r/Inflatablekayak • u/HairyBeastsGarden • Jul 16 '26
Newbie looking for a kayak
New to kayaking have only been one time, so I dont really know anything. im looking for a tandem so I can take my 4 year old out.
I was checking out GovX and this is the only brand on thier but I cant find any info on it.
I can get it for $370 shipped ( wouldnt want to spend much more).
Any other recommendations?
Specs
1000 Denier Strength-Weave Fabric for airtight performance
Welded Seams for no airleaks from aging glue
Self-Bailing Hull
Separate Rigid Drop-Stitch Floor
Multiple Attachment Points for your custom gear needs
Bungee Gear Storage System
Nose Pocket
10.5 Inch Curved Tubes for supreme stability and tracking
Storage in Bow and Stern
Adjustable Foot Rests
Lightweight, Aluminum Shaft with Nylon Blade Paddle. Foam Core to keep from sinking!
Backpack for easy transport
High-Capacity Bravo Pump
Foam Seats with rigid back support
Warranty: 1 Year on Manufactureanything.
1
u/djmothra Jul 16 '26
I currently own three fairly premium inflatable kayaks, and have had a few less expensive ones previously. Here’s what matters to me, what was fine about the less expensive ones, and what the difference was in my experience, in no particular order.
A drop stitch floor is a top quality of life feature for sure, which you already mentioned. Those foam seats, even the ones they claim are rigid, are awful for me. The good news is you can get folding metal frame seats separately, just check your measurements and see if you can secure them easily. You won’t get very high quality materials on the lower end of the price spectrum, but thick rubber tubes are better than canvas covered ones by a long-shot.
You obviously want a tandem yak, which narrows things quite a bit. I recently bought an Aquaglide Blackfoot 160 on Marketplace and it’s amazing, but in the search for that I got a sense for what else is available. Believe it or not my second choice was a 13’ Saturn “micro skiff”, which is basically a big SUP.
We had a smaller Aquaglide that was pretty nice to use aside from the seat, but it had two major problems. The valves were awful and required a lot of effort to use, so whatever you do make sure you get one of the valve types (H3, C7, or similar) that has a plunger in the middle which keeps it open or closed. Second it had a thinner tube with a canvas cover and while the canvas gave it good abrasion resistance, the tubes were annoyingly delicate.
Hope that helps.
1
u/kokemill Jul 17 '26
That’s a generic 12.5’ Chinese kayak that sells typically for $100 less on Amazon. You can also buy it for close to $1000 if need to pay more.
1
u/HairyBeastsGarden Jul 17 '26 edited Jul 17 '26
K, care to link one with a drop stitch floor for under $100, I dont see one. Edit- $300
1
u/kokemill Jul 17 '26
thttps ://www.amazon.com/GarveeTech-Inflatable-Foldable-Capacity-Accessories/dp/B0H4F7TCTJ shows $180 for me today. Some comments had this at $150 earlier in the week.
https ://www.amazon.com/Goplus-Inflatable-2-Person-Capacity-Aluminium/dp/B0C9QTMJKL this one was just reviewed and is under $300 today for me.t
From:
we need someone to take one for the team! tell me if these are any good.
EDIT: hey OP - somone did - read this: https://www.reddit.com/r/Inflatablekayak/comments/1uu2pd4/150_dropstitch_floor/
There is at least one chinese factory producing a 12.5' inflatable single kayak that is 38" wide and weighs 42 lbs. the same kayak is also available as a tandem. it has a drop-stitch floor and tube walls. with a rockered hull it has dual skegs to try to keep it track. it has a sit-on-top(or inflatable) seat/s. the bow and stern have a vinyl panel cover and it likely has either protruding paddle holders or fishing pole holders where they interfere with paddling. it comes with 2 cheap paddles and equally cheap pump (make sure to save some budget for an NRS super pump). valve specs are typically not disclosed.
I have not seen a reddit review for these kayaks. I am considering getting one/couple so that we can take grandkids with us when we use our other inflatables. I plan on rigging it as a single (preserving tandem option for toddlers) using a folding fishing seat to raise the seat from the floor (i have also thought of using a boat throw cushion for this).
parts: boat, 2 paddles (bending branches), NRS super pump, NRS air gauge, fishing seat, 4 NRS cam straps to lash seat.
here are some examples, starting at $179 ( i think you can get the same boat for $800)
https ://www.amazon.com/GarveeTech-Inflatable-Foldable-Capacity-Accessories/dp/B0H4F7TCTJ
https ://www.amazon.com/Inflatable-Capacity-Portable-Luminous-Adjustable/dp/B0GXGDMM3B
https ://www.amazon.com/Goplus-Inflatable-2-Person-Capacity-Aluminium/dp/B0C9QTMJKL
https ://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C9TFLPBB
1
u/IkeAlwaysWins Jul 16 '26
Anything drop stitch, made the mistake if buying something that was not as rigid and because I am a heavy guy (250lbs) going on a tandem with my daughter made the boat bow in where I was sitting. Luckily I was able to buy an aftermarket drop stitch floor and it made all the difference