Given my transportation status, I purched an inflatable Kayak towards the end of the summer, 2008; just prior to my surgery. I was unable to launch the S.S. sea slug-a name that is indicative of the way she handles-until this june. The boat has four inflatable chambers: one for the floor, seat, and two major chambers that comprise the side pontoons. It folds/rolls up and fits into a carrying case, and weighs 25lbs. It's somewhat of a lug to drag around, but overall an easy craft to fold, unfold and inflate. Inflation takes about 15 minutes using a double action hand pump-I definately work up a sweat! The air chambers are covered with durable PVC and canvas layers.
This craft is about as pleasant to paddle as a bath tub would be, and I use a double-bladed kayak paddle. God forbid ever having to manuver this thing with a canoe paddle. Tracking isn't horrible, but this inflatable kayak is very ineffecient to paddle. I found that placing the seat, which sets on the inflated pad via industrial velcro, as far back as possible while adding weight to the front improves tracking by 30%. A slight breeze (5-10mph) does not push around the boat greatly, but I am very hesitant to paddle in any heavier wind. Once the kayak is moving, it is easy to paddle though initial motion takes great effort. This is relatively stable, much more so than the canoes I have been in. It handles waves well head-on! You can almost kneel in this craft, but once your center of gravity leans over the sides of the pontoons it feels like it's going flip. So, in kayinking terms, the boat has descent secondary stability yet poor initial stability. The Sevylor Rio is very stable if your just sitting.
I spent $500 on this boat through Cabellas; however, if you shop around google you can find the Rio for half that price. I think the Rio's sister, the colorado, which is a tandam kayak, would likely track bettre due to its increased length. For the price, this boat is well put together and will let me fish near-shore on calm to breezy days. My only qaulm is that the Boston valves are cheap and a pain to work with-they hold air well, but are not very smooth when inserting. Advanced Elements makes an inflatable called the straight edge, which looks very appealing. If you're willing to spend near $800, I would recommend the Aire Sawtooth. This inflatable kayak is 13 feet long and comes rigged with a removable skeg! Of course, if your transportation allows it, it would be wise to buy a rigid kayak if you're already spending near 1k.
