Inflatable Kayak Blog

I know what you’re thinking … “Sharp Fish Hooks” plus “Inflatable … anything” equals “Deflation”! Not so with the quality of kayaks you’ll find on the market today. They’re a far cry from the older ‘pool toy’ versions of the past. Newer inflatable kayaks can stand up to the claw end of a hammer or the sharp toenails of man’s best friend. Needless to say, they’ll also survive even a fishing hook. They’re affordable, too. I’ve seen complete packages as low as $199 for a kayak, pump and paddles. The prime benefit is portability. An inflatable kayak will fit into a car trunk, with room to spare. No need to pull a boat trailer or use a car top rack.

Another advantage that fishing with an inflatable kayak offers is the ability to go into deep weeds or into shallow water that you might not be able to do, even with a small bass boat. Of course, the paddling instead of motoring might give you a little more exercise, but, hey, couldn’t we all use a little more of that anyway? Next time you’re shopping for a fishing boat, check out an inflatable kayak. It’s definitely an option worth looking into.

For those of us who don’t live in the sun belt, there’s a time of year when kayaking is not an option because of the weather conditions. We call it the “off season”. A customer, who lives in Michigan, recently purchased a PakBoat folding kayak hoping he might have time to get out on the water only to fall victim to an early rush of winter. He asked what to do about the new boat he received and I suggested that he should try to assemble it indoors just to see if all the parts are there and they fit together correctly. A quick inspection of the surface will also turn up any defects. That’s a good idea no matter what type of product you purchase in the “off season” or the “on season”. It’s always disappointing to get your inflatable or folding kayak or portable fishing craft (i.e pontoon or float tube) out to the water and find that you’re missing a small part like a valve cover or wing nut that might keep you out of the water. Check it out ahead of time. Also, especially in the case of a folding kayak or inflatable pontoon, it’s a good idea to practice the assembly so you know what to do when you’re ready to hit the water.

The “off season” is often a good time to buy a kayak because of manufacturer’s discounts, clearance pricing and holiday gift specials. But remember to check out your purchase before you use it. Most of the time everything fits together and all the parts are there. But, if not, you’ll be happy you inspected your purchase instead of standing on the shore wishing you had.

Often, in the process of shopping, there comes a time when I like to jot down the specs of the items I’ve been looking at so I can review them side by side. That way I can make a more educated decision when I finally make my purchase.

If you are shopping for any type of portable watercraft, most of that work is done for you at PortableKayaks.com. We’ve listed all our boats … inflatable kayaks, folding kayaks, inflatable fishing boats, pontoons and float tubes on our Product Comparison page. They are broken down into separate categories and all of the pertinent specs are listed in easy to follow charts. You’ll find the width, length, carrying weight, weight capacity, material specifications, assembly time and other important specs that you can use to make your decision. And every model number is linked to it’s full product page for easy navigation. So if you’ve been searching for a portable fishing craft or folding or inflatable kayak review page, check out the Product Comparison Charts at PortableKayaks.com.

I recently found a YouTube video of an interview with Cecil Hoge, the man behind the Sea Eagle inflatable boat company. Steve Pennaz of the North American Fishing Club interviewed Cecil about the new Sea Eagle 285fpb frameless pontoon boat. They talked about the strength of the 1000 Denier material the pontoon is made of, the ease of setup and features like the hard floor that allows fishermen to stand up in the craft, unlike other framed pontoon boats. The Sea Eagle 285 fpb one-person frameless pontoon boat is a unique innovation in the evolution of one-person fishing craft. You can check out the sale prices on the 285fpb at PortableKayaks.com.

Occasionally I get a question about the ways to find leaks in an inflatable kayak, pontoon or float tube.

Probably the best way to find a small leak in any type of inflatable bladder is to mix up some dish soap and water and spray it on the bladder, watching closely for bubbles where the air is escaping. It sometimes takes awhile to notice where the problem is, but it does work. I read somewhere that adding some glycerin to the soap solution will give you better “bubble retention”. The writer used a formula of 1/3 cup of dish soap, 1 tablespoon of glycerin and 1 gallon of water.

Another method is to fill the bladder completely and get into a large swimming pool with it, forcing it under water while looking for leaks. Only problem with this method is finding a large swimming pool you can put your inflatable kayak, pontoon or float tube into. But if you do, this method should work fairly well, too.

One other place to look for leaks is around the valves. Be sure that the valves are completely tightened. Then spray some soapy water around the valves themselves. There could be a slow leak there.