Which high quality inflatable? long list of wants

Hi Cvin,
Realize this is late in the discussion, but I’ve been very happy with my Hobie i12s inflatable kayak, with Mirage 180 pedal drive. However, my uses have been primarily fishing trips, some exploration, and just this past summer I started more multi-day backcountry trips in Ontario. The Hobie inflatables line is very durable and they do have drop-stitch flooring. My last summer trip was an 8-day paddle and portage route to lakes on the eastern side of Georgian Bay. My biggest concern was being able to portage the boat on light kayak cart wheels, but I managed this by putting most of my gear on my back in a dry pack (about 50lbs) and hauling the lightened boat (I think it’s about 85 lbs with attached ergonomic Vantage CTi seat and the pedal drive strapped in for transport). I was travelling with friends who were in a traditional tandem canoe, but I was able to manage all my gear independently.

The three portages I had to do to get into the lakes I visited were fairly easy, with only slight gradient and no more than about 400 yards. More difficult portages would have required another set of hands to carry the awkwardly shaped kayak. I’m actually working on acquiring a pack canoe for trips deeper into the backcountry.

The sit-on-top Hobie i12s is remarkably stable, and I’ve had no problem is heavy swells, riding the crests and troughs of waves. In fact, the pedal drive with its fins under the hull provides great propulsion; I’ve also been able to use it on days when others are windbound and stuck at camp. I can stand on it in calm water to cast a fly line, but I seldom do this, as the adjustable ergonomic seat is very comfortable (gives you the choice of sitting 2 or 4 inches high off deck). There’s also a Stow-n-Go rudder system for steering. I do carry a double-blade paddle as a backup, but haven’t had to use it too often.

I think the capacity is around 500 lbs. I’m about 240 lbs and stand 6’2", so even if I’m liberal with gear, I should always have enough capacity. One thing I do have to be mindful about is properly trimming the weight distribution. The seat is pretty much in the middle of the 12-foot long boat, and there’s webbing both aft and forward.

My only caution about using a Hobie pedal-drive is that you should be willing to learn how to make adjustments or fix gear, but mostly for maintenance and some times upgrades (I switch for instance to turbo fins from standard ones). This is particularly important for extended trips. I carry the Hobie air pump on extended trips, but even on my 8-day lake trip I only used it once.

Setup requires a little elbow grease, but I can get it set up in about 20 minutes. Deflation is much faster and I can usually get everything stowed and into the back of my car in less than 10 minutes.

One more thing about Hobie is that thye only do repairs and warranties through their dealer network. In Ontario, that means there are only two dealers and usually just a couple deliveries per year. So if you’re ordering for next season, I’d recommend doing it soon. In my case, I ordered my boat in early spring, but did not receive the boat until January the following year. No regrets, though, and I’ve really enjoyed the places this boat has taken me.

Good luck!

Long time user of IKs, especially Sea Eagle. All the full drop stitch will be tippy, they are made for speed, not fishing.

The 385FTA is based on the Fast Track kayaks. I have two of them along with the Razor Lite. The FT and FTA are stable enough to stand in and have a 635lb weight limit. The FT/FTAs will also take a small motor with a kit

The issue with IKs right now is the lack of in stock kayaks,so order early.

I have used IKs for years and the higher end kayaks keep you dry and very little wind resistance because they are made lower and also have hard plastic front ends. As in any kayak, you get what you pay for.

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thanks so much for all the info here, still looking around

think i will stay away from the bike rafts because i dont really want the bike sitting on top of the boat, would rather have it down inside the boat

on another topic i wonder about comfort on these small crafts like the bikerafts, good chance i will be on this 6-7 hours for river trips and not sure how many stop points there will be to get out on bigger rivers…
one the main advantages of the pb was the ability to move around and change position, we love that aspect of those and in my head thinking the bigger wider crafts woudl be easier to move around a little, change seating etc for a couple of hours…

will rewrite pakboats, did not get a reply

i did look at the sea eagle 385 and it is on my list

good to hear parts have not been an issue on the pakboats

the hobie weight concerns me, it is pushing the weight limit on the bike trailer… but intriguing that it might be faster and better in wind

obviously i have more research to do
going to look at more videos of people using the different boats now, how they get in and out with lots of gear etc

willowleaf, one question on the pakboats is what do you have in the bottom of it, have not seen any pictures showing the padding or cover that goes on the inside of the bottom

If you like inflatable the Innova (Gumotex) line are well built and single skinned, no layers to suck up water via osmosis and end up heavy, smelly, require taking apart to clean and dry. If you throw them in the car after use without doing this they will leak water all the way home. I did an extended remote excursion with an AIRE Super Lynx, tough with big load capacity but a dog to paddle and hard to control when loaded in snarky water. I have owned several Innova models and they have all been excellent. Some rely on skegs to track and thus not good for shallow rivers.

But don’t take my word. The authority on inflatables is theboatpeople.com. They are serious, honest, long-time knowledgable and will give you good counsel. Call them.

Pakboats are also excellent and the owners serious and honest with long experience. I own one of their 15’ folding kayaks and it is a dream to paddle and well built. I have not tried their canoes but having owned their kayak, and visited their office in NH and seen the canoes, I would buy one sight unseen if a folding canoe fit my needs.

any feedback on this pakboat, supposed to have a friend in cali pick it up tomorrow

it doesnt come with a top on it, so really hoping it doesnt need that to be paddled lol!

can anyone tell the age?

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