# Inflatable kayaks???



## Shuggy22 (Sep 14, 2012)

Hi all

Going on a holiday to the northern rivers of nsw and was thinking about karting the 
Bushranger canoe up there but I currently carry it on the roof of my mazda 6 and the 
extra gear (paddles anchor etc) take up alot of car space. its just me and the missus

was wondering what inflatable yaks do ppl have and are they very durable and 
worth the money????? (single and/ or two man)

any repsonses would be muchly appreciated

Thanks

Hugh


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## Ado (Mar 31, 2008)

A few people use the Hibie inflatables (I think Kraley has one). There's some crazy dudes that catch sailfish out of them :shock: . Not cheap though.


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## Nbh00d (Feb 12, 2012)

I had a Hobie i9 before and I would say the Hobie Inflatable series are pretty awesome. However, don't buy them brand new as they don't hold their values. On the other hand, 2nd hand are hard to come by. Speaking of that I saw a Hobie i9 with sail for sale in Sydney $1500 on gumtree.


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## honb (Mar 8, 2011)

Have you checked out the Advanced Elements range? I've got the Advanced Frame Convertible and absolutely love it. It packs down to a size that fits easily into a boot of a car and weighs 25kg. Granted I haven't taken it out in particularly bad conditions but it was ok in 15 knot winds and was easy to fish out of as well. Unfortunately I don't have any photos of it at the moment but if you do a You Tube search you can check out some great models rigged for fishing. I got the full set up for $1500 which included p & h. Hope that helps.


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## mikeaus (Oct 29, 2012)

I have been looking for an inflatable fishing kayak also. This one seems well equipped and is made for fishing, if it helps Google Bic Yakkair HP 2 Inflatable Tandem Fishing kayak


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## Stevebaby (Oct 23, 2012)

I also have an Advanced Elements Convertible...http://www.advancedelements.com/advance ... tible.html
It performs well, very stable, sets up in around 15 minutes and can carry 550lbs.
The Bic looks very similar to the AE but looks to be lighter. The initial cost is a bit higher but with the Bic you get a high pressure floor as standard (extra in the AE) so I'd be checking what accessories and features you want before buying. the Bic also has a wheeled bag which is also an extra for a folding hand trolley. I broke my folding trolley the second time I used it. It was the same model that AE sell for $100 + freight (although I didn't pay that) and the replacement cost me $70.
I like my boat, very much but if they were the same price as the Bic the Bic would win for me.
AE also have the Straitedge which is lighter than mine but is also much shorter. The Straightedge is built for fishing I think.
I'll be out at Rose Bay tomorrow!


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## rodbender (Nov 12, 2009)

Hi Shuggy22 if your looking for a inflatable kayaks have a look at mine its in the diy general page 6 under the heading of my inflatable kayak canoe its a island i
inflatable from Sydney u can all so find them on ebay. It may not be what u are looking for but have a look.hope this helps.
cheers rodbender.


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## john316 (Jan 15, 2009)

saw a couple who started their kayaking career and looked to have ended it on the same day... they turned up at Durras with an inflatable yak that took forever to set up, went for a paddle and only just got back to the ramp before it bent in half, probably not enough air, and it then took an age to dissemble to its many parts. from what I saw all I can say is if you want to go inflatable spend the money and get a good one. for those watching on the durras situation was funny but for the couple who spent their money on what they had hoped to be a great adventure it would have felt like crap...

cheers

John


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## Berger (Aug 13, 2012)

They're as good as the care you give them.


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## Stevebaby (Oct 23, 2012)

Some inflatable pics...




...and this is the 15 footer packed away after a pleasant 4 hours paddling ion the Harbour. 

The bag contains the boat and paddle, seat, backbone sprayskirt and pump. I can carry a pfd in a 30 litre bacpack along with personal supplies and still have room for a telescopic rod and tackle box, and the boat bag (with careful packing) still has enough room to fit a work deck made from plastic pipe, designed to be collapsible.
The unfortunate new yakkers whose boat collapsed in the middle must have forgotten the science they learned in school...air expands when it's heated and contracts when it's cooled, like when it goes in the water! A top up after the air has contracted may have solved their problems.
It was a pleasant day on the water yesterday. I launched at Rose Bay and paddled out to Shark Island then on to Taylor's Bay and back to Rose Bay via Balmoral and Watsons Bay. It was a bit gusty but the boat handled well and never gave me a moments concern.
If anyone is thinking of getting an inflatable my advice would be to do the research and get a good one suited for its intended purpose. Cheap ones are mostly pool toys and will disappoint. Good ones are worth paying extra for.


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## Stevebaby (Oct 23, 2012)

Just to add..I have another deck with two cockpits and an extra seat and it carries 2 of us quite easily. Passengers have to carry their own seat and pfd etc. though.
The hand trolley in the above pic folds up and fits easily inside the boat with room to spare.


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## honb (Mar 8, 2011)

I have the exact same kayak as Stevebaby but in blue (Advanced Elements Convertible). Unlike him, I've never taken it near Sydney Heads but have kept it within the relatively quiet waters of Middle Harbour, mainly between Roseville and The Spit Bridge.

Some points to add to his post from my experience:
+ From parking the car to getting the yak onto the water takes me 20 minutes. 15 minutes if my rods are already rigged.
+ While inflating you must make sure the frame is dead center otherwise paddling straight is a real challenge
+ Getting the boat dry can be a bit of a pain. I unfold it in the living room and it's dry after a night.
+ Attaching rod holders requires some thinking as well -- I've mounted two Scotty Holders onto a wooden board that is attached to the deck with ocky straps.
+ My yak came with a high-pressure drop stitch floor. It inflates to 9 psi (I think) which prevents the boat from sagging in the middle.

Hope that helps with your decision on whether an inflatable is a right fit for you. For me it's perfect since I live in a tiny apartment and have no car.

Steve, do you have any pics of your work deck? I'd love to see it how you made it.

Hon


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## Stevebaby (Oct 23, 2012)

Ummm...haven't made it yet. I reckon it's easily doable though. So far I think I can screw a chopping board to a pvc frame and have space for a tackle box and rod holders, probably a fish finder as well and I also plan to fit a couple of diver's strobes and a handheld vhf. It's just a matter of deciding which gear I want, then buying and measuring everything carefully.
When it's done (probably a couple of weeks after Christmas) I'll certainly be posting pics.
The general idea is to screw everything together with stainless screws and wing nuts so it's easy to assemble and take apart. There are some eyelets in front of the single cockpit which will secure it with shock cord, and while I'm at it I want to add a deck beam to raise the deck so that water runs off instead of running down through the front zipper. It shouldn't be too hard to carefully heat a piece of pvc pipe over the stove and bend it to a curved profile to add some camber to the deck.
I use a car washing sponge from a $2 shop and I've got a pack towel which is really good for drying. Just hang it up overnight and then back in the bag ready for next time.


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## Stevie (Jan 16, 2011)

DO they go POP when inserted with a hook???? :twisted:


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## Stevebaby (Oct 23, 2012)

The hull is made from the same sort of hypalon/fabric as these...http://www.nautiraid.com/catalogue-armee-bateaux-gb.pdf
Special Forces don't use conventional plastic or glass yaks...not tough enough, too heavy, difficult to transport and too difficult/impossible to repair in the field.
Repairing a hole would take about as long as repairing a bike tube i.e. 5 minutes or so. How long would it take to plastic weld or glass up a non inflatable?


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