Posted: 5/30/2010 9:32:51 PM EDT
|
Just checking to see if anyone has an inflatable boat or kayak that they use camping/fishing on lakes? I'm in the market and not sure what to get. I'd like to get something that I can handle by myself but will fit 2 adults + 2 kids. |
|
Quoted:
Just checking to see if anyone has an inflatable boat or kayak that they use camping/fishing on lakes? I'm in the market and not sure what to get. I'd like to get something that I can handle by myself but will fit 2 adults + 2 kids. 
Waaaaaaaaaaaait a minute, you're trying to put together a boat accident, aren't you?!?!?! 
|
| Generally its the material the boat is constructed that should be your main concern as it dictates quality. There are two materials commonly used and the prices greatly differ because of this. Hypalon is the best material, it resists sun damage and can last a very long time. I just traded away my 1973 avon redcrest 9' inflatable. I was well maintained and it looked almost new after all those years. PVC/Decitex re-inforced with nylon cloth is the other widely used material. The seams are sealed with heat, not glue. They degrade and crack in sunlight and average lifespan is 5 yrs - 10max. |
| Inflatable boats are not as sturdy or durable as regular boats. Even the high end inflatable boats that you can strap a 15 hp motor on to are not that durable. One little snag while you are dragging it and the floor or the boat will get a hole in it. Those small little yellow and white inflatable boats you see in the ads with 4 people in it, those are uncomfortable with even 1 person in them! I had one growing up, it was a big pain and never seemed to work right. We ended up cutting it up and using it for pathing material of the high end inflatable boat that my dad got. |
|
Quoted:
Inflatable boats are not as sturdy or durable as regular boats. Even the high end inflatable boats that you can strap a 15 hp motor on to are not that durable. THey are durable enough for navy seals, diving, research and rescue ops. Fishing can be done, it just requires a little more care. Dragging a soft bottom inflatable over rocks is just intentional abuse and would damage a fiberglass boat too. I've dragged my inflatables on to beaches for years and never had problems but most of the time a friend and i would just lift it onto the beach to minimize scuffing up the material. If its an issue, there are rigid hull inflatables that have fiberglass hulls so they have advantages of both types of boats. They have many advantages like the ability to deal with seas that would swamp a fiberglass boat twice its size, are far more fuel/hp efficient and easy to tow and store. |
|
I used an Outcast for many years of fishing and camping...They're designed primarily for fishing in rivers that don't have boat trailer portage.
They have models that carry several people. Very expensive though. Link |
|
I've owned several over the years, (they fit great in the camper storage)but honestly, you are giving up several advantages over a plastic/fiberglass boat. That said, I've used them from Alaska to Texas, they have a niche for sure.
1. They are slow, do not do well in the wind and can be a pain to paddle. . They can carry a LOT of weight, but performance suffers. 2. Cheap ones are nothing more than pool toys. Worthless. The good ones are damn pricey. You'll spend three times as much for an inflatable over a plastic canoe. 
Here's my advice for what it's worth. Avoid any boat with PVC construction. Only consider those made from Hypalon or Decitex fabric. The stuff is surprisingly durable Concentrate on designs with a keel or skeg with a solid or high pressure stitched inflatable floor. An inflatable with a rigid frame would be the best. I currently own two. A Sea Eagle Foldcat and a 14' Sea Eagle kayak I modified with a solid plywood floor. The Foldcat is a catamaran design with a rigid frame, it mounts a 2hp gas outboard and I use it for flyfishing saltwater flats. . The kayak I use for a surf boat and running out shark baits. Both are several years old and have held up well. With proper care (Keep them stored out of the sun, use 303 protectant) they'll last for decades. |
|
You do not want an inflatable kayak for flat water. They work great in whitewater, but do not track well iin calm water and are slow.
I have a Sevylor fish master 325 and a suzuki 2.5 hp motor that I got mainly for portability. Fits easily in the back of a Lexus RX300. Will easily do 10 mph. I have taken the motor off and floated a swift moving river. It has held up to class II whitewater so far. At 10ft, it will be tight with four people in it, especially when fishing. I suggest you look at a 14 ft raft. |
Sweet folks, thanks for the tips. I found an interesting "fishing" one by Sea Eagle last night...wish someone close by had one I could see 
http://www.seaeagle.com/FramelessPontoonBoats.aspx |
|
I have an Achilles Inlatable. Its a great little boat! Retails for about $1k but mine is older and I picked it up used for about $250. I run a littke Minn Kota 30lb thrust trolling motor and it will get me around pretty well all day. I fish from it all the time. You would really have to try to put a hole through it with a fish hook. I also have a 2hp gas motor that I run on it sometimes.
Similar to this. This is just a stock picture. 
|
|
Quoted:
I have an Achilles Inlatable. Its a great little boat! Retails for about $1k but mine is older and I picked it up used for about $250. I run a littke Minn Kota 30lb thrust trolling motor and it will get me around pretty well all day. I fish from it all the time. You would really have to try to put a hole through it with a fish hook. I also have a 2hp gas motor that I run on it sometimes. Similar to this. This is just a stock picture. https://is7.eporia.com/company_46/161117.jpg I had one of those also. A little bigger than the one in the pic. I had a 7.5 HP Evenrude on it............ it went like a raped ape when up and trimmed.!! |
| Achilles, 13'; Hypalon, rigid wooden floor; powered by Suzuki 25 HP. Used primarily for diving. Two divers, full gear, four scuba tanks, not an issue. Both divers can stand on the same side of the boat without any probability of tipping over. Many launches through the sand in Baja CA |
|
Well I made my purchase! Went ahead and got a Colorado model inflatable canoe with an 18lb thrust motor. Decided to just get something small for myself for use on the small lakes. Then decided to get this for the larger ones: http://www.stingrayboats.com/products/models10/models.php?model=225lr |