20 Best Sea Kayaks For Beginners (2023 Updated)

Noob – but awesome so far! Seems to track straighter & slip faster than the other kayak I’ve paddled so far lol. Pro-tip – while the included console dry box is great. get some white duct tape (temporary fix – maybe some latex based paint later?) to cover the dark/translucent top.

Was ~80F, mostly sunny, decent wind, popped it open to take some pics with phone. phone immediately shut down due to overtemp, and it was quite warm to the touch (didn’t even know it would shut itself down!).

I didn’t quite juggle it, but something metal might’ve gotten to that point. Thing’s like a little oven from the factory. 2nd trip with aforementioned tape application (though, less sunny), seemed to remedy the problem nicely.

Absolutely MINOR nitpick, but at this price, you’d think it would’ve been addressed by now (2 year old design no?) from the factory? Can’t believe I’m the first to note this. Special shout out to PaddleVA shipping/packing/wrapping crew AND Old Dominion freight.

Thing was wrapped like a friggin’ champ, and arrived in absolutely perfect condition. You’d think they (all parties) also ship Faberge’ eggs in their leisure time!.

We’ve had a few different kayaks and the Pungo 120 is, by far, the most comfortable. It’s easy to maneuver, tracks well, and we love the deck feature. The easily adjustable foot pegs have been an unexpected bonus as is the cockpit padding for your legs.

Our only complaint, our rear hatches aren’t sealed properly. I thought it may have just been mine, but my husband’s is the same. We’re on week two of a six week cross-country trip, so dealing with warranty stipulations is a hassle.

Kind of disappointing with new (not cheap) kayaks.

Comfy seat. Roomy cockpit. Nice tracking and speed. Removable tray for drinks and drybox. Although drybox gets very hot so had to put in some tinfoil.

Purchased Bay St kayak last Oct. 2021 and seat wasn’t sewn all the way around, the foot rest bow line plastic hook broke on first assembly. Can’t use boat without this. CS is the worse. Several calls and emails and weeks later parts were replaced.

Only foot rest arrived and wasn’t the same connection buckle that I have. Evidently they’ve changed it. And without checking / asking they sent me the wrong one. So here it is three months later and I’m still waiting on the correct foot rest.

Again 3 phone calls later they finally emailed me part’s on the way. and although I told them that I was out of state for three months they sent the part to my home. Terrific. I will say that at 12 foot this boat does not track well at all.

I’ve kayaked for 20 years, touring kayaks mostly, and this boat tracks like a recreational boat. on a good note it was much easier to travel with than my other touring boats. It takes me about 22 min to assemble after few trial runs.

I’m a petite, older woman so I’d say it’s easy to assemble and pack up. Awkward to carry at my 5’1″ height but that’s typical for many things 🤷🏼‍♀️This boat is too expensive for what it is. Basically corrugated plastic.

I would not recommend it if you have other options. Good luck.

My girlfriend and I each bought an Oru Bay ST two years ago. Neither of ours have had any leaks or quality control problems. While the Bay St doesn’t assemble quite as quickly as the manufacturer would have you believe, it folds down really quickly after use.

The fact that something which looks like an oversized suitcase can transform this way into a kayak at all is actually impressive. Once assembled, it paddles fast, handles nicely, and tracks straight.

The cockpit opening is a bit small for someone my size (5’11”, 180 lbs. ) to get in and out of, but there’s plenty of room for long legs once inside. And you will likely want some additional padding for the seat bottom.

I recommend a Skwoosh gel seat pad, which is more comfortable than the additional “seat wedge” pad that Oru sells. All in all, the Bay ST is a nice sleek boat, with a few minor quirks.

Not sure a review is even necassary as I dont see these available on REI anymore but here goes. I preveiously had two inflatable kayaks that were among the highest quality but they the seems did not hold up to Alaska.

So saw this on Shark Tank, yeah i know, and thought hmmm, then I had a huge dividend, free shipping, yeah why not. The bottom line is, I disagree wiht some of the negative comments on here, but the glaowing five stat reviews on the Oru site are a bit over the top.

It is light, very light, I would not say its simple to set up but it it easy about the same as an inflatable. It is indeed very durable, the shores of Prince William Sound and Resurrection bay have sharp rocks and it apperas not to be an issue.

It tracks as any other rigid kayak would with no skeg or rudder. very sea worthy and has a nice combing for a spray skirt. The Oru brand accessories are over priced, buy generic like float bags and such.

Stabilty is pretty darn good too, its does not feel tippy and has a second stage on its side. I would buy again and would even conider a Cost IF I could get it at REI. So why the 3. 5? The company, because lets face it your reviewing a company as much as a product when you pay this much, the warranty is lacking, they dont offer free shipping but worst of all is the customer support.

So you may never have an issue but if you do, your kinda on your own and the old REI guarantee (fir good reason) is gone.

I was between the Loon 126 and the similar sized/featured boat from the top competitor but ended up being able to snag this boat and I couldn’t be happier about the result. This boat is insanely stable; I am over 6 foot and hover around 280# so the overall length, width and max weight rating was super appealing.

With the console out I can get my child in the boat with me no problem. Everyone talks about how amazing the seat is, and that alone put this boat slightly ahead of the competitor. no doubt this is a wildly comfortable seat that is endlessly adjustable.

The boat tracks well, as long as you are comparing it to other recreational kayaks without a skeg. Do I wish there was an accessory/aftermarket skeg option? Sure, maybe 10% of the time. What is that 10% of the time? Here’s the thing, this boat has such a high weight capacity it sits out of the water more than that top competitor’s boat, so you really have to work for a decently straight line in strong winds.

and I do mean strong winds. Overall great fit and finish, the rear compartment is sealed (I know they avoid saying waterproof, but I have not gotten any water in there yet), if you are interested in the console then it won’t disappoint you with the build and features.

The only thing other thing I would change would be to have had Old Town include a rubber plug from the factory so that you could remove USB plug/cable, but that is a wildly minor point that a little DIY magic will remedy.

I love this kayak great stability, great bulkheads, etc. backcountry was fantastic and their customer service was helpful and responsive. I will order from them again. I WILL NOT order anything large though.

Kayak arrived with several small gouges in it. Several non removable stains were all around it and decals were torn. They did say I could return it, but they have no more. It took a long time to find this kayak.

If I had returned it who knows when I would find another from somewhere that would ship. CEVA is a horrible shipper. I ordered a three thousand dollar grill from them that also arrived mangled. Backcountry is good but it really sucked expecting a nice new shiny perfect kayak and ending up with something that looks two or three years old.

This kayak is awesome for lake or lazy river paddling. I’ve had it since 2015 and wanted this specific model so I could bring my german shepherd along. He fits comfortably with a rug I bought separately, so his paws have some grip on the bottom.

I also really enjoy the ample room for my pack, fishing gear, legs, in addition to the rear cubby that has a suctioned lock to keep things dry or to use as a cooler, live well, etc. I like the paddle strap that secures my paddle when I want free hands, without the fear of it sliding off.

The seat isn’t built for luxury, but it does the job for me even after several hours, especially with the adjustable foot rests. This watercraft doesn’t have a ton of extra bells and whistles, but it’s not basic and I love that it’s not flimsy, like many of the cheaper models I’ve seen.

It’s durable and roomy, without being too bulky or long to store easily. And at 10ft in length it’s just short enough so I don’t need to register it with the state DNR (Minnesota). If I could change one thing about this kayak, I would make it a bit lighter.

I can handle it just fine as an average sized, out-of-shape, 5’7″, thirty-something y/o woman, but after a long day of being on the water, hoisting the 50-ish lb boat onto my mini van can be cumbersome in comparison to a daintier boat.

All in all, I would absolutely recommend this kayak. Go for it, especially if you have a dog.

I’ve used this thing about 4 times now. I love it. Is it perfect? No. Does it have flaws? Yes. The seat is ok but after an hour it starts to irritate the sciatic nerve if you have sciatica. But luckily you can improve the seating.

The wood that it comes with actually has holes drilled in it so you can install an actual boat seat. Also I’d highly suggest purchasing an actual electric pump. The foot one that it comes with is annoying but it works.

It usually takes me about 5 minutes to inflate but deflating is a pain. I can never get all the air out. You’ll have to fully deflate it if you want it to fit in the carrying bag that it comes with. The material is actually really good.

I’ve had it on concrete and it doesn’t seem to harm the material. That’s really my only complaints about the boat. I give it 4 out of 5. I get a lot of compliments on it actually. Go get you a sea eagle pack fish.

I don’t think you’ll regret it.

I ordered this Boat because my wife loves to kayak and normally that is a one person activity. I wanted to share in her love of the sport, But I am a short (5’7″)and quite stout guy (300+ lbs). I got the 3 person boat because I read in other reviews that people felt cramped in the 2 person boat and I wanted to be able to carry more things on the boat if I wanted to without worrying about the weight.

My wife and I went to a local lake to try it out and spent 4 hours just having a great time! We are planning more trips and plan to take this with us during our vacations in case we find a place to kayak.

It folds up small enough to bring with us as we travel in an SUV. If traveling in a car you may have to give up some space for it, but for us, it won’t be a problem. It took me 10-15 minutes to set up by myself and we carried it to the water, climbed in and set off.

I had to adjust the seats for my bigger frame but it was quite comfortable. I had room to stretch out my legs, but I could see where the smaller craft would seem too small. I’m not sure I would put three people in this boat and it only comes with two seats anyway.

It would be possible to have three but you would have to sit with your feet crossed, which on a lake requires a lot of paddling. Perhaps on a river three could sit like that since it wouldn’t require as much paddling.

The boat tracks well because of the fins on the back. We tried a different and bigger boat and the back end kept wanting to slide so it was hard to steer. Either one of us could paddle alone and still keep us moving along, and when we both paddled we got up some good speed.

This boat is 1 1/2 feet longer than it’s 2 person version and weighs only a few pounds more so I chose this one. The Price was great too. My wife has a 1 person plastic kayak and we paid almost as much for that one, and it was on sale.

After the lake we let out the air and brought it home to wash it down and dry it out, before putting it back in the bag, but you could certainly let it dry with a couple of hours in the sun after the ride, but we wanted to be careful.

The boat feels sturdy and is made with a thick material. Some people said in their review that they felt like tipping was an issue. I could understand that because I felt that especially at first but as we continued to paddle around I felt more confident in not tipping.

This was a larger lake and people were using jet skis and ski boats so there was some waves and we never came close to tipping over. Also the seats are comfortable when you adjust them to the way you wantto sit inside the boat.

You can sit perfectly upright or leaned back, which was a more comfortable position for me. As per someone’s suggestion I inflated this boat in my living room first to check for any leaks, and there were none but it was good to do anyway.

I hope this review is helpful for those thinking about buying this or deciding between this and it’s smaller version.

Set up the kayak in our living room to see how it is done before taking it out on the water. Didn’t want to make a fool of myself in front of people where we will launch. The setup was fairly easy. The only problem I had was with the retaining rings on the valves.

I broke two of them trying to slip them on to the base of the valve. I also had a leak iin one of the valves in the seat. Think I corrected that problem. The kayak is easy to inflate. It took me 260 strokes on the pump to completely inflate all the chambers.

If you are looking for a kayak, I would recommend the 370. There is plenty of room for 2 people and gear.

I have used my Old Town Vapor 10 a few years now. I would have to say it’s a little heavy/bulky for a 5 foot 3 inch woman although I’ve used it in all kinds of water like still lakes, moving rivers and ocean bays.

In a river with a harsh current, If you’re not careful, sometimes the back end likes to go first. Have dragged it over rocks, rammed it into underwater trees and rocks and it only has some scratches on the bottom.

Very sturdy kayak and stable for the most part. I suggest you do not leave it in the back of a pickup truck in very hot sun for long periods of time, it will warp. Although mine did straighten back out when laid on the ground.

It has spent many many hours on the water, traveled to many different states, and has served me and my dog well. I did add extra kayak straps and hooks to the front of mine to haul my dry bag. Was very easy to do.

Seat is not the most comfortable but a foam cushion attached to the seat with a very small bungee cord works wonders. Keep a bilge pump strapped in somewhere because if you ever flip this thing you’re going to need it.

It’s not the fastest kayak by any means but maneuvers pretty well in all kinds of water.

I purchased this Vapor 10 used a couple of months ago. It’s a 2015 model. I’ve added some features to it to make it even better. Fishing rod holders, bungees to close in the stern day well, side handles, and a bungee paddle holder.

I’m also going to add a drain plug at the stern since the location of the one that came with the boat is in a really odd place. It’s impossible to drain all of the water out of the craft with the drain plug location.

I will add bungees to the bow of the boat as well. I love this kayak because it has such a large cockpit. I’m able to take my dog with me on my adventures. I did add a yoga mat to the bottom of the craft so my dog doesn’t slip on the bottom.

Overall, I’m very pleased with the Vapor 10. It construction is great especially since it’s one solid piece instead of two put together like so many other brands. Old Town did a great job in designing the introductory kayak.

My only complaint is the location of the drain hole/plug.

I bought a Lifetime Payette and then got the Vapor 10 to replace it and WOW what a difference. This boat is well worth the money. The feature I like the most and all my other kayak buddies are jealous of is the two notches in the gunnels to hold your paddle while you do things like get a drink from your cooler.

The boat is lightweight and easy to carry and load on top of my truck. It handles great on flat water as well as small rivers. Good job Old Town!!.

I needed a kayak to get into Sydney Harbour for the NYE 2017 fireworks. A friend mentioned Decathlon in Tempe had only just opened the day before, went there straight after work and took the last available kayak to test out for 7 days for free.

The staff at Tempe were amazing and extremely helpful. The team manager, being a kayaker himself, knew the product really well. I took the kayak out to Blackwattle Bay in Sydney, paddled around on flat waters and pretty much purchased it within the 7 day trial.

It was so easy to inflate and put together in less than 10 minutes! Not only that, it was quick and easy to deflate and pack away back into the carry bag. The carry bag has straps that I can strap the pump and detac.

This is a great kayak. It inflates quickly (around five minutes with the suggested pump), and packs down well. I’ve found it very stable and easy to handle in the water. I use it as a tender to get to a larger boat on a mooring; standing up in the kayak on the water to get onto the larger boat is no problem re: stability.

Have had these kayaks since 2017 and they were an amazing investment! We’ve been kayaking on Long Island, Lake Placid, Saranac Lake, and Montana lakes in all that time and these have been amazing! We are larger people 220/240 and these kayaks have always been fine, even fully loaded with lake camping gear, figure another 30-40lbs.

Pretty easy to balance and maneuver in, though you do need to be cognizant of what is under you in the water, e. g. sharp rocks/sharp submerged trees. I did pop one on Chapel Pond in the ADK but I got a smidge too close to some rather sharp rocks, and I was able to get to shore fine due to the dual compartment construction, quite the laugh!We’ve put these kayaks through waterfalls (oops), rough 3 ft waves all the time over the weight limit and we have been fine.

I’ve run over hidden rocks and logs with no issues 99% of the time (see sharp rocks above). Easy to get back into if one should fall out due to a waterfall one got too close too. I find that sitting crosslegged or with my feet outstretched in the water is the most comfortable (Im a bigger girl) but still very easy to put your legs in and under.

TONS of storage room. Love these things. Hardest part is drying them off and getting them packed away, but that becomes routine soon enough. We recommend taking a towel or paper towel to the interior before folding up, can smell pretty funky the next time if you don’t lol.

Paddles work great, and are not too heavy for long distance.

I’m new to kayaking. I had resisted for years, thinking it to be a confining death trap. Then my FOMO got the best of me. I tried it and, turns out I’m a kayaker. Not the kind who buys a hard-sided rig with all the accoutrements.

I can rent those for longer or more difficult water. For local paddles in smooth water this kayak is perfect for me. As its product description states, it’s not for rapids. This is no problem for me as I wouldn’t be comfortable doing those even with a hard-sides kayak.

I have two friends with the same kayak who let me try theirs first. I hoped I wouldn’t feel as though I was paddling around in a blow up mattress. Happily this kayak feels pretty substantial for an inflatable.

Enough so that I purchased mine, on sale to boot. I think mine is an improvement over the friends’ models. The valves on my model (purchased in late 2021) are much easier to cap when filling and, more importantly, to open when deflating.

I live in a warm climate but my fingers are often chilled and tired at the end of a paddle, when I most want to break down and leave quickly. By contrast with the borrowed kayak, I can open the valves myself without resorting to a tool fashioned from PVC that my friend uses to open her valves.

Set up is surprisingly easy with the supplied air pump. It’s faster than getting an electric air pump. It is a bit of a work out. I try to think of it as a warm up before paddling. If I could wave my magic wand, the pump’s foot stem would be longer so I could stand up straight.

I tried sitting on a camp chair but it works best and fastest standing. OP have mentioned this in their reviews and I concur; I, too, have waved my behind embarrassingly a few times, finding just the right back-saving position when pumping up my kayak.

Still, it’s a matter of about 15 minutes to get it ready to go. I am 5’ 8”. The length is a bit stunted for me if I put the uterus-shaped float thingy in the bow. It is meant to keep the kayak from dipping in front.

I use it for this reason but it does take up precious foot room. The seat is comfortable enough. There are Velcro strips and straps to keep it in place. Because I have to move the seat back as it will go so I can have leg room, I must sit bolt upright.

I have a 6’ 3” buddy who wanted to try mine to see if he wanted one. We came to the conclusion that anyone taller than me would be happiest with the two-seater, using only one seat. Happily there is a two-seater version.

The paddle is decent to get started. I plan to purchase something more suited to my skills but the included one is easy to assemble and will get you moving. I keep my supplies, including the pump and small repair kit for just-in-case, in a dry bag which I lash to my kayak with the net.

There’s no space inside the kayak for stuff but this works for me. Another upgrade I plan to make is to add lights. We often paddle on a town lake after dark. It’s not easy but I found I can use my bike lights.

It takes a bit of faffing to get the lights pointed correctly, especially to the rear. Sometimes I just wear my headlamp backwards with the red light on. It’s very durable for the way I use it. I haven’t tested the durability in places that might be rocky or with sharp trees, mainly because those are far enough distant that I prefer to rent hard-sided.

Not a knock against this kayak, I think it would hold up. It just takes up a lot of space. While easy to transport locally, for longer trips that might include luggage and several people, it takes up too much room.

I bought IKEA bags with straps that I use instead the included carry bag. The shape of the bags make folding up (dry, never, never store it wet) easier. It also means I can never fold it the same way twice, a good thing so as not to stress a fold and develop leaks.

Overall I’m happy with my purchase. And even happier when I’m on the water in minutes.

Ordered the K1 online and had it delivered, 1 of the 2 had a hole and so I returned it. The newer new one seat ripped at the seam between the seat and back rest (it still holds air) & the inflation measuring marks are off.

This is all before even getting it in the water. So not super impressed with the build quality but what do you expect from a cheap inflatable kayak from china. The strengths and drawbacks to the K1 challenger Pro: Cheap kayak Stable on the water Inflates quite quickly One way valves Comfortable (for the most part) Great straps and anchor points Convenient for storage and transporting Lightweight: 53.

6 lbs Cons No foot room (unless you can extend your ankles like a ballerina) Packing is a huge pain. Placement of the inlet and outlet couldn’t have been worst. Easiest would have been on either side so you could press the air out by rolling or folding.

So getting air out and into the bag is a real pain. Awkward to carry. Carrying straps could be longer so it could be worn as a backpack.

We have 2 of these so the 4 of us can go out OR just one of us adults, if we so choose. They are so easy to blow up bc the pump that comes with it blows are in when pumping up and down. Can literally be setup in 10 minutes.

We save boat docking fees because we can drop in the lake from wherever we want. Many youtubers showed how to customize and add motors and more permanant seats. We added pool noodles to the arm of the paddle.

I love the carry tote bag because it is somewhat waterproof and makes it easy to transport. We can fit both kayaks in the car trunk and still have space. No more roof rack hangups ect. BEST FEATURE is the fact that they have a plug on each end so after use, we can hose it down and keep it clean as the day we bought it.

Water drains out both ends and we can then deflate clean kayaks. Not recommended for river rides. The material is think and seems puncture proof but if you were riding downstream at a quick pace I am not so sure this would hold up against a sharp underwater tree branch.

There is also a rudder underneath that snaps into place. Seen a few folks who are not careful and forget about it when docking.

After viewing dozens of videos on youtube about this product, I figure for $120 it was worth a try and I was not disappointed. I have a hard shell kayak which is a pain to tie on the roof of my Camry (with a temporary soft roof rack).

At higher speeds it has been known to side to the side forcing me to stop and retie it. This kayak is almost as good and such a convenience to carry (in the trunk of car), instead of securing ties (on and off).

In fact I purchased another when the price dropped to $108. So both me and my son had one. We have taken them on the realitively calm waters of 100 acre lakes, creeks, rivers, cannels and the areas between islands on Florida’s nature coast.

The Intex K2 Explorer is easy to inflate (take about 6 minutes with the included hand pump). I purchased a battery air pump, but still use the hand pump since it is much quicker. And the K2 deflates very quickly.

I do not try to put it in the included bag, instead just deflate and fold, leaving it in the garage when not in use. Both kayaks fit in the trunk of my car with the paddles and pump.

Have been out twice in this kayak since purchasing a week ago. So easy to inflate with foot pump and is ready in less than 10 minutes! Its very stable on the water and handles waves and choppy water really well.

I’d go as far as to say that there’s less chance of coming out in rougher water than in a rigid kayak (depending on your experience if course!) I love rigid kayaks but bought this so my kids could use it collectively and having done my research on inflatables, this came up as one the best and I don’t regret it! My only gripe and it’s a small one ,I’d that the carry bag is a bit small so you really need to pack the kayak down tight when deflated.

Great quality and easy to paddle. However, it takes FOREVER to inflate. We usually have 2 people working on it with an electric pump and 2 hand pumps and it takes roughly 20 mins to get it fully inflated.

Our friends have intex brand and are up, single handedly in a 3rd of the time. If you aren’t going to need the added weight capacity or extra durability for where you paddle, I would look for a different item.

But if you need the durability and capacity – this is a great option. I got it on a great sale so it is worth what I paid, not sure I would pay full price.

IšverstiShow in original languageWe previously had a SeaEagle 120 double inflatable, which we loved until all the glue started failing at about 6 years and the boat became unsafe. We bought this as a replacement, and so far we like it even better than the SeaEagle.

At 27 lbs, it is SO remarkably light and packs up into its own backpack that its easy to transport in any vehicle and easy to carry to the water. The fact that the floor and comfy seats do not inflate is actually a really nice feature, as it means you sit lower in the water (than in the SeaEagle) and get more of a real kayaking experience, plus there is less to inflate/deflate and is faster to dry.

We took it out on a lake on a windy day and were amazed by how well it tracked. Overall, it takes us about 6 minutes to fully inflate and deploy. Sponging it down after use followed by a quick air dry takes care of the water.

When deflating, we simply reverse the direction of the pump, which vacuum seals the bladders, making it a snap to fold back up and put back in the backpack; there is ample room for boat, seats, the pump, and 2 PDFs in the backpack.

(We use the SeaEagle reversible foot pump which is small and works great. ) At 14. 5 feet long this has great leg room and storage space. You can turn the front seat around for picnics on the lake, and you can swim off this with easy re-entry from the water! Overall, we’re very happy with this so far.

It remains to be seen if the glue will last more than 6 years. all these inflatables are made in China or the like, and the warranties don’t extend out far enough to cover glue failure. But at least we know what we’re in for this time.

IšverstiShow in original languageBought Aquaglide 110 from Dicks. Also own Chinook 90 and Sea Eagle 330. The features mentioned in published info are all good. There is a foot support on the bottom mat which is essential for kayaking comfort.

It needs to have a thicker seat for sitting higher for comfort and paddling reach – seems like Aquaglide would know this and not save themselves $10 with cheap seat. Now I need to pack in inflatable or other seat cushion/riser.

I am 5-11 and 185 and I can easily stand in this flat bottom boat. The material is great for strength, very light weight, and quick drying when travelling. I wish people would give good paddling details: this flat bottom kayak goes 2 MPH with an easy paddle speed.

With some faster paddling it glides along at 3 MPH. I tried to go 4 MPH but no luck (cell phone GPS works great for this). The tip does not track exactly straight when paddling but comparable to other kayaks.

The Sea Eagle has a better seat, but nothing to keep it in place and no other features and is very heavy. If they added features other boats have a and reduced the buoyancy for a single it would be good.

It goes 3 MPH with less effort than the 110. When they say good for lakes and mellow rivers, they never say why; I suspect it is the flat bottom with little cushioning, the lack of bow up angle, and the skeg that puts this boat in that category.

Some day a kayak company will make the perfect inflatable kayak and give accurate analysis; have not seen this yet.

I bought this model in 2008 and have enjoyed it every summer our in open waters. Handles boat wakes and 2 ft seas with ease. Very steady and stable. The flexible seat config worked well when my kids were small and now when it’s just me.

Even brought the dog with me several times (Put a blanket on the front for him). It’s faded quite a bit from the sun but is still highly visible to boats.

As a woman, I wanted a kayak design that takes that into consideration but was also aesthetically appealing. I took this out for the first time during a Full Moon Paddle camping/kayaking trip. My first time out was at about 12:30am, under a full moon.

It handled beautifully & had great stability & I felt very safe. I must add that I am somewhat new to kayaking & this was only my 4th trip. This kayak makes me want to go more frequently, it was such a pleasure to paddle.

I love all the compartments & drink holder & the seat is so comfortable! My towel & dry bag stayed dry in the Click Seal Bow Hatch. I couldn’t be more pleased with my purchase & I received a lot of compliments.

A breast cancer survivor friend even commented on the pink ribbon decal & that is just an added bonus that Ocean Kayak is conscientious about giving back, as I lost my mother to breast cancer. I highly recommend this product!.

My husband kept saying that he was sure at the price I bought my Malibu Two Ocean Kayak for it was going to be a used product. Nope. Brand new with no defects. I haven’t used it yet since our lake is still frozen solid, but I can’t wait to get it out on the water.

PaddleVa put together a great video to let me know exactly what to do with receiving my shipment of kayak and paddles, which they packaged perfectly to protect my purchases in the shipping process. That was super helpful.

I’ll definitely buy from this company again, and look forward to visiting their shop sometime when I’m in the area.

Was wanting to get a pair of kayaks for a while. Was waiting for them to go on sale which like they were stuck at the same price. When i went to the store the 2 boats they had around the same price was the Sun Dolphin Aruba 10 and the Pelican Summit 100X.

I went with the Aruba 10 for a few reasons. First is the Pelican Summit 100X had a recessed cargo area in the back that looked like it drained though the seat. Second the Pelican Summit 100X also did not have a lip around the cock pit, maybe a skirt latter down the road.

Third reason was because I like the once piece colour. Few of the things i did not like was it did not come with a padded seat, but a foam pad fixed that, and no paddle was included. The seal around the rear storage compartment was not watertight and kept coming off, so a little bit of super glue fixed that.

The foot peddles were easy to adjust using your feet even on the water. The paddle holder bungee come in handy when you just wants to relax and drift. The water bolder holder in the front may be hard to get at for a few people that have shorter arms.

On the water the kayak is very stable, and tracks very well in a straight line. I’m 5 11″ weight 170 pounds and the kayak still floats high in the water.

I didn’t want to spend a lot of money and so I wasn’t expecting that much. But, get it home and I notice that the lid to the storage compartment is broken and the rubber gasket at the bottom doesn’t go all the way around, and it’s just fell off on it’s own.

Even if it was fitted, it wouldn’t keep out water and besides the storage compartment is really small anyway. Very small. Apart from a couple of scrapes it looks okay but the plastic is not that thick so it looks like I need an emergency patch kit and paddles because even though they told me online that this came with paddles and paddles are shown on the web page, the store guy told me that none of their kayaks come with paddles.

Ok, I probably wouldn’t want a cheap paddle anyway but it would be nice to have a backup. And, not so sure about leaks because for some reason there are metal screws I have to investigate. And, this is decorated with glued on vinyl decals.

Maybe my mood will improve once I get it in the water. I hope so but for now it just takes up space in my garage until spring.

I bought 2 (one for myself, one for the “Warden”) of these about three years ago looking for an introduction into kayaking without making a large investment. After research and reading multiple reviews, decided to go for it and never looked back.

Mind, these are beginner kayaks, but after kayaking for three years and now also owning a 14 foot Old Town kayak, these are more than capable, and I still have fun taking them out for short trips. You may read in reviews that they are unstable at times or don’t track well.

hogwash. You are sitting low enough to be stable and the kayak itself is wide and flat. Because of this, it is going to be slower in the water and should have a more difficult time tracking but I have never had a problem with that.

I have taken these on small lake waters as well as several sections of the Chicago River. It does not come with a paddle and I did invest in better paddles getting a couple of Bending Branches. We also ivested in better life jackets getting two NRS Chinook’s.

These have a higher back which does not interfere with the back portion of the kayak seat. This allows you to be seated all the way back for a better paddling position. The padded thigh pads are good and will make your day.

If you’ve ever kayaked with no padded thigh pads, you know what I’m taking about. This kayak has two downsides that could be improved upon. The first, which is trivial, is the hatch cover is not the best.

It doesn’t always seat the best and eventually the rubber gasket will need to be reglued. The second is way more important. The seat is not padded. It’s terrible. We use a folded wool blanket from Harbor Freight with a foldable seat pad on top of that.

Those combined have allowed me up to 4 hour kayak stents when I’m out. If you’re looking for a beginner/introductory kayak or just something to putt around in on fairly calm waters, then this one cannot be beat for the price.

If you’re on the fence, hop off and get this one.

I can highly recommend this kayak, it has given us enormous pleasure and fun this summer and autumn in France and Scotland. Although relatively expensive this is reflected in the robust material from which it is constructed.

It is quite happy to bump over the occasional rock without securing any visible damage. It is of course not quite as responsive as a rigid kayak. Inflation and deflation take no more than 15 minutes and the transport bag in which it is packed doubles as a dry bag in which you can pack dry clothes and a towel etc.

Once in the bag, which acts as a rucksack transport is easy, though I at age 70 wouldn’t want to carry it over rough ground for more than 20 minutes without a rest. The paddles, pump etc are of good quality.

The boat is stable and can handle reasonably exciting rough water with ease.

TranslateShow in original languageVaikka on hintava kovamuovisiin verrattuna, niin kevyesti liikkuvana ja kääntyvänä on aivan eri luokkaa meloa kuin kova muovisilla kajakeilla, ne on kuin tukilla meloisi verrattuna Thayaan.

Ja vakaus noissa on myös aivan eri, tuossa voi vaikka seisoa, eikä sitä saa meloessa nurin vaikka yrittäisi. Pohja on and the Dropstitch -materiaalia kuin sup-laudoissa käytetään, ja sivukammiot ovat NITRILON -kumia.

Mukava on myös lillutella hellepäivinä kevyesti meloen:) Nopea koota melontakuntoon, pakkaamiseen putsauksineen menee enemmän aikaa. Paketin mukana ei tule melaa eikä pumppua.

TranslateShow in original languageDas Gumotex Thalia ist wirklich hochwertig verarbeitet und fhlt sich auch vom Material sehr Hochwertig an. Aufbau – Aufpumpen geht mit einer Pumpe mit Manometer! wirklich sehr schnell.

In 10 Minuten ist das Boot startklar. Die Sitze sind sehr bequem und auch fr lngere Strecken gut geeignet. Bei uns fhrt sogar ein Golden Retriever mit. Decke rein – alles gut. Ist bei dem Material absolut kein Problem.