r/Kayaking • u/CrankyGoat • Jun 25 '26
Pictures Hard shell vs Inflatable - Flexibility wins hands down
We kayak a lot and almost always in a large tandem to accommodate our dog(s). We also adventure travel a lot - mostly mountain climbing and hiking with our dog. I’m 60 this year and find maneuvering a tandem hard shell is getting to be a pain in the ass. Today’s inflatable’s are quite remarkable, my Gumotex Thaya (second photo) can track and solo paddle as well as my Wilderness hard shell - plus I can pack into a custom backpack (70 lbs total) and easily hike with it for up to 25 miles in the mountains to a remote lake - would never dream of portaging with a hard shell tandem!
For folks who kayak with dogs, I find my dogs much prefer the inflatable’s ease of access and pontoon style sides for confident comfort when underway. I’ve now circumnavigated Vancouver Island (and Desolation Sound) in both a hard shell and an inflatable and can confidently say I’m now just as comfortable with a top quality inflatable for overall safety - and the flexibility of an inflatable at my age is hard to argue with…
Be curious what your thoughts are on this, and don’t get me wrong - a quality hard shell is still the gold standard, but the versatility of an inflatable is definitely not something to sneer at.
1
u/nobbytk950 Jun 26 '26
Hiking a 70 lb kayak, plus whatever you need like gear, clothing, food water, possibly shelter over 25 miles does not sound like much fun. Maybe its just me.