Inflatable kayaks
 

I live near a very quiet river. It does have more than one portage and my canoe is just too heavy for me to handle alone. Has anyone used an inflatable 'yak? Can you make a recommendation on a brand?

This will be flat water all the way, just quiet floating.

Go for a lighter canoe. I recall some time ago that there were plenty of options in canoe construction.

Inner-tube?

Sea Eagle has a very good rep. They have a wide range of boats and prices.

Having spend a great deal of time in rafts and kayaks, make sure you try it first...fit and comfort are very important.

Also, don't limit yourself to just flat water. Some of the Sea Eagle's are excellent for Bay and large lake paddling where flat water can turn rough. Look at the two man's as well...plenty of room for fishing/other gear if you are solo.

Enjoy!

Edit: With inflatables, be very careful buying used. It is hard to spot seam rot, lamination issues, etc. Proper storage is much more important that use: "Used twice in three years" means nothing if the boat was improperly stored.

Paddles are also very important in terms of weight, paddle shape and fit.

Inflatable Boats, Inflatable Kayaks and Inflatable Boat Accessories from SeaEagle.com

they suck (the pump blows)

a Klepper is the next step up

a 'real' kayak is way better than either

agree with getting a light wt. canoe (or rigid kayak)

I'll try to remember to check the brand we have, flatbutt. We bought it at West Marine. Since we live in a downtown condo, we couldn't manage to handle a regular kayak. The inflatable kayak easily fits in our Jetta's trunk, and we use a DC-powered compressor connected to our car's battery to inflate it. It works reasonably well on the Potomac, but it doesn't track straight as well as I'd like.

A friend has one of these, Sevylor Rio. Great little kayak for a good price, Cabela's has them too.
Amazon.com: Sevylor Inflatable Rio Hunting and Fishing Canoe, 1-Person: Sports & Outdoors

you may have already discarded the idea..
don't they make some sort of dolly for this..
I have seen pics of the thing..
makes it pretty easy for one person..
to push a canoe around..

Rika

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1376078250.jpg

found some DIY build plans also..

thanks guys some good suggestions. I'm going to Cabelas this w/e and I'll keep you posted.

My kayak is a 15' tandem that West Marine sold under its own label.

Maybe I'll just peruse the banner at the top of the page.

I'm on my second canoe, but this Hobie pro angler Kayak will probably be my third.

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I've got a an advanced elements convertible kayak, the second one here inflatable kayak reviews I recommend it because it is much more sturdy then many of the other inflatables. It has built in support which makes it perform almost as well as a normal kayak. Plus, it can fold up and deflate which makes it east to transport. I would stay away from the super cheap ones because they puncture easier and because they can be a huge pain to maneuver sometimes.

Anyways, that's just my opinion, got any updates? have you made a decision yet?