Innova Kayaks

Innova kayaks are European inflatable touring kayaks with their head office based out of Burlington, WA. They have been extremely popular over on the West Coast and are used for search and rescue by the Canadian Ranger Kayak Patrol on the west coast of Vancouver Island. These kayaks are tough and reliable.

Innova kayaks are built to last a lifetime and each model is manufactured to be extremely resistant to abrasion.

Below are the 10 Models of Innova Kayaks…

• Innova Helios I – good for flatwater paddling, handles well in ocean, optional rudder, perfect for traveling
  

  Innova Helios II

• Innova Helios II – two person version of Helios, lightweight and great for traveling, rugged and solid

• Innova K1 – very high quality solo whitewater inflatable kayak that can handle up to class IV rapids

• Innova Sunny – one of the fastest inflatable kayaks, super lightweight, top performer, great for two people, lakes, oceans mild rivers

• Innova Solar – open style, lightweight, removable fin, for flatwater paddling
  

  Innova Safari

• Innova Safari - whitewater up to class III, highly portable and compact, great performer, self-bailing

• Innnova Orinoco – river trekking for up to class IV rapids, unique design, great performance, self-bailing

• Innova Seaker I – high end sea expedition inflatable kayak, designed to be competitive with folding kayaks
  

  Innova Seaker II

• Innova Seaker II – two person version of the Seaker, high end sea expedition inflatable kayak

• Innova Traveller – whitewater up to class IV, highly maneuverable,  good for traveling

• Innova Twist – extremely lightweight, great for traveling, only good for flatwater, nice low price tag.

Facts About Innova Kayaks

• Each boat has three main air chambers . Plus there are other smaller chambers for the seats, decks or footrests.

• The Safari and the Orinoco are self-bailing but the other kayaks are not.

• The Traveller and the Seakers have eclosed cockpits and can be used with a spray skirt.

• With a foot pump, each kayak will take no more than 5 – 10 minutes to inflate.

• Each model inflates to 3 psi except for the Orinoco and the Seaker which inflate to 3.7 psi.

What Water Conditions can the Innova Kayaks handle?

Class I – Innova Sunny

Class II – Innova Helios I & II

Class III – Innova Safari

Class IV – Innova Orinoco, Innova Traveller, Innova K1

How do Innova Kayaks Handle in the Wind?

The great thing about Innova inflatable kayaks is that they are low-profile in design which means that are hardly affected by the wind at all. In fact the Innova Helios has been raced in 30-knot winds and 4-foot seas and actually performed better then many of the hard-shelled kayaks. Innova kayaks handle rough and windy conditions beautifully if you have them loaded properly.

However if you are experiencing any problems with the wind, using the rudder will help a lot as well as adding extra weight to your boat.

Pictures on this page provided by innovakayak.com

Innova Kayak Material

One thing that I absolutely love about the Innova company is that it is working hard to make all of their kayaks PVC-free. PVC is a standard material used to make inflatable kayaks that is extremely rugged and abrasion resistant. However it is also very toxic for the environment and more and more inflatable kayak companies are working with alternative materials to make their boats much more environmentally friendly. Innova is ahead of many other inflatable kayak manufacturers as they are hard at work to eliminate PVC from the production of their kayaks altogether.

Innova has been using a Nitrylon boat coating that is made of a blend of natural rubbers. It is extremely tough but also can be succeptable to UV damage. The quick and easy answer to protect your kayak from the harmful UV rays of the sun is to use a UV protectant spray on your boat. This will ensure that your kayak lasts a very long time in excellent condition.

Are there any negatives to the Innova Kayak?

Truthfully there are so many positives to the Innova kayaks that it can be hard to pick out the negatives. I would have to say that one negative is that they only have a two year warranty. There are lots of other inflatable kayak manufacturers that now offer warranties from 3 – 10 years. I think that Innova kayaks are phenomenal quality and that should be matched by an excellent warranty. Two years isn’t bad, but a longer one would be nice. It isn’t something to be too concerned about as with the proper care your Innova kayak will likely last a lifetime anyway.

Final Thoughts on Innova Kayaks…

I think the great thing about Innova kayaks is that they have a kayak for everyone. Whether you want a casual flatwater inflatable kayak or a super fast kayak, an expedition sea kayak or a fun whitewater play boat… they have it all. There kayaks are very lightweight (with the exception of the Seakers) and most are ideal for traveling.

The Innova Sunny happens to be one of my all-time favorite inflatable kayaks. It offers versatility, lightweight and awesome performance. I think that Innova is a brand that is only going to be gaining in popularity as more and more people realize how great these kayaks are.

Read our comprehensive Innova kayak reviews for more detailed information and pictures.

OR view other inflatable kayak reviews.

Did You Know?

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