Cheap Sea /Lake Kayak Recommendations please ?

[EuroTrotters]

Hello!

We have used an inflatable kayak for years. Now looking for something rigid and recommendations for Mo Ho travels please?


Novice users
In-Shore
Lakes/Beach
Easy to transport

ET

 

[jumar]

Easy to transport put me off buying a Kayak, although I am an experienced paddler I couldn't work out the best way to transport it....opted for a fishing inflatable which folds away quite well...good luck...

 

[autocaravaner]

We have a Gumotex Twist N 2/1 (for two people up to 180 kg) and we cannot recommend it highly enough. The build quality is excellent, never had a problem and we have used it for 2 years. It dries really well and is light. If you buy the traditional "Decathlon-type" (also called Category 2) inflatable boat that has a liner that protects the PVC you will be waiting for hours for it to dry or it will mould. And the risk of puncture is extremely high compared with the Gumotex as they use a very tough material called Nitrilon. I don't think I'll ever puncture the Gumotex unless we do something extreme (white waters). The material is similar to the one that you have on yacht's dinghies.

We have used it in lakes and on coastal tours at the sea on nice days (will not go out when there are more than 10 knots or waves higher than 0.8m) and it is an absolute pleasure.

Our next kayak will for sure be a Gumotex but I'll look at buying one that has a self-bailing floor to be able to use it in white waters (something like the Gumotex K1).

We bought a Trekking Transport Bag Extend 80 to 120 L at Decathlon to transport it (£60). It is not waterproof but we put it inside a dry bag when we go on the kayak.

You can fit the Kayak and two buoyancy aid jackets plus other bits of equipment inside the transport bag and because it extends it is very very comfortable to use. All together it weighs less than 20kg and I can carry it for a few hundred meters with no problem. I will not want to carry it for longer than 20 min.

Other bits of equipment that we have and you will probably need are:

- Hand Pump. We bought a 2x2L one.
- Paddles. We bought 2 part alloy ones and you can even find them that folds into 3 parts (good for flying with them). You can spend more money on carbon fibre if you are serious about kayaking, totally unnecessary if not.
- A Bilge Pump just in case water goes in. We got the Bilge Pump Palm Kayak 10457.
- A dry bag. We got an Earth Pak Summit Series Rucksack Waterproof Dry Bag and it's really well made and comfy. The wife normally carries it with sandwiches, mobile phones, and dry clothes. When we arrive at the launching site, we get the kayak ready and we put the Forclaz Trekking Transport bag inside it to keep it dry.

We have found this a winning formula to own a "boat" and enjoy the water without worrying or expending a fortune on it. Funny enough, being so nimble allows you to access many waterways that are not accessible to most boats. Of course, we can't cross the Atlantic with it, but we don't intend to do it

If you need more help feel free to send a DM.

 

[autocaravaner]

Reread your post and noticed that you are looking for a rigid kayak! Have you tried these type of "Category 3" inflatable kayaks? Have you researched Nitrilon and the drop-stitch technology? Both options will offer you a closer experience to rigid kayaks than many people might think. Unless you are a really hard-core kayaker, I don't think that carrying and storing a rigid kayak makes much sense nowadays! If you are a hard-core kayaker then ... my apologies!

Have a look at the videos of people using inflatable Gumotex boats on white waters if you want to re-think the need for a rigid: