Sterns vs Adv Elements

My wife and I are looking to purchase inflatable kayaks. We are new to kayaks or boating for that matter.

We are looking at the Advanced Element airframe or the Sterns b500ik116. We want inflatables, not hard shell because we don’t have the room for storage. A few questions I notice the Sterns has skegs that stick out from the bottom of the boat. We would be launching mostly off shore. Wouldn’t that cause problems launching this way? Does the air frame have these same skegs? In their advertisement it is not mentioned other than the stern acts as a skeg. In reviews, almost everyone complained of the Sterns sleaking thru the deck zipper. The airframe has a deck zipper also and only one complaint on it. Does the zipper leak on the airframe?

I guess my question to sum up everything, which is the better yak?

Which IK
I did extensive research on IK on the internet, and ended up buying a Innova Solar.

Stearns

– Last Updated: Feb-17-04 7:43 PM EST –

I have the Stearns Mad Dog. About the same as the 500b, but in camo.

The skeg can be annoying but it tracks very well for a 9' IK.

I leave the zipper open and paddle like an SOT. The zipper does leak.

I have been happy with the purchase. I have 7-8 boats now, but I still use the Mad Dog. It is handy for packing into mountain lakes, and the camp pattern is real cool for slow running rivers.

If you can afford it
SOAR is a an amazing boat. Really good in rough water…