Inflatable Kayak Blog

It’s been a long wait, but finally the PakBoats XT Touring Kayaks are available for purchase. The reason it took so long was mainly due to the extensive testing and design process they went through. Alv Elvestad, the designer and owner of PakBoats was striving for “a new class of folding kayaks” and we feel he’s accomplished that. The XT’s have several new innovations. They come with far more flotation built in than most other kayaks, and unlike almost all other kayaks, XTs have the flotation placed along the sides where it does most good. Typical flotation placement in kayaks is in the ends, which is helpful because it helps prevent the end from submerging. The stiff frame structure enables the XT’s to have longer efficient hulls with consistent rocker. The 15-ft solo and 16 ft double may seem short for this class of kayak, but with their steep stems, the XTs have waterline lengths of kayaks that are at least a foot longer! The new Pakboats cockpit is longer (36” compared to 29” in the older Puffins) to make it easier to get in and out of the kayak and it has built-in corners that grab the spray skirt so it is easy to get on. Over all, the boats are very fast and paddling performance is exceptional.