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@@grahamashby1409 Hey Graham, Between Paddington Station and Hayes there are no locks. 22km of uninterrupted flat water paddling. First lock is only at the beginning of Uxbridge, and that's another 6km from Hayes.

@@LetsGoPaddling Missed that comment on the video! In that case I'm definitely giving it a go. Thanks Tom, appreciate it.

@@grahamashby1409 Happy paddles! 😁 Just don't go eastwards into Little Venice. That's where Regent's Canal starts and that one is a bit more problematic. Stevie Wyatt paddled there, I won't. 😅

@@LetsGoPaddling I'll start with your version Tom 😁

Just watch out for trash floating around...

@@KeineA0001 Thank you for kind words. I appreciate that you liked the video. I see the x500 as the best performing kayak. It really allows a lot and I could learn with it. The only problem is its durability. I had 2 in the UK and 1 in Poland. All were returned. I left more information about what happened in other comment replies around my channel. Taking all this into consideration, I see my Rush1 as the best all-round kayak.

@@LetsGoPaddling Thank you very much, I will have a look around the chanel for it and sorry to hear you were having issues with the X500s. We had problems with the first versions of the one seater as well (mostly material fatigue behind the seat/upper deck) and am anxiously waiting to see if the one seater version two X500s will also develop this problem. The X500 double seaters don't seem to be prone to this kind of failure though, because the folding routine appears to be softer on that specific area (and "better" overall). So far - fingers crossed - the two seaters are going as strong as ever. We used to have a few Gumotex and Grabner boats as well and also liked them (allthough the pressure valves were giving us problems on some - something we did fix, but I remember one multi day trip with constant repumping and less than ideal line-holding... ;) ). Looking forward to more of your great content!

@@KeineA0001 Thank you very much. I know the x500 v3 is now entering the market slowly and there are some people who have already got it. With me, I unfortunately have very little time due to my job and exceptionally bad weather in the UK this year - I had to put the whole channel aside and I don't know when or even if I can come back. I'm trying to get overviews of Gumotex Framura and Intex Challenger K1 (!!!) done this season and I'm still struggling to get just these 2 done. 😖

It is available at Decathlon's website at the time I'm writing this reply (at least in the UK). You won't find it at any store but you can order it to be delivered to one for you. I bought mine in December 2022. Please, remember that Itiwit spray skirts are currently black - grey ones are not sold anymore.

Who's that? I don't know him... 🙃

There are just a few small islands on Loch Ken, most at the northern end. They probably can be camped on but the one I showed in the video looked like a bird breeding ground so I'd be careful when choosing one.

I guess that by hiking you mean kayak touring. The kayaks you mention are different beasts. Framura is an older design, it is less stable but compensates it with higher speed. It favors tall people. It's also a bit vulnerable to wind. Rush1 is my main boat, I use it for literally everything. I see it as the most versatile and reliable kayak on the market. It is slower than Framura but I got used to the lower speed. I can still get it up to 8kph with a Greenland paddle. I don't do multiday trips but if that's something you're considering, then I'd look at Rush2 (more space and higher load capacity). Both Rushes have detachable cockpits. That comes handy when cleaning and drying but, as a trade-off, velcros need a bit more time to dry. Framura's cockpit is fixed and the zips are not watertight. You'll always have some water ingress through them. Overall, my vote goes for Rush1. Please, note that from this year its design changed slightly - it doesn't have drop stitch details in side tubes (replaced with i-beams) but the seat is now inflatable (with a push-push valve).

Absolutely agreeing with Tom here, but if budget is something to consider in your case, Framura has the lowest second hand prices of all Gumotex boats as far as my experience goes. You can easily catch a nearly new Framura for 6-700 € and for that it delivers exceptional value. Or a new one on sale for under 1k. A long and smooth running boat with lots of cargo space and a closed deck. I can only speculate that this is due to the less stable behavior, so more people are selling Framura cause they don´t like the less stable behavior. A Rush 1 with optional deck costs at least 1.7k and a Rush 2 easily 2k or beyond. If thats no problem, it clearly is the more versatile boat. It depends on what you expect: In a Rush, you can go WWI eyes closed and probably won´t have a problem. The Framura wants to be driven more actively. I like both. In a Framura you learn to paddle a boat with your whole body, using feet and hips, which helps geatly to keep it stable, cause the changes in your bodyweight counter the forces of your paddle stroke quite well. It also goes far better in a straight line. Rush behaves more like a stand up paddle board cause of the completely flat dropstitch floor. Which gives it insane easy handling/turning rate. But it also changes direction quite noticably with every paddle stroke. Speed difference is about 1-1.5kph in favour of Framura, it feels like more though. Best thing would be to try both out if possible. It absolutely depends on personal preference. Rush may feel boring to drive for some and perfectly stable to others. Framura could be a nice challenge to learn to drive it safely under different conditions for one person, and another could find it stressfully unstable.

When put in cooler water, the air compresses, the kayak doesn't deflate. If you top it up at this point, you're one step closer to having vinyl bulge on the kayak or getting seam splits. The skin of Challenger (and other cheapest kayaks) is not reinforced so it cannot be inflated rock hard, it has to stay soft. Once it goes past its tensile strength (I think it was stretching of up to 7% for vinyl), any deformation can't be reverted and it will progress until it fails.

@@LetsGoPaddling well that's actually what I was trying to say but I used the wrong word but you are correct

I'm still not entirely sure if Intex put these rings just to protect the valve casings from deforming or to keep valves open by not allowing screws to seal them back (or both). I figured out the rings could be used this way and they just make packing the kayak away much easier.

I could not afford Ipik, and it wasn't available in the UK anyway. 😅

Hi Paul, Rush is stiff enough without its spreader bars. Their job is to stretch the cockpit cover across the kayak nicely and prevent puddles of water from forming on top. You don't need them to use it open-decked. Moreover, without these spreader bars, the kayak's beam is 75cm so you gain a tiny bit of performance with a narrower hull. 😉

Confidence and low center of gravity are the keys to success here. 😉

How did it go?

Did I show any tips here? 😅😅😅 Forgot to name it Paddlequickie then... 😉

This is a presentation of Seashine, not a review. I don't rate them, I'd rather leave it up to viewers - how do you like the boat based on what you've seen? 😉

Same as me. I started this season hard with a Greenland paddle and its canted blade technique. As a result, my sprint technique worsened. I need to retrain.

I don't know really. My sprint technique worsened now in 2024 as I've been paddling with a Greenland paddle and using canted blade technique. Paddling my Gumotex Rush this way, I can paddle for over an hour with a cadence of approx. 60-65 strokes per minute.

@@LetsGoPaddling, that is very impressive! I cannot walk for that long without taking breaks. :) Do you have a video showing the canted blade technique?

Well, micro breaks are what I do along the way. On my last trip I checked the time I took to paddle between 2 locks. That was 7,85km and I covered it in 70 minutes (including these micro breaks). This means my average speed was 6,73km/h but telemetry data showed a large part of this route was done at upper 7km/h and lower 8km/h. I don't have a video about the technique itself. I wanted to make one but life & work situations caused me huge problems - I just don't have time to do it anymore. 😥 There are very nice documentaries about the technique on TH-cam, while I have a few videos where I show my beginnings in learning it. 😉 Also, my trip on Loch Ness is done with a Greenland paddle but that one had also been paddled before I seriously committed to this technique.

Perhaps it's better if it's gone from there. I didn't feel like it was an appropriate place to make such comments - I deleted that comment string. I was just unlucky with that Race500 - typical me. 😅

Twist's internal width is 36cm if I remember well. When I sat in it, the side tubes got pushed out a bit so I guess the boat adjusts itself a bit. Solar looks like a decent boat. I haven't had a chance to test it though.

I haven't tried Seawave yet or even seen one outside of other TH-cam videos. I don't have a way to compare them then. 😕

Thank you. My skills in autumn 2022 were very bad - I could point out lots of mistakes I made in this run. Since then, my sprint technique improved greatly and paddling efficiency went significantly up. I am fully aware of the Race500 and have even had one for a short time. I had to return it as the stern was warped and the kayak wouldn't go straight (a construction flaw). The store caused me a lot of trouble with that return but, in the end, I got a full refund. Therefore, sadly, the Race500 will not be featured on my channel.

@@TomKledecki Which is good to know, thanks.

Radku, to jest niezbrojony winyl. Jak zostanie rozciągnięty "ponad stan" to jego struktura pozostaje naruszona. Niestety nie da się tego naprawić. Trzeba od nowości uważać, żeby go nie przepompować. Wybity zawór bostoński można spróbować ogrzać np. suszarką i wcisnąć z powrotem ale zawsze jest ryzyko uszkodzenia go lub podtopienia winylu. Dziękuję za obejrzenie i zainteresowanie.

Thanks. I'm only learning all this so my skills are still at a very, very basic level. I was sick when I was recording all content and I think my face reveals. Scripting, recording the voiceover, and editing it all took a tremendous amount of time. This was the most complex video I've made.

They definitely are. This season I've been using my Kalleq exclusively so far.

Thank you Colin. It was a quick find when I resigned from visiting Loch Leven due to wind. I was afraid it would push me into sanctuary areas. Loch Ore turned out to be much more interesting for paddling than I thought. I'll visit it again if I'm sent to Scotland to work.

He said "the Skeg Box" meaning the 'Skeg Fin Attachment Fitting', which is integral to the bottom of Kayak. If it were broken, floor chamber would leak rendering it unusable. Ergo when folding be sure to NOT try to fold on it - fold on ether side of it - just as factory did.

Good luck and have fun. This method is taken from sprinters who are experts in getting in their 41cm wide kayaks.

Glad you liked it. I don't think there even is another video showing how to pack the Challenger K1 away. These rings come helpful. If you lose them, substitutes can DIY'ed I guess. 😅

I am sure it’s stable its a wide kayak

@@Mr.Bryan1234 First gen was actually redesigned after receiving bad ratings due to the instability. It had a V hull shape and you sat high up which means that when it went, it went fast (i.e. no secondary stability at all). The kayak in the video is still a V1, V2 has a flat bottom under the seat.

@@9a2er 1:52 this is V2.

@9a2er I don't know why you thought it had been a v1. Especially when I mentioned my x500 had been a second generation and then I briefly explained the design change. It also wasn't a massive change - v1 still had secondary stability, it was just more pronounced, while primary was reduced. 😉

@CaspCic Decathlon never stated this kayak was for beginners. Their site specifies intermediate level of practice. I went to Strenfit straight from a Challenger K1, I was then a complete beginner... well, I still am... I never felt unstable in it and never capsized it.

I used exactly the same method on 3 units and used 2 different skirts. It always worked. In this case, I don't know what might be wrong here. 🤔

@@LetsGoPaddling Yes, it looks effortless how you do it, but it doesn't work on my Itiwit kayak. I have no difficulties with sprayskirts on other kayaks. I'll have to return my Itiwit anyway, as it is a bit shaped like a banana, with bow and stern turned up, so it cannot hold a straight line. It may work better when I get a proper boat.

On both days when I was testing it, I had wind of around 20kph. I didn't feel affected by it in any way. In terms of wind resistance, it felt the same way as my Rush1. 😁

@@LetsGoPaddling Sounds promising, thanks! It would be interesting though what happens between 30-40 or even 50-60. Like if you get caught by heavy winds on the carpathian danube for example. Hope you'll get the production version and some wind to go testing for us. Fingers crossed ;)

The retail version will be nearly the same. Gone will be the front zip and one of the two bailing holes at the stern. Everything else will remain the same. I won't get a retail unit for testing. Due to its greater dimensions, it might behave different than Rush1 in very strong wind. I was caught by 50kph gusts on Loch Ore last year. I have a trip video available here 😉: th-cam.com/video/kgB_43mrySc/w-d-xo.html

@@LetsGoPaddling Thanks! Just watched it! Bummer you don't get a retail version for a final review. Will you buy one for yourself or do you prefer other boats?

@@WatchMysh Seashine is a huge boat. It's too large for me and I normally look for kayaks that allow some performance/technical paddling. Rush1 suits me best at the moment and, at least in 2024, I have no plans to move to another boat.

Hi, It is more expensive than Rush2 - at the time of this reply 2 stores run pre-orders for 2350€.

Hi Thomas. Thank you very much. When I was making an overview of Rush1, I didn't know how to record and pull telemetry data off my camera but I can get Rush1 up to 8kph with a wing paddle and I can also achieve 8kph with a Greenland paddle. Speed-wise, Framura would win with Rush but paddle length and your height have to be taken into consideration. I briefly managed to hit 9kph with Framura but the quality of footage wasn't good enough to post. Paddles longer than 215cm cause a lever effect on me and slow me down, while Framura forces me to use at least a 220cm paddle so this would be more a trial & error game. Itixit x500 is definitely the fastest here but, unfortunately once again, while I still had it, I wasn't recording telemetry data. I'm sure that if paddled well with sprint technique, you can get the x500 at least to 10kph if not more. 😉

Great, thanks so much for the quick and helpful reply. Price&Performance of the X500 seem superior, but quality and longevity does not. So i guess thats not for me. I don´t wanna worry constantly that something breaks. You seem to really like your Rush 1. Gumotex material quality seems quite superior, so i think i go with one of these.@@LetsGoPaddling

It's a really difficult choice, and it was a lot of stress for me when all the bad things were happening. I decided to make a step away from that rat race and trusted my Rush1. Rush1 has been away for a long time - it faced some internal issues. However, I've just seen (on 7th March) a message that Rush1 is returning to the market but with 2 changes: details on sidewall will no longer be drop stitch - they will be reverted to i-beams (the floor stays with drop stitch + keel), and the boat will finally get an inflatable seat with a push-push valve).

Any kayak is good for flat water, and you get that on canals and smaller lakes.

This boat is a whole different class compared to the K2 from Intex. A K2 was my first boat! The X500 paddles straighter and faster, but you have getting used to behavior. I just spent some time in my room, sitting on a balance board to get used to the hip mobility. But I ahve a first gen X500, apparently the stabilty of latter boats is better. I had never an issue in the water with its stability...

Thanks very much. It's coming out soon. There are only 2 changes in the final product: the front zip is gone and one of there will be only 1 bailing/rudder mounting hole at the stern instead of 2. Everything else stays the same. 😉

There are a few things that make me unable to own any of these. I rent a small bedroom and drive a company car - so I have no storage space and I'm not allowed to use any roof racks etc. 😖 On top of that, my balancing skills are not enough for a sprint kayak 😓, and worst of all, I can't afford them. I tried Itiwit Race500 but I received a unit with a warped stern - returned it and didn't bother to try again...

@@LetsGoPaddling ahh darn , Stellar just came out with a 14ft 3 piece kayak but unfortunately it is going to cost more which is about $5,000. If you was in socal i would be willing to train you and borrow one of my surfksi or sprint kayak. Well i hope you can get a nice performance kayak soon as i see you have a passion for kayaking💪🏻🤙🏻

@@Mr.Bryan1234 Inflatable kayaks are also great, in their own way. 😁 If I ever come across one that allows me to sustain a 9-10kph cruising speed, I'll be more than happy.

Cool! I haven't had an opportunity to try any Zelgear. I haven't even seen one live in action yet. Only on TH-cam so far... 😅

@@LetsGoPaddling i have the Zelgear Spark and Zelgear Igla. ITS tue good kayak. Videos coming soon.

Performance-wise, yes, it is absolutely the best performer so far. I wish it was more durable, though. I am now very happy with my current kayaks but I'm also willing to give Itiwit another chance once the x900 is released to the market.

Mine in now 4 years old and as good as on the first day . Of course you cannot scratch it of the rocks .

You are then very much in luck. I had 3 in total. My first one got a seam split in an unreachable spot on the inside of the bow (that had happened before I started this channel). I had it replaced. Second one lasted 9 months until the rear spreader chamber developed a leaking crack. Also the floor was developing the same cracks - all along folding lines. I decided to return it because I didn't feel safe using it anymore. Third one, which I had in Poland (shown in nearly all footage in this video), waited for me to come back home for summer holidays - packed and not touched for a year. It also developed same cracks on folding lines like the second UK one. 😖 Until either a v3 or an x900 comes out, I'd rather wait and keep paddling my Gumotex kayaks. I managed to get into a friendly cooperation with Gumotex thanks to my content so I'll be showing more of their boats this season (they'll lend me a few). 😁

Inflatable boats are always more fragile . Il also have a 30 years old txingudi Patrice 52 cm wide kayak Wich is my ever best one . Nothing can compare to this one when surfing the waves on sea .Very much unstable and as good as a surfboard . I love very much unstable kayaks as capsising saves me from a big wave when needed .

Rush1, which I now use the most, has only minor signs of use after 18 months, that's already double the time the x500 lasted until unusable. 🤔 For capsizing and recovery, I need to learn how to roll them. I so much want/need to have this skill. I'm still just a beginner after all. 😅

Hiya, It all depends on how you want to use it: would it be flat water or a faster flowing river with some mild rapids or a bit of white water? These 2 kayaks are so different that it's really difficult to compare them. The only true comparison would be materials and durability, and here any Gumotex wins with Itiwit. Currently, Itiwit x500 is facing some serious durability issues but the brand is working on a redesign in order to resolve these problems. At the same time, Gumotex are redesigning both Swings and soon a new Swing2 will be released on the market, with a new Swing1 to follow a bit later. I'd suggest waiting a bit. 😉

@@LetsGoPaddling thank you for the answer. Ok ill wait for the summer season 👍🏻👍🏻

I own a swing and could compare it to an x500 yesterday. Durability issue aside, the swing is a lot stable than the x500, especially while at rest or slow motion. I didn't fall in, but had to be careful. The x500 is faster and easier to accelerate.

Hello, The nature and general purpose of inflatable kayaks is to minimize space when stored. With me just renting a bedroom in the UK, I don't have space to store them unfolded. I keep all my kayaks in their backpacks. However, the x500 did not stand the test of time and indeed got damaged in several points along folding lines. That were 2 of my Strenfits - both developed cracks around the same spots. I now don't have them anymore and this is partially the reason there are no more videos with the x500 on my channel. 😒 On the flipside, I still have my Intex Challenger K1. This one has been tightly packed in its original box for nearly 3 years now and there is no such damage on it at all. 😵 My best guess is that it is just a wrong choice of material that the x500 is built from and as far as my knowledge goes, Itiwit are currently working hard to release a model that wouldn't suffer from these issues. Fingers crossed. 🤞

Fixing the cracks might be difficult i guess, as it has to hold a lot of pressure and might again start leaking due to the fold 😢, but still a great Kayak

@@niranjancarz unfortunately, this issue plagues it. I'll either wait for a v3 to come out (possibly this or next year) or get another Gumotex kayak if they come up with a high performance/fitness model - this would be awesome by the way.

Hey John, Quality and material-wise definitely yes! Price-wise, Seashine will for sure be much more expensive (because of the above mentioned). When it comes to performance, I wouldn't dare to compare them as these 2 boats are too different: from their designs, through performance, to use cases.

Well, the x500 Strenfit has a v-shaped hull and it's not as stable as Rush. Unless you mean directional stability, not tippiness. 😅

Thank you very much. I have now returned it as it was a prototype unit but I'll test more kayaks in a similar way this coming season. Being able to try different boats is a lot of fun. 😄