inflatable kayak choice advice needed

skin on frame

– Last Updated: Sep-18-12 12:31 PM EST –

You may want to consider a skin on frame kayak. These are all handbuilt and there are numerous small makers as well as often home-built ones for sale by folks who have made their own. I have an 18' SOF that weghs a mere 31 lbs so a more modest size SOF is often under 25 lbs.

A good intro to SOFs is builder Brian Schulz's blog:

http://www.capefalconkayak.com

Ypu can build your own through instructional classes or free design bt Tom Yost:

http://www.yostwerks.com

Get a trailer…

– Last Updated: Oct-09-12 10:32 PM EST –

I am female too. 5'2" and my back isn't what it used to be so I feel your pain. A dolly is a big help but how to get it on TOP of the car? There are racks like the Thule Hullivator that come down from the roof to the side of the car but you still have to lift up the kayak a bit to get it on there.

Keep in mind that even an inflatable weighs something. My inflatable weighs about 35lbs (it's a lot cheaper than a 35lb kevlar boat!) and I can lift it to carry it when it's inflated without a problem but I don't think I'd be able to get it above my head..so that's where deflating it would come in.

It's an Advanced Elements Advanced Frame 10.5" kayak. I highly recommend it because it's a GREAT rec kayak as well as an inflatable. It's a tough boat that I've had in Class 1/2 whitewater and it tracks and steers great. I use it for river boating in the Pine Barrens and on the Delaware River. It's a tough boat that I've dragged over rocks, tree trunks, etc..without a problem.

Advanced Elements sell a lot of different types of inflatables, from smaller rec boats to whitwater kayaks as well as a nice folding/frame up. Check them out because their boats are not only well made and well designed but very affordable.

http://www.advancedelements.com/

You can find reviews of the AE boats and the other boats mentioned right here on the Reviews section of Paddling.net.

My problem is that my car is a Jeep Wrangler with a soft top and it's very high up so car topping a boat isn't an option. So I went for the inflatable and used to carry it on a cargo rack that attached to the rear bumper hitch. Worked well enough.

But then I really wanted a longer, faster boat so I succumbed and bought a sea kayak and a Trailex kayak trailer.

http://www.trailex.com/SUT-200-S.cfm

BEST thing I did! MUCH easier to load/unload even a 16' sea kayak on and off the trailer than it is to inflate/deflate the 10' inflatable. Inflating the boat always took longer than I liked and after paddling I had to deal with a wet boat to deflate, fold and clean and dry out!

Plus, the kayaks live on the trailer in my garage! No unloading/loading from the car! I just pop 'em on the trailer and they are ready for the next time! The Trailex aluminum trailer is so light that you can move it around without a problem so if parking is a problem I just detach it from the hitch and put it next to the Jeep.

Look into this option because IMO it's much better than being relegated to just having an inflatable. I haven't deflated my Advanced Element inflatable in 4 years. I'd probably buy another one though because it's a really nice rec kayak so if you are wedded to the idea of an inflatable than look into the Advanced Elements line of boats. They have tons of options at great prices.

AE doesn't sell direct but Airkayak.com is the best place to get their boats and they have other brands as well with free shipping and lots of accessories. They have great customer service too.

http://www.airkayaks.com/

However, armed with a dolly and a trailer you can buy whatever kayak you want/need and never need a man to help you again to load or unload your boat. Just another option that works for me.



trailer – great idea!
I do like this solution (assuming the OP has a place to keep the trailer, doesn’t mind driving it and doesn’t mind spending the money).

cheap deal on a light folder

– Last Updated: Sep-27-12 1:29 PM EST –

I had mentioned Pakboats and if you are still considering what to get, there is a guy just posted a Pakboat Puffin 12 (predecessor of the Saco and the model I own) for sale on Ebay for $400 "buy now" plus $60 shipping. I doubt you would find a cheaper deal on such a light and good quality folder under 25 lbs. It is bid now at $92 but has not met minimum. Looks to be in excellent shape (though the owner must be dislexic as he has it listed as a "Backpack Puffin" though it is clearly a Pakboat.) The "buy now" price is quite reasonable and the cheapest I have seen a used one listed for. If I did not already own one I would jump on this.


http://www.ebay.com/itm/Bakpack-12-Folding-Kayak-/261104401085?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&
hash=item3ccb08fabd

EDIT: He actually has TWO for sale and the other is only $325 plus shipping.

Trailers
I like the trailer recommendation that another poster made. That way you can get a real kayak, which will work better and ultimately weigh less than an inflatable. And be a LOT less work, in terms of inflating and deflating.



Years ago, I bought one of those cheap Sevylor inflatables. A girlfriend at the time and I went out to Tahoe to try it out. Man what a joke. Despite our best efforts, that thing would only go in circles. And by that I mean it just sat there and spun, it didn’t really ever go straight, no matter how hard we tried to coordinated our efforts. I sold it the following week on Craigslist.



The Skin-On-Frame idea is also a great idea. The place I’ve been eyeing those at is http://www.seawolfkayak.com/. This guy teaches a workshop where you build your own SOF kayak that you get to keep. It weighs only 29 lbs. I have an email in to find out when his classes are for next year… I really want to go!



Rob

another SOF class
Brian does classes, too. For $1200 you can spend a week in one of his workshops in Oregon building your own boat.



http://www.capefalconkayak.com



He also leads on-site classes in various places around the country.

385FT
385FT? Isn’t that a little long for a kayak? How do you turn the thing?

I recently tutored a newbie who had
purchased a 12’ SeaEagle inflatible kayak, with no foot pegs for bracing.

This person weighed at lease 250# and when she got into the boat, the ends both were out of the water and as the paddler tried to move, it became clear that the boat would definately be able to rotate on a dime. It was tatamount to one sitting on an inflatible air mattress. She finally got the hang of how to take a stroke, but there was no place to brace her feet. All in all, it was very tiring for her, so if one has weight issues, it may be more reasonable to go with a hard kayak as opposed to an inflatible.

Just my thoughts.

Not all inflatables are equal…

– Last Updated: Oct-09-12 10:46 PM EST –

Sea Eagle and Sevylor definitely aren't in the same category as Aire, Innova or Advanced Elements. It's like comparing a Mercedes to a Kia. Yes, they all have 4 wheels and an engine BUT....

Just as all hard shell kayaks are vastly different so are inflatables so shop carefully. I looked at the Sea Eagle and it barely even resembles a kayak. One thing I liked about the Advanced Elements is that it is definitely a kayak and it's a great rec kayak that happens to be inflatable.

I could've replaced it long ago but I kept it because it paddles so well. It doesn't do circles (unless I want it to) and tracks as straight as any 10' kayak does, maybe better! But it maneuvers and handles wonderfully as well. I prefer my 16' sea kayak on "bigger water" but that's to be expected.

If you do get the AE inflatable make sure you get the optional "backbone" as it stiffens up the boat and helps with tracking.

I still stand my my recommendation of a trailer and am glad to see many agree with me. That's the way to go because then you aren't limited to just one size and type of kayak and it's MUCH easier to live with provided you have a place to park it.

dgrzz when the weather gets warm

– Last Updated: Oct-10-12 12:08 AM EST –

in the Spring get on the wvwa message board. We'll have us a nice float. My wife likes floatin the upper new. She don't kayak, just duckies and rafts.
I'll get Wess to bring his Sea Eagle, Bob his Saturn ducky, Rodney his Thrillseeker, and I'll bring my Riken cherokee, Seyvlor sk ds1oo, and Aire Tomcat. Tom and Bridget can bring whatever kind of fancy ducks that got. We'll call Brad at Ace and get him to let you try a commercal grade duck. We'll have you quackin' before you're off the water. Who would a thought Sevylor would finally make a more durable, value oriented, higher performance boat than Aire? Yet I tell you it is true. Next thing ya know madriver will be makin' polyethylene canoes, and perception will be sellin' flatwater boats. My, oh my, how things change.

Trailer solves several problems

– Last Updated: Oct-10-12 1:11 AM EST –

I'm also a small female and have been sea kayaking the last 10 years, using a trailer for transportation. The only time I use a roof rack is when another person (husband) is going also AND there would be difficulties associated with trailering--a rare occasion. He, too, hates rooftopping.

The trailer's advantages:

1. You can load and unload ANY single kayak by yourself. The price difference between plastic and glass in the same model is enough to buy the trailer. The glass kayak might be 3 or 4 lbs lighter than equivalent plastic model...that's not going to make much difference if you're struggling to rooftop. But the same money spent for a trailer really does make a huge improvement in ease of loading and unloading. If you later buy a composite sea kayak, you can still use the same trailer. It doesn't limit your choices of material at all.

2. You can switch vehicles without having to buy new roofrack equipment. The same trailer can be towed by any vehicle that uses the same trailer ball size as the trailer's coupler. And trailer balls can be unbolted from an existing drawbar or bumper and swapped out for a different size quite cheaply.

3. Gas mileage is likely to be better trailering than rooftopping.

4. You don't risk dropping the boat on your vehicle, and there's less chance of injuring yourself or harming the boat.

5. Depending on the specific trailer, you can carry other gear on it.

6. You don't drip salt water on your vehicle, just on the trailer.

7. You won't smash your kayaks by driving under a low-clearance roof.

Disadvantages:

1. You need space to store the trailer.

2. Parking can be a problem in some locations.

3. Ferry fares will be high for the extra length of a trailer. (On the other hand, the extra height of rooftopped kayaks might also incur a surcharge.)

4. Toll roads that charge extra for more axles will slam you. (On the other hand, they also slam for the extra height of rooftopped items.)

5. You have to be aware of the extra length, turning space needed, jackknifing clearance, and avoid places where you might drive into a situation that requires backing out a long way.

6. In some states you will have to register the trailer for an additional fee. This fee varies a lot. Our annual fee was only $15 to $18 before the state I used to live in got greedy, last year. Then it jumped to more than $50 a year. Now that I've moved, the fee is low again.

There are probably other pros and cons but I think I've covered the common ones. If you hear that a trailer is too hard-riding for glass kayaks, then either change the springs or get another type of trailer! Any kayak-specific trailer will have very soft springs. And make sure the wheels and tires are rated for highway driving--not all trailers have those.

Weight
What does the hard shell boat weigh?



There are small kayaks that some of the women in our club paddle that weigh 30 to 40 lbs and are suitable for lake and river use. And loading in the bed of a truck can be almost as easy as loading on a trailer.



There are also wheel carts if the distance from the parking area down to the lake is a problem. There is a pretty big performance difference between a duckie and a plastic boat, so unless you’ve demoed an IK and like it, think about sticking with a kayak that is the right size for you.



The Calypso is 12’ long and 38 lbs and good for over 200 lbs of paddler and gear. One of the ladies in our club paddles one of these on the lake and Class I whitewater and it is a fast boat for her.

http://www.llbean.com/llb/shop/63605?feat=511213-GN3&page=women-s-calypso-kayak-12



Jim

Several options
Don’t remember what your budget is, but here goes:

Innova makes really good, lightweight inflatable. I’m looking at buying a used Safari, but there are a lot of folks that like their Sunny’s.

http://innovakayak.com/store/store.aspx#ecwid:category=184322&mode=product&product=487353



Epic makes a really good 12’, fiberglass kayak. 30 lbs. My wife has one and really likes it.

http://www.epickayaks.com/products/touringkayaks/gpx



Trailers are also great. Love mine.

You might consider loading aids

– Last Updated: Oct-10-12 1:39 PM EST –

I think someone mentioned dolly wheels to help carry the boat between the vehicle and the water. Also, arranging your rack to that you can put just one end of the boat up, then slide the other end up, cuts the lifting to a small fraction of what it is right now.

How much does your boat weigh? As others have said, there are plenty of very light boats out there, though they are not as cheap as the plastic ones. Let's say your current boat weighs 50 pounds, since plenty of medium-sized plastic kayaks suitable for smaller people weigh no more than that. Put dolly wheels on one end and you only have to lift about 20 pounds (it will be less than half the full weight on account of where the wheels are mounted) while rolling it to and from the car. To get one end of the boat onto the rack you'll have to lift a little more than half the weight (since it's not practical to grip it by the tip while doing so), but you do NOT have to lift overhead in most cases, or if you do it usually won't be by much. Then, lifting the end that's still on the ground is easier still. You'll be lifting less than half the total weight, and as you slide the boat onto the rack, the weight you lift becomes progressively less so that by the time your arms need to reach above your head you are hardly pushing up against any weight at all.

If your truck has a cap, you can mount one crossbar at the very rear, making this loading method easy. Otherwise, side-loading bars, which either extend out from one crossbar or run lengthwise between the two area easy for using the slide-up method too. I've always loaded heavy canoes and small motorboats onto the roofs of trucks and even full-size vans this way, and these boats are far too heavy for me to load in the same manner that I see used by nearly everyone loading kayaks. I use the same method with boats of moderate weight because I see no reason to do it the hard way. There's no reason the same can't be done with a kayak. You might think about equipping yourself with a useful rack before switching to an inflatable, especially since inflatables require a lot of time to inflate and deflate, and also to dry and store properly after use. You'll probably spend less money modifying your rack or getting a better one than you would spend on a good inflatable.

You can also invest in one of those racks that lets you load the boat at waist level, then swing the whole mechanical contraption up onto the roof with spring-loaded assist. Even THAT would most likely be cheaper than a new boat.

Oh, after reading your post again it looks like you are putting the boat IN the truck. In that case, putting some carpet on the tailgate will allow you to slide it in, in which case you only need to be able to lift half the boat's weight, mostly likely not even as high as your waist. Don't lift the whole boat - just lift one end at a time, and employ attachable wheels if necessary.

Or, just for fun
Take a box rail, like this http://www.tractorsupply.com/national-hardware-reg-5116-box-rail-galvanized-12-ft–3551872

and mount it above the truck bed so that it sticks out over the back of the truck. Then, get a hanger like this http://www.tractorsupply.com/national-hardware-reg-5022-hanger-with9-bolt-3551848

And insert it in the box rail. Attach a block and tackle to the carrier.

Now, you connect the block and tackle as close to the middle of the boat as you can and slide it onto the bed using the rollers on the hanger.



I’ve always wanted to try this out!

Loading your boat.
I bought a Sea Eagle SE370 inflatable and used it for most of the paddling season. It was OK for the price but as I said to my friend, it was a “gateway drug” :slight_smile: Near the end of the season, I bought a used boat that is much better. The inflatable was slow and didn’t track well. The new boat, a sit-on-top, is much better and I can keep up with my friends.



I saw a video on youtube that might help you.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4SN55Jfu94c



I don’t use that method, I have a folding ladder that I fully extend and lean on the back of my truck cap. I then simply push the boat up the ladder onto the roof rack. I then make the ladder into an inverted V and use it to adjust and tie down the boat.



Here’s a link to the ladder I use:



http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc1v/R-100658952/h_d2/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10053&langId=-1&keyword=ladders&storeId=10051#.UHWxlZiHK7w



Good luck.

Regarding that loading video…
Most likely it would work better to load from the rear of the car instead of the front, and take advantage of the rollers on the rear rack which are there just for loading/unloading. What most people would do using the setup shown in the video, is place a rubber-backed bath carpet on the rear window of the car, and slide the kayak on that carpet up to the rollers on the rear crossbar. There’s no boat-alignment problems when sliding it on carpet, and a rubber-backed carpet won’t slip. That’s much simpler than the method shown in the video and does not require such precise boat alignment when sliding it up or down.

Tugboat
That model comes with a tugboat and a tugboat operator.

Takes 72 hours to inflate, and tracks good. :wink:

Bit the bullet and bought the Sea Eagle
I am so appreciative for all the comments, suggestions, and advice. After several months of researching, I bit the bullet and got the Sea Eagle. It inflates super easy and quick ( less than 10 minutes) and is very stable getting in and out. I think it tracks well and it definitely holds a lot of weight. My husband and I paddled a local lake for a couple of hours comfortably. I am anxious to try it out on a river and hope to put in on the Ohio soon. I think for now this boat serves my needs well!

sea eagle seats- high back style
congrats dgrizz. I noticed that sea eagle has upgraded their seats and I’m definately jealous. None of my duckies provide much back support. I’ve been thinking about buying one of their inflateable seats, let me know what you think about them and whether you can lean back and get some support from them.