Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

We own three of these Intex Challenger 1-Person kayaks, and two of the Intex Explorer K2 2-Person Inflatable Kayaks. We love these kayaks and recommend them to anyone looking for the fun and flexibility of a kayak without the typical hassles of transportation and storage. If you're looking for a fast ride down a waterway, this isn't it. They move well but you won't be able to race a hard shell kayak. The single ones are fantastic for teens and adults. The 2-person ones are great for two younger people, one adult and child, or a single person that really wants a lot of room to stretch out. You can but don't have to put both seats in if you only need one. I prefer the green 1-person kayak myself. It's a little narrower and possibly moves a little faster, which I like, but my husband usually chooses the 2 person even if he's riding solo. Want to do a solo one-way trip? Go farther than you planned? UBER. INFLATABLE KAYAK PROS - Easy to store and transport - More stable than standard kayaks. We haven't gotten close to tipping; I can't imagine it happening. - Durable plastic - on our many trips, with various kids and adults, we haven't had one leak - Much higher weight limit than hard shell kayaks - Comes with everything you need - kayak, seat, storage bag, paddle, skeg (snaps on underneath for stability), patch kit and air pump (the 2-person version comes with all the same stuff, except it has 2 paddles and 2 seats) - Storage - there's enough room in the front and back sections of the kayak for your all your gear leftovers, and a drybag with your extras - Pumps up quickly - takes me about 9 minutes for the 2 person K2, and about 6 minutes to hand inflate a K1 (the first few times it'll take you a bit longer than that) - Have electricity where you're going? You can use a standard air mattress pump to inflate. - VERY easy to figure out right out of the box - just READ THE DIRECTIONS the first time! - If you did get a leak (which we have not, even with teens butt-scooting the kayaks from shore to deeper water -- sigh), your kayak will be more difficult to paddle, but probably still won't sink. The kayaks have more than one chamber to inflate, so at most you'd eventually lose half of your air. INFLATABLE KAYAK CONS - You won't win any races in these - they're not as fast as hard shell kayaks - The manual air pumps work great, and once you get into a rhythm most people won't have an issue, but they aren't made for tall people and you will get a bit of a cardio workout when pumping. I love it, but some don't. Electric air mattress pumps do work, if you have electricity access. - Rinsing off and drying once you're home can be a pain - Getting the skeg off after it's been gunked up a bit can take a moment. But seriously use the skeg; without it you're basically paddling on an air mattress down the river. OTHER GEAR WE'VE FOUND USEFUL - SeaSense 8690 X-1 Marine Kayak Paddle, 96-Inch - little longer, little nicer of a grip, but will not fit in your storage bag - 8' X 10' Blue Waterproof Tarp - any cheap tarp will do. For inflating on a non-sharp surface, deflating on a clean-ish surface, and for your vehicle, as they will probably be wet on your trip home - Airhead Folding Grapnel Anchor System - great if you want to hang out in one spot. You can also make your own with an old 5 lb hand weight, marine rope and a carabiner clip (we have 2 like this that work fine.) - Earth Pak Dry Bag and Waterproof Phone Case - 10L / 20L - or any such dry bag and waterproof phone case, for your keys, phone, towel, etc. There's enough room in the front or back of the kayak to store your gear - Crocs Unisex Classic Clog - better than aqua socks and fancy sandals. You can walk on sharp, rocky surfaces, kick them off and shake pebbles out, AND they float! - Shock Cord - 1/8" x 100 ft. Spool Marine Grade - this cord and some extra carabiners will let you make any kayak-type leashes you may need. Great for connecting kayaks together when needed, tether to a pier, paddle leashes, etc. - Sportneer 6.25' Portable Pop Up Changing Dressing Room Tent - a couple times we've kayaked in spots where exiting the water has been in less than pristine conditions...having some wet wipes, dry clean clothes and a moment of privacy can be helpful - Ikea 901.491.48 Frakta Storage Bag - the bag the kayak comes in is ok, but this one is better. Everything you get with the Intex Kayak fits in this bag (even the 2-person yellow kayak fits in it), and you can actually wear the bag as an uncomfortable backpack if you want. They're only about five bucks at the actual store, though, so if you live near one, get it there. The longer oar I suggest above won't fit in this. - Etekcity Quick-Fill Air Mattress Pump, 110-120V - when we do use an electric pump, we use one that came with an old air mattress like this one. Definitely nice for those that don't want the cardio workout. Also nice when pumping in extreme temperatures.