Comments on: New Inflatable Kayak Comparison Charts

By: Allison

Allison — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 19:20:30 +0000

Hey Cory,
I would personally choose the Sea Eagle 420X. It is the only one I can think of that is extremely stable and large enough to fit all of you plus gear and still be able to handle class 3 whitewater.
Also you could consider the Aire Outfitter II. It is not quite as big, but I think would still work well.
Good luck!

By: cory

cory — Wed, 02 Mar 2011 05:17:44 +0000

thanks so much for the web site. I love it!! here is a quick question: 2 adults, 2 kids, gear. ultra stability. class 3 whitewater in a low flow desert river with many rocks in a wilderness setting. which kayak would you personally choose? -thx. cory

By: Allison

Allison — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 20:02:59 +0000

Great choice Marc and happy holidays to you too!!

By: Marc Hanson

Marc Hanson — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 21:26:50 +0000

Hi Allison,

Thanks so much for your help. You made my day. Velocity all the way!!

Happy holidays,

By: Allison

Allison — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 18:48:28 +0000

Hi Marc,
I would say the Innova Sunny and the Airis Velocity get far greater speed than the Innova Helios I and the Airis Sport. The Sunny will also get better speed than the Velocity although the Velocity is still good. As far as tracking the Innova Helios, the Sunny and the Airis Velocity are all really on par. The Sport would be the underdog in this group but not by much.
I agree the Sport and Velocity have a much nicer look. The Sunny has the advantage of being able to be paddled with two people if you wanted to as well as has more room for extra gear and weighs very little… it is a really great inflatable kayak. However to be honest I think the quality, style and ease of use of the Velocity are hard to beat. Tough choice… good luck!!

By: Marc Hanson

Marc Hanson — Thu, 23 Dec 2010 02:49:06 +0000

Hi, I am looking to buy a new inflatable kayak. Iam 67 in decent shape & reside in South Florida.

I will use primarily for lakes, slow rivers or on a calm sea. I’ve narrowed it down to 2 choices: Walker Bay Aris Velocity 12 & Innova Sunny &.

Because they are both 12′ in length, hopefully they will track better. Price range is the same for both.

How does the Innova Helios 1 & Aris Sport 11 compare to the Sunny & Velocity in speed & tracking.

In terms of looks the Sport & Velocity are way ahead of the Sunny

I recently sold my SOT Emotion Temptation (10’3″) Space & weight is a problem – this is why I am looking to buy an inflatable. Any help wpuld be appreciated

Any help would be appreciated.

By: Allison

Allison — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 03:59:43 +0000

Hi Johnathan,

I would rate the Sea Eagle kayaks reliability as really high. They are not top of the line but they are good quality. Nothing is impossible but I guess the best I can say is that I have never had any issues in any way. After a few years of constant use my 380x is still like new and my new FastTrack seems just as rugged. I would advice using a UV protectant spray every so often which will prolong the life of the material and protect against environmental damage. Other than that they are pretty solid.

Yes we do get something if you click through our link to Sea Eagle even if you have been to their site before. Thanks you so much for asking, we really appreciate it!!

As far as the Thailand trip goes I am almost drooling over it. It sounds so fantastic… what a great family vacation! I have a brother who lives in Singapore and I was planning to hop over to Thailand next time I visit. Thank you very much for sharing the info on John Grays… they will be top of my list once I get there… hopefully next year if I am lucky :0)

Allison

By: Johnathan

Johnathan — Wed, 27 Oct 2010 02:36:14 +0000

Thanks Allison, I was thinking the large Fast Track myself. My only residual concern is durability and life of the craft as it would be too difficult to return if there are any problems. Where would would you put Sea Eagle in the reliability stakes?

So if I do decide to buy, if I click to Sea eagle’s web site through yours you will get something out of the deal? Even if I’ve visited the Sea Eagle Web site independently? i wouldn’t want you to miss out.

On the Thailand trip (Phuket). There wouldn’t be too many activities you could do on the water that would beat the John Gray tour. they pick you up from the hotel, take you out to the islands in comfort, feed and water you the most fabulous Thai food, paddle around the islands and sea caves and share their intimate knowledge of the area. It was so warm the day we went even though at times we were paddling in tropical storms which was great in itself. In the hongs/lagoons we paddled right up to monkeys running wild, seas owls and eagles, skipper fish and bats. Then when all the other tourist boats headed back to shore John Grays stays out and the kids made cermonial kratongs and we paddled through the dark into a cave and floated them. Simply Stunning. I for one am going back.

Thanks again for your advice. Johnathan.

By: Allison

Allison — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 15:19:18 +0000

Hi Jonathan,
Wow, your sea kayaking trip in Thailand sounds absolutely fantastic. I have never kayaked there myself but plan to in the future (I will take note of the tour company you mentioned). I have never used the Sotar kayaks myself so don’t have much info to offer on them. However as far as a family inflatable kayak there are two models I would point you towards. The new Sea Eagle 465 FastTrack is ideal for families and sounds like it would completely suit your needs. The other one to look at is the Aire Super Lynx. It does not offer quite as much room as the SE FastTrack but it has still been known to work for families and is a great IK. I did an article a little while back on the subject that will give you more info… Best Inflatable Kayaks for Families.
Cheers,
Allison

By: Johnathan

Johnathan — Tue, 19 Oct 2010 10:42:08 +0000

Hi, what a great web site. Extremely informative, well done.

I recently returned from a trip to Thailand where myself, my wife and three boys went on a Sea Kayaking adventure visiting islands, sea caves and hongs. The tour company, John Gray Sea Canoes used Sotar IK’s. It was a terrific experience by the way with personal guides in each IK. During our free time I was able to paddle the Sotar inflatable kayak with the whole family in the one kayak not doing a hell of a lot other than moving around and making a noise. The Sotar tracked incredibly well and I was able to move at a fair clip considering the dead weight in the boat. Anyhoo, I was wondering whether you have had any experience with Sotars? I’ve contacted the company in the US (I am in Tasmania, Australia) and it seems that their product is more of a boutique kayak, very sturdy and very expensive when compared to the range more commercially available. They don’t seem to cater for the retail purchaser, particularly one so far away.

Secondly, now that I have the IK bug I was wondering whether, putting the Sotar aside, you could recommend a kayak for the family. The kids are still young enough to bung into the one boat with mum and dad. I live on a harbour and near the coast so it would mostly be used in open type water and on the beach so it would get plenty of exposure to sand. Although we have plenty of inland lakes and rivers as well. It gets quite windy at times due to our proximity to the Southern Ocean so any IK would have to be able to handle that. Is my wish list too long? Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I am obliged, Johnathan