Thread: Any kayakers around here?

Ok, here's an update for those interested. It got delivered on Thursday, right when I was in the air DEN-MSP. Needless to say, I was excited to go back home pretty much as soon as I arrived. At least I was able to get a good run in on my regular kayak the next day at the in-laws.

Within 10 minutes of the apartment office opening, I was there to pick it up. First of all, this thing is pretty big and heavy, even deflated. The package with everything necessary aside from life jackets weighed in at just over 50 pounds, including a couple boxes for packaging. The canvas carrying case is reasonably durable, but I'm not sure if I'd be quick to check that on an airplane "bare." Thankfully, UA gives nonrevs 70lbs for their checked bags (for those that might need it, I can give you a shares entry for the ticket agent to look up, I'm not sure how well known that is) so I can put it in a suitcase and still be good.

That said, it's still luggable for a bigger stronger guy like me (just a little awkward to carry) - ramp rats, you should all be fine. If you can have 2 people working together, that may be a bit easier.

Inflation wasn't too bad. The first time I did this, I plugged an electric pump I have into the wall outlet to take a look. I checked the label, and unfortunately that uses too much electricity for the inverter I have (converts your cigarette lighter to a regular outlet) and I don't think I'd feel comfortable putting that kind of load on my car anyway.

Here's what it looked like on the balcony of the apartment:


Nice and long, no problem at all getting 2 adults in there! Even an extra kid mixed in should be fine. However, since my wife is out of town and needs practice paddling anyway, I had to go solo. Deflated it, put it in its carrying case (like a sleeping bag, be sure to roll it up really tight) and brought it to the Aurora Reservoir in Aurora, CO. Here's a picture I took last week of the place, when it was super quiet:



And inflated in the parking lot. The foot pump is surprisingly efficient. My leg was barely starting to get tired when it was all inflated. And I mean "just starting to notice" and it was gone 2 minutes later. I was surprised that this is slightly longer than my car, even if it is a compact!



Once I got it in the water, it honestly took some getting used to. Partly just to push back from the beach, but also because it did feel a little "slippery" on the water. I think it might be better with 2 people in it, just because you're sinking in the water more and get better "traction" if you can call it that. It also felt a little slower than my plastic one, but that's to be expected. Especially when my arms may have been a little sore from a couple days ago. But that said, it wasn't bad at all. You know those inflatable rafts that come with paddles, even the more durable ones? Not at all like that. You can absolutely get a lot more control with this thing, and speed. Just don't expect it to work as well as a similarly-priced hardshell.

If I were to go back and reconsider my purchase, I *might* have opted for the 330 instead of the 370. The 330 is the same thing, just shorter, which would mean less weight and more sinking, which would have been handy. But since the wife wanted one that could go with 2 people (and I'm pretty tall, even if she isn't) I think I'm glad I got this one.