Tuesday 26 May 2009

Boating


I purchased this so that I could take my girlfriend out on some nearby lakes. Set up was very easy, but I'd recommend using a manual air pump as opposed to an electronic one. After setting in the water, it took a few minutes to get used to paddling and steering. Since this is my first kayak, I believe any frustration I felt toward this one is due to my inexperience, as now that I've had more time with it on several occasions, I can honestly say that I love every minute of the experience, thanks in large part to the quality of this craft.



Recently, I went out on a large lake (Lake Martin in AL) and was pleasantly surprised to see how well the kayak handled waves created by other boats. It glides right over them with ease, mostly without altering your heading! Wonderful construction is to thank for that.



All in all, I believe anyone who has not experienced any other inflatable kayak will love this one since it is such an easy entry into hobby kayaking. Sevylor Inflatable Sit-On-Top Kayak, 2-Person

This kayak is super comfortable & has decent handling. There are 2 small built-in skegs (bottom fins) for directional control, one at the nose & one at the rear. It's long & wide & very stable with very comfortable seats. It came with 2 sets of paddles (not just 1), they're light-weight, float & work okay. In the open harbor we bounce a bit in small waves & wakes but that's fun! You will get a little wet with the supplied paddles, the water gets trapped in the foot rests & other crevices. The splashing is greatly reduced if you use longer paddles. This kayak really encourages you to just sit back, stretch out, relax & enjoy the scenery. Have fun!

Okay let me start by saying that this is a great 'kayak' for the price. I got mine for $91 shipped and haven't looked back. Upon saying that here are the pros and cons:



Pros:

-Super cheap

-Durable*

-Easy to transport

-Comes with two paddle

-Easily inflatable and deflatable



Cons:

-Sluggish in choppy water

-Oars are cheap quality

-Can be a little small



Overview:



Okay so I have had this thing about 2 months and have taken in out about 10 times. I am 6'2" 185lbs and my girlfriend is 5'6" 140lbs? and for the money this kayak is great. It is a little cramped for me but its not bad once you get used to it.



We have taken it two 2 different lakes and it performed great. We took it in the bay at Morro Bay, CA and it did good too even though the water was a bit choppy. When we took it to the beach and in the open ocean and it was a little rougher. We flipped it both times trying to paddle out and back in, so this isn't that stable on waves more than foot or so, but its still really fun!!



Also when we took it out in the ocean one of the connector joints on my paddle snapped in half so I had to replace it ($2.50 at Home Depot). I am sure the warranty would have covered this but I am not the type of person to deal with that hassle. Anyways the paddles that it came with are a little short for me and not super strong, but if you are just taking this out on the lake, a calm river, or in a bay then they will get the job done. Overall I think that this was a great buy and I have already gotten my money out of it. It is definitely a great deal and personally I would recommend it for those who will use it in calm water. The only reason I gave it 4 stars is because one of the paddles broke.



Hope this was helpful.

This is my first kayak. Loved it. So easy to transport. No trailer or roof racks needed. Says kayak will take over 500 pounds. Bought a high volume 12 volt Kwi pump with alligator clamps to spare 12v car battery on shore. Kayak has 8 heavy duty chambers for saftey. If one accidentally deflates no big deal. Inflated kayak in 2 minutes/deflate in 2 minutes. This is so relaxing. Easily carried by one average person. Just casually inflate....no hurry up stress backing up a trailer and off loading in a heavy used area. Bing, bang, boom, your quickly enjoying your kayak.



I have lots of arthritis, so it was so comfortable sitting on air... great seats. I'm 220lbs. Sat in the back seat. Enough free board so even choppy 1/2 foot waves did not get in kayak, just a little water from the paddling. Got a wet butt thats all. I felt very secure with my life vest on sitting in the back inflatable seat.



Even has 2 soda can/plastic bottled water holders, a small cargo net on the bow and holders on side to push your paddles in for temporary storage on the water. It's enough for me.



Took kayak to Clayton Lake State Park NM. Ranger was impressed with ease of operation...inflate/deflate. It was a little breezy. Wind took kayak a little so had to paddle back. Good work out 1 hour.



I read bad reviews about the paddles. Two sets supplied. That's nice. Read reviews that paddles fell apart and were not the best quality. Before going kayaking I gorilla glued all the joints. Now NOT able to take paddles apart but can not fall apart in water when I'm using them. For easy/average kayaking these paddles are OK but for serious kayaking I would recommend professional quality paddles. I'm satisfied with the gorilla gluing of the paddles for easy/average kayaking. If you want to do serious heavy duty kayaking get a better set of paddles.



So far kayak 5 stars. I'm getting another of these 2 person kayaks and possible sail connection. Like to try sailing a catamaran 4 person kayak. Will add to post when I get the other kayak and sail.

We had never kayaked before ordering this. Wow, was it easy! Paddling, direction, all of it is a piece of cake with this boat. My daughter's friend came to visit so we let them take our kayak out, and we rented a hard sided type to see how it differed. Boy, did we hate it! It was soooo different, difficult to steer, and uncomfortable. We were quite pleased to know for certain that our inflatable was a better choice, easy to transport, and a piece of cake to in/deflate. You won't go wrong with this choice. Even a repair, as we've had to do because of our own negligence, was easy.'


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