Inflatable Kayak Blog

This is the time of year when I often look past the Holidays toward the annual boat shows that usually occur when cabin fever is setting in. We journey out into the cold winter weather to look at all the neat new outdoor gear and those beautiful new fishing boats. Even though gas prices have gone back down (for awhile anyway), the current economic climate could still prohibit you from purchasing that new boat. One alternative to think about is the Sea Eagle inflatable boat with motor mount.

The reason I bring this up in advance of the boat shows is that Sea Eagle has discounted these boats to their lowest prices ever. They’re currently priced under $500 at most Sea Eagle retailers through the end of the year. These hardy, portable watercraft are a smaller version of the big expensive Zodiac style boats. They only weigh up to 56 pounds and they carry up to 1200 pounds. There are two versions, the SE-8 and SE-9 and both are easy to store and easy to transport. I know they won’t sit in your driveway and make your neighbors envious, but you and your friends can still catch some fish in them. And maybe not taking any up any driveway space isn’t so bad after all!

You might think that it’s a long and tedious process to pump up an inflatable kayak, pontoon or float tube every time you go out, but it’s really not that difficult or time consuming. People often say that’s why they wouldn’t own an inflatable boat, but when you compare the time it takes to strap the boat on top of a car or truck or deal with a trailer, spending 8 to 10 minutes inflating your kayak is minimal effort. The high-pressure bellows style pumps that come with most inflatable kayaks can really blow some air with very little foot pressure.

There are also electric inflatable boat pumps that can be hooked to vehicle batteries or plugged into cigarette lighter outlets that can speed the process up. They won’t do the whole job though. Electric pumps normally don’t inflate your boat completely. You’ll need to ‘top it off’ with your foot or hand pump.

We arrived in Salt Lake City a few days in advance of the beginning of the 2008 Outdoor Retailer Show, so we were able to take in some of the sights and sounds of the area. On Tuesday, we drove up to the Kennecott Copper Mine at Bingham Canyon, the largest man-made excavation on earth. It’s more than three quarters of a mile deep and two and three quarters of a mile long. Seventeen per cent of the copper mined in the U.S. comes from the mine, which is known as the “richest hole on earth”. It’s quite a sight and worth the visit if you’re near Salt Lake City.

Even though the skies were cloudy and there were some occasional sprinkles, we decided to make a slight detour on our way back and head up to Silver Lake in the Big Cottonwood Canyon. The lake is in a bog like area that’s known for a variety of wildlife, including moose. We’re still searching for our first moose sighting! We took the path around the small lake, which takes about a half hour. It took us twice as long due to our propensity for taking pictures. There were several people fishing for trout, the main species found in the lake, from the shore and two dock areas. We also saw a fisherman with fly rod in hand sitting in a float tube. Later we saw a couple paddle into view in an inflatable boat. Kind of unique to see two of the products we sell in action in a small out of the way lake. We asked one fisherman about his luck and he said that today wasn’t too good, but the other day a friend caught about 30 trout, some up to 2 pounds.

More sprinkles and some cooler temperatures gave us a reason to head back to the car and back to our resort. The open-air demo is our next stop on Wednesday as the Outdoor Retailer Show begins.

In two previous articles, I wrote about handling and transporting and proper inflation of your inflatable kayak (boat, catamaran, pontoon or float tube). The final step to keeping your inflatable boat in good shape is proper storage.

There’s more to storing your boat than just rolling it up after you use it. If you roll up the boat as soon as the trip is over and don’t do anything else to it until your next trip, you’re asking for trouble. If that next trip is several months away, the moisture that’s trapped inside can cause mold, mildew, and aggravation. The best way to counter that aggravation is to make sure your boat gets completely dried after each trip. Especially if you store your boat ‘long term’ outdoors in a shed where thawing and freezing can cause cracks to develop where the moisture has gathered. Moisture accumulates on the inside of your inflatable kayak tubes. It can get in through an open valve or through condensation on the inside of the tubes. This “inside tube” moisture is mainly a problem when you’re storing your boat deflated and rolled up for a long period of time. If there’s lots of moisture, use a wet-dry vacuum to suck it out. If there’s only a little moisture, leave your boat partially inflated for a few days in a low humidity area for a few days to dry out. Leave the valve caps off. Then roll it up and store it.

Storing your boat for a couple days to 3 weeks is less of a ‘project’. You can leave the boat about one-half inflated in your basement, garage or shed. Keep it away from direct sunlight and anywhere that water can get inside of it. This is a much easier method of storage and if you have the space to store the boat this way ‘long term’, it’s a sure way to keep it dry till your next use.

In an earlier post, I wrote about handling and transporting your inflatable kayak (boat, catamaran, pontoon or float tube) carefully. There are two other very important actions that will help you keep your boat in top-notch condition … proper inflation and proper storage.

Proper inflation is a critical element for inflatable kayak care and performance. Problems are more common with boats made of cheaper material or those that don’t use inner air bladders, but even the highest quality inflatable can ‘pop’ like a balloon. If you over inflate, you can ‘pop’ your inflatable kayak. Another recipe for ’popping’ is to leave your fully inflated boat baking too long in the sun. That happens because hot air expands. Likewise, since cold air contracts, an under inflated boat can become loose or floppy if put into a cold body of water. Using the correct pump to inflate your kayak or boat is crucial. A quality foot pump or hand pump works well. Electric pumps (usually 12-volt) can be a mismatch, so make sure that the pump specs fit the boat requirements. Also, electric pumps normally don’t inflate your boat completely. You’ll need to top it off with your foot or hand pump.

Next time, the “Tipster” will be back with some hints for proper storage of your inflatable.

Like anything else you own, taking good care of your inflatable kayak (boat, catamaran, pontoon or float tube) will result in many extra years of service. The process is easy. It begins with being careful when you handle the craft. Very little damage happens when you’re on the water. On land, it’s a different story. Gouging and scraping the surface of your boat can occur when loading or unloading the craft or transporting it from one spot to another. Be careful lifting your boat, making sure it’s not near anything sharp. When moving the boat on land, if at all possible, don’t drag it on the ground. Keep aware of these potential hazards and you’ll save the use of your repair kit while extending the life of your inflatable.

Improper storage and improper inflation are other ways you can damage your inflatable kayak (or other craft). The “Tipster” will return with another post soon to address those issues.