Is THIS the world's BEST performing inflatable kayak? Itiwit x500 v2 Strenfit in ACTION!
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 2 ต.ค. 2024
- #itiwit
A long overdue overview video about my Itiwit x500 Strenfit inflatable kayak.
It is a full drop stitch kayak that has hydrodynamic shaping in the hull.
That allows it to excel in all-round touring conditions with exception to rough waters.
Its design makes it a capable boat, letting you perform numerous maneuvers usually reserved for hardshell kayaks.
Come and say hi! Tell me what you think about this kayak.
Let's go paddling!
Check my other inflatable kayak overviews:
Gumotex Seashine 👉 • Gumotex Seashine PROTO...
Gumotex Rush1 👉 • Meet GUMOTEX Rush1 - a...
Gumotex Swing1 👉 • Let's test the Gumotex...
Gumotex Twist1 👉 • Twistin' time is here!...
Private gear used in this video (non-affiliate links for reference):
Itiwit x500 Strenfit inflatable kayak:
www.decathlon....
Brača VII 725 paddle:
paddles.braca-...
Hello, I also have an x500. I love that fast 14-16 km/h was the highest speed I managed to do with it. Comfortable, perfect for paddling for several hours or all day. I like your videos, keep it up.
Oh wow, 14-16kph that's much more than I managed to do (12,27kph)! Nice. 👍
@@LetsGoPaddlingdo you use your phone GPS to measure highest speed ? Thank you
@laurentvenet2758 , when I "measured" my speed on River Prosna (that little stretch that can be seen in one of my Shorts videos) I checked the duration of that clip and calculated it with the distance I covered taken from Google Maps.
Now I learnt to use my GoPro - to put telemetry overlay into a clip and it's the GoPro that uses GPS (I showed it for the first time in the cruising speed test of Gumotex Framura). I wish I had known that function while recording this overview, though. 😕
My speed when I paddle for 1 or 2 hours is about 6 or 6,5 kms per hour.
Awesome review man, great work 🙌
Loved the stroke, technique and manoeuvrability demonstrations.
Def gonna try standing up in mine now!
Thank you very much, Stevie!
I only scratched the surface with basic maneuvers. There's still so much to learn and get trained at. 😁
Best way that worked for me: I put my feet close to the seat and sidewalls, grabbed the coaming with both hands and pulled myself up. 😉
Have the same Kayak and its simply amazing😊 Great video by the way
It definitely is. 😄
Best review of the X500 - thanks a lot for sharing!
Thank you for watching. It's highly appreciated. 🙂
I'm a X500 gen 1 lucky owner! Very fast kayak, but I never try to stand up on it to test it's stability...
Nice one! 😁
I'd love to try a v1 one day. Not necessarily standing on it but just try it out to have a feel of it and a comparison to a v2.
Someone from the x500 owners group on facebook managed to stand on his v1 - that man must have great core balance. 😵
Hi Tom, this is a very good and informative video presentation of the X500, nice job! The yawing after the last stroke, that happens to my 4,15 m polyethylene kayak as well and even much stronger, but I don't care too much about that. It can be annoying when I'm focussing on something I want to film, but for perfomance paddling, it sort of keeps you focussed to keep paddling 😆 Cheers Olaf
I presented these yaws as I've seen some users complain about the kayak turning when not paddled and claim it was a fault. In the end, that's part of the design. 🙂
That was an excellent review cum paddle coaching video. The Strenfit looks to be a good balance between stability and hard shell-like performance. It would be interesting to see how it copes with rougher seas, as with a spray skirt and good rigidity there's no reason for it to swamp, though a rudder addition may be useful for tracking in stronger winds and used with a paddle to stop broaching. I find longer, adjustable paddles great for ds kayaks as you can do high angle for speed but then extend for low angle on longer touring trips.
Some more indication of the durability and manufacturing quality control issues would be welcome. Keep up these informative videos!
Thanks very much. Strenfit is a great kayak for performance paddling and technique learning/training.
As a trade-off it currently suffers from durability issues and even I don't have it anymore unfortunately.
When it comes to rougher sea, it's not designed to handle it. Its ISO certification allows it to go up to 2 nautical miles away from the shore but the manual still states it's meant for calm water. Therefore, caution advised here.
I'm a short guy, very short. For a DS kayak that is 64cm wide I don't need to extend my paddle for low angle paddling. I do need to extend it with wider kayaks though.
The x500 owners group on Facebook currently has many posts related to durability, or rather lack of thereof.
I normally make overviews of kayaks so I do my best to stay away from giving opinions in the video itself, while presenting only specs, looks, and on the water performance - the idea is for the viewer to form their own opinion. 😉
Please show how easy it is to climb on that, when you flipped over and fell out of it far from the shore!
Good luck, boss 😂
One of my first attempts a year before this overview:
th-cam.com/video/Zco742VfLXk/w-d-xo.html
Make sure you also listen to the intro and outro... 😉
and... I'm not a boss, just a lone kayaker... 🙃
Great video. As far as camping goes, I've loaded it with an excessive amount of gear, just to see if I could really. Once you've filled inside there's plenty of room for lashing stuff to the decks too. Helps that's I'm nowhere near the weight limit though!
And there's always a bit of space in front of the foot pegs as well. 😉
@@LetsGoPaddling that's where I stuff my pump!
Yep, I've done some multi-day trips in the X500. I've got quite efficient at packing it. Two or three nights aren't much harder than one, the only extras you need are more food and (unless you're out in the wilderness where nobody has to smell you) more clothes. Compression straps are helpful to get the X500 bag down to an acceptable size for stowage.
The pump takes up an annoying amount of space. I got the recommended one, which does 21psi, total overkill.
Thank you for confirming. So my guess was fairly correct.
I have both new black pumps from Itiwit. The 10psi is also good but the 20psi just goes easier on you, while the pumping time is literally the same. For me, it's worth spending a bit more to have an easier job. 🙃
If you're looking for space, I'd suggest you to have a look at Airbank Puffer Pro. This is a battery powered 20psi pump that is tiny. Its charge is enough to inflate 2 regular 10.6ft SUPboards to 15psi so it will easily handle a single Strenfit. 😉
@@LetsGoPaddling I do like the idea of the electric pump! But I don't like the idea of finding a leak in the boat a few days' paddle from civilisation and discovering that the battery is flat. Depending on how quickly my solar panels would charge it, though, it is a very interesting option, both space and cost efficient. Definitely one to look into. Thanks!
Thanks! Amazing video, good review , well edited... now i want one too 😄
I've had 3 of them and although it performs really great, it's not durable enough to get my recommendation at present (when I was recording this, I certainly would recommend it).
Right now, at the time of writing this reply, I've been loaned an x500 v3 directly from Itiwit for a long term test. I will see if things have improved.
Otherwise, I'd suggest to either go for a Gumotex Rush 1 (slightly lower performance but top durability - it's my main kayak now) or, if you want to stay with Itiwit, maybe it's a good idea to wait for an upcoming x900 kayak. It should be released at some point next year.
Great video mate! Keep up the good work!
Hey Reinhard!
Thank you.
Thank you for a very well made video! We are still running two double seater X500s and a pair of single V2s. Have you sold your's in the meantime? Seen a Gumotex in your latest videos. Hopefully the X500 did not let you down in the end.
@@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. 😖
Pozdrawiam z Wrocławia 👍
Dziękuję i również pozdrawiam, z Kalisza i Crawley.
Kolejny świetny film!👍
Dziękuję Mariusz. 👍
am thinking of getting this kayak, so appreciate the review... curious if you tried the Oru Coastal folding kayak and how that compares... for the ItiwitX500, according to Paddle TV review, you can roll this kayak if you wear a spray skirt... the review of the Decathalon spray skirt being not so great
Thank you. I've not tried any Oru kayak. I'm in fact focused on inflatables exclusively. So far, any of the boats you see "in action" on my channel are my private ones (with an exception to Twist1, which was lent to me by a friend for a couple of days). 😉
The Strenfit can be rolled and a few people have proved it already - my skills are not enough to do it yet but I am aiming at learning to roll a hardshell kayak this winter.
The Itiwit skirt is ok but I also have a 3rd party one.
A great review. Very nice to see you demonstrating the manoeuvrability. I thought that catsin1626's comment was rather harsh. Maybe his reviews are superior . . . . oh, hang on . . . his channel is empty . . . . . he hasn't made ANY content . . . . . . . . . EVER !
Thank you. I try to go as far as my modest skills allow. 😉
You know, such encounters are unfortunately unavoidable. All I could do was to explain the intention of the title. Thumb down remained anyway (and it's the only one as of writing this reply).
Absolutely love the boat. I have a first gen X500 since 2020. Got it cheaper via Decathlon Second Use. Only issue I had so far was a small leakage in the air chamber behind the seat. It was easy to fix with a repair patch.
Paddled it through choppy water on rivers, loaded for multi day trips. Excellent boat, especially for its price tag. Good for day trips, nice performance in the water, quick setup and stowage times. If you pack it clever, you can load it up for 3-5 days without issue.
I bought It in 2018. At the begining i need to learn how to paddle without fall in the wáter. But after that i have use It for 3 days travels in rivers. 3 days in La Garone. 85 kms. 2 days in L' Adour ( Dax- Bayonne). 3 Days in Rio Duero 2023 and 3 Days Río Duero 2024. I carry everything inside. About 25kgs (wáter, food, camping equipement... weels for carring the kayak outside water...) I think is a good product but with some limitations (dificult to relax without paddling, waves, and if there are very little wáter the V is not a good idea)
Did you manage to measure the average travel speed? In Gumotex Swing 1, it shows me that I make an average of 5 km/h
Not with any devices but just looking at time and distance it was usually 7-8kph. This kayak can get really fast.
Thanks for This perfect test & to having shown great tips of training 👏✨👏✨. Gonna get This X 500. All the best from France ✨✊✨
Did I show any tips here? 😅😅😅
Forgot to name it Paddlequickie then... 😉
Great vid!
Thank you. 👍
This was a great review! How do you feel about the durability of this kayak? I often kayak where there are submerged trees, do you think the kayak material would be durable enough to survive the friction and snags? Thanks!
Hello and thank you.
As it's a flat water kayak and more of a "cruiser", I wouldn't take it to any place where there is a risk of friction or snags. Beaching it might also cause some damage.
How is this compare sea eagle 370 pro package thanks
Many thanks for this detailed and great video about this fantastic kajak.
Thank you very much for watching. 👍
So this is good for canals and lakes, I want to upgrade from my k2 challenger by intex
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...
I'm 193cm, I'm worried I might not fit comfortably. What do you think? (how tall are you?)
Thanks for reaching out.
I've just been told outside of TH-cam that I look taller than I really am - I'm only 162cm tall. 😅 Yes, I know, that's pretty lame... 🤣
Officially, the x500 is designed for paddlers up to 190cm tall so you'd be slightly outside of their specs. I don't know how well or bad it will work for you. In the x500 owners group on Facebook, some tall users report it's comfortable or a snug fit for them, some complain they can't handle it.
Ideally, I'd try first before buying if you have such a possibility.
If not, then a Decathlon account would come handy as it would allow you a year to return it. Please, note that such a return will only be accepted by the store if the kayak was not used in the water. Trying to fit into it while having it inflated in a living room or on grass in the garden is a viable option.
@@LetsGoPaddling Thanks for the great answer & tips! I know now that I really should see if I can test it somehow. I'll see if I can find someone in NL that might be able to help out...
ive got one in the south of nl@@servercare
not 3, but 2 mins lol bad itiwit!, bad!! :D
False marketing is false marketing, in either direction... 😅
Hello Tom! a really interesting test of the X500 kayak. But why didn't you address the problem with the holes in the air chamber behind the seat. I know a few people who have this problem (I'm self too), and I don't think you're unfamiliar either, are you? LG Andreas
Hi Andreas,
The target of this video was to present basic specs and show how it performs on the water. I decided to make an overview, not a review of this kayak to keep it consistent on my channel. Long term durability is a whole separate discussion and very familiar to me as I've gone through 3 Strenfits already after all.
Nevertheless, I'll be looking at getting a 4th one at some point - that's how much I like it!
@@LetsGoPaddling WTF? Are you saying 3 of these have failed on you and you didn't mention it in your GLOWING video? Disgusting! How much are they paying you?
My video is an overview of features and a practical test on the water, that's first thing.
Second thing, Itiwit are not bothered to sponsor or even support such a tiny channel like mine so I'm not paid anything. In fact I paid a lot of time and nerves to get all claims sorted.
Last thing - please, don't swear on my channel. Swear words are put in studio's filtering functionality and will be automatically deleted.
@@LetsGoPaddling Hello Tom, did you really mean me (TrailSeeker70) with your last comment? I hadn't swear on your channel, and you had already replied to my comment a month ago, which was fine with me. I'm a little confused about your post. LG Andreas
Hey Andreas,
No, my message was to MikeMuiMay who left a reply after our exchange of comments. It was blocked automatically by filters I had set but I allowed it through so that I could respond to it. It was "WTF? Are you saying 3 of these have failed on you and you didn't mention it in your GLOWING video? Disgusting! How much are they paying you?".
It's all fine, please, don't worry. 🙂
Great video, nice to see what the Kayak can do. It would be nice to see your thoughts on self rescue (especially rolling) and how it rewards the use of a Greenland paddle.
Hiya,
Thank you very much. 😄
I will be only learning to roll a kayak (hardshell at first) this coming winter, I can't do this maneuver and I know its learning is LONG overdue. I need this skill.
For Greenland paddle, I have a couple of videos where I was learning to use it at all. 😉
Edit:
I've just realized I had forgotten to mention self-rescue. I practised surfski style remount and this is my favorite way of getting back into the kayak. I haven't had to use it yet, just trained it. The reason here is that I prefer to carry as few accessories as possible, Having a bit of a minimalistic approach.
There is a video where a guy showed just that, he was trying to roll it with that kind of a paddle (didn't make it), but I can't find it. Maybe you'll have more luck. He complained that you can't brace against the kayak with your knees enough. There are other videos where people manage to roll it with a regular paddle though.
@@fajastata2 , do you mean @davidpoots8362 by any chance? For me he did great. When I finally learn to roll a kayak, I might give it a try. I think I have an idea which specific roll could be efficient (no spoilers for now 🙃).
@@LetsGoPaddling Yeah, that's him.
Yes that was me, almost rolling the x500. Looking back at the video my technique was a little sloppy and a forward finishing roll might be more successful. (In my defence the water was close to freezing) I have seen it rolled without modification, which is very impressive. My boat died within a few months and they weren't available in the UK most of this year, I hope to buy another one soon and will almost certainly adapt the outfitting with hip pads and a thigh brace. @@fajastata2
☀️☀️☀️Yes i confirm . It is the very best on the market . Greetings from the french crystal waters .
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. 😅
You're a legend, Mate!
Why? I didn't do anything. 😅😅😅
@@LetsGoPaddling It was the loch ness joke.
Oh, that one... I forgot to take it out, it's still sitting in that hatch...
rush or x500?
x500 for performance.
Rush for durability and reliability.
😀
Or the new Sea Kayak from Gumotex, the SeaShine !
Seashine is a huge boat. I'm waiting for technical details and possibly I'll receive a test unit at some point.
My personal minimum usually includes a paddle too 😂 like if you’ve ever forgot to bring it 😂
And that manual? 2 lateral bedrooms….these kayaks getting big!?
Well, the paddle is your main propeller after all, I don't consider it an accessory. 😄
Haha, I missed that one! It was most likely a mistranslation - my guess is that should be 2 side walls... 😂
Hello Tom, Tell me ¿How do you store the x500? ¿Do you store it folded or inflated? I¿ve heard you should dold it only for transportation not for storage since it may cause damages to the PVC hull
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.
Is it a "performance sea kayak"? Hell NO. People.......don't buy this.
No, it's not a performance sea kayak. It's not designed to be one or even pretend to be one.
It is "seaworthy" by ISO standards but design-wise it's suitable only for calm waters.
Best performance is achieved on flat water and this is where I like using it the most. 😉
Maybe its the best of its type on the marked - but as a kayak it is shit. Its dangerously unstable due to its high CoG. Nothing for beginners, which are the main targeted customers.
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.
'World's BEST' is totally stupid language to be using in a video WITH ONLY ONE kayak in the test. Even within Decathlon's lineup, the Itiwit race kayak is surely faster. The X100 surely more stable and roomier. What complete nonsense in a clickbait title.
Thank you for your opinion.
I fully respect your disagreement.
However, please, note that the statement I made in the title is not "World's best" but "World's best performing" and it is a question.
In my view:
Race500 is definitely faster but not everyone can handle its low stability (myself included). This is why in the practical part I say the x500 is one of the fastest kayaks on the market.
x100 is very stable but it's also bulky and slow, difficult to paddle with different techniques.
In my test I focused on performance that most of us can get out of this kayak.
You're going to be missed..
@@darrenmanser2847, why? 🤨