Inflatable kayaks? Have any experience with...

My experience with inflatables is using a low end inflatable "pool toy" as you called it. Apt description. Not familiar with any high quality inflatables. 15 minutes? Must be hand pumping. 

I found a Sevylor at a yard sale and paid around $20. Used it on one trip. I'd only pull it out as a toy if there were lots of support boats and no high water. Good oars are most important. 

First time out I used the oar that came with it and it sucked. Check out REI and see what they say. Also Northwest River Supply or Cascade if they're still in business. 

Just stay with a quality manufacturer and you should be fine. Good luck and have fun!  

I have a sea eagle with a portable battery operated pump which helps to deflate as well as inflate.

also diveyak's for scuba.  Neither do well in the wind

buddy has a small sit on top hard kayak. He was able to paddle around quicker with more control than inflattables 

Inflatables pros and cons. 

My first kayak was an Intex two person. Off season it cost $65 on Amazon. Pros=price and storage. Cons=very inefficient. It's like the Huffy bike of kayaks. We went out with friends and couldn't keep up. 

Found cheap used kayaks on Craigslist. An unused Sundolphin Aruba 10 for $100 and a Future Beach 10.4 for $140 with a decent paddle. 

Two kayaks take up a lot of storage space so I put up a hanging system so they are up and out of the way.

We flipped them to see what would happen and they completely filled with water. Now have NRS flotation bags to displace some of the water should capsize occur. 

Good luck. 

My sister in law just bought an inflatable single and a double and have a couple trips to a small calm lake under their belt. I will ask her what she thinks. She bought these for storage reasons, and not wanting to invest in a roof rack at this time. I am not sure what they cost, but I guess it is a less expensive way to find out if it is something you want to invest in down the road. 

We have 3 kayaks, 2 sit in 1 seaters and one sit on top tandem. I prefer the sit in as they have a nice seat set up in the boats we bought. After renting here and there we decided on buying Wilderness Systems kayaks. They have the best seat that I had tried. You pay a little bit more for the boat, but if you use them a few times a year its worth it, I thought anyway. For $50, I made a rack out of PVC piping that holds all 3 boats.

My brother has two inflatable kayaks which I have taken out.   The first is a one-person flat water kayak from Advance Elements.   It tracks pretty well for an inflatable and you can take it out in the ocean if it is relatively calm.   The advantage of this one is that it packs up well and comes in under 50 lbs so you can bring it as a checked bag if you are flying somewhere:

The second one is a two person whitewater kayak from Aire:

Because it is more designed for rivers, it doesn't track as well and it is a bit slow on lakes and bays, but we used it extensively on our recent Baja trip and managed to get around ok unless the wind was really picking up.   The seats are adjustable so one person can also use it.   Its too big to check as luggage, but still packs up well for storage.   Electric pump helps.

Big thing about any inflatable is they tend to get pushed around by the wind.

These aren't cheap but I like the flexibility of being able to store them easily.  I still have yet to purchase one. 

https://www.orukayak.com/

they blow....

...up

I almost died in one of those pieces of shit.

in the inflatables or the origami? 

Inflatable.

For a whole summer Greg and I had 2 Kayaks and we would grab our poles a cooler of water and a couple of tabs. We would paddle all around the Saint Lucie inlet in and out of the hole in the wall and all around the jetties and up and down the coast moving in and out with the tide.

Tripping, catching snook, tarpon, jacks, permit and a shark or two.

One weekend Greg was having one of his kayaks being fixed and he busted out the blow up one. I happily pumped it up and went on our Saturday adventure. I hooked a huge tarpon and the fucker dragged me over a sand bar and the whole bottom of the boat split tore open. Within 20 seconds I was being swept away in a deflated piece of plastic and the tarpon was still dragging me.

I cut the line and wrestled to get out of the boat and had to float a couple hundred yards before I got to the rocks on the north jetty to get out of the water. I drank about 2 galons of salt water trying to free myself from that death trap.

Piece of shit.

lol.   That's a great story though and the outings seem like great times to be had.   Very envious.  

I struggle with the desire to Kayak regularly and the reality that with as busy as my life is I probably won't make time for it.   My folks sold their sea kayaks and I was bummed.  They weren't what I need on the Georgia rivers anyway.      

I talked with my sister in law last night about her inflatable kayaks. She said while they are fun, plan on getting wet more than you would in a traditional kayak. Getting in and out and rearranging your sitting position while on the water can be a bit tricky. Other than that they are having a lot of fun with them. (the paddles that came with it are junk she said).

Salt water, oyster bed, pop

Alan, have you considered a second hand hard shell?

Yesterday was a beautiful day to be on the water...

Too good to be true?

 plan on getting wet more than you would in a traditional kayak. Getting in and out and rearranging your sitting position while on the water can be a bit tricky<<<

That's kind of what I was thinking, especially the more "pool toy" it gets ... although still have the idea of trying to find something suitable to haul up to high alpine lakes that doesn't weigh 40lbs. 

Interesting info all around