INFLATABLES Pool Toys for the Big Bathtub


Going to Baja but don’t want to take a seven day kayak tour? Driving cross-country and want to be able to paddle when the urge strikes? Or feel like paddling Vietnam’s Mekong River? Increasingly, inflatables are your


solution.


Although inflatable boats first appeared some decades ago, widespread acceptance was a long time coming. Novices focusing on cost found it difficult to trust light boats that reminded them of the beach dinghies of childhood. Experienced paddlers looking for durability were confined to heavier models made of the thick rubber and neo- prene used in first-generation whitewater rafts. But advances in technology have resulted in dramatic drops in weight without major compro- mises in strength or durability, while the quality of the lighter models has improved. Sales of inflat- able kayaks are booming, and they can now be found everywhere from the ice-filled Arctic to Caribbean beaches.


Most inflatables are sit-on-tops and often appeal to first-time paddlers who feel claustropho- bic in a closed-cockpit hardshell kayak. An Eskimo roll becomes irrelevant, as getting back onto an inflatable is considerably more straightforward than dealing with a water-filled kayak. The main reason for their popularity, however,


is portability. An inflatable kayak may weigh as little as 25 pounds and can be rolled up and car- ried in a small suitcase or backpack. The portability is the result of the materials. The


primary choices are either PVC (polyvinyl chloride) with electric welded seams or a heavier material such as nylon coated with Hypalon.


PVC boats are the lightest and may cost as little as $200. These are great starter boats, and I’ve paddled over 1,000 kilometres through all kinds of water in PVC boats. I’ve even seen photos of that enduring flagship of budget inflatables—the yel- low Sevylor Tahiti—being used by bear researchers to approach grizzlies feeding on coastal flats in a Pacific Northwest inlet. The new breed of inflatable crosses the greater durability of a dedicated whitewater boat with the lightness of PVC. Materials are usually rated in terms of denier count, which measures the fineness


of a material. Basically, the higher the count, the thicker and tighter the weave. Paint one or more coatings of Hypalon, neoprene or PVC onto the fabric and you have a tough, rugged material that can last as long as any hardshell boat. High-end inflatables are tough enough to with-


stand surf and coastal expedition paddling and stiff enough to be reasonably fast. And when fitted with thigh straps and foot braces, an inflatable yak can be surfed and rolled just like a regular boat. As with any kayak, rocker, width and length at waterline all come into play when determining performance.


Equivalent lifespan, however, also means equivalent price. A quality inflatable can be even more expensive than a used hardshell starter boat. The major manufacturers are in the U.S. (AIRE, Innova, SOAR and SOTAR to name but four), and prices range from $700 to $1,400 US. Canadians can look within their borders to Sevylor, a division of Zodiac, which uses a rugged and relatively inexpensive laminate called Sevytex. —Tris Winfield


sevylor ocean kayak xk17 - svx500


length: 16’7” width: 3’ weight: 55 lbs material: Sevytex PVC/polyester laminate capacity: 600 lbs price: $1499 Cdn, $999 US contact: www.sevylor.ca


Our Sevylor Ocean Kayak arrived by courier (a cool concept in itself) late Friday afternoon—perfect timing for our weekend Lake Clear geocache adventure. We tossed the 55-pound, hockey bag–sized duffel into the trunk for an early morning departure.


Geocaching is this crazy online


sport of hiding “treasures” at certain navigational coordinates and then posting the location for other GPS users to find. On an unnamed island (N 45° 25.819, W 077° 11.590) in the middle of Lake Clear, there was supposed to be a treasure.


36 Summer 2003


Pumping up our 17-foot Ocean Kayak at the public boat launch, we were the centre of attention. Fishermen asked about motor mounts and kids jumped on the tubes. We just handed them Sevylor’s catalog— with inflatables ranging from sailing runabouts to kids’ beach toys—and finished loading our gear. The Ocean Kayak can be pad- dled either solo or tandem with plen- ty of legroom and four feet of stor- age space behind the stern seat and in the bow. The more gear we piled in, the more stable the Sevylor became. Paddling solo, we were able to sprint at four knots. Tandem, we kept up easily with the hardshell singles in the group.


What did we find at the Lake Clear coordinates? Trees, rocks and a nice place to camp.—SM


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