----==== Which kayak to choose. HELP pls =====------

[Thriftyarek888]

I am planning to be kayaking on the THames river and have come down to 3 choices:

1.

GYMAX Inflatable Kayak Set, 2-Person Inflatable Boat with Aluminum Oars, EVA Padded Seat, Fins, Hand Pump, Repair Kit and Carry Bag​

2. KOETSU P02 Inflatable Single/Double Kayak, Mixed Color, PVC, with Paddle, Pump

3. Aqua Marina Steam 412 - 2 Person Inflatable Kayak Package

Which one is better for single person with 40 kg of gear. This will be even 24 h river adventure.
Also if there is a better choice than those please tell.
I am also in on very tight budget of no more than £500.

Thanks

 

[ithet]

I am no expert, but have just bought a Seago Vancouver direct from Seago website for £299 + £10.delivery. Seems very good and looks similar to the first one you posted, it is one or two person with dropstiched floor.

But have not tried it yet (apart from in our lounge!).

 

[RivalRedwing]

Jings, call me old school but if I were paddling any distance on the tidal Thames I would have a proper kayak in plastic or fibreglass and a couple of friends along too. Different kettle of fish if on the non tidal Thames, please advise.

 

[LittleSister]

I strongly support what RivalRedwing has said.

Except in nice, calm weather and a very sheltered location, on the tidal Thames you want a proper rigid (or very expensive folding) enclosed sea kayak, not an inflatable open canoe. Not to mention training in paddling, self-rescue, tides and currents, and general navigation and safety

if you are confining yourself to non-tidal waters and are willing to accept the shortcomings of inflatable canoes (including hard work to paddle, little space inside, and very much affected by wind), I suggest you discard your short-list, buy something second-hand, and see how you get on. You will very likely change your priorities and preferences, in which case you can then sell it for what you paid for it and buy something that you are more confident will better suit you, or maybe it will prove adequate for your needs in which case you'll have saved a lot of money. General purpose inflatable canoes are an impulse buy and most will be rarely used, so there should be plenty around second-hand.

 

[RivalRedwing]

I strongly support what RivalRedwing has said.

Except in nice, calm weather and a very sheltered location, on the tidal Thames you want a proper rigid (or very expensive folding) enclosed sea kayak, not an inflatable open canoe. Not to mention training in paddling, self-rescue, tides and currents, and general navigation and safety

if you are confining yourself to non-tidal waters and are willing to accept the shortcomings of inflatable canoes (including hard work to paddle, little space inside, and very much affected by wind), I suggest you discard your short-list, buy something second-hand, and see how you get on. You will very likely change your priorities and preferences, in which case you can then sell it for what you paid for it and buy something that you are more confident will better suit you, or maybe it will prove adequate for your needs in which case you'll have saved a lot of money. General purpose inflatable canoes are an impulse buy and most will be rarely used, so there should be plenty around second-hand.

Join a club too...

 

[billskip]

not an inflatable open canoe.

So these inflatable tenders are no good for the sea then?

 

[fredrussell]

The trouble with inflatable kayaks and canoes is that they sit on the water, rather than in it. A rigid boat would be more suitable. These will track better and be A LOT less work with much less corrective paddle strokes.

 

[LittleSister]

So these inflatable tenders are no good for the sea then?

For the open sea, no.

Anywhere with strong winds, strong tide/current, big waves, no.

In a harbour, on a gentle sheltered narrow river, or on a beach with a gentle onshore wind, could be useful/fun.

If you want to go to sea in a canoe, then get trained, get practised, go with experienced others, and buy a proper sea kayak from one of the probably not more than a handful of specialist sea kayak manufacturers on general sale at any one time (it will cost a lot more than £500 new, even without the other kit you'll need). Not a beach toy from Chinese toy/household product manufacturers.

 

[DreadShips]

I've not done it, but I'd happily load my inflatable kayak with enough gear to camp overnight and head off down the river. It wouldn't be as good for the job as a proper canoe - as others have said, they're really susceptible to wind - but it'd work if you can accept the penalty and certainly has enough space. One thing in their favour is they're a lot more stable than a rigid canoe. Definitely not suitable anywhere you can be blown offshore though.

Do Decathlon still do the thing of buying them back? Might be more cost efficient for trying it out?

 

[Mark-1]

I am planning to be kayaking on the THames river and have come down to 3 choices:

I'd agree with everyone else that rigid would be far better. Even a SOT works ok, and can carry more "awkward" luggage. (Eg a tent that doesn't need to fit in a hatch.) I've done 30 miles on a SOT and taken camping stuff on it, it worked fine.

Having said that I'd guess there's a good reason you're looking at inflatables and you don't have the option for a rigid. If an inflatable is your only option then maybe try it on a few trial runs, you might find you can make it work.

Have you seen Ed Pratt's videos?

Ed Pratt

 

[billskip]

For the open sea, no.

Anywhere with strong winds, strong tide/current, big waves, no.

Many people I see anchored off shore 100+mtrs use their inflatable to come ashore, I use to use mine...

 

[RivalRedwing]

The OP really needs to come back and tell us where on the Thames he intends to use this craft, then we can advise with greater confidence...

 

[Cspirit]

Have a look at these. I have used a double version of one of this company’s kayaks on rivers and at sea - Channel and Med - with no problems.

Kayaks

 

[MagicalArmchair]

We (and Sailing Fairisle for that matter) have one of these, and it is super stable and super fast.



https://www.decathlon.co.uk/p/infla...fhabjlMv6zDoM0Wh9sGAYduk54-Iqh0caAgyqEALw_wcB

 

[billskip]

I also had a white box that I was told it's a life raft.. guess what ...its inflatable....

 

[Pye_End]

I also had a white box that I was told it's a life raft.. guess what ...its inflatable....

How far do you reckon you could paddle it in a day?

 

[Baddox]

Pick whichever boat appeals to you, they won’t go very far or fast but will be OK for carrying a paddler and gear and you will learn to kayak in them.

If you enjoy it enough that you want to use a kayak more frequently then the limitations of the boats in the links will soon become apparent.



I couldn’t open all the links you posted but the ones I saw showed inflatables with skeg. The skeg is a fin or fins on the bottom to help tracking in straight lines. This will help a beginner but hinder someone with a little experience who wants a more manoeuvrable boat for use on moving water.

The flat bottom of the boats will aid manoeuvrability but will make it slower and take more effort to paddle any distance. Even with the skegs you’ll struggle at first to go in a straight line, add any wind except a following wind and you’ll find directional control is harder. Balancing the paddler position and weight will help you – do you really need a two person boat?

In an open boat like that you will get wet on all but the calmest days so budget for a wetsuit if you’re not going to be restricted to calm, warm days.

A long, narrow boat with a “V” shaped hull profile is usually used for straight line paddling and efficient touring. The boats you link to are none of these so will take more effort to use.

I wouldn’t use them in the sea if there was much wind or waves, not because they are inflatable but because they will end up with splashes of water accumulating up in the boat without drainage. Also, I’d want one where I could brace my legs to angle the boat.

I see that there are several places on the Thames where you can hire kayaks, this may be a better place to try some different boats and decide if you like kayaking.

You’ll need a licence to paddle on the river; this can be bought alone or is included with British Canoeing annual membership.

 

[harvey38]

It depends on what you want to get from it!

To me an SOT 'Kayak' is not a Kayak at all. It is an inflatable boat propelled using a paddle.

A true Kayak is a very efficient way of moving through many different types of water, easily manoeuvred, very robust and not adversely affected by wind or tide.

 

[ctva]

I am planning to be kayaking on the THames river and have come down to 3 choices:

1.

GYMAX Inflatable Kayak Set, 2-Person Inflatable Boat with Aluminum Oars, EVA Padded Seat, Fins, Hand Pump, Repair Kit and Carry Bag​

2. KOETSU P02 Inflatable Single/Double Kayak, Mixed Color, PVC, with Paddle, Pump

3. Aqua Marina Steam 412 - 2 Person Inflatable Kayak Package

Which one is better for single person with 40 kg of gear. This will be even 24 h river adventure.
Also if there is a better choice than those please tell.
I am also in on very tight budget of no more than £500.

Thanks

I am not familiar with the three that you mention but we bought the Seago Vancouver last year and it is a really good boat which is in your budget, with drop stitch floor and made from good pvc like their tenders. It paddles well, tracks well even without the skeg fitted.

For the best chance of canoe/kayak knowledge share on your question, have a look at the UK based Song of the Paddle Forum which is a very friendly place.

 

[philwebb]

I don’t think that you need a licence below Teddington lock. The river is tidal below the lock.
I would think twice before using an inflatable canoe, there’s too much rubbish in the river, especially close to bridges.
Old shopping trollies and bike frames for example!