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I bought this as my first kayak and absolutely love it. I just use the pump that came with it and don't feel an electric pump is required. Only thing that annoys me is trying to dry it, as water pools inside the front and back and is hard to reach with a towel due to the splash deck things. But otherwise an amazing kayak and people often don't realise it's inflatable.
You mean in between the layers? If so, no, water does not get inside the layers. This is a very good inflatable, it might not be as fast as a sea Eagle or a dropstitch Decathlon Kayak, but it's a bit more stable than those two, so it's a good starting point for someone looking at a dropstitch kayak. Having said that, this is not a slow kayak at all.
I have a similar drop stitch kayak version and can mostly agree with the video about pros and cons. Some closed cells foam on the seat provides a great deal of comfort over long hours of pedaling. What I found quite troubling was when it gets windy and choppy on the open water. Drop stitch technology makes the kayak fairy light and having two people on board makes center of gravity quite high. With side wind and waves I have had hard times keeping it on track and not tip over. What saved the day were two 50 lbs bags full of sand stashed on bow and stern. Let me tell you it added stability I needed even with two little kids fidgeting on the front seat. Considering portability and stowabilty (should be cleaned and stored properly as any other inflatable boat) it is worth every penny I have paid. It might be useful to make a video on how to treat inflatable kayaks properly after each use and how to store it to make them last years and years.
I bought this kayak for usd610 on sale here in Chile, and I love it. It's stable and fairly quick. I replaced the foot rest (just a side note, even sea Eagle used that design a while ago) and I bought 2 pairs of NRS foot pegs for usd70 I like their design better than Sea Eagle's one (and Sea Eagle sells one pair for usd79) after fixing the foot pegs, the Tomahawk bacame an even more comfortable and faster kayak.
Can you tell me something about the tracking without finns and how durable is it? Had any ground contacts? How good did the boat take them? I have a zray drift, but one day when i was at a lake i pulled it into the water. I know you shouldn't do that, but it was just the last bit and it was completely unloaded and there were no sharp rocks, still it got a leak and i had to fix it.
@@franzabramowski6341 hi, the kayak tracks fine without the fins (or skegs) I use it with two or one fin, but also without them if I'm paddling in shallow water or in a river with rocks.. This kayak performs really well even in open water with waves. I've have it for over a year and I'm really happy with it.
@@sydgerald thank you! That's a crucial information that they usually skip in the reviews, but i live on a beautiful shallow river, so i burn for that kind info.
@@franzabramowski6341 I'm glad my info was helpful. I've paddled solo and with my girlfriend on shallow rivers without the fin and We haven't had any issues, you can really tell the difference when turning the kayak if you use no fins (compared to using 2 and a little bit while using one) so no fins makes it really easy in order to avoid rock, branches, tree trunks or any submerged obstacle.
I have the single person version of this boat (airk-375), and I've had it for a couple of seasons now. Here is my longer term feedback on it. From a comfort perspective, the seat is fine for 1-2 hours but the foam in it is relatively thin and solid and after a while you start to feel discomfort because it doesn't adjust to the shape of your body. Similarly after a while the backrest can start to dig in a bit. I have addressed the seat base issue by carving my own base to fit my body shape from closed cell foam. I place this over the top of the now empty seat base pocket and install the backrest in the normal way. I've done a 4+ hour paddle (10 miles around a lake) with this seat and it was a lot more comfortable. Closed cell foam blocks are cheap and easy to carve out with basic tools. The key is to get a thick enough piece to provide support, but carve it deeply. This ensures you are still sitting on the bottom of the boat once it is done and this maintains the stability you get with the OEM seat. The other thing to be aware of is the seat back has a tendency to prevent you from twisting your upper body to get proper paddling technique, because it forms a U shape around your back. This is possibly worse for me than some as I am quite thin. The trick is to lean forward a bit from it i.e. have it set so you're not putting your entire weight into the backrest, and push from the bottom of your back. You can't relax in it easily; the seat is hard to adjust once you're in it, and it will likely dig in anyway if you try and lean back in it. This makes the boat one you want to be active in most of the time you're in it. As you also noted, the foot rests are not ideal. They work for short trips but their major disadvantage is that they put more of your body weight into the centre line of the boat. This makes the boat harder to control and I suspect contributes to the feeling of instability. To address this issue I 3d printed some foot rests and I attach them to the canayak with velcro to both the side and the base, so that it can still be disassembled. This puts your feet on the outside edges rather than in the middle. You can push against them properly, giving more power and control. I will add the designs to thingiverse later in case anyone else wants to print them. Although it fits into a backpack, the kayak is actually pretty heavy and you wouldn't want to carry it for very long. Your twin version would be even worse. To address this I 3d printed an adapter that enables one of those standard folding kayak trolleys (the type with aluminium frame, red wheels) to be slid into the rear skeg slot. You can then assemble where you're parked, load the boat up with the rest of your gear, being careful to balance it to make it easy to pull, and off you go. Once disassembled the trolley fits easily under the front splash screen area. I will add this model to thingiverse as well. I have paddled the boat on a large lake when the wind was up a little. It coped well with the waves, but the high sides mean that it gets blown about easily and you have to point yourself in a direction to counteract the push in cross wind scenarios. This can increase the relative effort a bit. With the sides being quite high, and the fact that you're sitting mostly on the floor, if you have a relatively short upper body as I do (I'm about 5'9") you'll find yourself constantly rubbing the paddle on the edge of the boat. This can be counteracted once you gain confidence in the stability of the boat by rolling it a little toward the paddle you are putting into the water. It makes a big difference to the comfort to do this. My footrest design helps to make this easier. It might be harder to do when there are two of you. The twin skegs provide a lot of stability. I tried paddling without them and felt really uncomfortable doing so. I came straight back and put them back on. They protrude quite a long way which means if you're getting into the boat from a lake where there is a shallow shore line you have to wade a fair way into the water before you can get in, otherwise when you get in the skeg sits on the bottom and you'll be stuck there. The skegs are very efficient at reducing the yaw when you put in a harder paddling effort. It has drainage ports on the bottom at the rear, but they aren't very effective because the water does not typically flow into the area where the port is (they have to be closed while paddling obviously!). It's easier to just turn it upside down and tilt it. The boat doesn't take on a lot of water if you paddle 'touring' style, but bringing the paddles more vertical does cause more water to be captured. There still isn't much after a couple of hours paddling though. Overall I think this boat is excellent and I have been really pleased with it. I can get the single person version assembled and ready to go in less than 5 minutes and that's using the hand pump. Not sure which pump was supplied with yours but mine is a tall double action one. It takes about 20 pumps to fill a side and maybe 35 to fill the base to 10psi. I actually bought mine at the height of the pandemic and only bought it because there wasn't actually much else in stock. I originally wanted an advanced elements one (not drop-stitch) but I think what I ended up with is a lot better than those after having read a lot about them. And it was a lot less money than those too (I paid around £650 for mine but I think they have gone up a bit now). One last point - when I bought mine the boat did not come with even a basic paddle in the package, so check whether that is still the case and budget as necessary for something.
Wow! What a detailed comment! Yes, they still sell it without paddles. I'm very interested in the 3d printed footrest of your design and how they can hold with velcro only. I've just had an AIR-C model, which is a trio version in this line, and it doesn't have any type of foot support at all
@@xx12aabc52 I have never fallen out of it. I have seen a youtube video of someone getting back into a sea-eagle which is a similar design, but they still had to paddle to shore to empty it afterwards. They basically tipped it on its side again and struggled back in. So I would say possible but potentially a waste of time trying!
@@xx12aabc52 I tried to post a link to the thingiverse item for the footrests but it looks like youtube deleted it. Go to thingiverse and search for "air-k footrests" and you should find it. User ric3552. As far as the velcro is concerned, I've posted a picture there so you can see how it attaches. One thing to be aware of is that the after a couple of hours of use the velcro's glue starts to move around a bit as it has got a bit wet, although it fixes itself once dried out again. I think this could be addressed by using a proper waterproof glue suitable for the boat material, and regular velcro instead of the sticky-backed stuff I used. The long strips give some adjustability to the foot rest position.
Ric, good write up, I have the 375 also, the fixed footrests sound good, and I’ve found the same as you with the seat, will look at changing as you have. I have fallen out of mine, thankfully in shallow water, however I’m a bit concerned at how to get back in if I tip over on a river with steep banks or if any distance from lake side etc, I’ve bought a paddle float, but haven’t had chance to see if it’s any use as yet, I’d love to see a demo on getting back in to our boat if there’s one about.
Interesting vid' - good to see inflatables evolving. Did you find that the high sides cramped your paddling style? Would be interesting to hear opinions on this being paddled with single blades - Canadian style ... and future additions of maybe a webbing thwart, more lashing points for gear and 🤔 maybe a sail rig ...
I have the single seat version and love it - the single seat actually doesn't take very long to hand pump (5 mins or so) and much less time and effort than non drop-stitch inflatables with tubes - the seat becomes a bit uncomfortable after a while so i bought a seat cushion (i think its filled with silicone or something) that moulds to your shape.
Hey Ken, thanks for all the awesome videos you put out. Just coming across this one. It looks like exactly the kind of boat I was looking for when I got my Aquaglide Chelan 155. But it costs a little less, and it's full drop stitch unlike the Aquaglide which has low pressure side tubes. If I saw this video back then I probably would have gotten this instead.
Wow, this is something interesting. The combination of kayak and canoe, and it's seems works well. Great, instead of price which is pretty high. Ken, what do you do to make your kids paddling with you? My daughter, when I ask her to paddlling with me, says: daaaad, I have to? Daaad I don't want to. It's hot, it's windy, it's cloudy, it's this, its that... Always. I'm jelous, that your daughter looks happy to spend time on water... 😁 Best wishes! 🍻
i hope your girl got out with you paddeling. We tried kayaks in Santa Rosa CA, and fell in love as a family. We cant wait to try these out in our country. And every day its windy, chilly, cloudy and rainy and dark. Weather doesnt wait for you. go get it!
I've been eyeing this kayak for about a year, I have an Itiwit tandem kayak (the one you reviewed) a few weeks ago, and while I really like that boat, I have the issue of space when using it with my girlfriend, I'm 6.2ft and the Itiwit was too small for the two of us (or for me on the back at least). Also speed was kind of an issue too. I started paddling last year, after watching some of your videos, and I love it. Today I bought the Air K440 on sale for USD610, so when I saw the price drop (We are having cyber sales until October 6 here in Chile) I called my girlfriend and after a quick talk We decided to buy it! I think that USD610 for this kayak is a great price, specially considering it was not available here in Chile due to Covid (transportation got really expensive) and importing it directly ended up costing USD1230... Anyway, thank you so much for uploading this video, I've watch it about 12 times already, this is one of my favorite, because We get to see the synergy you and your daughter have :) Once again, thank you for all the content you give us, all the best from Chile. PS: A while ago, I saw in Aliexpress foot pegs on sale for inflatable kayaks, I'll take a look around. Edit: I just checked and Sea Eagle sells their footrest as a kit. www.seaeagle.com/Accessories/other/FlexBraceKit
@@Fridz1986 Hello Fridz, I'm glad my post helped you. In the end, I bought 2 pairs of NRS PVC Kayak Foot Braces. I paid USD42 per each pair, after 2 years they're still in perfect condition. (if you're interested you can copy and paste the name on Google, and you'll find the website, I can't paste the link here, because YT erases my post if I do that).
Just saw a commercial for an inflatable paddleboard with a battery jet engine. Sipaboard I think was it.looked like fun.it blows up itself and powers you thru the water when needed remotely
Ha! Yup, I've seen more and more motor options for kayaks, canoes and SUPs. It makes a lot of sense for some people... but definitely not for everyone!
These are really popular in UK. beaches, simply pump up, fill with sea water, add ice an kids, oh an the important bit? Beer an ya set for the day. An if the dragon gets the ump? Simply lift an tip!!! Works great. No more flames ha ha ha Seriously these type are very safe easy to look after , an if you live in flats without storage ? Say no more. There cheap an great to get the kids into the water. Also a great way to find out if the kids realy want to get into kayaking, so then you can feel confident that a more expensive kayak as the kids grow into the sport. Thanks for sharing guys Paul 21.59 gmt Uk cheers
Another great vid Ken, I love the concept of the Canoe-yak, it really is versatile and also seems to work great solo as is tandem. Wont mind trying one of these as it its good with storage and and its portable.
This is family fun im so into! To be honest i thought at first it's expensive, but for long term investment, it's seems very well made and can be used for long period
Enquiring minds (me) wish to know if you had a dropstitch inflatable shootout which boat would win? I had been thinking of a RazorLite 393rl. I do overnight touring, primarily freshwater.
You know... that's a tough one. I'm pretty sure this Tomahawk has more capacity than the 393, but the 393 performed better. If you carry a lot of gear, the Tomahawk might be the ticket... or perhaps the Sea Eagle 473rl, which is bigger! I haven't tried that one. Tough question....
I am looking for a Cano I can carry on my bicycle. 20.3kg is okay. But what is the size of the Cano when it is in the package? Thanks! Couldn’t find that info anywhere!
We bought this inflatable kayak last year and anything that this thing does not have is stability. Maybe it's because of my extra weight but other than that, was fun to use.
Ακριβώς και εγώ θα συμφωνήσω μαζι σου. Εδώ τον ίδιο. Δοκίμασε το μόνος σου και θα δεις ένα άλλο καγιάκ. Μόνο σου στην μέση έχει αρκετά καλή σταθερότητα
That looks a lot like what Swift Canoe & Kayak calls a Pack Boat. Is that a standard term? I’d love to see a side by side comparison between this and a Sea Eagle RazorLite of similar sizes. Maybe the solo ones?
Funny you should mention the Swift Pack Boat. I just took one out on a solo, 2-day canoe trip, and had an amazing time! Stay tuned for that video. Yes... it is very similar to the Sea Eagle 393 or 493rl. Sea Eagle has some nice upgrades though. You're right... it's worth a comparison!
Another great review of a drop stitch kayak, thank you. 👍 You were very close with naming - in fact, Mistral called their boat KANUyak (uno and duo respectively) 😅. I've never seen it anywhere, it's probably out of the market already, it was only 8 PSI and terribly expensive. The Air-K 440 is 950£ in the UK if purchased directly from Aqua Marina. A kind request - would you be able to tell us a paddle of what length you use in each future review, please? 😉
Hi. How does this compare to advance elememt advance frame? And the sea eagle? I cant decide which one to get. I have Aqua Marina Laxo 380. I love it! Pretty stable with the kids :) but I feel like going to the next level. Thanks!
If you want to step up from the Laxo, I probably wouldn't recommend the Advanced Frame. It's a different style, and a nice kayak, but not a real upgrade in performance. The AE Expedition Elite is an upgrade, but might not be the right choice. The Aqua Marina 440 and Sea Eagle 393 are much greater upgrades in performance. But, know that you do sacrifice some stablity with these kayaks. They're still fairly stable kayaks, but nothing like the Laxo, which you can nap in. :). Another 'upgrade' would be the AquaGlide Chelan 120.
@@PaddleTVsorry I should have been more specific, how bout the AE advance frame convertible. They offer it with dropstitch floor to make it stiffer. It definitely is quicker compared to my laxo. But pricing is about the aqua marina 440. Which one do you think is a better buy?
I need a little bit of help..i am planning on buying this kayak but i have 2 things that worry me.. I often take my dog with us on kayaking..so do you think a middle size dog(16kg) can fit between front and back passenger? And other thing is, how much storage spave it has? For me it looks really little..like can it fit 30l dry bag and maybe a tent? Thank you for answer 😁😁
Hi there, I've been considering the Sea Eagle RazorLite. It's very similar to this kayak but it is more expensive & ships from the USA. Dollar exchange plus import tariffs & taxes add to the already higher cost. I know of the Sea Eagle quality & reputation. This brand is new to me but it is in Canada where I live. Can you or anyone please tell me honestly if there are any noticeable differences in quality/durability, handling or stability between the Sea Eagle RazorLite & this one? With price in mind, which would you recommend? Without price in mind, which would you recommend? Thank you in advance for any replies & information. I really appreciate these videos & this channel for all the reviews & invaluable information & tips on kayaking & canoeing. Cheers from Vancouver Island. *Edit: Sorry, but how does this compare to the dropped stitch canoe that Sea Eagle makes? Is it entirely different? Is this more comparable to the RazorLite? Thanks again.
The Sea Eagle 393rl and this kayak are very similar. If I had to choose between the two, and price wasn't an issue, I would go with the Sea Eagle. I like the fact that it has real foot rests (although they can be tricky to install), and Sea Eagle has a great reputation for high quality kayaks and wonderful customer service. AquaMarina doesn't have the same reputation, because they're based (and made) overseas. That being said, AquaMarina has been doing this for a long time too, and I liked this boat. It is very similar to the 393rl, and so if there's significant savings, I don't think it would be a bad choice. Know that both of these kayaks are designed with stability in mind. They're not unstable, but they give up some stability for speed.
thanks for this great review. Do you have recommendation for something similar that might be a bit more stable? I'm picturing my grandkids ( ages 2 - 11) as the second passengers. Thanks!
Take a look at the trio version of this kayak. It is much more stable and it can accommodate up to 3 adults. I love to paddle in it with my wife and daughter
I have a question about skegs: If you're going on a trip and have a lot of bags and no trolley, when is it right to install a skeg (or skegs in this case)? If you load the boat on the shore and slide it in the water you will have to do it blindly under the water and very likely get wet. In the opposite scenario, you can roll the empty boat on edge and attach skegs, as it is shown here, but then you won't be able to put the bags in until you are on the water, which means wading back and forth with bags if it is shallow there and controlling your boat in order to prevent it from leaving you alone on the shore. What do I miss?
I always install the skegs on the shore, then put the boat in the water, then put my trolley and bags in. I put the seat in before I put the boat in the water. As far as wading back and forth through the shallows, I put the bags in while the boat is grounded out by the skegs so it doesn't float away. Then I push it further out when I'm ready to get in. When the boat is full of gear and grounded on the skegs it's relatively easy to pick it up by one of the grab handles and float it out.
Good question. This is a real challenge with a kayak like this one, which has two skegs (one up front, and one in the back). In that case, I would probably just use a skeg in the stern. You can then put the boat in the water, and pull the bow into shore (leaving the stern and skeg in deeper water). You can then load the kayak and launch without the rear skeg staying in deeper water. Make sense?
@@PaddleTV In practice it's fairly easy with both skegs. The trick is not to get into it in too shallow water. The way I get in if I'm not on a river bank i.e. I have to stand in the water, is to stand in front of the boat and float it forward through my legs, then just sit down and shuffle back to the seat. By then, neither skeg is touching the bottom. You have to be prepared to get your legs a little wet though !
Looks nice and slightly different from the dropstitch stencil-made kayaks customized by the final seller. Have you tried it with one skeg only? Does it really slaps so much on waves and slightly less flat water? Let's say up to WW II?
I did try it with one skeg, and it still tracked pretty well. While I would be comfortable taking this kayak into class 1 and 2 whitewater, it's definitely not designed for that, and I wouldn't recommend it. It's definitely not designed for that.
I have a Dama brand kayak in this style and it can't handle chop too well. It's fun and nimble for an inflatable tandem, but it will roll just like a canoe, but it won't sink when you tip.
As always another great video and review. Could you review the Eddyline Caribbean14FS, I'm 6'2" 260lbs and recently saw one in a store and I really like the design of it.
I would love to review a few Eddyline kayaks! Unfortunately, Eddyline aren't sending me kayaks to review this year. Hopefully next year! Feel free to email their customer service to let them know they should! :)
I' ve watched this video really carefully several times and you know what? You won't see a seat top behind ken's back, although it can be clearly seen with his daughter. My answer: Ken forgot his own tip to choose a high back pfd with this type of seats and brought a low back nrs odyssey for the test, so he had to tuck the seat top under the pfd or not use it at all. Correct?
First of all, I’m sorry for my strange English. I’m a Japanese person who is not good at English. There is something that I would like to ask you about the instruction accompanied with the Tomahawk kayak. There is no description about its footrest in the instruction. Where should I fix the footrest’s cords? How did you that? I would appreciate it if you could teach me about it.
Okay, got it out on the water today...seats baffling but figure it out. The foot rests have no instructions at all. And I cannot find any on the deal site. What am I missing?
It really doesn’t have a skin, BUT it has small channels at the sides, where the bottom and sides chambers meet. Usually you pack your fully dry kayak, and the next day you find the floor a little wet after unpacking. It took me some time to figure out where water can sustain my efforts to get rid of it
Interesting. I'm used to long narrow sea kayaks but I'm looking for a portable option to use with my kids. I tried a cheap K2 from Amazon in the past but when you are a sea kayaker, a wide and soft inflatable kayak just don't work. This drop stitch sounds like a good compromise. Have you tried the tandem version of Sea Eagle Razorlite (473rl)? If so, which one you like better?
All things considered, even though they're very similar, I would go for the 393. It has foot braces (real ones), which is a big factor for me - although they're tricky to put in the first few times. It also has a 3-year warranty.
Real life skeg issue update: Accompanied by 2 adult friends, I went for paddling on a really shallow river yesterday (I have a bigger Tomahawk Air-C version for 3 persons). The water level was supposed to be higher due to the season, but still i felt a gentle kick once sitting near the stern. Result: both skegs broken and lost in 2 hours. Never use the skegs in shallow and dirty water. It seems like the skegs have standardized locking system so I hope to find a reasonably priced replacement
Helpful tip: the skegs that come ex-factory are the lake / sea skegs. I also quickly broke both on the river (hitting sunken trees). When I called the aquamarina dealer, he made me realize that they have completely different skegs for the rivers. For little money you can buy much smaller, shorter and extremely durable river skegs. Since then, I have swam over 1000 km on rivers covered with all possible broken trees, stones, obstacles. The skegs are slightly scratched on the cutting axis, but they are indestructible. A really good upgrade to this kayak.
I’ve also had the AirC for three. I never paddled this boat with skegs on the river, why should I? Without skegs it is much more maneuverable. The stability for me on the river was OK without skegs and the boat behaved surprisingly good at tilts (good secondary stability). I should say, that I’ve upgraded it to a canoe by making seats of plywood with a closed cell foam leg. It was well rideable both in a sitting and kneeling position. As a Canoe it was much more versatile and enyoyable, and also firmer, than with the original kayak seats. The stability very depends on the load. We were about 180kg
I wouldn't agree with that. There are a number of inflatable kayaks that I would take on overnight trips. As long as the kayak has the capacity, there's no reason not to use it. That being said, make sure to bring a hand pump and repair kit. The repair kit for obvious reasons, but often overlooked is the fact that the stiffness of an inflatable kayak will change with the temperature. And so, on a cool morning, the kayak that was perfect the day before, might be super soft until things heat up again. Conversely, make sure to let some air out as the day heats up, so that it doesn't get over pressurized during the day.
Ciao a tutti.io l'ho comprato l'anno scorso .Non sono un professionista del Kayak, pero' l'ho usato nei laghi vicino a casa,in acque calme e devo dire che inizialmente sembra instabile,poi correggi la postura e ci fai l'abitudine.Controvento fai un po' fatica ma riesci abbastanza bene. l'unico difetto ,abbastanza rilevante e' che in caso di ribaltamento da soli non si riesce a risalire,in due forse, uno contrapposto all'altro ,pero' non ho mai provato. Mi piacerebbe saper l'opinione di esperti a riguardo.Per il resto confermo tutto cio' che hai detto.
Εχω το 440.παρολο που είναι διθέσιο, οταν ειμαστε 2 ατομα ειναι πολυ ασταθείς σκάφος. Με λιγο κυμα ευκολα τουμπαρει. Εχει πολυ μεγαλο παλατζαρισμα ως προς τον διαμήκη αξονα του. Οταν όντως ειμαι μονος μου και βαζω το καθισμα στην μεση, τοτε το σκάφος ειναι καλο ακομα και με 30 εκατοστα κυμα. Για διθεσιο και με λιγο κυμα παντως δεν κάνει. Δεν υα το ξανα αγόραζα. Θα επαιρνα με μπαλονια στο πλαινο
very unstable bought 2 of them going to sell them if i can you are the whole time thinking your going to topple over and a good few did would not advise anyone to get them if the dont want to get wet
Initially, I also felt a certain instability. It was enough to swim a little and get used to it. Currently, I use this canoe almost all the time deliberately edging (then it goes into a really nice slide). There is no risk of tipping over.
![[PADLUJTE.CZ] Kajak AQUA MARINA TOMAHAWK K-440 dvojmístný](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/zMFTJHJRiRE/mqdefault.jpg)
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I bought this as my first kayak and absolutely love it. I just use the pump that came with it and don't feel an electric pump is required. Only thing that annoys me is trying to dry it, as water pools inside the front and back and is hard to reach with a towel due to the splash deck things. But otherwise an amazing kayak and people often don't realise it's inflatable.
Does water get inside the skin of the kayak? That's one of my concerns in purchasing an inflatable
You mean in between the layers? If so, no, water does not get inside the layers. This is a very good inflatable, it might not be as fast as a sea Eagle or a dropstitch Decathlon Kayak, but it's a bit more stable than those two, so it's a good starting point for someone looking at a dropstitch kayak. Having said that, this is not a slow kayak at all.
I have a similar drop stitch kayak version and can mostly agree with the video about pros and cons. Some closed cells foam on the seat provides a great deal of comfort over long hours of pedaling. What I found quite troubling was when it gets windy and choppy on the open water. Drop stitch technology makes the kayak fairy light and having two people on board makes center of gravity quite high. With side wind and waves I have had hard times keeping it on track and not tip over. What saved the day were two 50 lbs bags full of sand stashed on bow and stern. Let me tell you it added stability I needed even with two little kids fidgeting on the front seat. Considering portability and stowabilty (should be cleaned and stored properly as any other inflatable boat) it is worth every penny I have paid. It might be useful to make a video on how to treat inflatable kayaks properly after each use and how to store it to make them last years and years.
Great point about the stability in rough conditions. It acts like a canoe in that way.
I bought this kayak for usd610 on sale here in Chile, and I love it. It's stable and fairly quick. I replaced the foot rest (just a side note, even sea Eagle used that design a while ago) and I bought 2 pairs of NRS foot pegs for usd70 I like their design better than Sea Eagle's one (and Sea Eagle sells one pair for usd79) after fixing the foot pegs, the Tomahawk bacame an even more comfortable and faster kayak.
Can you tell me something about the tracking without finns and how durable is it? Had any ground contacts? How good did the boat take them?
I have a zray drift, but one day when i was at a lake i pulled it into the water. I know you shouldn't do that, but it was just the last bit and it was completely unloaded and there were no sharp rocks, still it got a leak and i had to fix it.
What type of foot pegs did you buy? I searched for nrs foot pegs and the only thing I could find is a big inflatable cushion for legs
@@franzabramowski6341 hi, the kayak tracks fine without the fins (or skegs) I use it with two or one fin, but also without them if I'm paddling in shallow water or in a river with rocks.. This kayak performs really well even in open water with waves. I've have it for over a year and I'm really happy with it.
@@sydgerald thank you! That's a crucial information that they usually skip in the reviews, but i live on a beautiful shallow river, so i burn for that kind info.
@@franzabramowski6341 I'm glad my info was helpful. I've paddled solo and with my girlfriend on shallow rivers without the fin and We haven't had any issues, you can really tell the difference when turning the kayak if you use no fins (compared to using 2 and a little bit while using one) so no fins makes it really easy in order to avoid rock, branches, tree trunks or any submerged obstacle.
I have the single person version of this boat (airk-375), and I've had it for a couple of seasons now. Here is my longer term feedback on it.
From a comfort perspective, the seat is fine for 1-2 hours but the foam in it is relatively thin and solid and after a while you start to feel discomfort because it doesn't adjust to the shape of your body. Similarly after a while the backrest can start to dig in a bit. I have addressed the seat base issue by carving my own base to fit my body shape from closed cell foam. I place this over the top of the now empty seat base pocket and install the backrest in the normal way. I've done a 4+ hour paddle (10 miles around a lake) with this seat and it was a lot more comfortable.
Closed cell foam blocks are cheap and easy to carve out with basic tools. The key is to get a thick enough piece to provide support, but carve it deeply. This ensures you are still sitting on the bottom of the boat once it is done and this maintains the stability you get with the OEM seat.
The other thing to be aware of is the seat back has a tendency to prevent you from twisting your upper body to get proper paddling technique, because it forms a U shape around your back. This is possibly worse for me than some as I am quite thin. The trick is to lean forward a bit from it i.e. have it set so you're not putting your entire weight into the backrest, and push from the bottom of your back. You can't relax in it easily; the seat is hard to adjust once you're in it, and it will likely dig in anyway if you try and lean back in it. This makes the boat one you want to be active in most of the time you're in it.
As you also noted, the foot rests are not ideal. They work for short trips but their major disadvantage is that they put more of your body weight into the centre line of the boat. This makes the boat harder to control and I suspect contributes to the feeling of instability. To address this issue I 3d printed some foot rests and I attach them to the canayak with velcro to both the side and the base, so that it can still be disassembled. This puts your feet on the outside edges rather than in the middle. You can push against them properly, giving more power and control. I will add the designs to thingiverse later in case anyone else wants to print them.
Although it fits into a backpack, the kayak is actually pretty heavy and you wouldn't want to carry it for very long. Your twin version would be even worse. To address this I 3d printed an adapter that enables one of those standard folding kayak trolleys (the type with aluminium frame, red wheels) to be slid into the rear skeg slot. You can then assemble where you're parked, load the boat up with the rest of your gear, being careful to balance it to make it easy to pull, and off you go. Once disassembled the trolley fits easily under the front splash screen area. I will add this model to thingiverse as well.
I have paddled the boat on a large lake when the wind was up a little. It coped well with the waves, but the high sides mean that it gets blown about easily and you have to point yourself in a direction to counteract the push in cross wind scenarios. This can increase the relative effort a bit.
With the sides being quite high, and the fact that you're sitting mostly on the floor, if you have a relatively short upper body as I do (I'm about 5'9") you'll find yourself constantly rubbing the paddle on the edge of the boat. This can be counteracted once you gain confidence in the stability of the boat by rolling it a little toward the paddle you are putting into the water. It makes a big difference to the comfort to do this. My footrest design helps to make this easier. It might be harder to do when there are two of you.
The twin skegs provide a lot of stability. I tried paddling without them and felt really uncomfortable doing so. I came straight back and put them back on. They protrude quite a long way which means if you're getting into the boat from a lake where there is a shallow shore line you have to wade a fair way into the water before you can get in, otherwise when you get in the skeg sits on the bottom and you'll be stuck there. The skegs are very efficient at reducing the yaw when you put in a harder paddling effort.
It has drainage ports on the bottom at the rear, but they aren't very effective because the water does not typically flow into the area where the port is (they have to be closed while paddling obviously!). It's easier to just turn it upside down and tilt it. The boat doesn't take on a lot of water if you paddle 'touring' style, but bringing the paddles more vertical does cause more water to be captured. There still isn't much after a couple of hours paddling though.
Overall I think this boat is excellent and I have been really pleased with it. I can get the single person version assembled and ready to go in less than 5 minutes and that's using the hand pump. Not sure which pump was supplied with yours but mine is a tall double action one. It takes about 20 pumps to fill a side and maybe 35 to fill the base to 10psi. I actually bought mine at the height of the pandemic and only bought it because there wasn't actually much else in stock. I originally wanted an advanced elements one (not drop-stitch) but I think what I ended up with is a lot better than those after having read a lot about them. And it was a lot less money than those too (I paid around £650 for mine but I think they have gone up a bit now).
One last point - when I bought mine the boat did not come with even a basic paddle in the package, so check whether that is still the case and budget as necessary for something.
Wow! What a detailed comment! Yes, they still sell it without paddles. I'm very interested in the 3d printed footrest of your design and how they can hold with velcro only. I've just had an AIR-C model, which is a trio version in this line, and it doesn't have any type of foot support at all
Have you ever flipped on this boat? Is it possible to get back in?
@@xx12aabc52 I have never fallen out of it. I have seen a youtube video of someone getting back into a sea-eagle which is a similar design, but they still had to paddle to shore to empty it afterwards. They basically tipped it on its side again and struggled back in. So I would say possible but potentially a waste of time trying!
@@xx12aabc52 I tried to post a link to the thingiverse item for the footrests but it looks like youtube deleted it.
Go to thingiverse and search for "air-k footrests" and you should find it. User ric3552. As far as the velcro is concerned, I've posted a picture there so you can see how it attaches. One thing to be aware of is that the after a couple of hours of use the velcro's glue starts to move around a bit as it has got a bit wet, although it fixes itself once dried out again. I think this could be addressed by using a proper waterproof glue suitable for the boat material, and regular velcro instead of the sticky-backed stuff I used. The long strips give some adjustability to the foot rest position.
Ric, good write up, I have the 375 also, the fixed footrests sound good, and I’ve found the same as you with the seat, will look at changing as you have.
I have fallen out of mine, thankfully in shallow water, however I’m a bit concerned at how to get back in if I tip over on a river with steep banks or if any distance from lake side etc, I’ve bought a paddle float, but haven’t had chance to see if it’s any use as yet, I’d love to see a demo on getting back in to our boat if there’s one about.
Interesting vid' - good to see inflatables evolving. Did you find that the high sides cramped your paddling style? Would be interesting to hear opinions on this being paddled with single blades - Canadian style ... and future additions of maybe a webbing thwart, more lashing points for gear and 🤔 maybe a sail rig ...
I have the single seat version and love it - the single seat actually doesn't take very long to hand pump (5 mins or so) and much less time and effort than non drop-stitch inflatables with tubes - the seat becomes a bit uncomfortable after a while so i bought a seat cushion (i think its filled with silicone or something) that moulds to your shape.
Hey Ken, thanks for all the awesome videos you put out. Just coming across this one. It looks like exactly the kind of boat I was looking for when I got my Aquaglide Chelan 155. But it costs a little less, and it's full drop stitch unlike the Aquaglide which has low pressure side tubes. If I saw this video back then I probably would have gotten this instead.
Wow, this is something interesting. The combination of kayak and canoe, and it's seems works well. Great, instead of price which is pretty high. Ken, what do you do to make your kids paddling with you? My daughter, when I ask her to paddlling with me, says: daaaad, I have to? Daaad I don't want to. It's hot, it's windy, it's cloudy, it's this, its that... Always. I'm jelous, that your daughter looks happy to spend time on water... 😁
Best wishes! 🍻
i hope your girl got out with you paddeling. We tried kayaks in Santa Rosa CA, and fell in love as a family. We cant wait to try these out in our country. And every day its windy, chilly, cloudy and rainy and dark. Weather doesnt wait for you. go get it!
Awesome Video! Very impressed with your co-host! Love seeing the kiddos on the water! (She has my racing philosophy! LOL) Cool product.
:) This might be the last time she willingly gets in a tandem with me. Something tells me I'll be chasing her in her own kayak this season!
I've been eyeing this kayak for about a year, I have an Itiwit tandem kayak (the one you reviewed) a few weeks ago, and while I really like that boat, I have the issue of space when using it with my girlfriend, I'm 6.2ft and the Itiwit was too small for the two of us (or for me on the back at least). Also speed was kind of an issue too.
I started paddling last year, after watching some of your videos, and I love it.
Today I bought the Air K440 on sale for USD610, so when I saw the price drop (We are having cyber sales until October 6 here in Chile) I called my girlfriend and after a quick talk We decided to buy it! I think that USD610 for this kayak is a great price, specially considering it was not available here in Chile due to Covid (transportation got really expensive) and importing it directly ended up costing USD1230...
Anyway, thank you so much for uploading this video, I've watch it about 12 times already, this is one of my favorite, because We get to see the synergy you and your daughter have :)
Once again, thank you for all the content you give us, all the best from Chile.
PS: A while ago, I saw in Aliexpress foot pegs on sale for inflatable kayaks, I'll take a look around.
Edit: I just checked and Sea Eagle sells their footrest as a kit. www.seaeagle.com/Accessories/other/FlexBraceKit
Thank for review, i am same height and this help me to decide between Itiwit and this.
@@Fridz1986 Hello Fridz, I'm glad my post helped you. In the end, I bought 2 pairs of NRS PVC Kayak Foot Braces. I paid USD42 per each pair, after 2 years they're still in perfect condition. (if you're interested you can copy and paste the name on Google, and you'll find the website, I can't paste the link here, because YT erases my post if I do that).
Just saw a commercial for an inflatable paddleboard with a battery jet engine. Sipaboard I think was it.looked like fun.it blows up itself and powers you thru the water when needed remotely
Ha! Yup, I've seen more and more motor options for kayaks, canoes and SUPs. It makes a lot of sense for some people... but definitely not for everyone!
@@PaddleTV yes,I am 69,with those I can still enjoy the waters
Another interesting option in the dropstitch kayaks is the Paddle North Karve Kayak
Haven't seen it before! Thanks for sharing.
These are really popular in UK. beaches, simply pump up, fill with sea water, add ice an kids, oh an the important bit? Beer an ya set for the day.
An if the dragon gets the ump? Simply lift an tip!!!
Works great. No more flames ha ha ha
Seriously these type are very safe easy to look after , an if you live in flats without storage ? Say no more.
There cheap an great to get the kids into the water.
Also a great way to find out if the kids realy want to get into kayaking, so then you can feel confident that a more expensive kayak as the kids grow into the sport.
Thanks for sharing guys
Paul 21.59 gmt Uk cheers
Great to hear your experience with this kayak! Cheers!
Another great vid Ken, I love the concept of the Canoe-yak, it really is versatile and also seems to work great solo as is tandem. Wont mind trying one of these as it its good with storage and and its portable.
Excellent review. You have covered all the area's I'd been wondering about. Thank you
This is family fun im so into! To be honest i thought at first it's expensive, but for long term investment, it's seems very well made and can be used for long period
Great video thanks. How is this compare to Chelan 140?
Enquiring minds (me) wish to know if you had a dropstitch inflatable shootout which boat would win? I had been thinking of a RazorLite 393rl. I do overnight touring, primarily freshwater.
You know... that's a tough one. I'm pretty sure this Tomahawk has more capacity than the 393, but the 393 performed better. If you carry a lot of gear, the Tomahawk might be the ticket... or perhaps the Sea Eagle 473rl, which is bigger! I haven't tried that one. Tough question....
@@PaddleTV Thanks for your response.
I am looking for a Cano I can carry on my bicycle. 20.3kg is okay. But what is the size of the Cano when it is in the package? Thanks! Couldn’t find that info anywhere!
We bought this inflatable kayak last year and anything that this thing does not have is stability. Maybe it's because of my extra weight but other than that, was fun to use.
Ακριβώς και εγώ θα συμφωνήσω μαζι σου. Εδώ τον ίδιο. Δοκίμασε το μόνος σου και θα δεις ένα άλλο καγιάκ. Μόνο σου στην μέση έχει αρκετά καλή σταθερότητα
That looks a lot like what Swift Canoe & Kayak calls a Pack Boat. Is that a standard term?
I’d love to see a side by side comparison between this and a Sea Eagle RazorLite of similar sizes. Maybe the solo ones?
Funny you should mention the Swift Pack Boat. I just took one out on a solo, 2-day canoe trip, and had an amazing time! Stay tuned for that video.
Yes... it is very similar to the Sea Eagle 393 or 493rl. Sea Eagle has some nice upgrades though. You're right... it's worth a comparison!
Another great review of a drop stitch kayak, thank you. 👍
You were very close with naming - in fact, Mistral called their boat KANUyak (uno and duo respectively) 😅. I've never seen it anywhere, it's probably out of the market already, it was only 8 PSI and terribly expensive.
The Air-K 440 is 950£ in the UK if purchased directly from Aqua Marina.
A kind request - would you be able to tell us a paddle of what length you use in each future review, please? 😉
Interesting! I wasn't aware of the KANUyak. Cool. Good point about the paddle length. I'll do my best to remember that this season! Makes total sense.
Hi. How does this compare to advance elememt advance frame? And the sea eagle? I cant decide which one to get. I have Aqua Marina Laxo 380. I love it! Pretty stable with the kids :) but I feel like going to the next level. Thanks!
If you want to step up from the Laxo, I probably wouldn't recommend the Advanced Frame. It's a different style, and a nice kayak, but not a real upgrade in performance. The AE Expedition Elite is an upgrade, but might not be the right choice. The Aqua Marina 440 and Sea Eagle 393 are much greater upgrades in performance. But, know that you do sacrifice some stablity with these kayaks. They're still fairly stable kayaks, but nothing like the Laxo, which you can nap in. :). Another 'upgrade' would be the AquaGlide Chelan 120.
@@PaddleTV thanks! Wish there are expo's that you test these kayaks in BC, Canada
@@PaddleTVsorry I should have been more specific, how bout the AE advance frame convertible. They offer it with dropstitch floor to make it stiffer. It definitely is quicker compared to my laxo. But pricing is about the aqua marina 440. Which one do you think is a better buy?
Do you know the cruise speed of the boat ? Normal paddeling...
I need a little bit of help..i am planning on buying this kayak but i have 2 things that worry me..
I often take my dog with us on kayaking..so do you think a middle size dog(16kg) can fit between front and back passenger? And other thing is, how much storage spave it has? For me it looks really little..like can it fit 30l dry bag and maybe a tent? Thank you for answer 😁😁
Tomahawk vs Sea Eagle Tandem??? Sea Eagle looks like it has better foot rests? Seats look similar...
Would you recommend the Air k 440, or the sea eagle 473rl?
Yikes.... that's a tough one. They're both solid boats, but I would likely go for the Sea Eagle because of the foot braces.
Hi there,
I've been considering the Sea Eagle RazorLite. It's very similar to this kayak but it is more expensive & ships from the USA. Dollar exchange plus import tariffs & taxes add to the already higher cost. I know of the Sea Eagle quality & reputation. This brand is new to me but it is in Canada where I live. Can you or anyone please tell me honestly if there are any noticeable differences in quality/durability, handling or stability between the Sea Eagle RazorLite & this one?
With price in mind, which would you recommend? Without price in mind, which would you recommend? Thank you in advance for any replies & information. I really appreciate these videos & this channel for all the reviews & invaluable information & tips on kayaking & canoeing. Cheers from Vancouver Island.
*Edit: Sorry, but how does this compare to the dropped stitch canoe that Sea Eagle makes? Is it entirely different? Is this more comparable to the RazorLite? Thanks again.
The Sea Eagle 393rl and this kayak are very similar. If I had to choose between the two, and price wasn't an issue, I would go with the Sea Eagle. I like the fact that it has real foot rests (although they can be tricky to install), and Sea Eagle has a great reputation for high quality kayaks and wonderful customer service. AquaMarina doesn't have the same reputation, because they're based (and made) overseas. That being said, AquaMarina has been doing this for a long time too, and I liked this boat. It is very similar to the 393rl, and so if there's significant savings, I don't think it would be a bad choice. Know that both of these kayaks are designed with stability in mind. They're not unstable, but they give up some stability for speed.
@@PaddleTV Thanks so much for your reply.
Lookin at 1person 375 is it quick as sea eagle razo lite 393
Love the smiles
can you please compare Tomahawk Air C with Sea Eagle 3 seats inflatable canoe?
Yes, this! Please!
thanks for this great review. Do you have recommendation for something similar that might be a bit more stable? I'm picturing my grandkids ( ages 2 - 11) as the second passengers. Thanks!
Take a look at the trio version of this kayak. It is much more stable and it can accommodate up to 3 adults. I love to paddle in it with my wife and daughter
I have a question about skegs: If you're going on a trip and have a lot of bags and no trolley, when is it right to install a skeg (or skegs in this case)? If you load the boat on the shore and slide it in the water you will have to do it blindly under the water and very likely get wet. In the opposite scenario, you can roll the empty boat on edge and attach skegs, as it is shown here, but then you won't be able to put the bags in until you are on the water, which means wading back and forth with bags if it is shallow there and controlling your boat in order to prevent it from leaving you alone on the shore. What do I miss?
I always install the skegs on the shore, then put the boat in the water, then put my trolley and bags in. I put the seat in before I put the boat in the water. As far as wading back and forth through the shallows, I put the bags in while the boat is grounded out by the skegs so it doesn't float away. Then I push it further out when I'm ready to get in. When the boat is full of gear and grounded on the skegs it's relatively easy to pick it up by one of the grab handles and float it out.
Good question. This is a real challenge with a kayak like this one, which has two skegs (one up front, and one in the back). In that case, I would probably just use a skeg in the stern. You can then put the boat in the water, and pull the bow into shore (leaving the stern and skeg in deeper water). You can then load the kayak and launch without the rear skeg staying in deeper water. Make sense?
@@PaddleTV In practice it's fairly easy with both skegs. The trick is not to get into it in too shallow water. The way I get in if I'm not on a river bank i.e. I have to stand in the water, is to stand in front of the boat and float it forward through my legs, then just sit down and shuffle back to the seat. By then, neither skeg is touching the bottom. You have to be prepared to get your legs a little wet though !
Great to see new videos!
Which kayak is faster, the Razorlite or this Tomahawk?
Razor lite because of its design at bow and stern but not by much
En el mar, como se comporta? Gracias.
Aqua Marina o Zray?
If there's an oblique wind to the waves, you have no chance but capsize...
Nice review, would love one for the Memba also :)
Looks nice and slightly different from the dropstitch stencil-made kayaks customized by the final seller. Have you tried it with one skeg only? Does it really slaps so much on waves and slightly less flat water? Let's say up to WW II?
I did try it with one skeg, and it still tracked pretty well. While I would be comfortable taking this kayak into class 1 and 2 whitewater, it's definitely not designed for that, and I wouldn't recommend it. It's definitely not designed for that.
I have a Dama brand kayak in this style and it can't handle chop too well. It's fun and nimble for an inflatable tandem, but it will roll just like a canoe, but it won't sink when you tip.
As always another great video and review. Could you review the Eddyline Caribbean14FS, I'm 6'2" 260lbs and recently saw one in a store and I really like the design of it.
I would love to review a few Eddyline kayaks! Unfortunately, Eddyline aren't sending me kayaks to review this year. Hopefully next year! Feel free to email their customer service to let them know they should! :)
AGAIN, GREAT VIDEO,
MANYTHANKS 🙏🙏
What about Decathlon x500 canoe?
I would like to see the new 2022 wilderness kayak tarpon 120
I'm looking forward to seeing it as well. :)
Are 2 skegs better than a single skeg?
Your daughter is an awesome paddler and kayaker reviewer. Wonder where she gets that from??...
I'm just hoping she'll keep paddling with Dad... and not leave me in her dust!
I' ve watched this video really carefully several times and you know what? You won't see a seat top behind ken's back, although it can be clearly seen with his daughter. My answer: Ken forgot his own tip to choose a high back pfd with this type of seats and brought a low back nrs odyssey for the test, so he had to tuck the seat top under the pfd or not use it at all. Correct?
First of all, I’m sorry for my strange English. I’m a Japanese person who is not good at English.
There is something that I would like to ask you about the instruction accompanied with the Tomahawk kayak. There is no description about its footrest in the instruction. Where should I fix the footrest’s cords? How did you that? I would appreciate it if you could teach me about it.
You clip it to the same D-ring as the front straps of the seat.
@@tomasmazgaj7542
Thank you so much.
How it compare to sea eagle 473rl？
Bought it! Great recommend
Great! Hope you enjoy it Jennifer.
Okay, got it out on the water today...seats baffling but figure it out. The foot rests have no instructions at all. And I cannot find any on the deal site. What am I missing?
Does water get under the skin of the kayak thats a concern I have with trying to clean and dry it?
I don't even owna a kayak of any kind, but surely you notice that this kayak has no skin because it's dropstich, it's one layer chambers only.
It really doesn’t have a skin, BUT it has small channels at the sides, where the bottom and sides chambers meet. Usually you pack your fully dry kayak, and the next day you find the floor a little wet after unpacking. It took me some time to figure out where water can sustain my efforts to get rid of it
Ken, is a 220 cm paddle ok for this boat?
For sure. It will definitely do the trick. It's shorter than ideal, but not a deal breaker.
Interesting. I'm used to long narrow sea kayaks but I'm looking for a portable option to use with my kids. I tried a cheap K2 from Amazon in the past but when you are a sea kayaker, a wide and soft inflatable kayak just don't work. This drop stitch sounds like a good compromise.
Have you tried the tandem version of Sea Eagle Razorlite (473rl)? If so, which one you like better?
Storage/stowage? Otherwise great video, as usual. Thank you!
Used as a single kayak, this boat has a ton of stowage space and lots of capacity. You could definitely take this baby on overnight camp trips!
Awesome review as good as kayak thank s
Razorlite 393 or tomahawk 440 thats the question 🤔
All things considered, even though they're very similar, I would go for the 393. It has foot braces (real ones), which is a big factor for me - although they're tricky to put in the first few times. It also has a 3-year warranty.
@@PaddleTV thank you for your insight
👍👍for a very useful and funny review :-) thanks
Cheers! :)
Real life skeg issue update: Accompanied by 2 adult friends, I went for paddling on a really shallow river yesterday (I have a bigger Tomahawk Air-C version for 3 persons). The water level was supposed to be higher due to the season, but still i felt a gentle kick once sitting near the stern. Result: both skegs broken and lost in 2 hours. Never use the skegs in shallow and dirty water. It seems like the skegs have standardized locking system so I hope to find a reasonably priced replacement
Add: found the original skegs in china for about $20
@@xx12aabc52 can you share a link where you found them?
Helpful tip: the skegs that come ex-factory are the lake / sea skegs. I also quickly broke both on the river (hitting sunken trees). When I called the aquamarina dealer, he made me realize that they have completely different skegs for the rivers. For little money you can buy much smaller, shorter and extremely durable river skegs. Since then, I have swam over 1000 km on rivers covered with all possible broken trees, stones, obstacles. The skegs are slightly scratched on the cutting axis, but they are indestructible. A really good upgrade to this kayak.
Lookin at longer rear skeg like on paddle board
I’ve also had the AirC for three. I never paddled this boat with skegs on the river, why should I? Without skegs it is much more maneuverable. The stability for me on the river was OK without skegs and the boat behaved surprisingly good at tilts (good secondary stability). I should say, that I’ve upgraded it to a canoe by making seats of plywood with a closed cell foam leg. It was well rideable both in a sitting and kneeling position. As a Canoe it was much more versatile and enyoyable, and also firmer, than with the original kayak seats. The stability very depends on the load. We were about 180kg
Unfortunately blow ups are useless for over night or multi day trips. The hull thickness precludes the carrying of camping gear.
I wouldn't agree with that. There are a number of inflatable kayaks that I would take on overnight trips. As long as the kayak has the capacity, there's no reason not to use it. That being said, make sure to bring a hand pump and repair kit. The repair kit for obvious reasons, but often overlooked is the fact that the stiffness of an inflatable kayak will change with the temperature. And so, on a cool morning, the kayak that was perfect the day before, might be super soft until things heat up again. Conversely, make sure to let some air out as the day heats up, so that it doesn't get over pressurized during the day.
Even the knockoffs can handle 500 lbs, they are very rigid and buoyant. The PVC is incredibly tough too.
Ciao a tutti.io l'ho comprato l'anno scorso .Non sono un professionista del Kayak, pero' l'ho usato nei laghi vicino a casa,in acque calme e devo dire che inizialmente sembra instabile,poi correggi la postura e ci fai l'abitudine.Controvento fai un po' fatica ma riesci abbastanza bene. l'unico difetto ,abbastanza rilevante e' che in caso di ribaltamento da soli non si riesce a risalire,in due forse, uno contrapposto all'altro ,pero' non ho mai provato. Mi piacerebbe saper l'opinione di esperti a riguardo.Per il resto confermo tutto cio' che hai detto.
for an inflatable it doesn't look too stable.
Don't like music in reviews...
Εχω το 440.παρολο που είναι διθέσιο, οταν ειμαστε 2 ατομα ειναι πολυ ασταθείς σκάφος. Με λιγο κυμα ευκολα τουμπαρει. Εχει πολυ μεγαλο παλατζαρισμα ως προς τον διαμήκη αξονα του. Οταν όντως ειμαι μονος μου και βαζω το καθισμα στην μεση, τοτε το σκάφος ειναι καλο ακομα και με 30 εκατοστα κυμα. Για διθεσιο και με λιγο κυμα παντως δεν κάνει. Δεν υα το ξανα αγόραζα. Θα επαιρνα με μπαλονια στο πλαινο
Why isn’t my comments posted?
very unstable bought 2 of them going to sell them if i can you are the whole time thinking your going to topple over and a good few did would not advise anyone to get them if the dont want to get wet
Initially, I also felt a certain instability. It was enough to swim a little and get used to it. Currently, I use this canoe almost all the time deliberately edging (then it goes into a really nice slide). There is no risk of tipping over.
Critical comments will not post
Bought one and it is extremely unstable, gave mine away. Even small waves knocks one over,,,,a piece of crap