I've recently bought a motorhome and am about to hit the road. However, there is no room for my beloved kayak and I will need to resort to an inflatable. I'd love to hear from anyone who has had good (or bad) experiences with inflatables and any recommendations with regard to brand etc would be greatly appreciated.
JayDee said
01:44 PM Jul 30, 2014
Do not know much about Kayak's. But I have been doing some research on inflatable dinghies mainly for dam / Lake/ Rivers.
I am a little concerned re the total weight ie:- boat motor as we would be just about on the limit ( I think) We do not want to carry it on top of the tow.
Jay&Dee
Cupie said
04:59 PM Jul 30, 2014
Great pity that you can't find a way to carry the kayak.
I haven't looked at inflatables to any extent. The ones that I saw at places like Anaconda, many years ago looked like heavy dogs, so I lost interest.
Your post prompted me to have another look & wasn't I surprised ... They look good. I'll see if I can find any reviews on them on a USA forum that I visit.
Some very interesting ones ... The 'High Performance ones at around $1000 weigh only 20kg and lesser one that I looked at around $500 weighed 10kg!
One comment that I noted on one was that it was designed for straight tracking. A bit of a worry!
Don't know about availability though & I'd certainly try one out before I spent my hard earned.
Philw said
05:02 PM Jul 30, 2014
Hi Lynnek. A mate bought one andhates it. It seems to lose power through thestroke as you paddle because it flexes. He bought an expensive one and has only used it once. It is a double. Ihave the same problem, cant carry my canoe on the motorhome. Hope you find a solution. Phil
Philw said
05:04 PM Jul 30, 2014
Whoo. I am no longer a newbie. Big partie tonight...NOT?
jetj said
05:12 PM Jul 30, 2014
I'd love a Hobie Kayak, I don't like the idea of inflatables. I have a cheap Anaconda one and that tracks beautifully.
Cupie said
05:16 PM Jul 30, 2014
Here is a link to a USA Forum that has a 'sticky'? on Inflatables
Not the one that I was looking for but lots of opinions there.
Lynnek said
07:14 PM Jul 30, 2014
Hi all, Thanks so much for your responses. I too was completely off the idea of an inflatable until I had a little look around and saw how much they had improved. Sadly it is the only way I can go as I have a Mercedes Sprinter motor home and there is really nowhere for me to carry the rigid kayak. I'll definitely try before I buy but thought there must be GNs out there with inflatables who might give me personal experience comments. Thanks again!
signwilson said
07:15 PM Jul 30, 2014
We have hobie kayaks and love them they also make inflatables they look to be very good quality and have the same mirage drive
Sharke said
08:07 PM Jul 30, 2014
I had same problem no room to carry the hobie. i purchased a Sevylor k5 from BCF. Cost was around the $450.00. they are nowhere as easy as the hobie to paddle dont track as good'
I do like the ability to convert into backpack for carrying. Paddle is crap i had a spare hobie paddle. Does the job for me.http://www.bcf.com.au/online-store/products/Sevylor-Quickpak-Kayak-K5.aspx?pid=288231&menuFrom=571524#Cross
Cheers
Jeff
-- Edited by Sharke on Wednesday 30th of July 2014 08:12:39 PM
Pete49 said
08:58 PM Jul 30, 2014
I'm guessing you don't want to yak in croc waters so why not a 2.7/3m fleabay cheapy SOT? They are ok for protected waters and lakes/dams in normal conditions. Failing that quite a few yakers use a small boat trailer or converted box trailer set up to hold all the gear for the bigger/heavier yaks like the Hobie. Inflatables tend to be affected by wind but each to their own.
Pete
Cloak said
09:16 PM Jul 30, 2014
Philw wrote:
Whoo. I am no longer a newbie. Big partie tonight...NOT?
Yeah I don't think I'd like to be called a Member.... Hurry up with a few more posts Phil.
There are hundreds of reviews including kayaks, but not a very good search facility. I did notice one for an inflatable possibly similar to the BCF one? that was mentioned in a previous post to this thread.
It is a USA site so everything is relevant to North America.
I get a regular news letter from them & find it great reading on most aspects of Kayaking.
ps.
I too, like the Hobies even if they are pretty pricey & a bit heavy.
The mirage drive is surprisingly efficient.
A friend has a couple of the shorter ones but I find them too wet in any sort of chop. I'm completely dry in my Viking Fisherman while he is wringing wet in his Hobie when on the dam after redclaw. A model around 4 m long might be better.
They must have a pretty tight patent on them as there are not too many cheap copies out there that I have seen.
edit .. Forgot to mention that it is wise to keep in mind that perhaps a lot of the rating posts come from people with a vested interest in the product.
-- Edited by Cupie on Thursday 31st of July 2014 11:08:58 AM
Jayco Gypsy said
10:49 AM Jul 31, 2014
A friend has just be given an inflatable kayak (gift from his other half). Same issue can't carry a rigid kayak in the motorhome. He hasn't had a chance to use it yet. When he does I'll let you know how it goes. Another one has purchased a kayak that breaks into two for transport. He said its great. That might be another option. When I find out some details I'll post them. Won't be til next week.
Dunmowin said
11:10 AM Jul 31, 2014
Hi there, we have two Sevylor kayaks. one double and one single. They are great in sheltered waters, not too stable in wind. We had the double so our border collie could go along for the ride - and I would take the single. Both roll up neatly and live in the Thule Pod on top of the fourby. As previously mentioned, the oars are not that strong, but collapse into a bag that houses the oars, pump, and 2 life jackets. Easier to blow the boats up manually, rather than using the compressor. Easier with two people.
Photos below give an idea our ours - even the grandies were able to handle them.
John on lake Atkinson and with the grandies up the river from Linville - all SEQ. Lynnek, hope this helps. More than happy to answer any other questions you have about them.
-- Edited by Dunmowin on Thursday 31st of July 2014 11:12:52 AM
-- Edited by Dunmowin on Thursday 31st of July 2014 11:14:46 AM
I'm disappointed to hear that you get wet in the smaller hobies, I thought the advantage of not having to use the paddle meant less water in your lap. I think that the foot peddling would be easier than using your arms to paddle. Also thought peddling might strip some weight off the hindquarters.
chaslib said
09:47 AM Aug 1, 2014
I am another person who will go into withdrawal without my kayak with me - no room in a motor home not to mention payload! ..... we travel with 2 of them - some fancy Hobie Fishing kayak thing and an older B-Line Fibreglass TK1. I am seriously looking around at the inflatables and like some of you am a bit concerned about durability and how they perform on the water. - I would not be looking for ones that can take a small motor - I prefer to explore and enjoy the experience in mine! Not concerned about the fishing kayak - that's Charlie's and he just wants something that he can paddle out in - sit in for half a day and then paddle back to shore in - obviously I am not into fishing! Up until now we have towed a camper with them on the car roof racks, but with our plans now to move to a motor home, sadly the 2 kayaks will gather dust at home for most of each year!
Kantiki said
10:29 AM Aug 1, 2014
I have 2 inflatables and love them . Can't say Im a serious paddler so only use on very calm water. I agree they do not track very well but I am never in a hurry so we just mosey along. Great when I have te grandkids with us. Only bought them because of lack of roof space when we had the tinnie. If you could try one first, I'm sure someone at your local water spot would let you, then you could decide.
Lynnek said
12:22 PM Aug 1, 2014
Hi again everyone, once again a very big thank you for all your input. It's very much appreciated. I already have one of the kayaks that break in 2 but it's still too big for the motorhome. There are some amazing inflatables out there like the Feathercraft Aironaut but the price is very high. I'm not into fishing and don't need speed necessarily, I just like to paddle and look at the birds and the scenery and enjoy myself but having said that, if the yak doesn't track well, it's just an unenjoyable battle. I'll head off to a couple of nearby kayak stores on the weekend and see what I can glean from them. Many thanks again.
Lynnek said
12:26 PM Aug 1, 2014
Hi Dunmowin, they look like a lot of fun. Thanks for the pictures. You say they are easy to blow up etc with 2 people. Too hard for 1? I'm a solo female traveller (well, soon to be traveller. I'm retiring and heading off on 29 September so trying to get every organised now.)
Cupie said
01:26 PM Aug 1, 2014
jetj wrote:
I'm disappointed to hear that you get wet in the smaller hobies, I thought the advantage of not having to use the paddle meant less water in your lap. I think that the foot peddling would be easier than using your arms to paddle. Also thought peddling might strip some weight off the hindquarters.
In my experience paddling does not result in water in the yak. You should have splash guards on the shaft to stop that.
A main advantage of the Hobie pedals is to leave your hands free for fishing.
If your paddling technique is correct there is little strain on your arms (or water splashing about). You should be keeping the arms straight & twisting the torso thru the stroke & only bending the elbows at the end & beginning of the stroke.
Foot peddling is very easy ... just like those recliner bikes. It just looks ungainly.
Dunmowin said
04:50 PM Aug 1, 2014
Lynnek wrote:
Hi Dunmowin, they look like a lot of fun. Thanks for the pictures. You say they are easy to blow up etc with 2 people. Too hard for 1? I'm a solo female traveller (well, soon to be traveller. I'm retiring and heading off on 29 September so trying to get every organised now.)
Lynnek, yes easy to blow up with two, but not hard for one. Mr D often does it himself, but I usually help him deflate. There are 7 or 8 air compartments, you need to ensure you inflate and deflate in the right order, but it does make folding and rolling up easier if deflated correctly. We bought our from BCF at Lawnton - I see you are in Brisbane.
Note: when I say blowing up manually, I mean a hand operated double action manual pump, verse a 12v or 240v pump.
I've recently bought a motorhome and am about to hit the road. However, there is no room for my beloved kayak and I will need to resort to an inflatable. I'd love to hear from anyone who has had good (or bad) experiences with inflatables and any recommendations with regard to brand etc would be greatly appreciated.
I am a little concerned re the total weight ie:- boat motor as we would be just about on the limit ( I think) We do not want to carry it on top of the tow.
Jay&Dee
Great pity that you can't find a way to carry the kayak.
I haven't looked at inflatables to any extent. The ones that I saw at places like Anaconda, many years ago looked like heavy dogs, so I lost interest.
Your post prompted me to have another look & wasn't I surprised ... They look good. I'll see if I can find any reviews on them on a USA forum that I visit.
Only looked at one site http://www.ozinflatablekayaks.com.au/
Some very interesting ones ... The 'High Performance ones at around $1000 weigh only 20kg and lesser one that I looked at around $500 weighed 10kg!
One comment that I noted on one was that it was designed for straight tracking. A bit of a worry!
Don't know about availability though & I'd certainly try one out before I spent my hard earned.
I'd love a Hobie Kayak, I don't like the idea of inflatables. I have a cheap Anaconda one and that tracks beautifully.
Here is a link to a USA Forum that has a 'sticky'? on Inflatables
http://www.topkayaker.net/forums/
Not the one that I was looking for but lots of opinions there.
I had same problem no room to carry the hobie. i purchased a Sevylor k5 from BCF. Cost was around the $450.00. they are nowhere as easy as the hobie to paddle dont track as good'
I do like the ability to convert into backpack for carrying. Paddle is crap i had a spare hobie paddle. Does the job for me.http://www.bcf.com.au/online-store/products/Sevylor-Quickpak-Kayak-K5.aspx?pid=288231&menuFrom=571524#Cross
Cheers
Jeff
-- Edited by Sharke on Wednesday 30th of July 2014 08:12:39 PM
I'm guessing you don't want to yak in croc waters so why not a 2.7/3m fleabay cheapy SOT? They are ok for protected waters and lakes/dams in normal conditions. Failing that quite a few yakers use a small boat trailer or converted box trailer set up to hold all the gear for the bigger/heavier yaks like the Hobie. Inflatables tend to be affected by wind but each to their own.
Pete
Yeah I don't think I'd like to be called a Member.... Hurry up with a few more posts Phil.
Here's a link that I was looking for ..
http://www.paddling.net/Reviews/showReviews.html?prod=1149
There are hundreds of reviews including kayaks, but not a very good search facility. I did notice one for an inflatable possibly similar to the BCF one? that was mentioned in a previous post to this thread.
It is a USA site so everything is relevant to North America.
I get a regular news letter from them & find it great reading on most aspects of Kayaking.
ps.
I too, like the Hobies even if they are pretty pricey & a bit heavy.
The mirage drive is surprisingly efficient.
A friend has a couple of the shorter ones but I find them too wet in any sort of chop. I'm completely dry in my Viking Fisherman while he is wringing wet in his Hobie when on the dam after redclaw. A model around 4 m long might be better.
They must have a pretty tight patent on them as there are not too many cheap copies out there that I have seen.
edit .. Forgot to mention that it is wise to keep in mind that perhaps a lot of the rating posts come from people with a vested interest in the product.
-- Edited by Cupie on Thursday 31st of July 2014 11:08:58 AM
Hi there, we have two Sevylor kayaks. one double and one single. They are great in sheltered waters, not too stable in wind. We had the double so our border collie could go along for the ride - and I would take the single. Both roll up neatly and live in the Thule Pod on top of the fourby. As previously mentioned, the oars are not that strong, but collapse into a bag that houses the oars, pump, and 2 life jackets. Easier to blow the boats up manually, rather than using the compressor. Easier with two people.
Photos below give an idea our ours - even the grandies were able to handle them.
John on lake Atkinson and with the grandies up the river from Linville - all SEQ. Lynnek, hope this helps. More than happy to answer any other questions you have about them.
-- Edited by Dunmowin on Thursday 31st of July 2014 11:12:52 AM
-- Edited by Dunmowin on Thursday 31st of July 2014 11:14:46 AM
I'm disappointed to hear that you get wet in the smaller hobies, I thought the advantage of not having to use the paddle meant less water in your lap. I think that the foot peddling would be easier than using your arms to paddle. Also thought peddling might strip some weight off the hindquarters.
I am another person who will go into withdrawal without my kayak with me - no room in a motor home not to mention payload! ..... we travel with 2 of them - some fancy Hobie Fishing kayak thing and an older B-Line Fibreglass TK1. I am seriously looking around at the inflatables and like some of you am a bit concerned about durability and how they perform on the water. - I would not be looking for ones that can take a small motor - I prefer to explore and enjoy the experience in mine! Not concerned about the fishing kayak - that's Charlie's and he just wants something that he can paddle out in - sit in for half a day and then paddle back to shore in - obviously I am not into fishing! Up until now we have towed a camper with them on the car roof racks, but with our plans now to move to a motor home, sadly the 2 kayaks will gather dust at home for most of each year!
Hi Dunmowin, they look like a lot of fun. Thanks for the pictures. You say they are easy to blow up etc with 2 people. Too hard for 1? I'm a solo female traveller (well, soon to be traveller. I'm retiring and heading off on 29 September so trying to get every organised now.)
In my experience paddling does not result in water in the yak. You should have splash guards on the shaft to stop that.
A main advantage of the Hobie pedals is to leave your hands free for fishing.
If your paddling technique is correct there is little strain on your arms (or water splashing about). You should be keeping the arms straight & twisting the torso thru the stroke & only bending the elbows at the end & beginning of the stroke.
Foot peddling is very easy ... just like those recliner bikes. It just looks ungainly.
Lynnek, yes easy to blow up with two, but not hard for one. Mr D often does it himself, but I usually help him deflate. There are 7 or 8 air compartments, you need to ensure you inflate and deflate in the right order, but it does make folding and rolling up easier if deflated correctly. We bought our from BCF at Lawnton - I see you are in Brisbane.
Note: when I say blowing up manually, I mean a hand operated double action manual pump, verse a 12v or 240v pump.