Inflatables have come a long way since we first ventured into the sea with a flimsy dinghy that only lasted a couple of waves before it sprung a leak and looked like it was trying to eat us alive. And while we eagerly await the invention of an inflatable super-yacht, we’ve been testing the best inflatable kayaks in preparation for the summer.
We’ve been writing about and reviewing inflatable kayaks for a couple of years now and so we are pretty clear on what to look for when we step aboard. Initially, it’s all about controllability. Is it stable and able to track well in the water, keeping to the line we want it to go in no matter how hard we’re paddling or how hard the wind’s blowing?
We don’t expect to remain bone dry, but we don’t want to look like a drowned rat when we get back to shore either, which is why during testing we keep an eye on how dry the kayak remains when it’s being paddled, which usually comes down to a few factors like the placement of bilge holes and the height of the cockpit walls for keeping out waves.
Underpinning all the performance-related criteria is probably the most important attribute of all – construction. After all, when you’re venturing out onto the open ocean in something full of air, you want to know that, quite literally, it’s not going to let you down when you’re a long way from the shore. That means robust construction that can stand up to coming alongside harbour walls, bumping up to river banks or scraping over jagged reefs.
We were looking for kayak designs without too many hard-to-reach areas too, so there’s no danger that they remain wet and start to cause problems with mould while being stored. All the kayaks in our edit were water-ready in five minutes or less and were also easy to deflate and dry, so, leave the roof rack behind and get set to go wild in the water.
How we tested
All our kayaks were tested on the south coast of Devon, just outside Plymouth, from a beach with a noticeable landmark just a mile offshore. This allowed us to test how well each craft tracked towards the island, which is sheltered on the leeward side but can get very rough and choppy on the windward side, so we could test how robust and waterproof each boat was too.
Why you can trust IndyBest reviews
Jon Axworthy has contributed to IndyBest’s consumer reviews since 2017. A freelance journalist and editor since 1996, he specializes in outdoor sports and adventure gear. Over the years, he has tested everything from paddleboards and mountain bikes to backpacks and waterproofs.
