Inflatable Kayak Blog

By Sonija Gierman

With Earth Month upon us, it is very important that we, as kayakers, take time to raise awareness about our impact on the environment. We need to do this not just as individuals, or kayakers, but as a society, united together. After all, Mother Earth is not just our playground; she is our home as well. Another way that we can honor her is to make wiser choices in the companies that we choose to do business with. We can do this by looking for companies who feel the same way about the environment as we do; something to be preserved and enjoyed by all.

There are two companies that come to mind when I think about Earth Month. They both are constantly striving to think outside the box in regards to our “big blue marble”. The first is a company in Germany  named Torqeedo. They manufacture light weight rechargeable electric outboard motors which are designed with the environmentally conscious angler in mind. The second is also out of Germany going by the name, PowerFilm Inc.. They are proud to be the manufacturer of one of the only “marine tested” solar panels.

Torqueedo’s motors already provide the groundwork for greener motoring on the water, but they have now taken it a step further, teaming up with PowerFilm Inc. They have added a solar array that can be used to recharge the motor’s battery practically anywhere, at anytime. It’s light-weight and portable and gives you 45 watts of charging power in a 25” by 30” rollable solar panel. I love how simple this motor is to use. You simply unroll it, plug it in and connect it to your motor. The connecters are waterproof so it is safe to use no matter where you are. Since no electricity is being used you are leaving no impact on the Earth in any way.

Another great feature of the Torqeedo is that this motor can be mounted to any kayak. In fact, it can be used with an inflatable kayak, the Sea Eagle 385ft Fast Track (as shown in the picture). In the past, using a motor with a kayak, especially an inflatable kayak was not easy and sometimes impossible.

As of now, the Torqeedo motor is on the pricey side due to the fact that it is incredibly light weight and portable. Since this is a fairly new type of motor, I am sure that we will see the price go down as technology progresses. My family and I love the fact that that it offers the opportunity to upgrade to motorization without doing harm to our beautiful planet.