inflatable canoe / kayak

[Lightspeed]

0111001

I was in the same boat as you ( yes, pun completely intended) re not having the space for a rigid Kayak, so I went the inflatable route last year.

And I made some mistakes....

Inflatable kayaks, like everything else come in many different forms. I ended up purchasing what was marketed as an adventure / expedition tandem kayak which had multiple air bladders and large built in storage compartment that doubled as a ruck sack to carry the brute in.

Provided I inflate the kayak to its maximum inflation pressure it performs realatively well in terms of paddling efficiency, but not as well as a rigid kayak. As for stability, my one is far more stable than its rigid equivalent.

The great thing aboy inflatables is their load callying ability. You could carry a huge weight of equipment in one of these if necessary.

We have used ours extensively on both fast flowing near white water rivers as well as slow meanering ones.

Accessories that I'd recommend are as follows:

Paddles: For slow rivers asymetric sectional paddles are most efficient, however for fast flowing rivers and for general adaptability I found the same tye of paddle that can be dis-assembled into two halves and the include T piece handles allow it to be used as a pair of standard canoe paddle. While not as efficient as the asymetric paddles the adaptability means that we now tend to use the kayak as a canoe ( more upright position) this is much more comfortable for us and has allowed us to cover much more ground without getting sore muscles.

Gloves: The thickness of the walls of an inflatable are considerably thicker than thse of a rigid kayak. For me this has meant an uncomfortable paddling action which caused me to get severe blisters on my hands. For next season I have ordered kayak specific neoprene gloves to overcome this.

Buoyancty aids: Of course! Lots of manufactureres sell all black ones.

Exposure protection: It is very exposed even on inland rivers. you need to have hats sun glasses and sun block in summer months. Also waterproofs and wet suits are a good idea as the weather gets colder. We also wear wind-surfer style neoprene shoes that have proven to be a good choice.

The Kayak itself: If I was to have the money to invest all over again I'd get a high pressure GUMOTEX inflatable. These things are not pretty, but are bullet proof construction, extremely durable against abrasion, very efficient in the water, and come in suitably low profile colours (green and black)

[Scythe13]

Nice one. Cheers Lightspeed.

[00111001]

I've been looking at these again, especially the gumotex ones. They look to be the best inflatable, by far. They're pretty pricey though. Then I found myself on ebay, and you can pick up a 15' fiberglass fishing / day boat, that provides shelter etc for under a grand. Sometimes including trailer & outboard motor for about £650. Be nice to have a powered option for those quick getaways! I presume that you could paddle / push the thing along with a long pole too if necessary?

Now if I had a trailer I'd actually be able to keep the thing somewhere. The problem I have would be securing at normal kayak / canoe cause they're pretty easy to pick up an bugger off with.

So, going to get a tow-bar stuck on my little HRV, then invest in a boat! When I move I'll just have to find somewhere to stick it, if I don't have a driveway - probably a self storage place.

[Scythe13]

(26 January 2012, 16:27)00111001 Wrote: When I move I'll just have to find somewhere to stick it, if I don't have a driveway - probably a self storage place.

Go chat to a farmer. Loads of them will be cheaper than a self-storage place. A couple of quid a week and they'll let you use a part of their barn. My old neighbour used to keep her yacht in a farmers barn from mid autumn to mid spring. It wasn't a tiny 1 man yacht. It was like 12 feet long. That's like 2-3 people.

[00111001]

(26 January 2012, 16:34)Scythe13 Wrote:

(26 January 2012, 16:27)00111001 Wrote: When I move I'll just have to find somewhere to stick it, if I don't have a driveway - probably a self storage place.

Go chat to a farmer. Loads of them will be cheaper than a self-storage place. A couple of quid a week and they'll let you use a part of their barn. My old neighbour used to keep her yacht in a farmers barn from mid autumn to mid spring. It wasn't a tiny 1 man yacht. It was like 12 feet long. That's like 2-3 people.

Good idea. Was worried that if the farmer gets robbed (lots round here have red diesel) then that could vanish too - but then I realised I'm being a fucktard - I can just stick a wheel clamp on the trailer!

[Scythe13]

(26 January 2012, 16:37)00111001 Wrote: Was worried that if the farmer gets robbed (lots round here have red diesel) then that could vanish too - but then I realised I'm being a fucktard - I can just stick a wheel clamp on the trailer!

Someone would rob a farmers? Do farmers around Basingstoke not have guns? Around here, the last person you would mess with is a farmer! If you mess with him, you mess with his sister (usually his wife is his sister), and the rest of the family, that makes up about 30% of a nearby village. You'd be asking for trouble stealing from a farmer.

[00111001]

(26 January 2012, 16:40)Scythe13 Wrote:

(26 January 2012, 16:37)00111001 Wrote: Was worried that if the farmer gets robbed (lots round here have red diesel) then that could vanish too - but then I realised I'm being a fucktard - I can just stick a wheel clamp on the trailer!

Someone would rob a farmers? Do farmers around Basingstoke not have guns? Around here, the last person you would mess with is a farmer! If you mess with him, you mess with his sister (usually his wife is his sister), and the rest of the family, that makes up about 30% of a nearby village. You'd be asking for trouble stealing from a farmer.

Aye, loads of 'em get robbed. Not house robbery, but farm stuff, quads fue etc. Farmers have shotguns, so do pikeys. They're aways having shit pinched - normally by organised gangs.

[Scythe13]

(26 January 2012, 18:04)00111001 Wrote: Aye, loads of 'em get robbed. Not house robbery, but farm stuff, quads fue etc. Farmers have shotguns, so do pikeys. They're aways having shit pinched - normally by organised gangs.

Wow, Basingstoke has really changed since I moved in 2000.

[Lightspeed]

Going for a powered boat is a completely different option.

I've got the Kayak because its human powered and not reliant on petrol / deisel supplies which will dry up rather quickly.

Boats, even small ones consume fairly huge amounts of fuel.

Fuel shortage will be a big problem after an event. After a few weeks I expect any one moving by mororised transport is going to draw a good deal of attention.

If I could store a solid hulled boat, I think it would have sails and be light enough to manhandle easily.

[Scythe13]

You could always attach the trailor for a small yacht to a t-section tow rig, and cycle it around, providing there was 2 of you.

But I'd rather not have that option.