review

Decathlon promises with the Itiwit x500 a hardshell-like kayak at an attractive price, which is still easy to transport. It should not only be light and robust but also quickly assembled. The Itiwit x500 is a full drop-stitch kayak that is inflated to 0.7 bar. Drop-stitch kayaks are a big trend among inflatable kayaks in recent years. A special feature of this kayak is that it has an integrated cockpit and the boat is only 64 cm wide. This speaks on the one hand for good running characteristics and on the other hand for a use of the kayak over the whole year, because the cockpit can be closed completely with a spray cover. In this review, we would like to take a closer look at the kayak, report on our first experiences on the water and give an assessment of who the kayak is suitable for.

Technical Specs

Which model has been reviewed?

Itiwit x500 from 2021

How did we organize the review?

The Itiwit x500 was provided to us by Decathlon, a French manufacturer and distributor of sports equipment and clothing. Itiwit is a brand for the paddle sport of Decathlon. Our review is independent of the manufacturer or shop and reflects our own opinion of the boat.

How intensively has the product been tested?

First impressions and assembly

The Itiwit x500 comes with a large backpack, which makes a rather bulky impression. 16 kg (incl. backpack 18 kg) is not little for a 1-person inflatable kayak. However, here you must not forget that it is a full drop stitch kayak with an integrated cockpit.

Although the backpack is kept simple, it is very functional and completely sufficient for transporting the kayak to the water. Compared to the included backpacks of many other inflatable boats, the backpack even has a waist and chest strap that make transporting the kayak to the water much more comfortable.

The shoulder straps even have load straps so you can adjust the position of the backpack on your back. So you can decide for yourself whether you want the backpack close to your back and tighten the straps for full control (for example, if the launch site is on the rocky shore), or loosen the straps for more freedom of movement and air at the back.

There is also a side pocket on each side to put your double paddle in. The orange strap not only compresses the backpack from the outside, but also holds the paddle extra tight.

The opening of the backpack is pretty large. The kayak is compressed inside the backpack with another strap. In addition, the backpack contains the seat and footrests.

The Itiwit x500 has a total of five air chambers. Three of them form the kayak hull and the other two form the cockpit. The air chambers are inflated via spring valves that are easy to operate. They are similar to the valves on other high-quality inflatable kayaks (e.g. Advanced Elements).

To pump air into the air chamber, you push out the orange pin. Then turn the cap of your air pump. The valves for the air chambers of the kayak hull are located at the back of the stern, which you can reach through the roll-up closure of the luggage hatch. First, inflate the bottom chamber and then the side chamber up to 10 PSI (0.7 bar), which is a common value for the operating pressure of a full drop-stitch kayak.

We used the Itiwit high pressure pump for inflation, which is a double action pump. You pump up the first 0.35 bar in double action mode (i.e. double stroke). This way you pump a lot of air into the chamber in a very short time. The last 0.35 bar you pump up in single mode. In this mode, you generate the necessary pressure of 0.7 bar. Inflation was very fast with the pump, without really having to use force. Not every air pump creates this necessary pressure of 0.7 bar, which should be considered when buying the air pump.

Side and bottom chambers of the kayak are glued together and additionally taped. In the area of the valves, where the tape ends, the chambers are glued together uncleanly or at least too much glue was used (see photo above). According to initial assessment, it is not a detriment, but nevertheless, excessive glue residue testifies to careless processing.

Next, there are two small air chambers in the cockpit in front of and behind the seat hatch that also need to be inflated. These air chambers shape the cockpit and create a slight upward bulge.

Compared to other inflatable kayaks, the x500 does not require a single strap to secure the seat. The kayak seat is made of a firm foam. The seat surface is 50 x 25 cm. On the bottom of the seat there is a recess on the left and right respectively, which are placed on two wedges in the interior. The backrest, which has a height of 25 cm, is pressed under the coaming and held in position by the air chamber under the cockpit. The backrest closes with the coaming in such a way that the cushion of the backrest still protrudes slightly.

Neither the seat nor the backrest can slip. Especially with the backrest, you have to tighten the straps from time to time with other inflatable kayaks on longer tours. This is not necessary with the Itiwit x500. However, this also eliminates the possibility for individual adjustment of the backrest. The position of the seat and the angle of the backrest is therefore fixed.

In the footwell, there is a rail on each side for sliding in the footrest. In addition, the footrest is attached to the side wall via a strap and buckle, via which the footrest can be adjusted on each side. We (186 and 189 cm) do not use the full length of the rail and strap by far. The assembly of the footrests worked very easily.

Due to the thin drop-stitch side walls, there is still enough space in the rear for the large air pump or a 40-liter dry bag. The opening of the luggage hatch is large enough to easily place luggage inside. Although the roll-up closure of the luggage hatch closes like a dry bag, it is unfortunately not waterproof according to the manufacturer.

Unfortunately, our brand new model has two small holes in the roll closure of the luggage hatch. Although it is very easy to repair, holes in the material of a new product are very annoying. That’s a pity!

The lower hull of the Drop-Stitch kayak is very well shaped. There is a clear keel line between the bow and stern, forming a V-shape. This promises a good straight-line stability on the water.

The keel line is additionally reinforced with PVC material. In the bow and stern area, the reinforcement is even more pronounced by a black rubber-like strip. Thus, the most stressed areas of the kayak are well protected when touching the ground and when landing on the shore. Here you can see that the manufacturer has not saved on material and wants to focus on durability.

In addition, under the black keel stripes are an integrated plastic strip, which protrudes slightly along the entire keel line and thus forms a kind of track profile.

In addition, the bow is nice and sleek, so water resistance is minimal. Other manufacturers of full drop-stitch kayaks also use similar designs, such as hard shell elements (e.g. BIC YakkAir) or aluminum rails inside the boat (e.g. Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame), to create a pointed bow so that the kayak cuts the water better.

Overall, the kayak is cleanly finished from the outside at the many glued joints. The material makes a robust impression. Nevertheless, we noticed a few small details. On the one hand, the black keel strip disappears under the boat skin. However, the material and boat skin do not seal 100% at the closure point. This does not lead to water ingress, but in the long run to unnecessary dirt accumulation. Secondly, the additional PVC material on the keel line consists of two parts that are glued overlapping in the middle. The overlap should have been glued in reverse (i.e. correctly from bow to stern). So there are two uneven spots on the lower hull in the direction of the current, which can be a weak point especially in shallow flowing water with unfavorable grounding, unless they are 100% glued.

Both the bow and stern of the kayak has a carrying handle, so that the kayak can be carried by two or alone with the help of a boat trolley over some longer distances. For short transport or putting the kayak into the water, we use the coaming as a carrying handle.

In addition, there are two safety lines on each of the two outer walls to hold on to the boat in case of capsize. This is especially important on open water. These are also very handy for pulling the kayak to shore. For carrying the kayak to the water on these safety lines alone, we find the position of the handles too far apart. In that case, you carry the boat to the water with your arms stretched wide. Therefore, the safety lines are less suitable as carrying handles.

Review of the Itiwit x500 on the water

Stability of the Itiwit x500 kayak

The Itiwit x500 is clearly more tippy than most inflatable kayaks (e.g. Advanced Elements Advanced Frame, Gumotex Rush, nortik scubi 1 XL, …) but from our point of view not more tippy than e.g. the Gumotex Framura or BIC YakkAir.

Due to numerous reviews in the Decathlon store, we were prepared to capsize with the kayak. However, this didn’t happen. On the one hand, there is a revised version of the kayak since mid-2020, in which the tipping stability was increased. The V-shape has been flattened in the seat area.

On the other hand, you can significantly increase the tipping stability by sitting correctly in the kayak. To do this, adjust the footrests so that you have a total of five points of contact with the kayak with your feet on the footrests, your knees on the cockpit, and the lumbar region of your back with the seat, all under slight pressure. Then the tipping stability is really good for such a narrow inflatable kayak with a pointed keel, so that even rapids in rivers are no problem.

Nevertheless, you can also adjust the footrests on the water, e.g. loosen them on calm waters to stretch out the legs. In this case, the kayak will feel more tippy and hasty movements should be avoided.

Space and comfort

Thanks to the drop-stitch sidewalls, the kayak has a spacious interior despite its small external width of 64 cm. For a day trip, the luggage volume of the kayak is very good. For multi-day trips, however, it will be tight if you don’t have compact camping gear. There is enough space in the stern for the large air pump, the kayak’s transport backpack and small dry bags. If the air pump is not in the rear, a larger dry bag (40 liters) also fits in the rear.

Alternatively, a backpack or dry bag can be attached to the luggage net at the front of the bow. There is no way to attach luggage on the rear cockpit. However, you can use several tension straps to attach luggage to the rear side safety lines. D-rings or loops on the cockpit would have been a better solution though.

The footwell is sufficiently long so that even tall paddlers have enough space. However, the cockpit limits the height of the footwell. Paddlers who have at least a shoe size 45 and also go paddling with sneakers should test sit in the store beforehand, or alternatively, when ordering online, before the first use in the water at home, to see if the height in the footwell is actually sufficient.

Compared to most inflatable boats (e.g. Gumotex, Advanced Elements, …), the seating comfort is lower due to the harder seat and lower backrest, but higher than hard shell kayaks. Those who mainly want to paddle comfortably reclined in the kayak will quickly complain of back pain and have little pleasure with the x500. Since the backrest is only 25 cm high, most life jackets usually do not provide additional padding either, so that this does not result in increased comfort.

A backrest rising above the coaming would conflict with the concept of a sea kayak (e.g. because of simplified re-boarding in the event of a capsize). However, if you take care of a straight upper body and sit properly on the seat (i.e. with the bottom up to the backrest), you do not need a high backrest. The backrest does not serve to lean in (nevertheless possible for a short time or breaks, but uncomfortable in the long run) but as a relief for sitting upright and as a further fixed point between paddler and kayak. Considering a correct paddling position, we find the seating comfort of the x500 good.

Seat hatch, coaming and spray skirt

The cockpit has a sufficiently large and oval-shaped seat hatch to get in and out of the kayak without much effort. Even without a splash skirt, the cockpit provides good splash protection. Due to the two air chambers under the cockpit in front of and behind the coaming, the cockpit is slightly curved so that splash water immediately flows away from the cockpit and does not accumulate or flow into the seat hatch.

The seat hatch can be closed waterproof with a spray skirt. This allows you to use the kayak in the cold season and in coastal waters. Attaching the spray skirt is not fun at first and takes a lot of getting used to. Compared to the fixed coaming of a PE kayak, the flexible coaming of the Itiwit x500 requires some technique and a little patience to attach a spray skirt.

We used the Itiwit neoprene spray skirt. The edge of the spray skirt is sewn so that the rear part can be pushed under the coaming. It is important to put the back part of the spraydeck in first. The remaining edge of the spraydeck must be pushed under the coaming. To do this, you need to bend the coaming up a bit. After several failed attempts, the fingers hurt and it becomes a real fumbling. In winter, with cold hands, we imagine that this is even more difficult. With a little practice, however, the attachment of the spray skirt works better and better. Instructions for attaching the spray skirt are available on YouTube from the manufacturer.

If the spray skirt is attached, it sits very well and does not come off by itself. Nevertheless, the spray skirt can be easily detached from the coaming with a handle (at the loop). Therefore, we find the spray skirt a useful addition to the kayak to be able to close it completely.

Paddling performance

We paddled the kayak with the Itiwit Carbon double paddle (210 cm long), which worked very well for us. A 230 – 240 cm long double paddle, which we usually use with our inflatable kayaks, would be significantly too long with the narrow Itiwit x500.

For an inflatable kayak, it has really good dimensions thanks to the drop-stitch side chambers. We have never paddled a narrower air kayak. The positive effect of the narrow hull width in combination with the pointed keel can be felt immediately when paddling.The kayak runs well through the water. The kayak accelerates quickly. Speeds of 3.7 – 4 mph are possible without effort with a light paddle stroke over longer distances. We paddled the Itiwit x500 at a maximum of 5.4 mph, at which point a bow wave forms and paddling is no longer efficient. Note that these are approximate values.

The kayak has very good trim on the water and forms a high effective waterline with its short rocker. For a 380 cm long inflatable boat without fin, the straight-line stability during paddling is very good. If you stop paddling and drift, the kayak will drift just slightly in either direction instead of keeping track. However, this is completely normal for inflatable boats. We only know similar good paddling characteristics the AdvancedFrame Convertible Elite.

The Itiwit x500 is noticeably less maneuverable due to its V-shaped lower hull. For small blocked and winding rivers, the x500 is clearly at a disadvantage due to its design.

Compared to the inflatable kayaks tested so far, a significantly better upper body rotation is possible because the fixed footrests on the side chambers support the rotation of the upper body during the forward stroke. The stroke force when paddling is thus higher, without the boat constantly pulling to the left or right at the same time (which is normally the case with inflatable boats). With the Itiwit x500, overall significantly more paddling technique (e.g. weight shifting to make turns, …) is possible than with a conventional inflatable boat (e.g. Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame).

A skeg for the x500 is not necessary from our point of view. The straight-line stability is already good enough. If you are a fan of a steering system, you will miss it on the x500. Steering systems are mainly practical to countersteer in wind and current without having to paddle against it all the time. However, we have to say that we would not prefer a steering system, especially on this model. If the steering system could be operated via the footrests, they would be movable and lose the necessary resistance when paddling.

Steering pedals in the middle on a rail, on the other hand, would unnecessarily increase the weight and price of the boat. However, an optionally available steering system from Itiwit would be an attractive option.

Dismantling the Itiwit x500

After paddling, the footrests and the seat can be easily removed from the boat. There is a recess in the seat. You reach in there and lift the seat. This way the backrest comes off the coaming without any problems.

You usually have to reassemble the kayak at home (at least inflate it slightly) and let it dry. The boat skin is quick-drying, so it is easy to wipe it dry with a towel. However, we do not consider the entire boat to be quick-drying for two reasons. First, the two carrying handles and four safety lines soak up water due to the material (especially the side safety lines). Second, you can’t wipe the footwell dry through the cockpit because you simply can’t reach it (unless you don’t make the interior footwell wet).

Due to the integrated cockpit with coaming, the PVC coating of the boat skin and the drop-stitch material, the kayak is not only bulkier but also stiffer when folded. This is especially noticeable in the off-season when the waters are still very cold.

The kayak should be folded in 4 equal parts so that it fits back in the backpack. The lower part of the backpack is coated so that the bottom of the backpack does not get soaked. So you only need to roughly wipe the folded kayak and pack it in the backpack.

Strengths and weaknesses of the Itiwit x500 kayak

The biggest strengths of the Itiwiti x500 are the very good paddling characteristics and the very simple and fast assembly. The kayak can be assembled within 5 min and you get a kayak that glides really well through the water. It comes closest to the paddling characteristics of a hard shell kayak among the inflatable and drop stitch kayaks.

The workmanship of the kayak makes a solid impression, but it doesn’t seem as high quality as more expensive inflatable kayaks. There are details (small holes in the luggage hatch, partially unclean gluing) where we would have wished for a cleaner finish. However, these do not indicate any functional impairments at first glance.

Conclusion on the Decathlon Itiwit x500

We enjoy paddling the Itiwit x500 a lot because it runs really well on the water without much effort.

With the Itiwit x500, Decathlon addresses a very specific target group: Athletes who see kayaking as a sporting activity, and experienced paddlers who want to make only minor sacrifices in terms of paddling characteristics in an inflatable kayak. Both people are united by the need for easy transportability and storage. In addition, the x500 is very quick and easy to set up, so spontaneous and short paddling trips are always justified.

Recreational paddlers or leisurely touring paddlers are, in our view, better off with another inflatable boat. The Itiwit x500 is not a kayak to lean into and paddle along. It is also not a kayak to chill out on the water, but a sports equipment. You can take it on leisurely tours, but with the appropriate posture.

The Itiwit x500 will definitely still take on numerous tours and expand or update the test article with long-term experiences at the latest at the end of the season.

The lower hull of the drop-stitch kayak is very well shaped. There is a clear keel line between the bow and stern, forming a V-shape. This promises a good paddling characteristics on the water.

The Itiwit Touring kayak from Decathlon has become a classic among inflatable kayaks for beginners (in Australia the product name is Itiwit Cruising). The kayak is available as a 1-, 2- or 3-seater. We have tested the 2-seater. We paddled it both in pairs and alone on a lake and river. In this test report, we would like to introduce you to the boat and report on our experiences on the water.

Decathlon has recently introduced a new inflatable kayak series, the x100+. It’s available as a 2 and 3 persons kayak and comes with a drop-stitch floor, which promises again more stability and better performance on the water. In addition to that, it has thicker boat skin and doesn’t need the polyester cover anymore. We have paddled and reviewed the Itiwit X100+ as well.

Technical Specs

Which model has been reviewed?

Itiwit Touring 2-Seater from 2020

How did we organize the review?

We have purchased the Itiwit Touring ourselves.

How intensively has the product been tested?

First impressions and assembly

The kayak comes with a large backpack. Double paddle and life jackets must be purchased separately. The backpack is good for short transport to the water. For longer trips, the shoulder straps are too thin and not padded, so it quickly becomes uncomfortable. Nevertheless, the transport backpack makes a robust impression and can be opened wide with the surrounding zipper. In addition, even a pump for inflatable kayaks can be attached to the outside of the side.

The kayak consists of three separate PVC air chambers, which are located in a polyester cover. The air chambers each have a Boston valve, which is very common in inexpensive inflatable boats (e.g. Sevylor, Intex, Bestway, …). A Boston valve is a 2-way screw valve that keeps the air in the chamber. When you remove the pump tube after inflation, it prevents the air from flowing out of the chamber.

To inflate the boat, unscrew the upper cap of the valve. First you pump up the floor and then the side chambers to 0.1 bar. We used the Itiwit double stroke air pump 2 x 2.6 liters, which has an integrated air pressure gauge. In our view, this has a good price-performance ratio and its size allows the kayak to be inflated quickly as well as comfortably. If your air pump does not have an air pressure gauge, as a rough guideline you should inflate the air chamber until the wrinkles have disappeared from the polyester.

Inflation takes less than 5 minutes. You place then the seats on the bottom of the kayak, where they are attached with Velcro. The seat cushions have a mini-Boston valve and are also inflated with the air pump. So you can decide for yourself how soft or hard the seat cushion should be.

The backrest is attached to the side wall of the kayak with a strap on each side. The straps allow you to adjust the position of the backrest. The backrest itself is not inflated. This would unnecessarily give away a lot of legroom in the interior, as the boat is already quite short as a 2-person kayak. Overall, we really like the seats and their attachment from the first impression.

On the bottom of the kayak is marked where to place the seats in a 1 or 2-persons configuration. Nevertheless, depending on the size of the paddlers, you can vary the seats forward or backward on the long Velcro strips. The only limitation are the buckles for the backrest straps on the side walls.

On the other hand, if you want to paddle the kayak alone, place a seat in the middle of the kayak and use the middle buckles on the side panels (near the side carry handles) to secure the backrest. The long Velcro strip inside allows for very flexible positioning and also prevents the seat cushion from slipping away while paddling.

The inflatable kayak has four carrying handles. The rear and front carrying handle is for carrying the kayak with two persons. However, if you want to carry the boat to water alone, for example because you go kayaking alone, you use the two side carrying handles. This works really well because of the light weight. We miss such side carry handles on pretty much all other inflatable kayaks.

The spray covers at the bow and stern are mainly there for the carrying handles. The spraydeck at the rear is large enough, so that it comes with a luggage net. So you can not only stow the air pump or a small dry bag behind the rear seat, but also have the possibility to attach luggage.

Before you take the inflatable kayak out on the water, you should attach the fins. There are three directional skegs included in the scope of delivery, which provide a better tracking stability. These are very small, so they can be used in shallow water (e.g. near the shore) and do not cause unnecessary grounding. Due to the small size, all three fins should be attached, so that an improvement in tracking stability and thus a better straight line is achieved.

Review of the Itiwit Touring kayak on the water

The Itiwit kayak is very stable on the water due to its wide hull and voluminous side chambers. You can get into the kayak without any worries. Even jerky movements in the boat can not make it capsize so easily.

We don’t like just the stability of the kayak but also the seats right away. The seating comfort is often a big weak point in cheap inflatable kayaks. The high seat cushion of the Itiwit Touring allows a good paddling position and prevents wet buttocks if some water does get into the boat. In addition, the backrest provides good support so that you can paddle upright. Even after prolonged paddling or by leaning hard into the backrest, it did not buckle backwards. The backrest can also be easily adjusted on the water.

In 1-person use, the actual water length is much shorter, as the boat is only slightly in and more on the water. In this configuration, the kayak offers a lot of attack surface for winds, so it is only intended for paddling in nice weather. Still, with the three fins, reasonable paddling is possible, even if only with moderate straight-line speed.

The driving characteristics are better with two persons. Nevertheless, we would not speak of good performance on the water here either, as Decathlon describes it. When we stop paddling, the kayak immediately loses significant speed and glides only slightly through the water. After a short time, it also drifts. With two of us, we reached a speed of 4 to 4.5 km/h. However, it is well suited for small and leisurely tours of two to three hours.

The disadvantages of susceptibility to wind, low straight-line stability and low speed are natural disadvantages of an inflatable kayak. Any inflatable kayak performs worse in these categories than a rigid hull or folding kayak. Nevertheless, there are higher quality inflatable kayaks that can do much better than the Itiwit Touring. But these kayaks also cost more than twice as much.

For two tall persons (over 1.80 m), the interior of the kayak is clearly too small. In the back, we could adjust the seat as we wanted, but the space for the long legs was not enough. It was much more comfortable to paddle cross-legged. The front paddler, on the other hand, has more legroom. But here, too, the wide side tubes mean that the foot space is too tight for the front paddler in the long run.

We used 230 cm double paddles and found the length to be comfortable. This length is also necessary because of the width of the boat to be able to easily poke into the water with the paddle blades. For smaller people, we would even recommend 240 cm long double paddles to avoid scraping or grazing your hand on the side tube with each paddle stroke. Alternatively, you could also paddle the Itiwit Touring with a single blade paddle, as the seats offer a sufficiently high seating position.

On a river tour, the moderate driving characteristics of the kayak are less noticeable. Here, the current of the river supports, so you can definitely take a half or a day trip on the river. Compared to the even cheaper Intex inflatable kayaks (e.g. Intex Challenger K2), the Itiwit Touring offers much better protection against grounding. The maneuverability is quite sufficient for rivers that are easy to paddle. It feels with its “sensational” width of 103 cm more like a “steamer” on the water.

We paddled the Itiwit Touring without fins and have to say that paddling without fins is also possible. The big difference is the drifting when you stop paddling. The kayak without fins drifts or turns away much faster than with fins.

The space is very good for one person. Behind the seat you can stow the transport backpack with all your gear. The lack of footrests once again clearly shows that the Itiwit Touring is not a real touring kayak. As a 2-person kayak, the interior space is so tight that footrests are not necessary and the interior space is too small for tours lasting several hours. Here it is actually recommended to buy the Itiwit Touring 3-seater. In the 1-person configuration of the 2-seater, a footrest would have been handy to provide sufficient support in the boat. However, a footrest is not necessary for leisurely and occasional tours on the water.

Dismantling the Itiwit Touring 2-seater

The inflatable kayak has a drain valve at the bottom of the stern. If you get a lot of water into the boat during your paddling trip (e.g. a wave from a passing motorboat) and the water is standing in the interior, this opening makes it easier for you to empty the boat.

On a hot summer day, the boat dries quite quickly in the sun. However, you should let a large part of the air out of the side chambers before so that you don’t to risk overpressure from the sun. Since the cover is made of polyester, it is also relatively resistant to UV radiation. The black underside of the kayak is easy to wipe dry. If you’ve gotten a lot of water in the boat, you can even remove the inner floor chamber along with the cover so that it dries even better.

However, on long and splashy trips, the water pulls through the polyester. Here we actually recommend to let the kayak dry at home over night or longer. Also on cloudy days or who has no time after the tour for drying, must unfold the kayak again at home. Otherwise you risk that the boat soon rubs and molds. If you don’t have space at home to let the boat dry slightly inflated, we don’t recommend it. Unless you use the kayak exclusively on sunny summer days and let it dry afterwards.

Packing the kayak back into the transport backpack worked very well. The kayak is easy to fold and easy to stow again thanks to the large opening of the backpack. When folding, make sure you start folding on the opposite side of the valves. In this way, the remaining air can escape from the open valves. In addition, the skeg holders should not be bent when folding.

Strenghts and weaknesses of the Itiwit Touring

In our opinion, the biggest strength is the price-performance ratio. You get a well-made and stable kayak with very good seats in this price range.

Beyond occasional use, we don’t see the kayak as suitable. Due to the very wide and short hull, the kayak is quite slow for longer tours. The interior is also too small for two tall people due to the short length and bulky side chambers. In addition, the long drying time would be annoying in the long run if used frequently.

Conclusion on the Itiwit Touring kayak

For an entry-level kayak, the Itiwit Touring makes a well-thought-out and high-quality impression. Compared to similar inflatable kayaks from other brands, the Itiwit is the better one. In our opinion, the kayak offers the best price-performance ratio, has an air pressure of 0.1 bar on all air chambers and is equipped with good seats.

The outer cover seems sturdy and reliably protects the inner PVC air tubes, yet it comes with the major drawback of long drying times. The polyester cover can not simply be wiped dry, but must dry at home or after the tour in the sun.

However, we find the term touring in the product name somewhat misleading. Because a touring kayak it is definitely not. With a width of 103 cm, it is the widest kayak we know. As we know, the wider a kayak is, the slower it is. On the other hand, the Itiwit kayak is very stable against capsizing. Here you can also see the target group. The inflatable kayak is aimed primarily at beginners who want to take small and leisurely tours in the summer. For larger tours (from half-day tours), the driving characteristics are not good enough and the interior space is too small. Therefore, we agree with Decathlon’s statement that the kayak is designed for a two- to three-hour tour. So, if you are looking for a cheap inflatable kayak and occasionally want to paddle small tours on the water, you can go for this boat.

In some reviews in Decathlon’s store, customers report cracked welds, which can be caused by overpressure or production defects. Even if Decathlon replaces the chamber during the warranty period, the boat is not ready for use for a certain time or the tour cannot be started.

Alternatives to the Itiwit Touring 2

There are also other kayaks from Itiwit, which could be the better choice for you if you find want more space or if you don’t like the long drying time. In case you want to go paddling with another tall person and you want more space,  then we recommend the Itiwit Touring 3 Seater, which can also be paddled by two persons. You just have to remove the third seat. In case you want a kayak that is easy to dry, you should have a look at the x100+ series, which is available as a 2 and 3 persons kayak.

Another brand that offers similar kayaks is Sevylor. The Sevylor Adventure Plus for example has also a nylon cover that protects the air chambers from damage and space for up to three persons. 

The Intex Excursion Pro is the manufacturer’s latest inflatable kayak on the market. At first glance it looks very similar to the Intex Explorer K2. The differences are not only in the design, but especially in the material and equipment as well as in the accessories. With the Excursion Pro, Intex has a much higher quality inflatable kayak in its range than the Intex Explorer or Challenger. In this review we would like to show you whether the extra cost is worth it and the strengths and weaknesses of the kayak.

Technical Specs

Which model has been reviewed?

Intex Excursion Pro model from 2020 and model from 2023

How did we organize the review?

We have purchased the Intex Excursion Pro ourselves.

How intensively has the product been tested?

The kayak has some of the features of a fishing kayak. However, we will not go into these features in this review, as we are not anglers ourselves.

Set-up and first impressions

The Intex Excursion Pro comes with a very large carrying case. Compared to the bags of other Intex boats it is coated and much more stable. With this bag we do not have the feeling that it will tear or get a hole after a few uses. The dimensions of the bag are very large. But that makes sense. Because usually you never get the boat folded up as compactly as it was when delivered. This also gives you the possibility to get the boat into the bag a bit untidily folded (in case you are in a hurry).

As usual with Intex, the boat is offered in a complete set. In addition to the larger and more robust carrying bag, there is a larger double action air pump for fast inflation of the kayak and two plug-in double paddles. In addition to the other Intex inflatable kayaks, the following accessories are included in the delivery:

• Valve key to tighten the valves
• good repair kit
• foot brace for the front and rear paddler
• manometer to check the correct air pressure
• inflatable seat pad for a higher seating position in the boat
• several fishing rod holders
• one skeg each for shallow and deep water (instead of a general skeg)

We can already say that the additional accessories are a useful addition.

Meanwhile, Intex has replaced the bag with a lightweight transport backpack with padded shoulder straps. This makes the kayak much more comfortable to transport, for example, if you go by train or bus to the lake or river.

Although the manual says that the boat should be built on a surface without stones and other sharp objects, we did not quite stick to it. If the boat skin would not withstand these small stones, we would like to know that. Of course we don’t want to force any damage, but the boat skin inspires confidence, because it is not just a PVC skin. The boat skin consists of a polyester fabric coated on both sides with PVC. In case of damage, the boat skin can be mended with the enclosed repair kit.

First the bottom and then the side chambers are inflated. The bottom and the side chambers are separate from each other, i.e. each air chamber also has its own valve. This multi-chamber system is common on inflatable boats in order not to sink in case of a hole on the water.

Inflating works well with the supplied pump. Admittedly, the air pump is nevertheless quite small and not very robust. Also the stand is very small. But that is not surprising. You should not expect miracles from the included accessories, especially not if they are in the scope of a cheap complete set.

As soon as the air chamber reaches its final shape, check the air pressure with the supplied manometer. The chambers can be inflated up to 0.08 bar (1.16 PSI). This is not much for an inflatable kayak, but a little more than for the Intex Challenger K2 and Explorer K2. If you have been on the water with the boat for a longer time, you should check the air pressure during a break on the shore. If the air and water temperature are significantly different, the air pressure in the chambers will drop and they will become slightly softer. But this is quite normal for an inflatable boat and here it helps to pump up. In the case of inflatable boats with a higher pressure (e.g. Gumotex or Grabner), this effect is not that significant.

We found the handling of the valves less good. It is a little tricky to open and close the valve spring. The valve spring is covered with a screw cap, so that the valve is not accidentally opened on the water. The cap is only attached with a very thin string.

Inflatable kayaks generally have the disadvantage compared to fixed hull kayaks that they have a worse directional stability. Therefore a fin can be attached to most inflatable kayaks to improve the directional stability. With our model we unfortunately had to find out that the fin holder is not attached straight. The sloppy mounting of the fin holder is annoying, because it will make the kayak even worse in terms of directional stability.

Both the foot braces and the seats can be placed in different positions in the boat. For the foot brace there are 3 positions each for the front and rear paddler. You can also fix the seat variably to the ground with a long velcro strip. Especially the foot braces surprised us, because something like that is not common in this price class.

Since we are quite tall, we use the whole interior space to place the seats and foot braces. The backrests of the seats are attached by two belts, each of which can be fastened to the side chamber with a plastic carabiner.

At the bow and stern there is a small spray deck each. A wave from the front (e.g. from a passing boat) would still get into the boat because the spraydeck is sagging downwards.

The spraydeck is primarily used to attach the carrying handles. The boat is equipped with a robust carrying handle at both the front and the back, so that two people can carry the boat. The carrying handles make a robust impression. Unfortunately the opening of the carrying handles is a bit too narrow for big and strong hands.

There are also small safety lines at the front and back of the outer edge of the boat. These are quite practical to pull the boat ashore. In addition to the D-rings, which are used to secure the backrests, there are two more D-rings in the front and in the back for securing equipment (e.g. the belt of a dry bag).

On closer inspection, we could not find any processing errors or unclean spots in the gluing, apart from the skeg holder.

In the scope of supply an additional seat cushion is included, which can be placed under one of the seats. The seat cushion increases the sitting position and is intended for children or very small persons, so that it’s easier to put the paddle blade into the water.

Review of the Intex Excursion Pro on the water

The Intex Excursion Pro has robust carrying handles, so that the kayak can be carried well to water together with another person. However, the low air pressure is noticeable when carrying it. Although the kayak is not very long for a 2-person inflatable kayak, it hangs noticeably when being carried. If you paddle the kayak slo and have to carry it around on river tours, you definitely need a canoe trolley in our opinion.

The open construction of the kayak allows easy access to the kayak. Nevertheless, the bottom chamber gives way noticeably when entering the kayak. If you use the deep-water fin, you should only enter the kayak when the water depth is sufficient.

Due to the variable placement of the seats, you can paddle it solo as well. In the following photo you can see that the effective length of the boat on the water, i.e. the waterline, is much shorter than the total length of the boat. The reason is that the weight is mainly concentrated in the middle of the boat. Nevertheless, the Excursion Pro can be paddled without problems with a deep water fin. The speed and the directional stability as a 1-person kayak are alright for short trips.

The seat cushion is high enough so that you don’t have to sit in the wet if water (e.g. splashes when paddling or waves from a passing boat) gets into the boat. The backrest gives only limited support and makes a rather unstable impression. When paddling it supports only a small area of the lower back. If we lean into it properly, it bends away to the back.

Cheap inflatable kayaks rarely have a foot brace. A foot brace not only gives you a much better hold when paddling. A foot brace also makes paddling easier overall. Since the feet and therefore your torso have a better hold in the boat, you can get the necessary power for the paddle stroke mainly from your upper body instead of your arms. This makes you less tired when paddling. However, since cheap inflatable kayaks are not designed for long paddling anyway, many of them come without a foot brace.

Although the Intex Excursion Pro is only designed for short and comfortable trips due to its low air pressure, wide and yet quite short hull for a 2-person kayak, the foot braces are a nice feature as long as the paddlers are not too tall. For each seating position in the boat (front and back as a 2-person kayak and in the middle as a 1-person kayak) there are 3 positions each for the foot brace.

For tall paddlers the foot braces are rather unsuitable on longer trips. Because even when the foot braces is attached in the outermost loops, we have to bend our legs too much when using the foot braces (see photo below). For short tours this is not a big issue. On half or day tours, however, it becomes uncomfortable. For small persons the foot braces can be a nice support to find enough hold in the boat.

If you are paddling the boat solo and are tall, we recommend that you use the front bottom loops (which are actually intended for the 2-person configuration). Apart from the footrest, the interior offers plenty of room for a solo paddler.

In contrast to the 1-person use, the kayak with a 2-person configuration lies much better in the water. Also in comparison to the other Intex kayaks there have been some improvements. The directional stability are noticeably better due to the length of the boat, the air chambers have become somewhat more dimensionally stable and the maximal load capacity has increased by 20 kg. A speed of 3.1 – 3.4 km/h is quite realistic. The interior is spacious enough to provide enough room for two large paddlers.

The double-bladed paddles (with a length of 218 cm / 2’2”) are well designed for the kayak and for the average paddling beginner, but too wobbly for longer tours. Unlike other portable double-bladed paddles, it’s made not only of 2 or 4 pieces, but even 5 pieces. This increases the compactness of the paddle, but at the same time reduces the stability. For intensive use the plug system of the paddle shafts seems to wear out quickly, which would make the paddles even wobblier in the long run.

For occasional and small paddling trips on the water, the paddles are still useful. Nevertheless, the paddles show that the complete set is only designed for occasional and short paddling trips.

After a two-hour paddle tour with numerous landings on the shore, the kayak remained unharmed. The stress on the boat skin and on the boat itself were comparatively low in our review. There were good conditions (no wind) and the lake had only gravel banks. This is exactly what we consider the boat suitable for. In our opinion, the kayak is not the best choice for river tours with possible ground contact as well as half or day tours on lakes.

Dismantling the kayak

If there is water in the boat, the drain opening in the stern can be used before dismantling the kayak. This way you make sure that most of the water can drain out of the boat. To do this, tilt the boat at the front and the water in the boat will run out of the drain opening. You only have to wipe the interior dry without taking out the water with a sponge. The boat skin can also be wiped dry easily. The seats on the other hand have a slightly fabric-like coating that cannot be wiped dry. These should let air dry.

The air went out of the air chambers without much effort and the boat let was easy to fold up so that it fit back into the bag. However, the folded boat did not reach the original pack size.

Strengths and weaknesses of the Intex

It is difficult to identify a concrete strength of the kayak. For a inflatable kayak in the lower price range it has reasonable dimensions and comes with a lot of useful accessories. Due to its generous dimensions the kayak offers much more space inside than comparable kayaks in the price range. The directional stability and the performance on the water is good for comfortable tours on lakes and rivers.

Nevertheless, from our point of view, the Intex Excursion Pro is a beginner inflatable kayak for occasional use. The air chambers are not stiff enough due to the low air pressure, the backrests do not give enough support when paddling on longer tours and the paddles are too wobbly. The boat skin is much more robust than the Intex Challenger or Explorer. But it does not look as robust as the skin of a Gumotex or Grabner inflatable kayak.

Conclusion on the Intex Excursion Pro

The Intex Excursion Pro is a successful further development with numerous improvements of the previous Intex inflatable kayaks and goes in the right direction. We had called the Intex Challenger and Explorer more bathing boats than kayaks. With the Intex Excursion Pro we see it the other way around. But it is definitely not a touring kayak either, it is much more a recreational kayak for occasional use. The running characteristics were better than expected, especially when the kayak is paddled by two persons. Two paddlers give the boat more drive. Also, the higher weight and better weight distribution increases the waterline of the boat. However, our afternoon review cannot conclude how durable and robust the kayak is in the long run.

If you want to find out more about Intex and his products, make sure to check out our overview of Intex boats and kayaks article.

Recommended Kayaking Equipment

The Intex Challenger Excursion Pro already includes a paddle and pump. However, you definitely need to get a life jacket. You also want to consider a dry bag and a proper transport bag for the inflatable kayak.

Accessories for the Intex Challenger K1

The scope of delivery of the boat includes the following accessories:

• Kayak paddle
• Inflatable foot brace
• Air pump
• Fin
• Repair patches
• Transport bag

In addition, we recommend the following accessories:

• Life jacket: Itiwit BA 50N+ * (good life jacket for beginners, very good price-performance ratio, more details in our test report).
• Dry Bag: Itiwit dry bag 10L* (ideal for protecting items from splashing water and short immersion in water, good workmanship, with carrying strap, available in different colors and sizes)
• Transport backpack: only a bag is included, which is intended for storage and short transport of the kayak to the water. If you want to transport the kayak longer distances and more comfortably to the water, we recommend the Itiwit transport backpack*, which is comfortable to carry and has enough space for the kayak and accessories.

Alternatives to the Intex Excursion Pro

There are many other manufacturers, which make also great inflatable kayaks. Sea Eagle for example is very well-known in the US and they have a very wide range of inflatables. The Sea Eagle 420X comes with a drop-stitch floor and is available in a complete set (paddles, air pump, bag). It’s more expensive than the Excursion Pro but you will also get more for your money.

If you look for another affordable kayak, then the Itiwit x100+ might be a good kayak for you as a beginner. It’s a well-designed boat with good materials and quality but due to the hull the driving performance isn’t outstanding. It’s a good leisure boat for slow and comfortable tours on calm waters.

But if performance on the water is important to you, then you should check out kayaks from Advanced Elements. They have some really good boat, which can compete with solid kayaks.

The Bestway Hydro-Force Ventura is a very frequently sold inflatable kayak on the Internet. It is the best equipped and most robust kayak of the manufacturer. We have received many inquiries from our readers what we think of the kayak. Now we ordered it ourselves and took a closer look at it. Read this test article to find out what our opinion is about this inflatable kayak and how it performs on the water.

Technical Specs

Which model has been reviewed?

Bestway Hydro-Force Ventura from 2020. 

How did we organize the review?

We have purchased the Bestway Hydro-Force Ventura ourselves.

How intensively has the product been tested?

Product update of the Bestway kayak

Since 2021, the Bestway Hydro-Force Ventura is available in turquoise blue. Material, workmanship and construction look identical at first glance. Apart from the color, the new model has become narrower by 8 cm (3”). There are also other seats in the boat, but they hardly differ from the previous model. The new seats also have only a flat seat cushion and a thin backrest. Paddle and air pump are the same as those of the orange previous model.

First Impressions and assembly

The kayak comes in a complete set, which means that two double-bladed paddles, an air pump, a manometer (to measure the air pressure) and repair patches are already included. However, there is no bag included, which you need for transport to the water or for storage at home. For this purpose we recommend for example the Sevylor Quickpak.

Considering the materials used and the price, the kayak looks high quality and solid. The black-orange design looks appealing on the one hand and on the other hand you are clearly visible on the water with the orange side color.

Before inflating the air chambers, the two fins needs to be attached to the bottom of the kayak. They give the inflatable kayak a better directional stability and make paddling easier.

There are also two safety lines that are attached to the bow and stern. These can be handy for gripping the boat better and pulling it to shore.

The actual PVC air chambers are covered by a nylon layer. Thus the air chambers are additionally protected from possible damage and the probability of a hole in the air chamber is considerably reduced.

The three air chambers are each inflated via a Boston valve. A Boston valve is a 2-way screw valve. It therefore has two screw caps lying on top of each other. To inflate, unscrew the top cap. A non-return cap prevents the air from flowing out of the chamber as soon as you remove the pump tube. The inflation sequence is noted on the nylon cover. First inflate the side walls and then the floor. The included air pump has a volume of 2.8 L and a double stroke function. A double stroke function means that you pump air into the air chamber both when pulling and pushing the handle. The air pump is quite small, so you have to bend your knees a lot.

The recommended air pressure of the air chambers is 0.06 bar (0.87 PSI). This is very little for a inflatable kayak. Check the correct air pressure with the manometer. The manometer works well, but reading the small scale is a bit difficult. A red marking at 0.06 bar would have been very practical.

You can even screw the manometer onto the pump hose and check the air pressure during inflation. To avoid any damages on the air chambers, you should stick to the recommended air pressure of the manufacturer. In addition, you can also use the manometer separately if you want to check the air pressure during a tour while taking a break on shore.

When the boat is fully inflated, attach the seat straps to the side chmabers with the buckles. The very long straps and the continuous Velcro strip on the floor of the kayak allow you to place the seat in the boat in a very variable way.

The bottom of the floor is made of thick PVC, which is much thicker than, for example, the boat skin of an Intex Challenger K2. The actual air chmabers are inside of the nylon cover and are also made of thick PVC. If they are damaged, they can be patched with the included repair patches or replaced with a new air chamber.

The repair patches remind us of waterproof adhesive tape, which can only be used for a small hole in the air chamber. For larger damages as well as holes or cracks in the outer shell the enclosed patches are not suitable. Therefore you should handle the boat with care.

The Bestway Hydro-Force Ventura has a total of four carrying handles. One carry handle each on the left and right side chamber in the middle of the boat. This allows you to carry the boat to the water by yourself when you are paddling alone.In addition, there is one handle each on the bow and stern, which are attached to the outermost point of the kayak, which makes it very easy for two people to carry the kayak.

Compared to many other inflatable kayaks, the Bestway Hydro-Force Ventura does not have small spraycovers at the bow and hood to protect against spray water. In addition, the spraycovers of most inflatable kayaks are equipped with luggage nets, so that a backpack or dry bag can be attached.

Instead, a net bag is attached to the bow of the Bestway kayak. This net bag serves as a storage bag for small items. It is a nice extra, but we would have preferred a transport bag for the kayak. If you want the items in the net bag to stay dry, you need a waterproof bag.

The double-bladed paddles included are 218 cm (7’2”) long and made of three parts, which are connected to each other with two connectors. Since the paddles can be disassembled, they are also very easy to transport. The connecting pieces also serve as handles. The paddles look small and cheap at first sight. We are curious how they perform on the water.

Review of the Bestway Hydro-Force Ventura on the water

Thanks to the four carrying handles, you can carry and put the inflatable kayak into the water by yourself. Due to the open construction and the wide side tubes, getting into the kayak is very easy and safe without the feeling of capsizing.

The multi-part double-bladed paddle does not wobble, which is unusual for such a cheap paddle (which is included with some cheap inflatable kayaks). The reason for the stability is that the rods of the paddle are not inserted but screwed into the connecting piece. What we cannot say is whether they will wobble after frequent use,. The connecting piece also serves as paddle handle. The paddle handle has a bad feel and is too uncomfortable for long paddling tours.

Furthermore we find the double-bladed paddles with a length of 218 cm (7’2”) too short. For an inflatable kayak with a full width of 94 cm (3’1”) and the flat seats we constantly touch the tubes with the short paddles. We adapted our paddling technique so that when we inserted the paddle blade into the water we held the paddle a little more to the left or right. If the paddles were long enough (at least 230 cm / 7’5”, better 240 cm / 7’9”) it would not be necessary and the paddling would be more comfortable.

Another weakness of the inflatable, which we immediately notice on the water, are the seats. The seat cushions are very flat so that we sit too deep in the boat. This makes paddling more difficult, especially with the short paddles. Also you sit faster in the wet if splash water accumulates or a wave comes into the boat. 

As long as there is no puddle in the boat, you will usually stay dry. However, as we think it is a fair weather boat, it should not be a big problem in summer, as most people will paddle in swimming trunks then. We like the fact that the seat is attached to the ground with Velcro and does not slip when paddling. Because of the low air pressure of the floor chamber, you sit soft and comfortable on the ground.

What is more disturbing are the backrests. The backrests are very thin and we quickly get the feeling that the backrest consists of only one strap. On the backrests of the seats there is a small zippered pocket, which is quite practical for storing your mobile phone, for example, because you can quickly have it at hand.

When paddling the kayak with two persons, a speed of up to 4 – 4.5 km/h (2.5 – 2.8 mph). The straight run is okay with the two fins as long as there is no wind. For short distances the space for two persons is acceptable, on long distances the interior is clearly too small.

Due to the splash water during paddling (caused by the short paddles, among other things) and getting in and out of the kayak, the interior of the kayak looks like this after a while (see picture below). The nylon has become soaked with wetness. If you get a wave into the boat, there is of course more water in the boat. If there is a lot of water in the boat, you can open the small drain valve at the back of the stern to let the water flow out.

After some time the low air pressure of 0.06 bar (0.87 PSI) becomes noticeable. If the difference between air and water temperature is large, the drop in temperature makes the air chambers softer, which is normal for inflatable boatsHowever, the effect is much more noticeable for inflatable boats with very low air pressure, such as this boat, than for inflatable kayaks with a higher air pressure. After over an hour the air chambers were much softer than at the beginning, so we landed and pumped up. The manometer confirmed that the air pressure was only about half of the pressure with what we started our paddling tour.

Dismantling the kayak

The dismantling of the kayak is very simple. You unscrew the Boston valve completely out of the thread so that the air can escape. If you have time, you can dry the boat in the sun with the valves open. Otherwise you can wipe it a little bit dry and unfold and dry it again at home. If you store the boat wet for a longer period of time, mildew will form on the nylon. Drying the boat in the cellar took longer than one night. We had to lay the boat down again in a different position so that all wet spots could dry. Otherwise we could not really dry the boat. For a short paddling fun on the water the effort of drying the boat is quite big in the end.

You fold the boat once in length and then you fold it several times. Fold it from the bow so that the valves are exposed and the remaining air can escape without problem. The Bestway kayak fits perfectly into our Itiwit boat backpack with the air pump, seats and mesh bag. The double-bladed paddles are stored in the outer pockets of the backpack. In that way, the boat can be easily transported to the train or to the car.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Depending on the offer, Bestway offers with its model Hydro-Force Ventura an inexpensive boat in a complete set, which has a robust outer shell and is solidly manufactured.  There were no unclean seams or gluings. Nevertheless, the Bestway Hydro-Force Ventura has numerous weaknesses, which you should be aware of before buying. Due to the uncomfortable backrests, the low air pressure and the bad double-bladed paddles, paddling is hardly fun in the long run (over 1 km without a break). Personally we find the performance on the water of the cheaper inflatable kayaks Intex Challenger K2 and Explorer K2 better. But the Intex inflatable kayaks have a more sensitive boat skin.

Conclusion on the Bestway Hydro-Force Ventura

On the product photos the Bestway Hydro-Force Ventura makes a good impression. You get the impression that you can get a full-fledged kayak for a good price. We have to admit that the kayak has a nice design. The air chambers are protected by the nylon cover and make the kayak look like a fixed hull kayak. 

Moreover, the kayak comes in a complete kit, so that you can start paddling immediately. Depending on the waters and conditions, only the purchase of life jackets is necessary. In short: the offer is quite attractive. The workmanship is good. Everything works and the boat skin makes a robust impression.

From our point of view the Bestway Hydro-Force Ventura is a higher quality bathing or fair weather boat, which can be paddled as a kayak for short distances.  For small calm rivers and lakes the Bestway Hydro-Force Ventura is an option, as long as there are tours with a low paddle percentage. When you fold down the backrests, you can lean on the bow or stern chamber and relax really well on the water. Those who really want to kayak and paddle tours of more than 1 mile should not buy the Bestway Hydro-Force Ventura.

Other entry-level inftlable kayaks​

Intex and Sevylor are two other brands that offer entry-level inflatable kayaks. Intex offers one of the cheapest kayaks on the market, for example the Intex Explorer K2. The boat skin is quite thin and sensetive. Sevylor has also pretty cheap kayaks but also some more solid ones, like the Sevylor Adventure Plus, which can be paddled with up to 3 persons. It also has a nylon cover that protects the tubes from damage.

The Itiwit x100+ inflatable kayak is a further development of the popular Itiwit Touring kayak series from Decathlon. It is a 2-person inflatable kayak with drop-stitch floor, which can be paddled by two persons or single. Decathlon promotes the Itiwit x100+ as a kayak for occasional tours of 2-3 hours, which offers a good combination of performance and stability. We have paddled the Itiwit kayak and in this article we would like to tell you about our first impressions and experiences on the water.

Technical Specs

Which model has been reviewed?

Itiwit x100+ 2-Seater from 2020

How did we organize the review?

The Itiwit x100+ was provided to us by Decathlon, a French manufacturer and distributor of sports equipment and clothing. Itiwit is a brand for the paddle sport of Decathlon. Our review is independent of the manufacturer or shop and reflects our own opinion of the boat.

How intensively has the product been tested?

First impressions and assembly

The Itiwit x100+ comes in a well-sized backpack that is comfortable to carry. A very useful feature of the backpack are the outside pockets where you can stow your paddle. The front of the backpack can be opened almost completely with the zipper. This way you can easily take out the boat and pack it back in without any big efforts. For the total price of the boat we think it is great that a backpack and not just a carry bag. The backpack is functional and has a good quality.

The Itiwit x100+ has two separate side chambers and a removable drop-stitch floor. Before inserting the floor we inflated it slightly and then put it into the boat. The floor is attached at the bow and stern with a strap click fastener, so that it remains well in its right position without moving around. 

The floor is inflated to 0.35 bar (5.1 PSI), which was an easy job with the Decathlon air pump. The side chambers are then inflated to 0.2 bar (2.9 PSI). For a beginner kayak in this price range, such operating pressures are hard to find. For example, Sevylor inflatable kayaks are in a similar price range but they only have an air pressure of 0.1 bar (1.5 PSI). The higher the air pressure of the air chambers, the stiffer the kayak and better the performance on the water.

The kayak has reasonable valves that can be closed or opened by a spring (same mechanism as on Innova and Grabner inflatable boats). The handling is very simple. The backpack even contains a valve key so that it can be removed and cleaned or retightened if necessary.

It takes less than 5 minutes to inflate the air chambers. After inflation, three small skegs are attached to the bottom of the boat. A skeg is very typical for inflatable kayaks to improve straight-line stability. We have not yet paddled an inflatable kayak with three skegs. It is very likely that the Itiwit x100+ has more skegs than other models, as it has a remarkably wide and flat hull, which would otherwise be very turn-happy when paddling.

Depending on whether you want to configure your kayak for 1 person or 2 persons, you position the seat. The seats have a high inflatable seat cushion. This allows a raised seating position so that the wide side tubes are not in the way when paddling. You can also inflate the seat a little softer or harder, depending on your preference, to find the comfortable seat firmness for you. The seat is attached to the bottom of the boat by the Velcro strip, which prevents it from slipping while paddling. The Velcro strips on the bottom are sufficiently long for the front and rear seats, so that you can vary the position of the seats.

The robust backrest is attached to the side chambers with a belt on both sides. The position of the backrest is also adjustable. All in all, we really like the seats. They look comfortable, have a good workmanship and promise a good grip when paddling. We are curious to see how they feel once we are on the water.

The outer skin of the kayak makes a robust impression. It consists of a polyester fabric coated with PVC Tarpaulin. Due to this robust outer skin, no textile cover is necessary to protect the tubes, as with the Itiwit Touring or Sevylor Adventure. The boat dries more quickly after use (significantly less risk of mould growth) and is easier to repair in the event of a defect. The permanently integrated side tubes are also equipped with a pressure relief valve, so that it is impossible to damage the boat due to excessive inflation or heat exposure.The drop-stitch floor, seats and other parts of the boat can be re-ordered and replaced in case of a defect.

The drop-stitch floor has a recess on each side where drain valves are located. For example, if you are paddling on the beach in the summer and a wave does come into the boat, the water will run off when the valves are open. This way no water will accumulate in the boat.

The Itiwit x100+ also offers important features of a good kayak. At the top of the bow and stern there is a carrying handle to carry the boat to the water. What we really like are the side carrying handles. If you are paddling the kayak on your own, you can easily put it in the water yourself.

At the bow and stern there are small spraycovers which provide additional protection against spray water. Furthermore, the kayak offers possibilities to fix luggage or to store small items. On the stern there is a large luggage net where you can put a large backpack or dry bag. At the front of the stern and at the back of the backrests there are small net pockets for small items, which are easily accessible when paddling. Such features seem less important at first sight, but in practice such details prove to be very useful and you don’t want to miss them.

You can also use the boat backpack and store all your stuff there. This even fits in the rear of the boat if the rear seat is placed far forward. You can attach the backpack to the luggage net.

We also attach the backpack with its grey compression strap to the orange luggage net, so that in case of a capsize the backpack would not sink. Note, however, that the boat backpack is not waterproof.

Review of the Itiwit X100+ on the water

The Itiwit kayak has a very high stability due to the wide and flat hull. You can get into the kayak without any worries. Due to the drop-stitch construction it feels very stable when you get in. We have paddled the kayak as a single and two persons configuration.

The Itiwit X100+ as a 1-person kayak

If you place the seat in the middle of the boat, you can use it as a solo kayak. The carrying handle on the side tube makes it very easy to carry the boat to the water.

Since the three fins are very small, you can already get into shallow water and paddle without touching down. Should there be a shore or a river section with shallow depth, you will touch down very late with the small fins. Nevertheless, we recommend on rivers with very low level to omit the fins to avoid unnecessary grounding.

During paddling, the kayak lies extremely stable on the water. Jerky movements, adjusting the seat on the water, even standing up can in no way cause the boat to capsize. We have never paddled such a stable kayak before.

In favour of stability the kayak loses performance on the water. The straight-line stability is only moderate with the three fins. The kayak also glides only slightly through the water when you stop paddling. Due to the wide side tubes we found a 220 cm long double-bladed paddle a bit too short. It is possible to paddle with it, but a paddle at least 230 cm or 240 cm long would be more comfortable, so that it is easier to get into the water with the paddle blades.

Despite the three skegss, the kayak has good manoeuvrability. However, a complete turn (i.e. 180°) is only possible with many paddle strokes.

The Itiwit X100+ as a 2-person kayak

The kayak is very quickly reconfigured into a 2-person kayak. The front and rear carrying handles make it easy for two people to carry the Itiwit x100 to the water. The carrying handles are placed nice and far outside.

When paddling as 2-person kayak, the stability is also very good. The performance on the water is noticeably better with a two persons, as the kayak lies more in the water and thus forms a longer waterline. So the speed and the straight-line stability are better. 

You can reach a speed of between 2,5 and 3,1 mph when paddling comfortably. Compared to other kayaks, the straight-line stability is not really good, but still okay. Here you should not forget that the kayak with a length of 365 cm and a width of 103 cm is not designed for fast but rather for calm and stable paddling tours.

What surprised us is the space available. For a 2-person kayak the Itiwit x100+ is not very long. Nevertheless, as large persons we had enough space inside and enough legroom.  The seating position is really good in a kayak. This is normally something you don’t get in this price range. The seats give a good hold and enough comfort for a nice paddling tour. Due to the integrated drain valves and the raised seat position you will never really sit in the wet. In addition, the seat backs give good support and sufficient comfort for a leisurely paddle.

If the seat cushion of the rear seat is firmly inflated, it is difficult to move it far back to the end of the Velcro strip on the floor. The interior is somewhat narrower at the rear and front due to the design. In the photo below you can see the maximum rear position when the seat cushion is fully inflated. If you still want more legroom in the back, you have to let some air out of the seat cushion so that it can be moved further back.

On one of our recent trips on a hot summer day, we also really appreciated the Itiwit x100+ as a bath boat. We took the seats out and paddled a bit into the deep water. The double paddle can be attached to the paddle holder on the side tube. Since you can stand in the boat, jumping in from the boat into the water is no problem and also really fun. Since the boat is so tilt-resistant, you can also get back out of the water into the boat.

Itiwit x100+ 2 seater vs 3 seater

The Itiwit x100+ 2-seater is also available as a larger variant, i.e. 3 seater and 4 seater. The kayaks are identical in terms of equipment, air pressure, tipping stability and material. They differ only in price, color scheme, dimensions, load limit and weight.

We have tested the 3 seater and compared it to the 2 seater. The Itiwit x100+ 3 seater gives you the possibility to go paddling with three people. With two adults and one child, it offers plenty of space. For three adults, the space is significantly limited, but for short (2 to 3 hours) and leisurely tours still possible.

In addition, the 3 seater can also be interesting for you as a 2 seater kayak, if the load limit and the space offered by the 2-seater seems too little. The 3 seater is another 45 cm longer and has a 50 kg higher load capacity. The rear paddler has much more room to stretch his legs. In addition, the extra space in the middle can be used to carry more luggage or even a dog. With two people, the 3 seater is about 0.5 km/h faster and drifts less when you stop paddling. However, we would not recommend the 3-seater simply because of the minimally better driving characteristics. If you don’t need the extra space and payload, the Itiwit x100+ 2 seater is a good choice.

Dismantling the Itiwit x100+

The dismantling of the kayak was quick and easy. All you have to do is open the three valves. Most of the air escapes by itself. The remaining air can either be pressed or pumped out. We normally pump out the remaining air. If you use the Itiwit air pump to pump out the remaining air, you have to disconnect the pressure gauge.

Remove the drop-stitch floor and fold it back up as originally. Then fold the kayak once lengthwise and place the folded drop-stitch floor on top. Finally fold them together to a packable size. The folded kayak fits back into the supplied backpack right away thanks to the large opening. Squeezing is not necessary here. There is even room for the air pump on the side of the backpack. Before closing the backpack, you still put the two seats and three fins in.

According to the user’s manual, the double paddle is stored in the outer side pockets next to the boat, seats and air pump. This did not work with us, because the backpack was already too tightly filled.

Strengths and weaknesses of the Itiwit X100+

The Itiwit x100+ is one of the most stable inflatable kayaks we have paddled so far. Thanks to the wide hull and drop-stitch bottom, you can even stand up in the boat without capsizing. The entry and exit is also very safe and due to the flat fins already possible in shallow water.

Unfortunately, when dismantling and wiping dry after another tour, we had to find that the bottom with the side tube is not glued cleanly in case of our model. This had had no effect on the functionality of the boat so far, but it is still unsightly. When asked, Decathlon assured us that such processing errors do not usually occur. Nevertheless, we recommend that you always check the quality of workmanship (especially in the glued joints) of the model when buying an inflatable kayak (regardless of the brand).

Otherwise, Decathlon offers a robust and well thought-out kayak for the price. However, those who want to make long distances on standing water with the kayak will have less fun with the Itiwit x100+.

Conclusion on the Itiwit x100+

Decathlon offers with the Itiwit x100+ a very functional and solid kayak. It is not a cheap inflatable kayak. The price is justified in our opinion. We think the price-performance ratio is very good. It was our first Itiwit inflatable kayak we reviewed and we have to say that Decathlon has launched a good recreational kayak for beginners. It is perfect for paddling on a lake and enjoying the peace and quiet on the water. The boat looks very well thought out. The Itiwit x100+ is unrivalled in this price range.

Due to its high stability against tipping, the kayak is mainly aimed at beginners in paddling who would otherwise be afraid of capsizing. The inflatable kayak is also a clear recommendation for adults with children. Decathlon has also launched a 3-persons drop-stich kayak, which is aimed at small families. The Itiwit is a good kayak for small explorations on calm rivers and small lakes. If you want to do a day trip and paddle a long distance (over 20 km), you will have less fun with the kayak. Decathlon advertises a good combination of performance and stability. Stability clearly outweighs performance when you interpret performance as the speed of a kayak. The kayak makes a solid impression in terms of workmanship and robustness.

Alternatives to the Itiwit X100+

The Itiwit x100+ is not the only kayak from Itiwit. There is also the Touring series and we have also reviewed the 2 seater version. The performance on the water is quite similar but it takes much longer to dry due to the the polyester cover. Therefore, the boat is much cheaper.

And then there are also inflatable kayak brands like Intex and Sevylor, which are also well-known for entry-level kayaks.

The Intex Challenger K1 is one of the cheapest inflatable kayaks. It even comes in a complete set, so that nothing stands in the way of an immediate paddling tour. We now wanted to know for ourselves how is it to paddle the Intex 1-person kayak and can it compete with a good quality inflatable kayak.

This inflatable kayak is also available as 2-person model. Make sure to check out our review on the Intex Challenger K2 as well, if you are interested in paddling with someone else together. We have also a complete guide about Intex boats and kayaks.

Technical Specs

Which model has been reviewed?

Intex Challenger K1 from 2019

How did we organize the review?

We have purchased the Intex Challenger K1 ourselves.

How intensively has the product been tested?

First impressions and assembly

The Intex Challenger K1 comes in a compact and very light carrying bag. Since the boat weighs only 28.4 lb, it can be carried comfortably over short distances with the included carrying bag. But the carrying bag is not robust. The material of the bag is so thin that already after the first use there was a small hole in the bottom.

The inflatable kayak is quickly unpacked and amazingly handy. To inflate the kayak you need to unfold it. The Intex Challenger K1 has two separate air chambers, a bottom chamber and a side chamber, each inflated by a Boston valve. Boston valves are 2-way screw valves that allow a quick and safe air inflation and deflation. Due to the separate air chambers it is still possible to reach the shore safely even if one chamber fails.

The bottom chamber is inflated at first with the supplied air pump. Inflating is very easy and goes relatively quickly. Nevertheless, many strokes with the air pump are necessary, because the pump is quite small. Fortunately the kayak is not too big. After inflating the bottom, the second chamber needs to be filled with air, which forms the sides and the deck of the kayak.

After inflating the two air chambers, the boat has reached its final shape. The interior does not seem very large. There is a hook-and-loop fastener on the floor, which is intended for fixing the seat.

If you are not sure when the correct air pressure is reached, you can measure it. Intex has printed a measuring scale on each chamber for this purpose. With the enclosed measuring strip, it can be checked whether there is enough air in the air chambers or whether one of them still needs to be pumped up.

The seat can also be inflated with the air pump. This consists of an inflatable seat cushion and a backrest. The backrest is attached to the side walls with straps and can be adjusted as desired. The seat is slightly wide and bulky for the small interior of the boat. Instead, the seat sits firmly in the boat as soon as it is properly placed in the interior. The fastening of the seat with Velcro is a simple and good idea of the manufacturer.

Finally, the footrest is inflated and placed in the bow of the boat and the skeg is attached. We consider the skeg in particular to be a very important feature. A skeg provides a much better directional stability, especially for inflatable kayaks.

The boat was completely assembled in 8 minutes. We have to admit that we had built up the Intex Challenger K2 before and therefore we are a bit familiar with the construction. Nevertheless we think that a setup of 10 to 15 minutes is possible without any problems.

With exact investigation of the boat, we notice immediately that the firmness of the tubes can’t really compete with high-quality inflatable kayaks. This was not to be expected otherwise, as the kayak has an operating pressure of only 0.069 bar. Higher quality inflatable kayaks have a much higher air pressure (e.g. Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame). However, one cannot expect a higher operating pressure for the price. On the one hand, the air chambers would then have to be processed to a higher quality so that they can withstand a higher operating pressure. On the other hand, a higher air pressure in combination with the boat material wouldn’t be any good. In contrast, the low pressure prevents more or less this material more effective from any ground and stone contact because the thin skin can easier yield.

Besides the possibility to stow the luggage behind the seat in the stern, the kayak also has a luggage net on the bow. This gives a lot of space for additional luggage, which should be quickly at hand (e.g. shoes, water bottle, lunch box or dry bag). Behind the seat there is not too much space and of course it is also difficult to reach even while paddling. Therefore we like the large luggage net on the bow even more.

Review of the Intex Challenger K1 on the water

The air kayak has no handles. These are also not necessary. The boat is handy and light enough to be carried to the water. The canopy makes it a little more difficult to get in. However, the boat is stable in the water, so that capsizing is difficult.

The inflatable kayak is constructed so that the stern and bow are somewhat closed. This considerably reduces the ingress of spray water. But this has a disadvantage for tall people. In my case the Intex Challenger K1 is too small, because I am too tall for the boat (6’2”). In addition the canopy is very low dimensioned, so that one feels constricted. You should be at least smaller than 5’9”. Otherwise we recommend the Intex Challenger K2, which can also be paddled as a solo kayak.

The directional stabilityand manoeuvrability are acceptable. For such a short boat we also expect it to react quickly to changes of direction. The skeg is definitely a must-have for the kayak because it improved the performance on the water a lot. However, it can’t compete with other inflatable ones in terms of performance, for example the Advanved Elements AdvancedFrame.

Those who have no comparison with other kayaks will find the speed to be sufficient and pleasant. The Intex Challenger K1 is perfectly adequate for leisurely explorations on a calm lake. However, if you want to join other kayakers on a kayak trip and they are paddling high quality inflatable kayaks or even fixed hull kayaks, you will not have any fun with Challenger K1. Because the inflatable kayak is too slow for that.

We had tested the Intex Challenger K1 on a calm little lake. The conditions were ideal. That’s what the Challenger K1 is designed for. For long tours on big lakes or fast flowing rivers with possible ground contact we do not recommend the boat. The boat has too little material thickness and too little air pressure for such purposes.

Dismantling

The dismantling was quick and easy. Only the rest of the air has to be pressed out a little bit while folding up or taking care that there are no sharp objects on the floor that could damage it. Once the air is completely out, the boat and all its accessories will fit without any problems into the carrying bag.

Strengths and Weaknesses

The biggest strength of the Challenger K1 is above all the very reasonable price with complete accessories. The biggest disadvantage for tall people is the small and narrow interior. So paddling is hardly possible or very uncomfortable. Also the material and the driving characteristics speak more for a boat to have fun on the water during ideal conditions on small lakes than a real inflatable kayak.

Conclusion on the Intex Challanger K1

For those who want to try paddling for themselves first, the Intex Challenger K1 is ideal. The inflatable kayak is the only 1-person kayak for beginners on the market. It is particularly suitable for small paddling trips on calm waters. The boat is offered in a complete set with very useful accessories, such as the skeg, and enables an immediate start into paddling pleasure.

You should not compare the Challenger K1 with a fixed hull kayak, not even with a higher quality inflatable kayak. If you’re already sure you want to make several paddling trips in the season or don’t want to restrict yourself to calm waters, you should buy a higher quality boat. The purchase price is higher, but the differences in terms of handling characteristics and quality are enormous.

Accessories for the Intex Challenger K1

The scope of delivery of the boat includes the following accessories:

• Kayak paddle
• Inflatable foot brace
• Air pump
• Fin
• Repair patches
• Transport bag

In addition, we recommend the following accessories:

• Life jacket: Itiwit BA 50N+ * (good life jacket for beginners, very good price-performance ratio, more details in our test report).
• Dry Bag: Itiwit dry bag 10L* (ideal for protecting items from splashing water and short immersion in water, good workmanship, with carrying strap, available in different colors and sizes)
• Transport backpack: only a bag is included, which is intended for storage and short transport of the kayak to the water. If you want to transport the kayak longer distances and more comfortably to the water, we recommend the Itiwit transport backpack*, which is comfortable to carry and has enough space for the kayak and accessories.

Alternatives to the Intex Challenger K1

Intex has other inflatable kayaks, which could be interesting if you are looking for an entry-level inflatable. But same here, the kayaks are designed for short tours on calm water. There are no big differences between the Challenger K1 and K2. The Intex Challenger K2 is a tandem kayak and can also be paddle as a solo kayak. You are a bit faster with it since it’s longer. The Intex Explorer K2 looks quite different but it’s quite similar with the K2. We have compared both kayaks and you can find out the differences in our Intex Challenger vs. Explorer article.

The Intex Excursion Pro is more solid and the material of the boat skin is thicker. However, it’s also the most expensive Intex kayak.

The Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame is a closed 1-person inflatable kayak. The Californian manufacturer Advanced Elements was founded in 2007, but already produces a variety of inflatable kayaks. The AdvancedFrame is the manufacturer’s classic and is very popular and widespread among inflatable kayaks in the US. We had the opportunity to review the kayak for one season and would like to share our impressions with you.

Make sure to check out also our review on the Advanced Elements AdvancedFramce Convertible Elite kayak. This is a 2-person tandem kayak, but it can be also paddled by one person. Thanks to its length, it has a really good performance on the water.

Technical Specs

Which model has been reviewed?

Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame with backbone (optional accessory) from 2019

How did we organize the review?

The Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame was provided to us by OutEquip, the European distributor of Advanced Elements. Our review is independent of the manufacturer or distributor and reflects our own opinion of the boat.

How intensively has the product been tested?

First impressions and assembly

The inflatable kayak comes with a robust carrying bag, which is not equipped with a backpack strap. This is a shame because the 16.3 kg (36 lbs) boat is not a lightweight. If you also want to transport the boat by public transport, bicycle or on foot, we recommend purchasing a spacious transport backpack. If you want to store your boat or transport it by car in the trunk, the transport bag is perfect. The Advanced Elements is quite heavy for a single inflatable kayak. Other manufacturers can do this better. In the meanwhile Advanced Elements has introduced also another model, the AdvancedFrame Ultralite, which is much lighter.

We have reviewed the AdvancedFrame with the backbone, which is optionally available as an accessory. Independent of the backbone, the bow and the stern of the kayak are stiffened with aluminium rails, which are supposed to promise improved driving characteristics.

The kayak has seven air chambers. That sounds a lot at first, but it’s not. For the side tubes there are two chambers, one inner and one outer. This construction gives the tube kayak even more safety, as the inner chamber is protected from the outside. If the outer chamber is damaged, you can still get to the shore safely. The third chamber is the floor, which is very quickly inflated due to the low air pressure. Then there are two air chambers or air tubes for the spray deck and the coaming rim.

The backbone is placed in the boat before inflating the floor chamber. To do this, the four-part rod is half assembled. The two poles are then put together in the boat. Placing the backbone and plugging it in is very easy and does not require a lot of effort. The air chamber of the floor is then placed on top and inflated to 0.1 bar. When inflating, it is necessary to check whether the backbone is in the middle. Even if the backbone is not completely centered, the boat still runs well in the water and deviates only very little from the track. You inflate the bottom chamber until air escapes from the pressure relief valve. Then the correct operating pressure is reached.

Compared to the Advanced Elements Convertible, the seat does not have a high seat cushion. This is also not necessary as the soft floor of the kayak offers sufficient seating comfort.  The only disadvantage of the flat seat is that when you are in the water, you immediately sit in the wet.

The backrest is attached to the side walls by two straps with a click fastener. You can adjust the position of the backrest individually before and during the ride on the water. The seat is well made and can be placed variably in the boat. The backrest of the seat is nicely high dimensioned. Large people should attach the seat to the far back of the boat (see picture below). Air tubes are integrated underneath the spray deck so that the spray cover itself with the coaming do not hang down. Thus the spray deck gets a good form and an optional spray skirt can be stretched over it.

The boat is equipped with two directional fins, a very flat elongated fin at the bow and a short larger fin at the stern. Directional fins are essential on inflatable kayaks for good directional stability. Many inflatable kayak manufacturers offer attachable fins so that they can be removed in whitewater or very shallow water. We ride our Gumotex Swing 2 in very shallow water and whitewater without a fin. This is not possible with Advanced Elements, as they are permanently mounted. On the other hand, the fins are relatively shallow so that the risk of grounding is significantly reduced even in shallow waters. In addition, it is not completely rigid and would yield to the side if touched lightly.

The Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame is a closed kayak, which can be closed almost watertight with a spray skirt. The emphasis is on “almost”, because the zipper in the hood is not waterproof. For small amounts of water, the grey fabric strips act as a barrier, partially covering the zipper. So the water does not flow to the zipper, but well from the hood again. For larger quantities of water (e.g. if you catch a large wave unfavourably and it sloshes over the bow, water drips into the interior afterwards). On the other hand, the zipper allows easy access to the interior, be it to place the backbone or to wipe the interior of the boat dry. We find the luggage net on the front hood very successful. This makes it possible to stow a drybag or daypack safely and easily.  There is not much storage space behind the seat under the hood, there is only room for a water bottle and a lunch box.

In the back there is no luggage net on the hood, but only 4 D-rings as a fixture for fastening luggage. The carrying handles are very similar to Gumotex inlatable kayaks and are very comfortable for transporting the kayak on land.

We think the modular construction of the boat is very good. On the one hand it can be easily repaired in case of damage, because the floor and side chambers are exchangeable. On the other hand, it can be extended or adapted to different paddling conditions. If you paddle large and slowly flowing rivers and lakes, you can equip the boat with the backbone. If you paddle wilder rivers with possible ground contact, you only use the soft floor chamber and the boat cushions unpleasant touches with rocks and stones better. 

In addition, the inflatable kayak has a paddle holder on the hood. When carrying the boat over your shoulder you can take the paddle in your hand. But if you want to rest longer on the water, the paddle holder is quite practical. After building up the inflatable kayak, you immediately notice how well the bow and stern are stiffened. AdvancedFrame owes the great pointed shape to the inner aluminium rails and inserted plastic plates.

Review of the Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame on the water

The inflatable kayak can be easily carried to water on its own and used by taking it over your shoulder. Getting started is also easy and safe. If it is too tight for you, you can open the deck cover via the zipper and close it again after entering. 

If you now sit in a kayak and start paddling, you will notice two things. First, the kayak lies stable on the water. Capsizing would be difficult. Therefore the kayak is also very suitable for beginners. The kayak has also behaved very stable on the water during waves (due to passing ships). On the other hand, we immediately liked the straight line. The kayak has good directional stability for an inflatable single kayak, compared to other inflatables of similar quality (e.g. Gumotex Swing 1 or Gumotex Twist). This allows paddling without constant correction of the direction.

The inflatable reaches a speed of over 5 km/h (3 mph) when paddling comfortably, and well over 6 km/h (3.7) when paddling quickly. These are good values for a single inflatable kayak. Nevertheless, it is noticeably slower than the Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame Convertible Elite, the 2 person version of this boat. In comparison to the 1-person version, the 2-person kayak has due to its long hull an even better directional stability and is 1-2 km/h (0.6 – 1.2 mph) faster. The manoeuvrability of the boat is good, but we have also paddled more manoeuvrable 1-person kayaks.

The kayak offers plenty of space and legroom (both when paddling with and without shoes) so that even tall people can paddle it. The comfort is also good. At the beginning we found the soft floor chamber to be rather inferior, as it gives way when getting in. Without the backbone, we would have wished for a much harder air floor chamber (e.g. 0.2 bar / 3 PSI). When using the backbone, however, it makes sense that the floor gives way and thus pushes the rod downwards. This is the reason why the V-shape of the hull is the first thing that happens. Unfortunately the seat is not fixed to the bottom of the kayak. A Velcro solution to fix the seat to the ground would have been nice. Nevertheless, the backrest of the seat provides enough support when paddling and has a good height. Although the floor chamber is very soft, the backbone did not pinch in any way during paddling.

After several paddle tours on small and large lakes and on rivers with stone contact, the AdvancedFrame convinced us. The outer skin of the bottom is robust and thick enough to withstand unpleasant groundings. Nevertheless, we were able to detect two small, long scratches in the boat skin that we do not see as critical. None of the scratches indicates that it will lead to a hole. That speaks for a thick boat skin, which makes the boat heavier but also more robust. It’s also positive that the material hasn’t rubbed off at any point. Although we landed with the inflatable kayak on pebble beaches, the boat didn’t mind. 

We didn’t try the AdvancedFrame in white water. Here we would recommend not to use the backbone. In case of strong groundings the rod does not give way and the material is fully loaded with friction. Without the backbone, the air floor cushions the “impact” much better.

Dismantling the kayak

The dismantling of the inflatable kayak is very easy and fast. After paddling you open the valves and most of the air escapes by itself. The rest of the air escapes when you roll it up or can be pumped out with the air pump. The big disadvantage is the nylon material of the top and the side tube jacket. The water can be wiped off with a cloth, but the textile remains moist pretty long and has to be put out to dry at home to prevent mold.

Strengths and Weaknesses of the Advanced Elements Advanced Frame

The AdvancedElements AdvancedFrame with BackBone shines above all with its driving characteristics. For an inflatable 1-person kayak the speed and the straight line are really good. The biggest weakness is the long drying of the nylon covers of the side chambers and the spray deck. Also the boat is not a lightweight.

Conclusion on the Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame

The Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame is a closed inflatable kayak for beginners and demanding kayakers. We always had a lot of fun paddling the AdvancedFrame. Compared to cheap inflatables, it is superior to other kayaks in terms of riding characteristics, workmanship and equipment. Therefore, we find the price justified. If you want to kayak several times during the season, the AdvancedFrame kayak is a good choice. Especially the firm and pointed shape of the bow and stern of the kayak has made Advanced Elements really good and is unparalleled on the market. This allows the boat to cut the water better and comes very close to the driving characteristics of a solid hull kayak. If you don’t want to paddle alone, you can also buy the kayak as a 2-person version. The Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame Convertible was tested as an Elite version on our website.

In our point of view, the AdvancedFrame is pretty heavy, compared to other single inflatable kayaks. If the weight is important because the kayak is to be transported in a backpack, we recommend the Ultralite version of the kayak. The Ultralite version is available for an extra charge of around $100. In this case the backbone cannot be used. Also the drying time should be considered before the purchase. After the paddle tour, the boat has to be partially inflate at home to dry. For those who don’t mind the high weight and the long drying time, the AdvancedFrame from Advanced Elements is a great inflatable kayak that is robust and fun to paddle.

If performance, speed and much luggage space matter to you, then please check out the 2 person kayak from Advanced Elements, which can be converted as a 1-person kayak as well.

Accessories for the Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame

Paddle, air pump and life jacket are not included. These essential accessories must be purchased separately and there are numerous accessories available for the AdvancedFrame itself. If you want to improve the performance of your boat, you can get the backbone. If you paddle in cool seasons, you can optionally purchase a spray skirt that protects you from cold and splashing water.

• Life jacket: Itiwit BA 50N+ * (good life jacket for beginners, very good price-performance ratio, more details in our test report).
• Dry Bag: Itiwit dry bag 10L* (ideal for protecting items from splashing water and short immersion in water, good workmanship, with carrying strap, available in different colors and sizes)
• Transport backpack: only a bag is included, which is intended for storage and short transport of the kayak to the water. If you want to transport the kayak longer distances and more comfortably to the water, we recommend the Itiwit transport backpack*, which is comfortable to carry and has enough space for the kayak and accessories.

Alternatives to the AdvancedFrame 1 person kayak