Hi, first post to the Sea Kayaker forum. My wife and I want to begin kayaking. We live in Brunwick, Ga and want to explore the tidal creeks and backwaters. No interest in open water. I have limited storage space. I was thinking an inflatable boat double would be easy to store and transport. However, I have some concerns about durablity and easy of handling on the water. Two single boats will not work. Wife will not paddle by herself. Any comments, advice, or other info anyone could provide would be great. Thanks in advance.

Inflatable, and folding kayak may be easy to store and transport but taking them down seems to be the hitch. It has been my observation that the owners of these kayaks seem to leave them inflated or assembled and not take them down more often then they have to.

For inflatable kayak info I would look up anything written by Audry Sutherland. She seems to be the queen of inflatable kayaks.

I agree with Osprey. The Brunswick area has serious tides, and wind is always a factor out on the salt marshes. Inflatables are hardly ever seen out on tidewater--too much windage, plus Osprey's other observation about the fact that the boats just don't get inflated/deflated in real life use. Audrey Sutherland is a champ, but she's basically out there alone in her inflatables. Better to consider a quality double folding kayak--Klepper or something similar. These are serious boats that have been all over the world. Or--get a beamy hardshell double and find someplace to store it.

My advice would be to find a kayak dealer that allows demos. I would strongly advise you to compare rigid kayaks to inflatables, or folders. You will find that good folders are so expensive that they aren't worth it unless you need such a kayak for special transportation reasons and inflatables aren't ever going to give you a true kayaking experience.

I have one inflatable that I have enjoyed, but it doesn't even come close to even my recreational rigid. One good paddle in a good sea kayak will spoil you forever for anything else--although I still do use my rec kayak for special places.

If you really get into kayaking, you are not going to be happy with anything short of the real thing, so it would be cheaper in the long run to shop around and find a great boat to start with. The same thing goes for paddles. Don't settle for a cheap immitation. A proper paddle doesn't have to cost an arm and a leg, but it is going to cost at least a half an arm. And by all means, either read about, or ask questions to a very experienced kayaker about paddling methods and strokes. Don't learn the hard way by overdoing it and causing shoulder, and othe injuries that will surely happen if you do it wrong.

Gunner, some more thoughts on your paddling area--Try to become as knowledgeable as you can on your local tides--their timing, levels, and current strength. I know from years of paddling NJ's relatively modest tidewater that, unless you get the tides right, you can be in for a miserable day on the water. And your tides are much stonger than ours. You don't want to spend hours grounded in the middle of some dried-out tidal channel, or spend any time either being swept along by powerful currents in a direction you don't want to go, or struggling against them. Your wife will never go paddling with you again! Good Luck!

Thanks for the responses. Sorry for taking so long to acknolwedge them. I will rethink getting an inflatable. I wondered how easy it was to deflate and I had some concerns about controlability. Any other thoughts are welcome.

Gunner, I think there's a fairly active kayaking scene in coastal Georgia. You might consider contacting a local club or kayak dealer, and taking a couple trips in a rented (or borrowed) folding or hardshell double, just to check out the whole idea. If you find that you both really like it, then you'd probably find the energy and enthusiasm to assemble/disassemble a folder (like a Klepper), if storage space is the big problem. Otherwise, there's the chance that whatever you buy will just sit there, unused, so best to try the whole thing out first.

It's possible that you may end up the paddler in the family, and not your wife (these things happen--happened to me) and you end up with a single. I started with a double, but my wife said that kayaking just wasn't for her, and that's been OK now for 25-plus years.

GaGunner,
The inflatables that I am familiar with are not hard to inflate, or deflate. Mine takes about 10 minutes to put together and a little less to have it rolled up. But, you had better not just roll the thing up and put it in the bag without letting it dry out thoroughly, or at least allow it to dry before you put it away.

Control: I haven't tried out that many inflatables, but for the most part, they are more comparable to a rubber raft than an actual kayak. There may be exceptions, but they are probably more expensive than a pretty decent rigid. And as I said before, a good folder is certainly more expensive than a decent rigid.

My thought is that once you try out and compare some kayaks, you will have no doubt about which type is the more satisfying and any problems you might have with transportation and storage can probably be worked out.

I guess the transportation thing could be more significant if you must have a tandem. Before making that decision, I would strongly suggest that you and your sweety do a lot of looking and thinking about how seriously you want to get into kayaking. I gaurantee you that your mind will change many times between now and your ultimate boat/boats.

If you do decide on a rigid boat, or boats, chances are you most likely will be looking at polyethylene. Poly boats can be very rugged and very nice boats, but be very careful to look them over for warps etc. Be especially mindful of the keel. It should be straight from stem to stern and don't confuse straight with flat. Most kayaks have at least some rocker. If you do end up with a poly boat, never store it outdoors in the sun. It's all right to store it outside, but it must be in the shade, or under a shelter. And it should be stored on its edge rather than upside down, or on the keel.

If cost is an issue--and it usually is--there are a huge number of used boats out there that can be picked up for a very reasonable price. In any case, don't get in a big hurry and do learn as much about construction materials, kayak types and brands as you can and don't forget about paddles.

Hey there. I have a Sevylor Sport SK200DS (Not the River version but the newer version). I am all in all pretty happy with it.
I am going to post a longer message about it.. Like a review so check the forum and read that post.
Best wishes.
Andrew

All inflatables are for beginners :-) Man up and get a hard shell :-P

PS> and leave the lazy timid wife at home !!

Wow.. what's with the elitist attitude about inflatable kayaks?

To fight the elitist attitude against inflatables, Mike Rust and I have entered six San Juan Challenge races in an Innova Helios double inflatable kayak. In its first year the race was a 40-mile, 2 day event, from Anacortes WA to Orcas Island and back. On the second day the wind was forecast to be strong, and in fact the NWS reported 25-29 knots with gusts to 45 knots. Eleven of the 41 kayaks stayed on the beach. We started the race in the only inflatable--the rest were rigid boats.

Four kayaks dropped out and were picked up by chase boats. Nine conventional rigid sea kayaks capsized and were unable to self-rescue in the rough conditions and had to be picked up by chase boats.

We did not come close to capsizing, and finished in the middle of the small pack that actually completed the race, averaging 3 knots and winning the predicted log section. The overall winner, far ahead, was Olympic Champion Greg Barton.

Inflatable kayaks vary widely in capability, just like other construction methods. The best ones offer portability, safety, comfort, durability, and yes--performance.

Exellent and interesting post, Tim_R. I assume that NYCMitch was trying to make a joke, but if GAGunner is a new paddler he could be discouraged from asking for any further advice from this group. I now own all types of kayaks; inflatable, folding, poly and carbon fiber. Each has its advantages and disadvantages, but I got my start in an inflatable that I still have and that is my prefered boat for rough, whitewater rivers. None of my other boats is a utterly reliable and bombproof under those conditions.

I suggest that GAGunner look into folding double kayaks such as Folbot, Feathercraft, Klepper, etc. They tend to be more effcient on flatwater than inflatables.

Mike, I think you're being a little harsh in discouraging Gunner from seeking further advice from "this group". I think, in general, he has gotten good advice for his specific situation (leaving Mitch's "advice" aside). We haven't all agreed on everything, but there is a majority consensus that he explore folding doubles first--and my own advice that, before they get a boat, he & his wife learn/experience more about kayaking in general in the Georgia coastal tidal marshes by hooking up with local paddlers--is very good advice indeed. Look before you leap.

Hey Canvas,
I just got an inflatable with the clear see thru floor for 2. I travel to Grand Cayman for vacations and with the clear water and near shore reefs, I look forward to giving it a try there. I guess first, I will have to try it out here in Hollywood, FL along the reefs off of Dania and see how it paddles.

I read your long review and sounds like I will enjoy it...maybe I'll see you out there. I kayak solo also, so if you would like to join me for a test run, let me know.
Rita