Solo
Solo Recreational/Flat Water Inflatable Kayaks
Below are the solo inflatable kayaks that are best suited for recreational flat water paddling. These kayaks will perform best on lakes, slow rivers or on a calm sea. They are excellent for taking on your travels and most of them are easily carried by one person.
Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame
By far one of the most popular inflatable kayaks, the Advanced Frame will make life a whole lot more enjoyable for not a huge amount of money. It is a great kayak for people of all ages. It is stable, light weight, very quickly inflated and can handle many different water conditions. Take it on an airplane or throw it in the trunk of your car. This kayak is a great buy. Read full review.
Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame Expedition
The AdvancedFrame Expedition is designed for longer trips and though not as speedy as many of the higher priced expedition kayaks, it will get the job done for a lot less money. It is very comfortable and best of all the front deck can unzip so that you can open it up and put your legs out in the sun. Usually inflatable kayaks are either always closed off or always open so this is a nice option. Read full review.
Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame Sport
The Sport is a brand new model for Advanced Elements as of 2010. It is affordable, lightweight, and good for flatwater. This inflatable kayak has a nice look to it, but is lacking in a few areas. However it is compact and would be great for traveling and recreational fun. Read full review.
Advanced Elements AirFusion
The AirFusion is a new hybrid inflatable kayak for Advanced Elements for 2010. It has alluminum poles that snap together to make up the frame and inflatable tubing to make up the body. This kayak is good for flat water and can reach fairly good speeds. I would like to see better tracking however and a rudder would make a big difference. Read full review.
Advanced Elements Firefly
The Firefly is quite a small inflatable kayak that will paddle best on flatwater. This kayak is recommended for smaller people, new kayakers, children or for someone who loves to travel. It is not suited for a larger person. Read full review.
Advanced Elements Lagoon 1
The Lagoon 1 is Advanced Elements second smallest inflatable kayak. It has essentially replaced their Dragonfly model and is best suited for flat water use. It is small and very lightweight and ideal for anyone who wants an easy way to get out and enjoy the water and who possibly wants to take their kayak traveling. Read full review.
Aire Tributary Sawtooth
Really great inflatable kayak because the seat can be easily moved to allow for a second seat to be added. Unique floor design has made it possible for the Sawtooth to reach very high speeds. Very affordable and great for flat water. Read full review.
Aire Tributary Strike
Very versatile inflatable kayak that handles whitewater rapids as well as tracks great on flat water. Comfortable, highly stable, rugged and backed by a five year warranty. Read full review.
Airhead Montana 1 Person
The Montana is a very affordable solo inflatable kayak that is best suited for lakes and mild whitewater. It only weighs 27 lbs. and is easy for one person to carry and transport. Although the tracking is not as good as some other models it does offer a lot of great features for a very reasonable price. Read full review.
Airis Play
So lightweight you can carry this kayak in a backpack and go anywhere in the world. Great quality, very sturdy with excellent accessories for comfort and great adventures. Comes in two different sizes to complement your own size. Read full review.
Airis Sport
Slightly longer than the Airis Play the sport will take you anywhere. Great quality, rigid construction much like a hard shelled kayak and excellent maneuverability. Only twenty-one pounds and easily carried in a backpack. Read full review.
Airis Tender 10
The Tender was designed specifically for getting from ship to shore and back. Loaded with features and the unique Connect-a-Yak connector system, this inflatable kayak is top notch in every way possible. Read full review.
Airis Velocity 12
Built for comfort and speed this inflatable kayak will have you wanting to be on the water constantly. Just about every detail has been thought out by Airis with the velocity and will likely satisfy even the most stubborn of hard shelled kayakers. Read full review.
Bic Yakka
The Yakka is part folding kayak and part inflatable kayak… it has a very unique and functional design. Simply unfold and inflate the side chambers… setup takes less than five minutes. It is fairly heavy for an inflatable but has a wheel at one end of the kayak for easy transport. Read full review.
Bic YakkAir 1
Preview ChangesThe YakkAir has a lot of potential to be a great inflatable kayak as it has a really great design and lots of great features. However it is new as of June of 2009 and there are some pretty major improvements that need to be made before the YakkAir is worthy of any great praise. Read full review.
Coleman Exponent Fastback
This is one of Coleman’s better inflatable kayaks. It was designed for whitewater but is much better suited for recreational flatwater. Loaded with a lot of great features, it is very user friendly but not so great performance wise. Light weight and ideal for traveling, it will provide some fun in the water but not the kind of performance that is possible to get from other inflatable kayaks. Read full review.
Hobie Mirage i12S
This inflatable kayak offers the unique possibility to paddle with kayak paddles or to peddle with foot pedals. It is best suited for flatwater and is ideal for recreation, fishing and even sailing with the optional sail kit. Read full review.
Infinity Orbit 245
The Orbit is a small inflatable kayak at only 8 feet long and weighs a mere 19 lbs. It is totally ideal for traveling and comes with a great backpack. The Orbit is a lot of fun to paddle and the performance is impressive considering its size. It is best suited for day trips on flat water or easy moving rivers. Read full review.
Innova Helios I
The Helios is extremely light at only twenty-four pounds and packs up so small that you can literally fit it in the overhead bin of an airplane. It has tons of storage space and offers an optional rudder (very handy for better tracking). You have to sit on the floor of the Helios with only a backrest for support but it is amazingly comfortable and is perfect for hours of flat water paddling. Simplistic in design, this is an excellent inflatable kayak for traveling. Read full review.
Innova Solar
Very lightweight, open in style and packs in to a small backpack. This is a highly portable inflatable kayak. It is not reviewed as one of the most comfortable and I would recommend putting in your own seat to save your back from aches and pains. The Solar comes with a removable fin that to be honest should always stay on if you want to track straight in the water with minimal effort. Read full review.
Innova Twist
The Innova Twist is an ultra-lightweight little inflatable kayak that can very easily be carried on your back and taken hiking, camping, traveling, cycling or on an airplane. Inexpensive yet with Innova’s great quality. Read full review.
NRS MaverIK
The MaverIK was designed so that paddlers of all levels could get out and enjoy the rush of river paddling (best for class I or II) and the peacefulness of lake paddling. It performs great on flat water and will handle well in some rougher conditions. It is extremely stable and tracks quite well considering there is no skeg. This kayak works best for a smaller person and is not suitable for whitewater tricks like rolling. Has a great 10 year warranty. Read full review.
Sea Eagle 385 FastTrack
Although the FastTrack was orginally a tandem inflatable kayak that could be converted to a solo it now has the option of purchasing strictly a solo model for a lower price. The dimensions of the kayak itself are identical to the tandem version however it simply comes with one seat and one paddle. This is a great option for those who want the FastTrack but plan to always paddle their kayak solo. Read full review.
Sevylor 1 Person Sit On Top
The Sevylor sit on top inflatable kayak is ideal for traveling as it is extremely light as well as very affordable. It is a fun little play boat but is lacking in a few areas… which would be expected considering the low cost. Read full review.
Sevylor Coral Sea
This solo inflatable kayak has an open back and the option of attaching a motor which makes it ideal for fishing. It is a very affordable kayak that is lightweight and stable but unfortunately also offers a weak performance. Read full review.
Zoik AlterEgo I
The AlterEgo is designed to be paddled on whitewater with up to class III rapids but also comes with a removable skeg for flat water paddling. Its smaller frame makes it very easy to paddle and it does not take much effort to get it moving. It weighs 26.5 pounds which makes it easy for one person to carry and transport and it would work well for traveling. Read full review.
