Need to occasionally cross rivers - what to use?

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WinterFire

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Hi all. I'm not quite sure where I should post this question.

I need some sort of aquatic transportation device. While the full explanation would be long winded and complicated, I need to be able to cycle along rivers, but occasionally stop, cross the medium sized slow moving river, do some stuff, and then return.

I would like to ask what sort of aquatic transportation device would be most suitable for this purpose.

I've done a bit of research, and have found a boat called an 'Intex Seahawk 2' which seems reasonably priced, and folded up could be carried on a bicycle.

Lidl at the moment are selling an inflatable kayak for the same price, but I had a look at one that someone had bought (met them beside the river :) ) and I am not confident that the material is strong enough. I'm concerned that underwater dead brambles etc. would do for that Lidl one in no time flat. Reviews of the Intex have complimented the material it's made from, so I'm guessing it's a stronger material than the Lidl one.

The Sevylor Rivera 2 is advertised as having a 'backpack system'. I'm guessing that the Intex will be smaller folded up and that there will be ... 'some way' of attaching it to my back or the bicycle. The Sevylor is also twice the price. Given my intended use, would it be worth spending more? Based on some youtube videos I've seen, I'm wondering if the Intex, being simpler, would be easier to patch when the inevitable puncture happens. Or, am I mistaken in that?

The Intex has plastic paddles, and I've seen warnings not to use too much force. However, given the exceptionally short distances I'd be doing, would gentle use of the oars give them a reasonable life, or are they so weak that proper oars are in order right from the start.

It would be ... possible to paddle across on a £10 Argos lilo, but I'm a bit concerned about ending up stranded with a deflated lilo. I could easily swim across pulling a waterproof bag of stuff, but I need council permission for what I'm doing, and I don't think they will go for that. And having to get changed on both sides would be a bit of a pain.

I would greatly appreciate it if anyone could give me advice on the best boat-or-similar to use for this purpose. General advice on what I'm doing would also be appreciated.

Note: I'm an experienced open water swimmer, and do have experience paddling inflatable kayaks during swimming events, and was trained to do that kayaking role. Just in case anyone's concerned that I'm utterly ignorant of the water and likely putting myself in danger.
 
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Just had a look at the Intex offering, it seems to be a lightweight pvc inflatable, single skinned. I'd be very wary of using it anywhere that you're likely to encounter sharp objects or thorns as the skin is too fragile for your proposed use. I'd instead look a thing the Sevylor offering, as they use a heavyweight pvc/cordura outer casing over light weight bladders. Their canoes also have glued on skegs on high wear areas to increase the resistance to punctures and wear. Yes, they are heavier and bulkier but they'll survive far better than the Intex offering.
Paddles: we use plastic bladed ones with aluminium handles. I'd be wary of entirely plastic ones as they're likely to be cheap and fragile.
 
WinterFire said:
Hi all. I'm not quite sure where I should post this question.

I need some sort of aquatic transportation device. While the full explanation would be long winded and complicated, I need to be able to cycle along rivers, but occasionally stop, cross the medium sized slow moving river, do some stuff, and then return.

I would like to ask what sort of aquatic transportation device would be most suitable for this purpose.

I've done a bit of research, and have found a boat called an 'Intex Seahawk 2' which seems reasonably priced, and folded up could be carried on a bicycle.

Lidl at the moment are selling an inflatable kayak for the same price, but I had a look at one that someone had bought (met them beside the river :) ) and I am not confident that the material is strong enough. I'm concerned that underwater dead brambles etc. would do for that Lidl one in no time flat. Reviews of the Intex have complimented the material it's made from, so I'm guessing it's a stronger material than the Lidl one.

The Sevylor Rivera 2 is advertised as having a 'backpack system'. I'm guessing that the Intex will be smaller folded up and that there will be ... 'some way' of attaching it to my back or the bicycle. The Sevylor is also twice the price. Given my intended use, would it be worth spending more? Based on some youtube videos I've seen, I'm wondering if the Intex, being simpler, would be easier to patch when the inevitable puncture happens. Or, am I mistaken in that?

The Intex has plastic paddles, and I've seen warnings not to use too much force. However, given the exceptionally short distances I'd be doing, would gentle use of the oars give them a reasonable life, or are they so weak that proper oars are in order right from the start.

It would be ... possible to paddle across on a £10 Argos lilo, but I'm a bit concerned about ending up stranded with a deflated lilo. I could easily swim across pulling a waterproof bag of stuff, but I need council permission for what I'm doing, and I don't think they will go for that. And having to get changed on both sides would be a bit of a pain.

I would greatly appreciate it if anyone could give me advice on the best boat-or-similar to use for this purpose. General advice on what I'm doing would also be appreciated.

Note: I'm an experienced open water swimmer, and do have experience paddling inflatable kayaks during swimming events, and was trained to do that kayaking role. Just in case anyone's concerned that I'm utterly ignorant of the water and likely putting myself in danger.
Click to expand...

A packraft is designed to do exactly why you're describing. *Might* be more than you're thinking of spending though.
 
If you are not taking the bike across the river with you, then a coracle might be answer. It could be carried on a small trailer behind the bike.
 
Thanks for the replies.

I've seen coracles at various festivals. Having to tow a trailer through rough paths may be a bit of a challenge.

The cheaper Seylvor offerings such as the Rivera and Tahiti also say that they are made out of PVC according to online information. (E.g. at Decathlon.) This review claims that the Seahawk is:

http://mrdungenesscrabber.com/intex-seahawk-2-review-by-mr-dungeness-crabber/

I would give the durability level on this intex inflatable boat 8 out of 10. The material is made out of 30 gauge vinyl which is very strong and heat resistant. Similar high performance inflatable boats, such as the seahawk 4, mariner 4, excursion 5, and the sevylor fish hunter 360, use the exact same vinyl. The 30 gauge vinyl is not puncture proof but highly puncture resistant. I have accidentally crashed my boat onto rocks with barnacles and came out without any holes.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure what 30 gauge vinyl is. I'm guessing that to get a more resistant Sevylor, it'd would be considerably more expensive than the Rivera. Which models are more robust. I have experience of using a Sevylor model with a canvas like outer shell and bladders, but it's too big folded up to carry on a bike.

This review says that the Intex Mariner is a better boat (at 5-6 times the price), but that the quality of the seahawk material 'comes close'. It is a site called 'Intex Reviews', so they are biased. http://intexproductreviews.com/buy-inflatable-boat-reviews-of-the-top-3-inflatables

I note that the reviewer of the Seahawk has had 'half a dozen' punctures, and makes recommendations for what type of glue to use for repairs.
 
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tricky one that. most decent eg infaltable boats are bit heavy to carry with a bike for any distance

lilo not the worst idea - cheap but pretty fragile

some bikes float eg some MTB's - if your chain is well oiled, and your kit in a dry bag, pull both with a sling/bit of rope. may be worth checking on the bouyancy of the bike 1st tho ;-)

or 2 rubble sacs and trussed up like a "post office parcel" - not quite sure why one guy did this, when the rest of us used dry bags but worked well; https://www.flickr.com/photos/eddiecrawford/6163583295/in/album-72157627589870417/

where are you thinking of going?
 
I'm mainly now concerned about @Duncan99210's response. It seems that most boats in a low price range will have vinyl the same as or weaker than the Seahawk. If the 30 gauge vinyl on the Seahawk is too weak, then I might just be out of luck.

Since I won't use it that much and won't go very far, is getting good through practice at vinyl repair an option?

Packrafts seem to be about £600, which is more than I was hoping to pay.

At those prices, it would be almost worth buying a Seahawk and if it turns out to be unusable due to punctures every time, then thinking what to do then.

I don't need to take the bicycle across. And if I use my everyday bike with its superheavy steel frame, I'm quite confident that it would drag me down into the depths along with it, never to be seen again.

I'm not planning to travel with the boat, just using it to occasionally get across the river to do 'stuff', and then back again. So, no travel up and down the river, just across and back.

The wooden portaboats look interesting, but I'd need to transport them.
 
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My father used to tow a wood and canvas canoe behind a bicycle many years ago.
I suspect he used to be fitter than I ever was.

A quick google suggests such things still go on.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oaMc3Ouzgog

Luckily, if you are going along the river bank, it shouldn't be too hilly.

I was down in Cornwall the other day, I saw some bloke use a 'ringo' inflatable toy, intended to be towed behind a powerboat, as a sort of coracle tender to get to his boat mid-harbour. They are very tough material I think?
 
Drysuit and a pair of fins?
Remove the fins before riding the bike, they will catch on the front wheel...
 
I have several wetsuits, and training fins. But, that won't be popular. And, it takes time to change into and out of. I was hoping to get across without changing.

I've just remembered that I have, as part of an organised event, floated down a river on one of these:

96297201_l.jpg


£5.99! And, interestingly, made by Intex.

But, floating down the middle of a river is a very different proposition from approaching the edges.

Lots of good ideas here. I suspect that whatever I do it will be some kind of compromise.
 
WinterFire said:
I have several wetsuits, and training fins. But, that won't be popular. And, it takes time to change into and out of. I was hoping to get across without changing.

I've just remembered that I have, as part of an organised event, floated down a river on one of these:

96297201_l.jpg


£5.99! And, interestingly, made by Intex.

But, floating down the middle of a river is a very different proposition from approaching the edges.

Lots of good ideas here. I suspect that whatever I do it will be some kind of compromise.
Click to expand...

that looks the best idea :-)
 
Packrafting

Following on from Mark's reply. Caught this flicking thru the Observer this morning Packraft Adventure from tirio.co.uk, they use 'German made Anfibio Packraft which weighs 2kg and can carry up to 180kg, a quick search shows them retailing at eur529. Perhaps more expensive but ideal for your needs?
 
I can't be the only one reading this thread and wondering about what the 'stuff' is that the op needs to cross the river to do :confused:
 
The hovercraft is definitely :D That would raise some eyebrows.

For the packraft, they would certainly be convenient. But, would they be any more robust to punctures than 30 gauge PVC? At a wild guess, I'd expect that what you pay for is similar puncture proof characteristics at vastly reduced weight.

Re: Stuff/purpose. I may be new here but I've been online since the late 1980s. I'd rather keep the 'stuff' out of this thread to stop it going off topic. If anyone really wants to know, please PM me. I've sent a PM to CLB.

For those who are OK with a bit of mystery, just take note that I need to take clothing (e.g. wellies), tools, and safety equipment across in the boat.
 
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