Decathlon Itiwit X500 Kayak - DO NOT Buy! (Material fatique leads to leaks / holes)
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 7 ต.ค. 2023
- This Kayak is really great - as long as it lasts.
After about two years of usage (with 15 uses per year) it shows serious material fatique that leads to leaks. You don't even have to use the kayak: packing and unpacking will create defects.
Those leaks cannot be fixed at some point - so the kayaks will be unusable! - กีฬา
I never even knew that robots bought kayaks.
I've had my x500 only a few months, but I've used it more than 15 times with no sign of this fatigue including a three night kayak/camping trip in the Okefenokee Swamp. You don't want your boat to fail when you're alone and miles deep in a wilderness surrounded by alligators with no way out by foot ... I didn't deflate the boat on this trip, and I took a repair kit with Gorilla tape for quick repairs but never needed it. I'll go again in October for five nights and will have used the x500 30+ times by then, but I'll check it carefully for this sort of wear first. The Okefenokee experience is worth the risk. It's now my favorite place on Earth.
I hope it'll last longer, but if I get two years (and a hundred+ uses) out of the x500 without serious fatigue issues, I'll be happy enough. If I need to repair leaks in the meantime, that's fine. I have another inflatable (Advanced Elements AF Sport, not a drop stitch) and haven't had problems folding it either, but I don't expect these things to last forever. I'm very happy with the x500 at this point, but my next kayak will be a modular hard shell like the Pakayak or Mercury GTX. I almost bought one instead of the x500, but I decided to try a drop stitch, and I don't regret it ... yet. The x500 is a beautiful boat and gets many compliments.
I only fold the kayak to transport it. After each use, I inflate it to 5 psi, clean it, and hang it on the wall of my garage. Looks cool and makes a nice place to store stuff. I was at the ocean last weekend and had the boat in my car for several days, so I cleaned it more thoroughly than usual when back home to remove sand and salt water. In general, things last longer with extraordinary care.
I don't use the backpack much either since I can carry the boat and store it in the back of my hatchback easily enough without the backpack, but it's nice to have. This fatigue issue may be an Achilles heel finally, but I'm nonetheless very impressed by the design of x500.
Also, I don't fold the boat completely in half along its length so the valves on top lie flat rather than on their sides. This way, it packs a little flatter (though also wider), and I'm not folding it along the seam in the center of the bottom where you seem to have your worst fatigue issues.
love to hear how it holds up. what do you think of the trak 2.0?
Thank you SO much! I was just about to buy one second-hand (used), but I have now decided to buy a SOLID Kayak. Thanks again my friend....:)
No worries!
One little disclaimer: we were REALLY happy with our X500s otherwise, especially because we could travel with them.
I still hope, that our x500s were just a bad batch, and therefore an exception - unfortunately there is no way to see it from the outside...
use tubeless mtb tire fluid. this tip saved my itiwit 500 ;-)
Thans for the great tip. How did you apply it?
You are right to point out how fragile the pvc of the X500 is. Insted of throwing the kayaks away, could you not put a large pvc patch right across the floor, glued down with a 2 pack adhesive?
The v2 version is better, i have one and no problems
how is it now? I heard v3 is coming out
Thank you for sharing. I already thought I should have bought one instead of a Nautiraid 405 cross. But now I think I'm better off with the Nautiraid and my AE1007 is 10 years old, well used, always stored in the bag, not one patch on the hull, only the orange deck colour faded.
I have had one for over two years and have not had this problem. Also, I'm a member of the X500 facebook group and have never heard of this problem. I think you have been unlucky, However, the customer service is so great at Decathlon if you had gotten in touch with them straight away they would have sent you a new Kayak No questions asked.
Also these seem to look like the Version 1 and Decathlon don't sell them anymore, they now only sell the V2
But I could be wrong hard to tell from the video. Either way sorry you had a bad experience
Hmm... Geroge, do you don't think, that the problems you have had in your video e.g. "ITIWIT X500 - THE RIVER RAT / R.I.P" are not the same at other places? I think it so. And if you mean the Facebook group "X500 Owners" from Patrick, there are a lot of post with this Problems. Also from me. I now have my third X500 kayak because of these problems, all of which were replaced by Decathlon. Or I misunderstood your videos or your post here (perhaps my english ist not the best). I have had the problems with the V1 AND V2. The V2 don't fix this problem. LG Andreas
My problem turned out to be a valve issue and decathlon replaced the kayak straight away. The X500 is a fantastic kayak and Decathlon is an excellent store with amazing customer service.
Sorry to hear. While issues you bring up are serious, i have not seen any similar complaints from others. But maybe it is true .. there is now a v2
We have the V2.
V1 was the 'unstable" version with the more pronounced keel. We also owned that for a short time.
This is the latest V2 version that has the flatter keel...
Interesting video, thank you for this. Can you indicate what production date you have (is on the label on the inside near the cockpit)?
Yes! We are on vacation currently, but I will post the data of both kayaks next week, when we are back,ok?
@@chrisvanhoven8562 Perfect, thanks. Also interested to learn if you have any leaks on the inside as well, or only on the outside.
@@hubertvroomen9025 no, we have not found any leaks on the inside yet. I will have a closer look next week. Maybe it's different material?
It IS mentioned in the X500 manual that something like (not owning a X500 anymore so I need to rely on my memory) in order to extend life it is advised to not fold and store.
I really had to laugh when I read that as it kind of defeats all purposes.
Yeah I was reading a complaint about this on the Decathlon product page and somebody from Decathlon gave the same "solution", if possible do not pack it. Absolutely ridiculous. Great design but terrible execution, probably to keep cost down but .... at what cost. I think people would gladly pay 100-200 euros more if this thing would be bomb proof. Maybe by version 10 or so :)
I hang my x500 on the wall of my garage inflated to 5 psi. Storing it this way does not defeat the purpose of an inflatable kayak since I use an inflatable to avoid a rack on the top of my car. I fold it only to transport it. I've only had it for three months, but I've used it more than 15 times, and I've had none of these problems. I don't use the backpack much either since I can carry it and store it in the back of my hatchback easily enough without the backpack, but it's nice to have.
I haven't seen others post similar complaints..that doesn't mean that you criticisms are not true; LESSON for me is to avoid folding when storing.
My guess is that it takes some time to understand what is really happening. At first we thought that the leaks came from ground contact. But later we saw the pattern of leaks on BOTH of our kayaks, even before usage (but after unpacking).
With one kayak this could be a coincidence, with two kayaks it is intersubjective: we made the same obserrvation with different kajaks...
Also, Version two was released about 2-3 years ago. One must be the first to observe this issue...
As you pointed out in your video,it is probably material fatigue from being folded. I appreciate insight. I will store completely unfolded and maybe a tiny bit of air inside.
@@emersonyang1485 yeah. Maybe Decathlon should put this as a disclaimer in the manual!?
Thanks for sharing! I have my itiwit x500 inflatable all the time, of course I will travel with them sometimes. Mine are not that flat when I fold them, how do you do to get them so flat in the bag? From which year is yours x500?
We purchased our kayaks in June 2021 (in Germany). I still have to look up the production code.
It is quite easy to make them flat & fitting by using the deflate mode of the Itiwit 20 PSI pump (that's the black one, #8543028
@@chrisvanhoven8562 I new to inflatable kayaks but have had inflatable paddle boards for some years. I never use the deflate function to take out all air from my boards. I think it stress the material to much. Never fold them because I think it stress the material, I roll them, but x500 need to be folded. It was not fun at all what happened to you kayaks, will be interesting to see how it goes for my kayaks.
@@danerik.westerlind These X500 are the third dropstitch-type kayaks we have.
We had the previous X500 model shortly, but that was quite "unstable" due to the pronounced keel. Before that we had another brand two person kayak which was very heavy and had a more durable PVC material (our friends still use it, so those kayaks are now being used for about 5-6 years!).
The X500 cannot be rolled so it must be folded.
You might have expereineced that packing is sometimes hard and the X500 does not fit in the bag completely, due to remaining air.
That is why a Decathlon employee suggested to use the black Itiwit 20PSI pump to deflate the kayak.
We NEVER deflate completely though, just enough to pack the kayak comfortably as we noticed sharp folding edges when deflating completely.
I watched your videos and share your positive experiences otherwise. The X500 is really GREAT as long as you don't have our issues.
Some of our best holiday memories were due to the X500. The X500 stands for absolute freedom for us!
So I hope that our feedback will help Decathlon to either improve the kayak or improve the usage instructions in a way that will avoid our issues.
@@chrisvanhoven8562 oh, got you, it's hard to get the air out, so maybe do like you, suck it out with a pump, but not all air.
Most of the time I have them in the car, I don't need to do it so tight and it don't need to be in the bag. I only have used the bag one or two times.
I also hope that decathlon improve their kayaks. I hope for a 16 foot (490cm) that only weights 16kg and can also be like 57-58cm wide.
I got a replacement kayak after. 3 months, recorded a video of that, this or next week it will be on TH-cam. So I have had a problem with my kayak.🥲
Thanks for watching😍only positive to be outdoor and create memoires, I want to inspire to outdoor activities. Gear is not always positive, great that we have TH-cam to share problem, to help each other!🙌
hey@@chrisvanhoven8562 ! Which kayak is it that youre friend is using since 5-6 years?
Okay but what did you really do with these kayaks?
Thank you very much, nice to know. It's V1?
Thank you for sharing. When both kayaks have the same problem, the problem is most likely the same, material fatigue. Is there any other possible cause of the leak? For example, an animal (rat, cat, dog, etc.) or bug chewed the kayak, or did it cause a puncture during storage and transportation?
You seem to be two hefty men. I'm a 5ft1" very strong woman but I don't use my strength to crush my ITIWIT. So far no leaks. Just as a point of reference mine only just fits in the bag with pump and seat fitted alongside. I've bought a trolley so baggage is separate. It works well. Of course I wouldn't climb a mountain with all that baggage, My back is too small.
Don't store in bag,only keep in bag for transport...I know it is inconvenient especially if you like in apartment
We never store the kayaks in the bag. Only use it for travellling.
But now it's too late anyway: the kayaks are beyond repair and we will throw them away :-(