Inflatable Kayak Blog

In the spirit of the upcoming lover’s holiday known as Valentine’s Day, I’ve been thinking about how much I enjoy kayaking with my wife in our two person (also called tandem) inflatable kayak. Except for the times when we get off ‘rhythm’ and our paddles hit together or when one of us is trying to veer right and the other is trying to veer left, it’s always a positive experience.

The best part of paddling together in one kayak is being able to talk in a normal voice and communicate where we want to go next without having to paddle an individual/solo kayak near enough so as not to have to yell. It’s also great being able to point out the things each of us notice, sharing and experiencing the natural wonders. As we all know, sometimes those memorable glimpses of wildlife can last only a few seconds.

Speaking of nature, my wife is a photo “nut” and I’m sure she likes being able to have me steer us into position while she concentrates on framing the perfect shot of a Blue Heron perched on a log or a scenic reflection of our surroundings  in a cool clear lake.

Paddling a tandem kayak is also great when we use our WindPaddle portable sail. Even though the WindPaddle can easily be used by one person while paddling, we prefer to have her operate the sail while I use the paddle as a rudder and make course corrections.

As tandem kayaks go, we probably would like a little more leg room, since our Sea Eagle 330 inflatable kayak is only 11 feet long and I have to cross my legs a bit while paddling. Maybe someday we’ll upgrade to a roomier kayak. There’s several on the market up to 16 feet long, but for now we’re quite satisfied with the one we have.

If you haven’t tried a tandem, you should give it a shot sometime. Every time we go out for a paddle in our tandem kayak we always have a great time. And though I can’t speak for my wife on this, somehow the experience makes the bond between us stronger.