Intex Explorer K2 Kayak, 2-Person Inflatable Kayak Set with Aluminum Oars and High Output Air Pump

I lay the blame firmly at Amazon for making purchases like this too easy, but one day a few weeks back I was living my normal, non-watersport partaking life, the next day I had a two person kayak on my doorstep. I drive a Skoda Citigo (tiny!) so it had never crossed my mind that a kayak would be a practical purchase, but this one was inflatable, relatively cheap (£80) and had hundreds of excellent reviews. I’ve never stepped foot in a kayak, but this one would fit in my car, so…The River Avon is only a 10 minute drive away and in a lovely part of the world (Bradford-on-Avon) so we put the kayak, a couple of buoyancy aids and a dry bag in the boot (it all fit!) and headed over. Everything comes in a single –heavy- bag that feels like it will disintegrate at any minute. Included is the kayak, two sets of paddles, an excellent pump, two seats and a shark fin thing that is fun to hold in the water and scare your 4 year old child with. Within 15 minutes everything was assembled, inflated and ready to go, it’s incredibly easy to put together and basically fool proof. The main air compartments go up in no time with the included pump, but weirdly the tiny end pieces (which are not structurally critical) are a nightmare to inflate, they deflate quicker than it seems possible to inflate and shut the valve.I’m not sure if it was mentioned in the instructions (of course I’ve not read them) but there is what looks like another valve at the back at floor level, this is presumably to aid drainage once back on dry land. Yeah I didn’t plug that first time out, despite taking on water the kayak never felt unstable or at risk of sinking. Fool proof, eh? The kayak comfortably held several inches of water, me (6ft) and my 4 year old with plenty of room left for our things and the bag, pump etc. You could probably even stand up in it quite comfortably but I’m not about to try. It’s easy to steer and will move along at a pretty reasonable pace, I’ve been out in it on my own a few times as well and it’s perfectly usable as a one-person kayak.Deflation is easy, open the valves and it’s pretty much down in two minutes. Unlike every tent ever, it actually fits back in the bag without needing a PhD in origami as well, a huge bonus when you’ve had a long day on the water.We love it, a genuine bargain for what appears to be a very well made and thought out piece of kit.

We've used our kayak a handful of times over the summer and found it to be a fantastic purchase. It's very easy to inflate, the supplied pump allows the kayak to be inflated quickly, I haven't timed it but I think it was probably around 5-10 mins to inflate the kayak itself, then another 5 mins to inflate and fit the seats plus build up the paddles - so around 15-20mins from being in the bag to getting it in the water. Deflating is also pleasantly easy and quick, expect it to take around 15 mins to deflate and pack away.All of our use of the kayak has been in the sea and on relatively calm days with little wind (less than 10mph) and no swell/waves. You do notice how easily the wind can influence the kayak and I'd be hesitant to allow my kids to use it alone with any offshore breeze, and if the wind speed is over 12-15mph it's going to start pushing the kayak off course and make paddling much tougher. The kayak tracks better than other inflatables I've tried but nowhere near as well as our previous plastic sit-on-top kayak, but it's still easy to paddle and manoeuvre and remained stable at all times. We've used it as a double seater and a single, with the kids (ours are early teens) happily taking it out on their own to explore the neighbouring coves and beaches.My only concern when purchasing was longevity with fears that it would puncture easily, we haven't yet encounter any problems but equally well I don't expect it to last forever. With the price I paid I'd be content if it only lasted for a couple of holidays, and to be fair, having previously paid £25 an hour to hire a double kayak on a local beach, with the use we've had out of it already this summer it's provided good value for money.

I took my new K2 out yesterday for the first time, and was so impressed that I had to write a review. On my first outing it only took me 15 minutes from taking it out of the bag to putting it in the water! - (and about the same to put it all away again afterwards). The easy to use pump puts masses of air in at each thrust, and the valves are very effective. The 5 inflation chambers/valves on the kayak are numbered, although only 3 are essential to flotation, - one for the base, and one each for the sides. The other two inflation chambers are on the top at the front and back and finish off the waterproof covers If you want to carry any gear. The seats inflate separately and squash into place onto heavy duty Velcro on the base, - easy-peasy. I only needed one seat of course because I was on my own. The K2 was very very light and stable and manoeuvrable, despite quite a wind on the lake. The skeg fits firmly into a slot underneath, and comes out again easily by pressing the centre of the slider to release. I used the skeg because I was on a lake and it was windy, so as to stop drifting, but you wouldn't need it if you were on a canal or narrow (or shallow) river. I bought a permit from the Canals and Rivers Trust for £33 per annum so that I didn't have any issues with anyone for using my kayak. I got the two seater K2 so my wife and I could kayak together, and to take my grandkids out (I bought life jackets of course), but it is great fun just with one person too! There are handles and ropes fixed for mooring and getting in and out of the water. The K2 is very sturdily built, (as are the oars), but still fairly lightweight to handle. It weighs about 17kg (40 lbs), - manageable for carrying for short distances from car to water. Excellent value, thank you!