Thread: Your Kayak: Pros/Cons

2017 PA 12
Pros-
extremely stable
180 mirage drive
storage and storage
almost hands free operation
comfortable seat

Cons-
heavy
cost

I have 2 yaks:

Advanced Elements Contertable Inflatable.
Pros:
Easy to transport, inflate and set-up.
Durable and easy to repair
Handles Class 4 and 5 rivers like a dream, (although not recommended...).
Converts from 1-seater to 2-seater in seconds
Backbone and hard bow and stern make it as stable and fast as a hard shell.
Easily fits in a car trunk and can be launched from just about anywhere.

Cons:
You have to blow it up (but it doesn't take very long...)

Sevylor Rio Single-Seat Inflatable Canoe/Kayak
Pros:
Easy to inflate, set up and transport. Lightweight.
Set up like a canoe. Has plenty of room for gear. Pockets everywhere...
Pretty fast for this size yak. Very maneuverable. Handles Class 4 and 5 rivers beautifully (but not recommended...)
Super-Stable.
Has motor-mounts for a trolling motor on either side.

Cons:
Doesn't track all that great out of the box, but it's an easy fix. Just add a Tahiti skeg and secure it to one of the motor-mounts with a 3/8" dowel, and it tracks perfectly straight.

Gig, how long have you had those?
Reason i ask is because i wondered if the material detiorates over time. dry rot, etc

I've had both of them for over 10 years, and heavy-use. They look almost new. Of course, I do take care of them and store them properly....They have both been in Class 5 water (both the Conasauga and Ocoee Rivers...where they filmed the movie Deliverance, and had the Olympic Whitewater competitions when the Olympics were held in Atlanta...) many , many times, and also both of them have been in the ocean off of Pensacola, Fl, Key West,Fl., and New Brunswick, Ga. I have had both of them in the Everglades, and the Okefenokee swamps. Never had a problem yet, and only one small patch on the Sevylor, and that didn't even happen on the water. After a group run down the Coosa River, we had our yaks on the shore and were eating BBQ. Someone saw a snake, panicked, shot at it, and it ricocheted off a rock and hit my Rio. It took all of 10 minutes to patch it, and I paddled it to the end of the run (20 more miles...). Never had a problem with the patch, yet. If I do, new covers and bladders are readily available from Seylor. Ditto for the Advanced Elements. I wouldn't trade either one of them for 3 times what I paid, or trade for any other kind of boat.

Here are some pics (if I can get this to work....)



I know, I don't have a PFD on...so sue me. It was just for the picture..... I usually wear one.

The Convertable has 2 zip-in decks. One for 2 people, and one for solo. I also have 2 spray skirts for it. But you can also use it just like it is pictured, with an open deck, and it makes a great canoe. The Rio is an open deck, just like a canoe.

Originally Posted by Schins

Gig, how long have you had those?
Reason i ask is because i wondered if the material detiorates over time. dry rot, etc

That's pretty impressive.

Ive considered an inflatable paddleboard but have seen one of them in a store that had small what looked like dry rot cracks all over it. Not sure how long they had it inflated on the floor.

Well, you have to take care of them, but you have to take care of hard shells, too. They will deteriorate just as bad if not cared for properly.

The first thing you should do to your new yak is spray it well with 303 Protectant to prevent UV damage. Do this a few times per year. Do this even if your yak has a nylon cover. Be sure to spray all the bladders. floor, seats, and any spacers. Spray the cover, too.

For inflatables, never put them in the bag wet. If you have to, for some reason, be sure to take it out and allow it and the bag to dry completely before storing.

If it is very cold, carry a pump with you to add air to your yak. Cold weather makes them lose a little air. Never fully inflate you yak when it is very warm. The air will expand, so leave a little room. .

When you get home, as soon as you can, always wash your yak with dish-washing liquid, rinse it well, and allow it to dry completely. This helps to prevent transporting undesirable parasites and invasive species from one body of water to another.

If you care for your yak, it should last a long time. Mine are still in almost new condition, even after 10+years and hundreds of miles of paddling, some in serious water.

Remember when I said someone shot a hole in my Rio? If I had been in a hard shell yak, that would've been the end of my paddle trip. You can't patch a hard-shell on the water. Instead, I was back on the water in 10 minutes. That's why good inflatables are ultra-cool.

BTW, if you like the Rio, but want something bigger, the Sevylor Colorado is the same yak in a two-seat version.

A paddleboard. huh? You must have great balance. If I got on one of those, I would last every bit of 45 seconds before taking a plunge....

Originally Posted by Schins

That's pretty impressive.

Ive considered an inflatable paddleboard but have seen one of them in a store that had small what looked like dry rot cracks all over it. Not sure how long they had it inflated on the floor.

Very good pointers Gigmaster. While I do not as yet own a hard shell or inflatable kayak, I do own 2- 16 ft fiberglass canoes. For an emergency repair, I carry two very large rectangle panels/pieces cut out of a flat sided plastic gallon or larger jug such as antifreeze comes in, along with a tube of 5-minute epoxy. By poking a few holes or slits in the area of the damage on the plastic panel, I’m placing on the inside of the repair, I believe it will give the epoxy teeth to hold the panel in place. While using the additional panel to hold equal pressure, at the same time on the outside of the repair, while allowing the epoxy to set. While maybe not making totally water tight repair it should be plenty strong to get me to a suitable landing with minimal bailing. Of course excessively large areas of damage would require a different strategy all together.

Originally Posted by Gigmaster

You can't patch a hard-shell on the water.

.

Sounds like someone hasn't been watching the "Flex seal" commecials