mostly. But as befits a working man, I'm entitled to have a pint in the pub at lunchtime.

Anyhoo, as I was walking back from the Ship to Berthon yesterday, having read this thread, my eyes lit upon the display in front of Yachtmail where they had a Sevylor Canyon and a Sevylor Riviera next to each other (the former being a canvas covered tube model; the latter not).

The difference in price was about £130 but I thought they looked world's apart. In fact I nearly bought the Canyon to float back to the boat and the only thing that stopped me was that the river was so full of mud after the flooding on Thursday that I didn't really fancy it.

 

[Ripster]

I've been looking at one of these too - two or three seater. First thing I found is that oars are extra on the price on the basis that you have to choose the type of oar you want. So from the experience Kayakers then for a two man vessel are single or double oars best?

 

[clyst]

They're brilliant Wonky. I have 2 on board and we have had hours of fun out of them. However, the first one I got years ago was the cheap one and wasn't as good as the more expensive ones, which are made of a full stitched canvas outer skin and a pvc "bladder" inside, so that when you inflate them they become very rigid becuase of the canvas outer bag. The best model for 2-persons is the sevylor colorado, about £280 iirc

Have a look at this before you buy.http://reviews.ebay.co.uk/Sevylor-Canyon-sc320-inflatable-canoe_W0QQugidZ10000000016654512

 

[lovezoo]

I've been looking at one of these too - two or three seater. First thing I found is that oars are extra on the price on the basis that you have to choose the type of oar you want. So from the experience Kayakers then for a two man vessel are single or double oars best?

For a kyak you need paddles with a blade at each end like these:

 

[sarabande]

what's with the keen types who make do with what looks like a plain piece of board from a pallet ? Is it for élites only ?

 

[Ripster]

For a kyak you need paddles with a blade at each end like these:

OK - thanks for that.

 

[wonky]

I found a good paddle in yachtmail @ Swanwick. It comes with a spare handle so that you can split it in 2 and 2 of you can have a single one each. If that makes sense to anyone can they translate it into English

 

[jfm]

I thought they looked world's apart.

Ah, the Ship. Brings back nice memories, of the pub and stumbling up/down the little cobbled hill.

Yup, canvas covered ones are much much better

Regarding the paddles, I prefer the simple ones with just one blade, because we usually have two people in the canoe. But each to their own

BJB, is your apostrophe key stuck or have you been spending too long on Facebook again?

 

[Kilter]

I've been looking at one of these too - two or three seater. First thing I found is that oars are extra on the price on the basis that you have to choose the type of oar you want. So from the experience Kayakers then for a two man vessel are single or double oars best?

I find the double bladed paddles far easier and more efficient. Having one that comes apart in the middle as mentioned above does give you the option of single paddles and is somewhat easier to stow.

 

[fireball]

Having had the single blades we've now got 1 double to test ...

the problem with the singles is that I paddle much harder than SWMBO so we end up going round in circles ...
Having a double paddle will enable me to make clear directional decisions and leave SWMBO "show paddling"
I'm not sure SWMBO realises that I'll make the decisions on where to go .... but I'm sure she'll remind me if we're not going where she's allowed me to decide to go!

 

[lovezoo]

If anyone doesn't know, the technique for two people paddling a kyak (both with proper twin-blade paddles), is for the person in the front to take the lead. The person in the back then synchronises their strokes with the lead paddler, so they are both paddling on the same side at the same time. This is much more effective than paddling out of sync, or paddling with a couple of toy boat paddles.

For an inflatable kyak where you are just mucking about, you only need one set of paddles and you can take it in turns to have a go. If your passenger is a) female, b) attractive and c) wearing a bikini, she can turn round and sit facing you at the other end of the boat.