Been looking at inflatable kayaks....

[Skyler]

...for trolling and basically for replacing my float tube on bigger lakes to cover more water. A pontoon would be cool, but I'd rather have the manuevering and speed capabilities of a kayak if I'm gonna be rowing. Plus moving forward beats backward by far, lol. Anyways, I was wondering if anyone here has experience with these inflatables. A hard bodied yak would be nice, but I don't always have the room, and often have to hike in before fishing. So an inflatable is about my only option. Been looking at the Intex Challenger K-1 or k-2, and the qayak series. Helluva good price, but I was wondering how stable they are and if they track straight. Thanks, guys. Any input is appreciated.

[tacklejunkie]

You can row a pontoon forward or backward..


...for trolling and basically for replacing my float tube on bigger lakes to cover more water. A pontoon would be cool, but I'd rather have the manuevering and speed capabilities of a kayak if I'm gonna be rowing. Plus moving forward beats backward by far, lol. Anyways, I was wondering if anyone here has experience with these inflatables. A hard bodied yak would be nice, but I don't always have the room, and often have to hike in before fishing. So an inflatable is about my only option. Been looking at the Intex Challenger K-1 or k-2, and the qayak series. Helluva good price, but I was wondering how stable they are and if they track straight. Thanks, guys. Any input is appreciated.

[Z-TUNAKILLER]

HEY S, if you have the $$$$$$$$$ ?


http://www.northforkoutdoors.com/2008webcatalog/2008pg2.html

HAVE A LOOK AT ALL THE SWEET TOY'S


hey tj, though you went ....FISHING ?


Z

FISH ON !

[Skyler]

Lol. yeah, i know you can row a pontoon both ways. I was more refering to my float tube, and it's uni-directional manueverability. Either way, a kayak will definitely cover more water than a toon, and I'd like the capabily to troll spoons and cranks at a decent speed. Plus the one piece oar is fun stuff. And It's good being able to hit a bit of whitewater without worrying.

Z-tuna, that is an interesting link. Kinda like a kayak-toon. But unfortunately, it is WAY out of my price range. Guess I'm gonna have to slum it until I win the lottery, he he he. Lord knows I won't be able to save that much without the sh@t hitting the fan and me spending it all for some random emergency, lol. Thanks, guys.

[tacklejunkie]

HEY S, if you have the $$$$$$$$$ ?


http://www.northforkoutdoors.com/2008webcatalog/2008pg2.html

HAVE A LOOK AT ALL THE SWEET TOY'S


hey tj, though you went ....FISHING ?


Z

FISH ON !

I did go fishing ;)
caught two dinks on the C-rig really quick. came home wondering about a stiffer C-rig rod with a sore wrist! :lol:

[tacklejunkie]

Add a trolling motor on a pontoon and you'll be going faster than a kayak ;)
And yes, they'll handle whitewater pretty well. I haven't been in water too rough for my pontoon, only water too rough to steady fish in from the pontoon. (3' chop with 20mph winds)

Personal preference really. I don't see any one inflatable as better than the other, just better in certain applications.

I have also heard that inflatable kayak floors are a PITA. You might want to try one before you buy it to make sure you like it.


Lol. yeah, i know you can row a pontoon both ways. I was more refering to my float tube, and it's uni-directional manueverability. Either way, a kayak will definitely cover more water than a toon, and I'd like the capabily to troll spoons and cranks at a decent speed. Plus the one piece oar is fun stuff. And It's good being able to hit a bit of whitewater without worrying.

[Skyler]

Add a trolling motor on a pontoon and you'll be going faster than a kayak ;)
And yes, they'll handle whitewater pretty well. I haven't been in water too rough for my pontoon, only water too rough to steady fish in from the pontoon. (3' chop with 20mph winds)

Personal preference really. I don't see any one inflatable as better than the other, just better in certain applications.

I have also heard that inflatable kayak floors are a PITA. You might want to try one before you buy it to make sure you like it.

I'll pass on the trolling motor. I like a good workout, and my legs are already steel, lol. About time to start working my arms more, since my weight set is packed up in storage, and I haven't been doing martial arts as much lately. I have given myself a few months to decide, and the kayak just seems like a better option for me. Less assembly time, easier to pack in, and a bit faster for trolling as well. Plus the price is much better. And if i ever do decide to mount a trolling motor, the kayak would have a bit of a speed advantage. Not sure how to mount it on an inflatable though, lol.

[Z-TUNAKILLER]

I did go fishing ;)
caught two dinks on the C-rig really quick. came home wondering about a stiffer C-rig rod with a sore wrist! :lol:


OK tj, nice no :skunk:


----------------------------------------------------------------------


Yeah S, those NF are very nice & big $$$$$....


tell you what, i'll make a deal with you ...

if i win the lotto i'll buy you a NF and if you win the
lotto you have to buy me one ... what do you say :?: :mrgreen:


oh yeah S, check out Creek Co. jetpack

http://www.creekcompany.com/indivdisplay.php?primaryAutoID=5&Cat=3

if this is something you'd be interested in, PM me i'll give you a Cc dealer e-mail address, its where i purchased my toon, they have really good prices, way better then the Cc web-site.


Z

FISH ON !

[flyforfish21]

skyler..dude check out sea eagle's website they have several kayaks available...I have a few friends in washington who own the inflatable sea eagles, and have used several others. They say for them the sea eagle is by far the best, and i think they have a deal going on right now...There is also a few other brands that are good, honestly i wouldn't go with the intex lower end ones. even though they are decently built i don't think they are as capable of what you want to do as other brands. The thing i like about the sea eagle yaks' are the skegs that you can get, this will help tracking so much. Anyways good luck man, i have a hard body yak and love it, although i dont take it out as much i would like it is always fun. Good luck...let me know what you get and maybe we can all hit perris one...

Flyforfish21

[Skyler]

http://lh3.google.com/CatalinaDreaming2008/R473Xjlm5gI/AAAAAAAAAPY/3roh-NyBKiM/Greg%20030.jpg?imgmax=576

I know someone who has an inflatable Innova and he says it is fantastic.

I started kayaking in an inflatable many moons ago up at Lake Pyramid. After kayaking for two summers it had more patches than original material. I finally had to bury it, when the bottom got a huge rip which wasn't repairable, and I was stranded until a ranger at Pyramid found me right before closing the lake.

How in the heck are you going to blow it up if you have to portage into a lake? Check out Advanced Edge Inflatabe Kayaks. I saw them at a show http://www.southwindkayaks.com/advancedelements/advanced-frameconvertible.html
http://www.southwindkayaks.com/advancedelements/image/advconvertible-spec.jpg


They have demo days you can try the kayaks out and a big sale coming up in the beginning of May : http://www.southwindkayaks.com/events.html#funfree

Make sure in an inflatable that you can swing your arms comfortably without rubbing on the sides. Some inflatabls you sit in too deep. I had to tape up one girl I kayaked with forearms because they got raw from rubbing against the sides of the kayak.

Also, where are you are you going to put all of your fishing gear? I'd get a tandem for that reason. You might want to boat-in kayak some where.

Thanks, i'll check out those links.

I have a small hand pump that will inflate it fine. As for my gear, I usually travel quite light. If I can fit all my gear in my float tube, i'm sure i'll find a way to fit it all on my kayak, even if I have to add a cargo basket. I assume I would probably have to wear a backpack, though I should be able to stow some of my stuff under the rear canopy as well. As for a tandem, that is another question I have. Will i be at a detriment in a 2 man boat while rowing by myself? I'd rather have the extra room anyways. Maybe something like the sevlyor tahiti? Thanks for the input. I appreciate it.

[sky]

Skyler

The Advanced Edge has an incredible case with shoulder straps which makes carrying it (and bringing it on a plane) very convenient. I can't recall how much it weighs - I am going to guess around 45 to 50 pounds. Hopefully your portage to the lake isn't too far. I think it also has clips on the pack which you could clip on some of your other gear too. I don't know if the innova comes with a carrying pack. The paddle comes apart and screws together for easy carrying and shipping.

The wider the boat the slower it will be. The advanced edge's design looks as though it will slice through the water easier than the Innova's.

I am going on a fishing, kayaking camping outing with a bunch of people on May 16th to 18th. Don's going to be fishing out of his inflatiable Innova. I'll ask him if I can paddle it around to see how it handles and let you know.

I personally would get the tandem. #1.) because you can bring a friend with you. #2.) you'll have room to carry your gear and camping stuff - and cooler etc.

WELL you said you wanted to work out your upper body more. Blowing up that big old kayak by hand will sure do the trick! :mrgreen: After I got done hand pumping up my kayak I was so tired I didn't feel like paddling any more, so I went to a gas station in Castaic and blew it up. Tied it onto the top of my car, then I drove the 18 miles to pyramid lake. There's foot pumps on the market now that work pretty good.

[Skyler]

Skyler

The Advanced Edge has an incredible case with shoulder straps which makes carrying it (and bringing it on a plane) very convenient. I can't recall how much it weighs - I am going to guess around 45 to 50 pounds. Hopefully your portage to the lake isn't too far. I think it also has clips on the pack which you could clip on some of your other gear too. I don't know if the innova comes with a carrying pack. The paddle comes apart and screws together for easy carrying and shipping.

The wider the boat the slower it will be. The advanced edge's design looks as though it will slice through the water easier than the Innova's.

I am going on a fishing, kayaking camping outing with a bunch of people on May 16th to 18th. Don's going to be fishing out of his inflatiable Innova. I'll ask him if I can paddle it around to see how it handles and let you know.

I personally would get the tandem. #1.) because you can bring a friend with you. #2.) you'll have room to carry your gear and camping stuff - and cooler etc.

WELL you said you wanted to work out your upper body more. Blowing up that big old kayak by hand will sure do the trick! :mrgreen: After I got done hand pumping up my kayak I was so tired I didn't feel like paddling any more, so I went to a gas station in Castaic and blew it up. Tied it onto the top of my car, then I drove the 18 miles to pyramid lake. There's foot pumps on the market now that work pretty good.

Thanks, Sky. You've been quite helpful. I have decided on a tandem, for the added storage space, plus I can take my daughter out with me on the lake. As for the width, the wider one would be a more stable fishing platform, correct? I'm willing to sacrifice a bit of speed for more stability and tracking. Not planning on using on anything higher than class 1 rapids. Mainly for lakes. Anyways, I've been looking at the sevylor tahiti, and it looks to be about what I need (once I add the tracking skeg), at a very reasonable price. The reviews on it aren't half bad either. Been in production since the 60's and hasn't been discontinued yet, he he. You have any experience with it?:

http://www.sevylor.com/aimg/thm/t_350x350_x1_STRU235.jpg

As for pumping it up, yeah, that's a lot more volume to fill than my float tube. I assume I'll have to put in about 10-15 minutes or so. I pump my airguns up to 3500 psi with a scuba pump though, so i'm pretty used to the pumping motions (that's what she said, he he he). It sometimes takes me 20+ minutes to fill a gun from empty, and my entire 200 pound body weight isn't enough to depress the plunger at 3500 psi! If it get's too annoying, guess I'll just pick up one of those foot pumps. Thanks, Sky.

[sky]

Skyler - How tall are you?
The Seylor looks like you sit deep inside the kayak. If you don't have a long torso, when you sit deep inside of a kayak, you may encounter
the bottom of your arms rubbing on the sides of the kayak, which if you paddle for a distance could make them raw.

If you are tall, the Seylor tandem doesn't look like it has enough leg-room
in the back seat. Your knees are going to be bent up into your chest.

Depending on the material and the length of the kayak, you might be able to run Class II rapids, but if the kayak material isn't made for running rapids, it might pop on a sharp rock, or tree limb. You'll need to be able to shove your feet under the seat in front if you're going to run rapids with it.
Otherwise, you won't have anything to brace yourself with, and you'll end up in the water....

I took my friend down the Kern in a tandem, and we were running Class III rapids in an inflatable. She never paddled before, and did really well, because she did everything I told her to do :D....so we didn't get dumped.

I would test out a few kayaks before you buy one. A lot a people make the mistake of getting the cheapest one, then end up turning around and buying another model a few months later.

It took me 45 minutes to pump up my inflatable... wider is more stable.
Can you move the seat in front forward to give you more leg room?

Also, I don't see any tie downs on the kayak to attach your gear to, in case you flip over, so you won't lose all of your fishing gear.

[Skyler]

Skyler - How tall are you?
The Seylor looks like you sit deep inside the kayak. If you don't have a long torso, when you sit deep inside of a kayak, you may encounter
the bottom of your arms rubbing on the sides of the kayak, which if you paddle for a distance could make them raw.

If you are tall, the Seylor tandem doesn't look like it has enough leg-room
in the back seat. Your knees are going to be bent up into your chest.

Depending on the material and the length of the kayak, you might be able to run Calss II rapids, but if the kayak material isn't made for running rapids, it might pop on a sharp rock, or tree limb. You'll need to be able to shove your feet under the seat in front if you're going to run rapids with it.
Otherwise, you won't have anything to brace yourself with, and you'll end up in the water....

I took my friend down the Kern in a tandem, and we were running Class III rapids in an inflatable. She never paddled before, and did really well, because she did everything I told her to do :D....so we didn't get dumped.

I would test out a few kayaks before you buy one. A lot a people make the mistake of getting the cheapest one, then end up turning around and buying another model a few months later.

It took me 45 minutes to pump up my inflatable... wider is more stable.
Can you move the seat in front forward to give you more leg room?

Also, I don't see any tied downs on the kayak to attach your gear to, in case you flip over, so you won't lose all of your fishing gear.

I am about 6'1", 200 pounds, athletic build, with a long torso and shortish legs. I mainly plan on going solo, so leg room shouldn't be an issue as the seats are removeable. Sound like a feasible option for my proportions?


The boat is in fact rated up to class two rapids (not like I plan on running rapids with it!), and one Alaskan outfitter actually uses them almost exclusively (they call 'em the orange torpedo) for whitewater tours. It has also traversed the entire length of the Amazon twice! As for the tie-downs, I could probably just rig a cargo net over the front apron thingy. It has those lace holes. For the price, I may just give it a shot. I'll only be out $100 if it pops, and it has a warrantee, so i'd just get a refund, he he. Anyways, thanks, Sky. You've been very helpful.

[Skyler]

skyler - DON'T FORGET TO BUY PLENTY OF PATCH KITS :shock:.

You are tall enough so rubbing your arms shouldn't be a problem.

Watch out for fish hooks - broken glass and sharp tree limbs when pulling it out onto the shore...that's how I popped mine.

sky

:thumb: Great advice there, he he he. Last thing I need is to spring a leak and be out of the game for the day. I always keep a couple patches in my float tube, but I'll probably keep like 5 in the yak just 'cause I'm paranoid, lol. As far as the fish hooks, I was thinking of keeping a shallow rubbermaid tub under my legs to use as a working area. That way I wouldn't have to worry about stray tackle puncturing it (in theory, lol). Plus if I flip the boat, it would float (provided the lid is sealed). Anyways, any other pointers/links on using/controlling/fishing from a kayak would be awesome. Thanks again.

[BIGRED KILLA]

I would be scared to have treble hooks on the inflatable.

[Ronira]

Hey Skyler, I would not get an inflatable kayak for any reason. They are slugs in the water compared to regular kayaks. They're much more work to paddle, don't turn as well, have no hard decks so if you drop a fish hook on the floor and lose it you will have a problem. You cannot stand in one and you sit to low for good visibility and besides that they suck. Get a real kayak or a pontoon and you will be much better off. That's just my opinion but it's based on watching a lot of inflatable kayaks eat s#%& on No Cal rivers. I've tried a few and hated them.

[Skyler]

Well, before I could even decide on what to buy, my brother went out and bought me a seyvlor tahiti HF (hunting/fishing) with a tracking skeg and anchor for my birthday, plus he bought me a new Diawa regal for my medium fast bass rig! I feel so loved, lol! Gonna take the yak out and try it next weekend at Perris for panfish. Gonna bring my cheapest/crappiest gear, and flip it on purpose a few times to get the hang of remounting my steed, he he. Not sure if I'll actually have to flip it on purpose though, lol! It may do the job for me! Either way, damn this thing is bigger than i thought. Over ten feet long, and it will fit two comfortably, with some gear to boot. And it folds down hella small. Almost as small as my float tube. I'll keep you guys posted as to the overall performance. Stay tuned....

[Skyler]

So would I...but I look at it this way...

Think of all of the entertaining stories Skyler will share with us, when he pops his inflatable, out in the middle of tim-buk-2....and there's no one to flag down to give him a ride back to the launch, and he turns a bright shade of red, because he's been in the sun all day....then he freezes his butt off from a sunburn chill, and because all he was wearing was his swimsuit...:???:

With my luck, i'm sure that's a very real possibility, lol. I do keep a bright orange hooded rain poncho on me whenever I'm on the water though, as well as a two chambered whistle and pfd. As for the sunburn, lol! I guess i'm just used to it. i'm bright red as we speak from silverwood saturday. Doesn't bother me much with how much time i spend outdoors. Now the skin cancer I get in 20 years may be another story, he he.

Anyways, the kayak I got has three air chambers, so i'm not too worried about it popping and sinking, but getting stranded is a very real possibilty. For that reason alone i don't think i'll be going much more than a couple hundred yards from shore. Better safe than sorry, right? I do have plenty of patch kits, as per your recommendation. Hopefully they will alleviate the need to be stranded for long. Anyways, have fun, Sky. Thanks.

[ANGLER-IN-TRAINING]

Damn!! I wish I had a brother like that!!

Have fun with the new "toy"!!

A-I-T

[Ronira]

If that dudes trying to do a roll he's in trouble. Bad form there

[Skyler]

Wow that was a great birthday present. Happy birthday.

Staying close to the shore is always advisable Plus 150 feet off of the shore is a 5 m.p.h speed limit at most lakes- but don't paddle too close on a windy day, that the wind can blow you up against the rocks if you stop paddling for a minute.

DON'T forget to put a lead rope onto your kayak so you can grab hold of it before the wid blows it away - and your paddle for that matter. I imagine the first thing you'll try to save is your fishing gear and that 5 second delay is all that it takes for your kayak to blow away faster than you can swim.

Get a dry bag to store all of your gear inside which is water proof . This is a dry bag: http://www.rei.com/product/722670

I'd get a clear one - so you can see what is inside - and be sure to tie it to your kayak. That way if you dump it, you won't lose everything. Check out several different models which might store your tackle box better, and which you can latch onto your kayak pack when you portage into the lake.

Don't forget to keep an extra water bottle and some energy bars in the dry bag (along with the patch repair kit), and rain gear, as part of your survival gear in case you end up getting stranded some where. Oh and a lighter to start a fire....

When you dump it. Flip the kayak back over. Go to the center of the kayak, grab hold of the opposite side and pull yourself over so you have distributed your weight in the middle, then flip onto your butt and swing your legs in.

I recommend trying this the first time close to shore. Don't forget to tie a rope to your paddle, and secure your gear. It will **** you off faster than anything if you lose your tackle box, car keys, or rod. I wear my car keys around my neck, under my life jacket.

I'll be heading over to Perris in August - I have long blond hair and paddle a yellow kayak with stickers on it. Say hello if you me...

I can't wait to read your entertaining story of your first outing.


Photo" I wonder if he needs help?????

Thanks for all the helpful info, Sky. I'm definitely getting one of those dry bags. Being a desert hunter, my survival kit is pretty well stocked. Think I'm gonna practice remounting in my pool before I hit the water though. And I'm definitely not bringing my nicest gear the first few trips. I did devise a rod leash, and added a tow rope. Gonna find a way to attach my paddle to the boat next. As for it blowing away, hopefully my anchor will be down, he he. If not, I guess those years of water polo will finally come in handy, he he.

Anyways, I'll keep an eye out for your yak when I'm on the water. If I see you I'll try and catch up to say hi. Thanks again. Have fun, Sky.

-Skyler