Buyers Guide to Inflatable Kayaks
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| Boulder
River in Montana. An excellent place to use an inflatable kayak! |
Inflatable kayaks, also
known as inflatable canoes, are frequently not considered by anglers
in search of a boat for fly fishing. This is understandable, since
many people just are not familiar with these boats. Yet, any angler
in search of a boat for fly fishing - whether it be on rivers or
lakes - should strongly consider at least taking a look at them.
Depending on what you need a fly fishing boat for, how you will
be using it and where you will be using it, and inflatable kayak
may actually end up being the perfect fly fishing boat.
Inflatable Kayak or
Canoe : Defined
So what, exactly, is
an inflatable kayak? An inflatable kayak is really more of an inflatable
canoe. Unlike a traditional kayak, you do not strap yourself into
one of these kayaks - and thus can't do fancy maneuvers like an
Eskimo roll. Inflatable kayaks all have a V shaped hull, allowing
them to be effortlessly maneuvered on both rivers and lakes. And,
best of all for people who fly fish on slower waters, an inflatable
kayak is probably the easiest boats of any on the market to paddle
- far easier than rafts, float tubes or even pontoon boats.
Uses for an Inflatable
Kayak or Canoe
What makes, at least
in my opinion, inflatable kayaks such ideal boats for fly fishing
is their incredible versatility. There are so many uses for inflatable
kayaks, and they are so portable and easy to set up, that anglers
are likely to find themselves using inflatable kayaks and canoes
for far more than just a fly fishing trip. So, let's cover some
of the uses an inflatable kayak offers.
Fishing
- Inflatable Kayaks are generally in the order of
10-12 feet long. This allows an angler to sit comfortably in the
seat and to fly cast with accuracy. Some of these kayaks also now
come with special seats that increase the height at which the angler
sits, making casting even easier. Two anglers, provided they are
careful with how they cast, can also fly fish from the boats at
the same time.
River Running
- Quality inflatable kayaks are rated to handle either Class III
or Class IV whitewater, depending on how the kayak was constructed.
An inflatable kayak constructed from various fabrics will be fully
capable of handling Class IV whitewater while a more traditional
vinyl and PVC kayak (which are less expensive) will be able to run
Class III whitewater.
Multi-Day
River Voyages - Inflatable kayaks have a surprisingly large
capacity, exceeding that of hard shell kayaks. Capacity generally
ranges from 400-600 lbs., allowing all sorts of camping gear to
be taken on longer river journeys. A solo paddler in a quality inflatable
kayak can easily take 300 lbs of gear, allowing for river trips
of 1-2 weeks.
Lake Paddling
- Inflatable kayaks are incredibly easy to paddle on lakes. The
lightweight, V hull and low profile all make paddling on lakes,
even in windy conditions, simple. And the paddling method to propel
an inflatable kayak is extremely simple - even beginners can pick
up the motions in just ten minutes or so. Many good kayaks also
have the option of adding a directional skeg to them. This skeg
allows the kayak to track almost perfectly straight, even when paddled
by a single person. In comparison to traditional canoes, inflatable
kayaks are much simpler to paddle for a single person.
For those not familiar
with the river rating system, Class IV whitewater is basically not
fishable from a moving boat - as this type of water has very large
waves and drops up to 5 feet. Thus, any angler floating in this
type of water will be content to simply hang on.
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