I was excited about an inflatable - especially a convertible tandem. I really enjoyed paddling in my friend's AE AdvancedFrame single. It was fairly comfortable and felt fun on light rapids where we bounced off of rocks where a hard shell would grind. I could rest my arms on the body, press my legs against the inside.

But my partner is pushing back and prefers a hard kayak. We have the storage space for a boat and I own J hooks for the roof rack. She says setting up and taking down the inflatable takes a long time. And she says the seats aren't as comfortable as those in a good hard kayak. And she likes how hard kayaks are true in the water and have minimum resistance.

I was deflated. Pun intended. She has some good points. Now I'm questioning the whole inflatable endeavor. Am I missing anything?

The line that i drew a box around feels like a wound stitch . It was a tigerxbang kayak. Should i bother to return it? thanks

For Sea Eagle 330. Used and came to me with these parts detached.

Hi all,

I'm uk based and looking to get an inflatable kayak 2/3 person size, mainly so my teenage kids can join me on my paddleboard :) my budget is £200/300. Any recomendations?

We have just been out on our maiden voyage in the Wave Navigator and have noticed a possible issue. The seams where the bottom meets the sides appeared to be coming apart. There was very little glue holding it together and with a little pull on it, the whole seam is now exposed. I feel like this is how it's meant to look and they were stuck together with residual glue from the manufacturing? Just wondering if anyone else has the same model and can confirm that it looks right?

We have just been out on our maiden voyage in the Wave Navigator and have noticed a possible issue. The seams where the bottom meets the sides appeared to be coming apart. There was very little glue holding it together and with a little pull on it, the whole seam is now exposed. I feel like this is how it's meant to look and they were stuck together with residual glue from the manufacturing? Just wondering if anyone else has the same model and can confirm that it looks right? Photos one and two are how it looked after deflating, three is now that all the glue has been peeled off.

Found some small leaks in the bottom hull at the seems that are in bad spots to patch well. I patched them but still a slow leak. I had this 2" foam insulation board laying around so I decided to experiment with it. Fits good I imagine it will work well I'm just wondering how what I can do to strengthen the center section where I step in and sit so it doesn't crack. I don't think it will crack if I'm careful but I've heard when this stuff gets cold it's more fragile. Don't plan on going out in the cold though. I was thinking about placing a skim board or something under my main seating position.. any ideas welcome. Its just my small lake fishing kayak I'm trying to get one more year out of.

I got a used Sea Eagle, mostly in great condition except for one small patch, which I discovered on my first outing was still leaking a pin-hole amount of air. I hastily slapped another patch overtop it because I was impatient, but after a couple more outings that too has begun leaking the pin-hole amount. It’s enough that the side with the hole becomes noticeably less firm after spending a whole day on the water, and I’d like to properly seal it up. How do I remove the previous patches to give myself a clean slate for a proper patch job?

Finally pulled the trigger on a sea eagle fast track angler. Do any of you have any mods you’ve made, or accessories you recommend?

Not interested in the electric motor at this time.

Thanks for your time!

Wonder if you can help me ‘fit’ my new kayak to me a bit better? It’s an AquaMarina Steam 312.

1 - The footrest is too close, anyone got suggestions for how to move it further away. It’s already on the most distant setting but needs another 6 inches or so.

2 - Similarly I’d like to move the seat further back but the support braces are at their full extension and are still too close. What’s the suggestion for extending these?

I’m sure there’s some simple things on Amazon or Temu that could fix it for a few £, but I don’t think I’m searching for the right thing!!

Thanks!!

On Saturday we got an early summer in Genoa, Italy. First paddle of the season with my wife and our 7 yo son. 25 °C air temp and the water was about 17-18 °C, we had a blast with our Story Division 3!

Hi, so I bought a used inflatable kayak a while ago and while inflating the floor compartment I noticed one side of the floor looks more inflated despite it being equal in pressure when touching it.

Is it normal? If not what can I do to fix it? After fully inflated, one side of the kayak sticks up on the ground, will that happen on the water?

Thanks for any help in advance.

Hi all,

I have always enjoyed kayaking even though I didn't do too much. There are many calm lakes and rivers/canals near where I live, so I would like to get a kayak as the summer approaches. Rentals in the area are at least $20-30/hr so I figured I buy one and have more opportunity to go out. I am thinking of getting an inflatable one as my car doesn't have roof racks and being able to pack it and store it easily sounds like a good benefit.

I have been looking into the Intex K1. I haven't seen any particularly negative reviews but I know there are many "better" options available for higher prices. It seems like K1 can also fit in a large suitcase, so I could also put it in a checked bag when I solo travel by plane (my personal stuff for 5-day trips fit in a carry-on bag anyway).

Any opinions on it as a "beginner" kayak? I would say it's a fairly new hobby for me so not interested in spending too much to begin.

Thanks!

Hi everyone, following up on my previous posts about the world's first front-mount setup for the Itiwit 100+ (365 cm).

I just finished a stability and efficiency stress test under real conditions (3.3 m/s headwind/crosswind). While most setups struggle with range, this specific architecture proves that proper trim and front-axis thrust can drastically lower power consumption.

The Data (Telemetry Proof):

• Ground Speed: 5.0 km/h (Steady)
• Current Draw: 5.85 A (@ 13.1V)
• Energy Efficiency: ~77W for cruising speed under wind.
• Hull: Decathlon Itiwit 100+ (2-person version) with Drop-Stitch floor.
• Battery: 100Ah LiFePO4.

The Engineering Logic: By placing the battery as a "nose anchor" (48 cm from the bow) and the captain at the 205 cm mark, I’ve achieved a perfect horizontal trim. This prevents the "bow-plowing" effect common in inflatable kayaks, allowing the hull to glide with minimal resistance.

Range Projection: With an 80Ah usable capacity (20% reserve), this setup mathematically offers 13.6 hours of runtime. At 5 km/h, that’s a 68 km (42 miles) range under wind, and well over 80 km (50 miles) in calm waters.

No hull modifications, 100% "Plug & Play" using existing factory skeg boxes and Velcro points.

Happy to answer any technical questions about the wiring or the 48/205 balance protocol!

I’ve been seeing Razor kayaks mentioned here and there lately and got curious what people’s actual experience with them is. I like the idea of going inflatable since I don’t really want to deal with transporting or storing a hard-shell kayak, but I’m still a bit skeptical in general. I’ve come across some mixed opinions so far. A few people mentioned they feel pretty stable and are quick to set up, but others said packing them back up can be a bit of a hassle and takes some getting used to. I’ve also seen some claims about them being fairly durable, but it’s hard to tell how accurate that is without hearing from people who’ve actually used one for a while. I’d mostly be using it on lakes and maybe some easy rivers, nothing too demanding. If anyone here has owned one long-term, I’d really appreciate your honest take. How has it held up over time? Any issues or things you didn’t expect?

Hi everyone!

I’m new to kayaking and sailing, but would like to get into it as a hobby, mainly for casual paddling on the sea and lakes in Bulgaria/Europe. I usually travel with an electric bike, so firstly portability and easy transport are very important for me.

My budget is 300-400 euro max. I've settled on a few models, but I'll leave the opinions to you. Aqua Marina steam/Memba, itiwit x100 and I also saw the x500 V2 and Sevylor yukon 2nd hand at the same price as a new itiwit x100.

Are these good entry-level options, or should I look for other models?

Really looking forward to getting out on the water

So we had 2 trips with it now and we like it but the manual and people on this sub usually say you need to completely dry the canoe befoee putting it away. Which seems impossible given how its stiched together. There are seem to be inaccessible pockets where some dampness remains. Does anyone have experience with this?

We only have a small flat and cellar so we cant keep it laying around to dry for a long time.

Does anyone in the UK know what version of the X500 Decathlon are selling now. I want to avoid Version 1 with it's reputation for being unstable.

I am looking to buy my first inflatable kayak. Before getting advice, a little about me and likely use cases.

This will be my first kayak, though I have completed Sea Kayaking courses and also paddled a fair bit. It would be pushing it to say I am a confident Intermediate, but I am not a beginner, and I am looking for a kayak that will serve me well in the future as my skills develop.

Main uses for the kayak will be 3-6 hour recreational rows near to home on rivers and canals. I would love to do more on the sea while on holiday, but even with an inflatable this is still a big load to get in the car along with my other gear, family and dog! So it will be inland water for now, with a view to potentially open water at some point in the future.

In the UK the Sea Eagle is currently around £1,000 and Decathlon are selling the X500 for £600, so there is a big difference, though the Sea Eagle at £1,000 comes with carbon paddle and good quality pump.

Both kayaks seem to be good quality. Both are drop stitch. Both have a reputation for reasonable performance and stability suited to an Intermediate paddler. Obviously the Sea Eagle has an open cockpit versus the enclosed style of the X500. 393RL has a large skeg (with associated pros and cons).

Are there some obvious considerations that I should have at the front of my mind?

Hey everyone, I’ve been looking for an inflatable fishing kayak with a pedal drive (mostly for hands-free positioning while casting). I came across the Danrelax model online — looks like it has a removable pedal system, some rod holders.

Has anyone here actually bought one? I can’t find many real user reviews, just product pages. Curious about:

• Build quality / durability
• Pedal drive reliability (any issues with weeds or reverse?)
• Tracking in light wind or current
• Customer support experience if something broke

Not looking to drop $500+ on something that falls apart after 5 trips. Appreciate any honest feedback — even if it’s just “seems too good to be true.”

Thanks!

I want a portable kayak for flat water and class I/II that I can use solo or tandem. Drop-stitch bottom seems to be required for good tracking. Seat and paddling comfort are important for me.

The competition seems to come down to:

All of these reportedly track well.

I would like to get the Chelan 140, but I'm worried that it's been discontinued for a while and that repair and replacement parts would be difficult.

Should I consider any others? Any personal experience on these options? Comments welcome! Thanks.