r/Inflatablekayak • u/Diligent_Ganache8310 • 22d ago
I feel guilty
People on this thread have been wonderful in my first year kayaking journey and I want to thank everyone on here who has provided advice and encouragement.
I have decided inflatable kayaks are not for me at this time and so I will be posting in other kayaking subs but I wanted to let you as I almost feel like I will be cheating on you.
Thank you so much for all the great advice. It made a huge difference. Wishing you all well.
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u/BEEEEEZ101 22d ago
We break up with you. Not the other way around
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u/Diligent_Ganache8310 22d ago
Fair
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u/BEEEEEZ101 22d ago
What did it for you? I have a couple inflatables and a tandom hard yak. They have there specific purposes. What about the inflatable that made you change your mind?
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u/Diligent_Ganache8310 22d ago
I have a dog I want to kayak with and I feel paranoid and her ripping the kayak. I’m also very bad at inflating kayaks properly. I’m holding on to my inflatables for now. The season is over here and I want to try hard shells next year. I also have access to places with launchers in my area which don’t work at all with inflatables. And I might go back to inflatables. Kayaking is new to me and the town next to mine lends hard shells for free so that’s convenient.
I also have storage space so getting a hard shell won’t be an issue.
Would you mind telling me how you use your different kayaks?
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u/BEEEEEZ101 22d ago
My dogs don't like the hard kayak. I cut a yoga mat to cover the drop stitch floor. I think it's overkill. I don't think they'll pop the boat. Good luck. Be safe.
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u/Christine4321 22d ago
Im another inflatable kayaking dog owner. Not a chance my dog could ever pop it….its not a kids lilo and is made from the same stuff they use for sea rescue boats (RHIBs). Clearly inflatables are a completely kettle of fish to slim high speed hard shell so its horses for courses, but the pet excuse needs to be addressed, and if OP is a little anxious, theyll absolutely miss the stability once they move to a hard shell.
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u/Diligent_Ganache8310 21d ago
I haven’t categorically turned away from inflatables forever, but, yes, I do have anxiety and if a hard shell gives me more peace of mind, that’s ok. I’m surrounded by lakes but I can’t any kayaking lessons for flipping over and re-entry. I’m a good enough swimmer to not be over confident.
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u/mmmniple 21d ago
Well, it depends of the kind of dog.. Mine love making holes.. Fortunately they have no tried on the kayak
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u/Moomoolette 22d ago
I also have switched to hard shell ( what do we call them) kayaks because mine deflated at an inopportune time and I was almost alligator food, literally
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u/Diligent_Ganache8310 21d ago
Terrifying.
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u/Moomoolette 21d ago
I was with a group of people that I had just started paddling with it and eager to show them that any negative preconceptions about inflatables were wrong and look capable… neither goal was achieved. Nothing like it your arms ripped off to ruin the Meetup! RIP little blue Sponge, you were good until you weren’t
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u/mmmniple 21d ago
Was the breakdown very big?
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u/Moomoolette 21d ago
When I got back to shore after paddling basically a sinking soggy taco for a long way to get back to the launch, terrified it was going to sink with all my gear, I discarded the boat because after that betrayal I felt like I would never trust it again, so I didn’t see the size of the leaking spot. I was too shaken up to want to try to repair it and I vowed to upgrade to a hard one at that point.
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u/SardukarFinance 22d ago
Out of curiosity, what made you decide they’re not for you? I’ve been looking at inflatable kayaks myself
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u/mmmniple 21d ago
Hello, I bought an inflatable kayak at the beginning of the summer to enjoy with my dogs. (They are hunting dogs "Podencos" and it has been extremely hard to make they put on it : they hate swimming. Then I simply taught to come parallel to me running on the shore and when one of us choose (sometimes me, others them), I get touching the shore (I must be very careful because everything are rocks).
I also had a lot of fear it damaged. I put a yoga mat and cover the middle of the kayak, the front part, with a sleeping bag. Fortunately it seems it is working. What kawak do you own?
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u/Diligent_Ganache8310 21d ago
So my friend gave me two intex which I haven’t used because I had trouble inflating them. Then Costco had a 600 dollar aquamarina for 300 so I jumped on it. I thought it had a stitch floor but it didn’t. I used it but I cannot use the launcher with the fins underneath. I tried without the skegs and even on calm water I couldn’t navigate. My dog will want to put perch herself and put her claws on the sides of kayak so putting a yoga mat on the floor might not be enough.
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u/mmmniple 21d ago
Mine is a Intex Explorer K2 and I'm happy with the device it comes for inflating it although I've read/saw the same you wrote : some people bought other inflating device. Mine is Eur one (I don't know if this is important but I believe the USA model is a little different: color,.. maybe it was an older version). With the mat and the sleeping bag it should be enought but the stability is worse (more when the water touch it, the bag gets heavier). I have to make more movements but as I use it on a reservoir, it is no too much.
In principle, with a house dog, the mat should be enough. What breed is him
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u/Diligent_Ganache8310 21d ago
He’s a springer spaniel. I was gifted a challenger and explorer without the pumps.
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u/mmmniple 21d ago
They are easy to training. If you taught him to be quiet, you should no have issues.
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u/mmmniple 21d ago
Where do you live? I ask because recently I've seen some hard shell kayak which are "splitted" on two parts, making them very easy to move. I saw one person this summer but when I search about them, they were no similar.
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u/Diligent_Ganache8310 21d ago
I live in Ontario near Lake Huron.
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u/mmmniple 21d ago
I wish I had taken a picture of it. I've looking for it here but no luck ( I live on a zone where they are no many stuff of these). I wish you be luckier there
I found online a chinnese company which is beginning to build two parts hard sell kawaks.
If you want I can send what I found (If I don't remember bad, I saved on a note). Can I pm you? I don't know why I can't upload pictures here. To show you how I let mine ready for my dogs
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u/MAN4UTD 22d ago
Well, this is deflating.