Inflatable Kayaks & Canoes

This is a reprint of a very comprehensive buying guide found here: http://blog.webmagazinetoday.com/what-to-look-for-in-inflatable-boats-and-kayaks

With outdoor water sports and hobbies, there is nothing more innovative than inflatable boats and kayaks. One obvious advantage with these vessels is that they have features and qualities that permit water activities that cant be possible with rigid hulls. Not all inflatable units are great though. If you want the best inflatable unit, you need to consider a few factors.

A Name Behind It

It is true that we should not discriminate products based on brand alone. There are many new product brands that are as good as established ones. You should however, have second thoughts about getting a kayak from an unknown brand name. After all, a good inflatable kayak can spell the different between enjoyment and disaster in the rapids. Before you buy a kayak, make sure that you are getting one from a trusted name. If you are unfamiliar with the brand name, take some time to do research.

Guarantees and Warranties

Warranties and guarantees are important service features that are part of every quality product. If you are not very familiar with a kayak brand, this is one of the aspects that you need to look for first. Although most quality inflatable boats rarely ever get damaged, some may come with factory defects. You could end up with a kayak with skewed kegs or one that tips too easily. A guarantee of some sort is your best consumer protection.

Durability Features

Research on inflatable boats and kayaks and have a good look at them. Be sure that they have a couple of safety and durability features. They should for example come in reinforced, coated or multi layered fabric. Seams should preferably not be glued together but should instead be stitched or electrically sealed. Some products have durability tests that you can view or read about which can put you at ease.

Portability Features

Boats that are inflatable are naturally portable. This is what is most appealing about inflatable units. Some manufacturers though may recommend pre inflating units for transport or keeping them inflated for storage. This defeats the purpose of inflatable units. Users generally want one so they can easily lug their boats and kayaks around. Find out if a boat or kayak has a portable pump and how long it takes to inflate it.

Independent Reviews

Look for independent reviews. Good inflatable brands are always recommended by loyal users. Good user reviews and testimonials are clues to a boat or kayaks quality. You just have to make sure though that what you are reading are independent opinions. Otherwise, you could just be reeled in by a paid review.

Flexibility and Versatility

In a sport or hobby that can be as unpredictable as the waters, a kayak or boat must be flexible enough to function in several situations. Depending on the boat design, you can have one for rapids riding, fishing and leisure paddling. You can quickly see how flexible and versatile a specific model is by looking through its product specifications and uses. If you are not sure about a boat or kayak, ask about it through customer service.

Inflatable boats and kayaks are truly great options. You will have better chances though of enjoying your water ride if you have just the right vessel on hand.

I found a great place online to buy inflatable watercraft in the UK. I’m not making any money from this site, I’m simply referring to it because they have a great selection at great prices for boating enthusiasts.

Here is their ad:

Inflatable Boats: Looking to find inflatable boats online? Your timing simply could not be better. Inflatable boats are built with 2 large buoyancy tubes on the side and a flat floor in between of them. The large size buoyancy tubes provide a low center of gravity for the boats as well. These designs make inflatable boats sit flat on the water surface, making inflatable boats almost impossible to flip over.

They sell a variety of other outdoor sporting goods and equipment. Check it out here: http://www.espaciokitesurf.com/kids-wetsuit-boots/

If you’re a white water rafting enthusiast try taking a trip to Sg. Kampar in Gopeng, Perak.

The rating is between 2 and 4 so it’s not too tough for experience rafters but the scenery is to die for and will make it a worthwhile trip whether you’re old hat or only slightly experienced.

Nomad Adventure is a great place to book your trip with. They offer recommendations for gear, provide the inflatable boats, and usually their is a supervisor on board during each of the tours. The rafting tour is about 7 km long.

After the tour there is a BBQ. So after your trip you can relax and sip on a beer while you refuel with some delicious BBQ.

For a recount of a personal trip check out: http://oriontheconstellation.blogspot.com/2010/11/white-water-rafting-gopeng.html

Looking for a different kind of adventure tour? Or maybe wanting to check out what an inflatable boat is like before investing in one for yourself? An inflatable boat tour will satisfy both questions.

Zodiac Rigid Inflatable Boats are used in Miami at Ocean Force Adventures – http://www.oceanforceadventures.com/press_release.htm

These are the same boats used by special military forces, DEA and FBI. Ocean Force Adventures is located at Biscayne Bay in Miami , Florida. These boats are also used by adventure tour companies in Australia ‘s Sydney Harbor , London ‘s River Thames and Spain’s island of Ibiza.

The tours are two hour tours. They do three a day, seven days a week. So it will be easy to book yours when you’re vacationing in the area.

If you have a Rigid Inflatable Boat – RIB – you’ll need a trailer. If you have a boat with an outboard motor you may want to keep it inflated at home rather than breaking it down.

All inflatable boats are portable, but the larger ones might be easier to keep rigged. So investing in a trailer for your craft could make taking your boat out often an easier task.

Some trailers tip, allowing the user to simply slip into the water, making it super easy to get out on the water as fast as possible and enjoy your trip that much more.

Check out this article on the different types of trailers available and how they make owning and using your inflatable boat more fun: http://www.mastercraft-boats-dealer.com/Inflatable_Boat_Trailers.html

Major repairs are best handled by qualified repair centers, but you can make small repairs on your inflatable craft yourself to save some money.

If your boat is still under warranty sending it back to the manufacturer is your best bet but once the warranty period is up you don’t need to spend a ton to fix leaks or tears. Here is a great article detailing the things you need to do (and not do) while making repairs: http://www.shipstore.com/SS/HTML/info/infoinflatablerepair.html

You need to be aware of the temperature in the area where you’re doing the repairs. The type of material you use is very important as well. You need to make sure you’re in a well ventilated area and that you don’t smoke.

Those are just some of the things you need to pay attention to, the article mentioned above offers detailed advice of all aspects of making your small inflatable boat repairs.