Can anyone recommend a 2 person inflatable canoe?

[Wondering Star]

I recently posted wanting help with purchasing a paddleboard, thanks to all replies most welcome.
It was such a success we purchased two boards from Sandbanks Style a company recommended by one poster which I can heartily recommend.
The boards are so good I'm having trouble getting the kids off them, so now I'm on the hunt for a inflatable canoe, 2 person plus dog.
So if anyone can point me in the right direction I would be most grateful.
Max budget £500ish, to be used on rivers and Norfolk broads, nothing to serious.
Recently used boards on the river Nean at Fotheringhay, stayed on a local campsite Castle farm which I can also recommend.
Not our normal destination at this time of yr but quite a find.
Two areas, one flat CL site but also open farm land undulating down to the beautiful river Nean. Great for messing about on the water, very little big river craft and popular with swimmers.
Campsite very basic no facilities, apart from water but a real gem nevertheless.
Fotheringhay also has a great pub, the Falcon inn.
Sorry slightly gone off subject, inflatable recommendations please.
Many thanks

 

[OGII]

Hi, we did the same in reverse, bought an inflatable kayak for packing in van for European and non-roofrack trips, before adding a pair of sups.

£500 is a healthy budget. I'd avoid most of the cheaper £100/200 stuff, they really are kids toys.

At £300 the Decathlon own brand Itwit stuff kicks in. These are ok, a bit banana shaped, slow and prone to being caught by the wind. There's a couple of bigger ones in the £300/450 range

Sevylor are another option, but they suffer from the inflatable bladder that is inside the material outer breaking. They have tried to rectify/improve it a few times but sooner or later they go. I'd avoid, based on chats with owners on riverside. The Itwit ones use the same bladder/ outer protective textile idea but I've not heard anyone say theirs has failed.

One of the go to inflatable brands in Europe is Gumotex. They have been making tough inflatable boats in the Czech Republic for 50 years or so. They are dearer, use a rubberised bladder usually without a textile outer covering. There is a range of models including full on white water spec, to give you some idea of how tough they are. They do some canoe as well as kayak options.

We went with a Twist 2, mostly on cost and pack/weight, as we wanted something that could live in van boot on long trips and also at 11kg go in airline luggage on other holidays. It's good for two sensible sized people on calm water but it won't win any speed prizes etc.

It's not overly long, probably making it too small for 2 plus a dog, unless you are slim and have a smaller breed. I'd be wary of dogs claws in any inflatable, probably adding an additional layer where dog goes, they have a habit of getting excited and launching themselves. They briefly experimented with a lighter grade material on the Twist a few years back but have reverted to the better stuff now, so some online reviews will be out of date.

Inflatable boats are always a compromise, we use our "proper" kayaks and canoes most of the time, especially if our collie is coming along.

The Gumotex boats are imported into the UK by a consortium of shops (Brighton Canoes, one in Exeter etc.) so there's no playing one off another for a deal.

We bought ours from a great shop in Prague, mail order. Not only was the headline delivered price lower than UK they do (did) a 10% online discount too, definitely recommended. Easy to deal with by email etc. https://www.boatpark.cz/

Hope that helps.

It feels like there should be a waterside Calimeet...

 

[Wondering Star]

Thanks for taking the time to reply, you have confirm our thoughts on a Gumotex solar or similar.
Think a twist may be to small, I'm 6ft and the dog is The link to the supplier is very useful, will look them up.
Many thanks

 

[ArunAlec]

Gumotex are great. I‘ve got the Palava (canoe). Worth looking on eBay.

 

[OGII]

No worries. The discount code is out of date on their website, it was at the time we bought ours too but they still gave it.

Good luck

 

[Wondering Star]

I seriously didn't think, that many Cali owners were in to watersports.
Have looked at the Prague retailer, prices very competative plan to email.
Thanks OGII

 

[Moore288]

I bought an Aquaglide Klickitat 2 - totally recommended if a little (99) over your budget. Whatever you choose go for one with a high pressure floor or spine - transforms the performance. This one is a little heavy but of course once afloat it is an advantage. Extraordinary stable and tracks well. Also a very high load carrier. Also good to get one with self draining if you may use in surf or slight white water.

AquaGlide Klickitat 2 Heavy Duty Inflatable Kayak | Leisure Outlet

www.leisureoutlet.com

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[CaliBear]

Agree on the Gumotex inflatable kayaks/canoes, although think some models may be outside of the £500 budget. Might be lucky on the second hand market though. Excellent build quality and worth their price as built to last.
We wanted a kayak/canoe for the two of us and our large dog to explore rivers and estuaries and our shortlist was between a 3 person Gumotex Seawave kayak and a 3 person Gumotex Scout canoe. Ended up with the Seawave as it can be used as a 1/2 man sea kayak with a removable spray deck if things are a bit choppy. It also fits under the boot (in the raised position) as it is the size of a very large rucksack when packed.
I've heard good things about the Sevylor kayaks and are reasonably priced for their quality.

 

[OGII]

I've heard good things about the Sevylor kayaks and are reasonably priced for their quality.

Searching "Sevylor inflatable kayak failures" returns this from Amazon reviews as just one example: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sevylor-Ottawa-Inflatable-kayak-canoe/product-reviews/B019H8LT5U

It's littered with bladder failure stories on first or early use. Either a lot of muppets overinflating or a quality issue. Sadly I've met a few owners who reported the same thing, happy at first then their bladders failed...

 

[CaliBear]

Searching "Sevylor inflatable kayak failures" returns this from Amazon reviews as just one example: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Sevylor-Ottawa-Inflatable-kayak-canoe/product-reviews/B019H8LT5U

It's littered with bladder failure stories on first or early use. Either a lot of muppets overinflating or a quality issue. Sadly I've met a few owners who reported the same thing, happy at first then their bladders failed...

As with most products I'm sure there are some failures either through incorrect use or just poor manufacturing, just look at the issues people have with their Californias from new.
I think in the past Sevylor had quality issues, but like the Intex there seem to be a mixed bag of reviews when you look into it. Over inflating and leaving in the hot sun to expand should operate the pressure relief valve, so could have been a faulty batch of valves or bad seams on the internal bladder?

I didn't have any issues with my Sevylor madison and it had plenty of use. Ended up being just too small for the two of us and a large dog which we didn't have when I bought the kayak.
Personally I would rather buy a better second hand kayak or wait a bit longer and save. Depends on how much you will use it really.

I don't know about your experiences with inflatable kayaks/canoes, but I found the problem with internal air bladders is they are a pain to fully dry out and finding and repairing damage is much more awkward.

 

[EmmaRJ]

I recently posted wanting help with purchasing a paddleboard, thanks to all replies most welcome.
It was such a success we purchased two boards from Sandbanks Style a company recommended by one poster which I can heartily recommend.
The boards are so good I'm having trouble getting the kids off them, so now I'm on the hunt for a inflatable canoe, 2 person plus dog.
So if anyone can point me in the right direction I would be most grateful.
Max budget £500ish, to be used on rivers and Norfolk broads, nothing to serious.
Recently used boards on the river Nean at Fotheringhay, stayed on a local campsite Castle farm which I can also recommend.
Not our normal destination at this time of yr but quite a find.
Two areas, one flat CL site but also open farm land undulating down to the beautiful river Nean. Great for messing about on the water, very little big river craft and popular with swimmers.
Campsite very basic no facilities, apart from water but a real gem nevertheless.
Fotheringhay also has a great pub, the Falcon inn.
Sorry slightly gone off subject, inflatable recommendations please.
Many thanks

We have not long purchased a Sevylor Willamette based on a recommendation from our friend who has an older version that is now 20yrs old.
This model is great, it’s a two + a small one, but we think best used as two. The best part and reason for our purchase was the inflatable seats are suspended in the boat, making the trip down rivers or elsewhere more comfortable. At early mid fifties having to sit at a near 90° angle is no mean feat for us slightly older folk, and this solves the problem, a 3hr trip down the river is a pleasure rather than your back, legs or hips aching after a short time. Hope this is helpful.

 

[greenfintry]

If you are looking, I’m about to stick a hardly used tandem advanced elements inflatable kayak (firefly type not tidied frame) on eBay. PM me if interested...

 

[knwldgeseker]

We purchased the Decathalon Itiwit 2-P kayak. As complete novices we find it great but are aware it doesn’t fit into the ‘serious’ category.

Very competitive price though and, for what it’s worth, here in Portugal (where we are travelling around at the moment) a white water kayaking guide/coach commented very favourably on their strength of construction in a conversation just the other day.

 

[Kath&Burcu]

We bought the the Decathlon Itiwit 2-person kayak as well a few months ago. Had 3 runs with it so far and very happy with it. Feels safe and stable.

 

[larrylamb]

+1 for the gumotex twist 2. Excellent quality.

 

[ArunAlec]

i think you will need to decide between a canoe and kayak. 2 people plus a dog, sounds like you will be needing a canoe based design.

 

[Kryspinski]

Did you have a look at foldable origami kayaks?

Folding Kayaks That Go Anywhere | Oru Kayak Europe

Oru Kayak Europe designs high-performance, folding kayaks for all types of paddlers. Oru kayaks are easy to transport and store, letting you explore like never before.

www.orukayak.com

 

[ArunAlec]

Just spotted this Gumotex on flea bay .... I have one and reckon they are a good compromise if you want an inflatable canoe.... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/324277259954

 

[Calimili]

I started off with a Intex Excursion Pro, trying to understand how often I'll actually use a Kajak.
If I decide to upgrade, I will get a Gumotex. The key advantage is they are made of thick resistant "rubber" as opposed to be made from a thinner air chamber protected by a textile robust cover.
Kajaks/Canoes made with the fabric cover take forever to dry. So once your done with having fun on the water and you want to head home, you can wipe the Intex, or Gumotex dry with a towel, and it will then dry by itself in a matter of minutes. Not so with a textile cover, it will take an hour or more to dry. Or you need to pack it wet and reinflate it at home to allow to dry.

 

[Camperfamily]

I started off with a Intex Excursion Pro, trying to understand how often I'll actually use a Kajak.
If I decide to upgrade, I will get a Gumotex. The key advantage is they are made of thick resistant "rubber" as opposed to be made from a thinner air chamber protected by a textile robust cover.
Kajaks/Canoes made with the fabric cover take forever to dry. So once your done with having fun on the water and you want to head home, you can wipe the Intex, or Gumotex dry with a towel, and it will then dry by itself in a matter of minutes. Not so with a textile cover, it will take an hour or more to dry. Or you need to pack it wet and reinflate it at home to allow to dry.

Good advice, thanks. I’m keen to buy a kayak to see whether our young kids and I enjoy it. Similar to you, I’m keen to spend less on our first one to see whether we enjoy it. If we do, then we can look at upgrading to a more ‘serious’ kayak later.

 

[Lambeth Cali]

I looked into this a few weeks ago and they were all sold out everywhere. eBay seemed to be going crazy too.
I think they’re part of the staycationing camping accessory explosion.
I bought a portapotti a few months back, I hate it but it served ok for two weeks in France. Apparently I could get very good money on eBay.

 

[paul_f]

My 8 yr old daughter is really keen on getting a kayak after a few day rental trips and a lake holiday in America a couple of years ago. She has saved all her Christmas money and birthday money towards it (she saw the cheap £100 ones so thought she had enough).
As we are a family of 4 +small dog, and it will need to be able to fit inside the Cali we will need to get inflatable ones - a 2 seater and a 3 seater.
There is a lake nearby as well as rivers near to the areas that we tend to go camping. We also have a trip to Scotland planned for the summer to visit friends who have kayaks

Is there anything better than the Decathlon ones for this sort of price?

100 2/3 PERSON TOURING INFLATABLE KAYAK - ORANGE ITIWIT | Decathlon

Our stable inflatable touring kayak has 3 raised seats for good paddling comfort even on half-day trips. Suited to beginners or family groups (2-3…

www.decathlon.co.uk

Inflatable Kayaks - Blow Up & 1 To 4 Person | Decathlon

Discover our unique range of Inflatable Kayaks which offers high quality at affordable prices. Shop now and enjoy free Click & Collect and 365 days…

www.decathlon.co.uk

 

[ArunAlec]

My 8 yr old daughter is really keen on getting a kayak after a few day rental trips and a lake holiday in America a couple of years ago. She has saved all her Christmas money and birthday money towards it (she saw the cheap £100 ones so thought she had enough).
As we are a family of 4 +small dog, and it will need to be able to fit inside the Cali we will need to get inflatable ones - a 2 seater and a 3 seater.
There is a lake nearby as well as rivers near to the areas that we tend to go camping. We also have a trip to Scotland planned for the summer to visit friends who have kayaks

Is there anything better than the Decathlon ones for this sort of price?

100 2/3 PERSON TOURING INFLATABLE KAYAK - ORANGE ITIWIT | Decathlon

Our stable inflatable touring kayak has 3 raised seats for good paddling comfort even on half-day trips. Suited to beginners or family groups (2-3…

www.decathlon.co.uk

Inflatable Kayaks - Blow Up & 1 To 4 Person | Decathlon

Discover our unique range of Inflatable Kayaks which offers high quality at affordable prices. Shop now and enjoy free Click & Collect and 365 days…

www.decathlon.co.uk

On the face of it they look good value. I’ve got a Gumotex canoe in my fleet, which is at the top end of the inflatable quality and price range.
I would warn that if you have not paddled an inflatable kayak/canoe, they are a bit of a compromise compared to a solid boat. For a family I would suggest looking at a canoe style of boat with single bladed paddles rather than the double kayak paddle.

 

[Lambeth Cali]

I looked into this last summer when they were all sold out. Decathlon seemed very good. I bet there are a lot on Ebay now from people who used them twice. Sevylor is the other good brand.

 

[Andrew Beale]

I have a Sevylor Colorado, and it is a great design, will fit two plus dog.

Yes the bladder burst once but that was my idiot fault because the air heats up on a hot day and expands the bladder. They tell you to let air out as the day gets hotter.

I replaced it and have had no issues since.