Inflatable Kayak Blog

Advanced Elements was yet another inflatable kayak manufacturer that was represented at the Outdoor Retail Show in Salt Lake City earlier this month. Although they did not have a booth at the Open Air Demo day (They only do that in alternate years), Advanced Elements featured nearly all of their inflatable kayaks at their large booth in the Salt Palace.

It was my first opportunity to put my hands on their products. My first impression was how sturdy they looked and felt. I know that when I discuss “inflatable kayaks” with people who haven’t been aware of the concept previously, they automatically think “pool toys” and punctures. It’s evident that Advanced Elements and the other manufacturers have gone way beyond addressing that issue. Most of the AE line is made with heavy duty PVC bladders or “chambers” that fit inside a 600 Denier polyester cover. This covered bladder concept offers extra durability and a more secure feeling for many customers.

Another advancement that’s being used by AE is adding aluminum framing to their kayaks to improve their tracking. Their line of “Straitedge” kayaks have built-in aluminum ribs that define the bow and stern and improve tracking. Their AirFusion inflatable kayak has an aluminum frame that spans the length of the boat. The AirFusion actually reminds me more of a folding kayak in many ways. You could probably call the Advanced Elements AirFusion a true hybrid between an inflatable and a folding kayak.

Of course, with stand up paddling being the ‘buzz’ at ORS 2011, I have to mention that Advanced Elements does have an inflatable stand up paddle board. It’s called the Hula. It’s 11 feet long and weighs just 23 pounds. Advanced Elements also has an SUP paddle and in 2012, they will be adding two new adjustable stand up paddles to their line. One of the models, to be called the “Switchit”, will come with two blades, a wide surface power blade and a narrow high cadence blade. Both SUP paddles were on display and they look like nice additions to the AE SUP line for 2012.

Check out PortableKayaks.com to see the full line of Advanced Elements inflatable kayaks.

Innova inflatable kayaks were on display at both the Open Air Demo Day at Jordanelle State Park and at their booth in the Salt Palace at the recent Outdoor Retail Show in Salt Lake City.

The big news was the debut of their new “Swing” inflatable kayak. The Innova Swing will available in the spring of 2012. What’s unique about the Swing is that it features a deck, which is unusual for most inflatable kayaks. And, even though it’s not the first inflatable kayak with a deck, the Swing is designed without a heavy bladder cover, making the kayak easier to dry and much lighter. The solo version is 22 pounds and the tandem version is only 26 pounds.

The Swing is made from Innova’s Lite Pack single coated rubber material and the deck is made from Urethane. This combination of materials makes for a very durable kayak that’s also lighter than most other comparably sized inflatable kayaks.

When Tim Rosenhan, the designer of the Innova line, first test paddled the Swing, he said he was pleasantly surprised at how well the kayak tracked right away. Only minor adjustments may need to be made before the kayak is mass produced. He was also happy to see how well the small amount of metal bracing that holds up the deck worked and how it adds to the stiffness of the kayak.

Tim is also proud that Innova uses PVC free fabrics, environmentally-kind natural rubber like Lite Pack and Nitrylon to construct their inflatable kayaks.

Also on display at ORS were the rest of the Innova inflatable kayak line, the award winning Helios, the Safari, their most popular kayak, the Sunny and the new models that were introduced for 2011, the Twist and Double Twist.

Cecil Hoge, the man behind the Sea Eagle brand of inflatable kayaks, inflatable boats and inflatable fishing pontoons has been attending the Outdoor Retail Show for many years. That’s understandable since Sea Eagle has been manufacturing inflatable crafts for over 40 years, since 1968.

I had a chance to talk with him and his son John about the company and his philosophy behind the development of the Sea Eagle line of products. Cecil mentioned how his goal was to be the best at what they do and it’s evident in their efforts to continually improve all aspects of the business from the communication with dealers to the product line, itself. In the 5 years we have sold Sea Eagle boats at PortableKayaks.com, I’ve noticed the effort.

In those past 5 years, Sea Eagle has expanded their product line in response to the needs of their customers.

* They have added the 370 to their lower end priced (under $350) kayaks to give customers a choice of sizes. The 370 is slightly larger than the 330 providing more leg room and weight capacity.

* The 285fpb Frameless Pontoon Boat answered the call for a  fishing pontoon that doesn’t require hard to assemble metal framing, while making it easy for only one person to use alone.

* As the popularity of stand up paddle boards progressed, Sea Eagle’s LongBoard 11 became one of the first inflatable versions on the market. The LongBoard may be the only SUP that offers a sit down option that can be paddled with a kayak paddle for those less adventurous flat water “surfers”.

* When Sea Eagle noticed how the drop stitch inflation technology made the SUPs hard enough to stand on, they added drop stitch floors to their new Fast Track kayaks and replaced the floors on their older Explorer Kayaks, resulting in improved tracking, something inflatable kayak manufacturers are always striving for. The Fast Track series also introduced a hard keel to further stiffen the kayak for better tracking. These two innovations alone have raised the bar for inflatable kayak design and development.

* And just a couple weeks ago, Sea Eagle debuted a fishing rig that allows paddlers to add swivel seats to the Fast Track kayaks and turn them into fishing kayaks.

What’s next? One of the first things John showed me at the Open Air Demo was the solar panel that was rigged to a 385ft Fast Track kayak with a prototype mounting bracket for a Torqeedo electric motor. Endless possibilities … and “green”, too.

There have been other developments as well, but these are some of the highlights. I can only wonder what the next 5 years will bring as Sea Eagle continues to design and develop inflatable crafts with the user clearly in mind.

We recently attended the Outdoor Retail Show in Salt Lake City (August, 2011). The show opens with an “open air demo day” where attendees can actually try out products on the water.

This year the Open Air Demo was held at Jordanelle State Park near Park City Utah, which is about 30 miles from Salt Lake City. The day started out beautiful with bright sunny skies and warm, not too hot, temperatures.

We always like to check out the various booths first. In addition to a huge variety of paddle sports companies that were there to demo their kayaks, stand up paddle boards and other crafts, there are also several related participants from clothing and material manufacturers to sunglasses to gps units and makers of energy drinks and trail bars. Free samples are common for many of the booths as they are encouraging retailers to carry their products in their stores. We picked up a few hats and t-shirts and grazed on the trail mixes and bars that were offered.

About noon we decided to do some paddling. My first experience was something I had wanted to try since our previous visit to the Outdoor Show three years ago, stand up paddleboards. It looks easier than it is, at least for me. I guess my balance was a little compromised because I was still recovering from some inflammation on my right knee. I was afraid to make any sudden movements and didn’t adjust very quickly to a wind gust. That resulted in a fall backwards into the water. Luckily my wife wasn’t fast enough to get the picture to embarrass me for life. I decided not to pursue the SUP again because I’d still be worried about my knee.

Our next stop was the Sea Eagle booth where they had a variety of crafts, including the LongBoard 11 SUP (I passed on that one), a PaddleSki, rigged with a sail and their very popular 385ft Fast Track inflatable kayak. Actually I passed on the PaddleSki, too since the wind was kicking up quite a bit more. My wife and I each paddled the Fast Track solo, then got in and paddled it as a tandem. Both of us felt that the 12 and a half foot kayak was easier to handle as a tandem. That may be because we’re so used to our 11 foot Sea Eagle 330 or because we’re so used to paddling tandem, which we do 95% of the time we paddle.

We really did like the extra room in the Fast Track and the hard, drop stitch floor made the 385ft feel very much like a hard shell. I can understand why the kayak has become so popular in such a short time. It’s a solid technological advance for inflatable kayaks.

That wind gust that tossed me off the SUP earlier was a precursor of more to come. After a few hours of really nice weather through noon, some storms began blowing into the area and, in some cases, the winds blew hard enough that some participants had to re-anchor or even take down their booths. The good thing was we never got any rain or thunder or lightning, but the wind gusted throughout most of the rest of the day. Only a few accomplished paddlers and other brave (?) souls attempted to paddle anything the rest of the day.

We had planned on paddling some of the Innova kayaks, including the new Innova Twist and Double Twist, which are two of the lightest inflatable kayaks on the market. Innova also was debuting their Swing kayak, which will be available in solo and tandem versions in Spring of 2012. The Innova Swing is a new design that features a deck. It’s an inflatable that looks like a hard shell. As I said, we planned on paddling them, but the windy conditions cancelled those plans.

It was a fun day, though. Getting up close and personal with all the products and innovations is a great experience. And that was just the first day of ORS 2011.

By Sabrina Marx

Yes my friends, I’m back with yet another summary review for an interesting inflatable kayak called the Innova Sunny. With summer well under way, I can imagine you are thinking about that next long holiday weekend kayaking trip. Looking for a new inflatable kayak that will go the distance? From what I have read about the Innova Sunny, it may be just the ticket.

The Sunny is the most popular of the inflatable kayaks offered by Innova. This boat is designed for two paddlers, but can easily be converted for someone paddling solo.

Of the reviews I read, consumers seemed to prefer this kayak for Class 1 rivers or flat water areas. Since the Innova Sunny has a load capacity of 396 pounds, it’s perfect for a short camping trip. A few reviewers stated the Innova Sunny performed well during day trips when they wanted to take in some sites or get in some fishing time. Below you will find my compilation list of consumer reviews for the Innova Sunny, both the good and the bad.

Innova Sunny Inflatable Kayak “Plus List”:
Light weight (29lbs)
Weight capacity of 396 lbs
Easy to lift
Easy to get in and out of
Quick on the water
Durable and stable
Maneuvers very well
Has a great deal of storage room
High back seats

Innova Sunny Inflatable Kayak “Minus” List:
Needs tracking fin to make paddling easier
Only good for class 1 rivers

Inflatable Kayak Review Summary:
The Innova Sunny was reported by many to be light weight, very comfortable and fast on the water. While it is best suited for flatwater and Class 1 rivers, consumers raved about it being one of the best inflatable boats they’d owned. Ideal for day trips as well as camping trips, the flexibility of the Innova Sunny allows consumers to get the most out of their kayaking trip.

This popular inflatable boat works well for either one or two paddlers, while still leaving plenty of storage room for gear. Many reviewers commented that the seats had high backs and made their trip on the water more comfortable.

Reviews for the Innova Sunny inflatable kayak were mainly positive, with little to no complaints. I’d say that seems to place the Innova Sunny as truly one of the best inflatable kayaks on the market today.

That’s about all your roving inflatable kayak reviewer has to say about this week’s compilation review. Until next time, my friends … keep your paddle in the water and your butt in the boat!