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Review on 🚣 Inflatable Recreational Touring Kayak - Driftsun Almanor with EVA Padded Seats, High Back Support, includes Paddles, Pump (1 Person, 2 Person, 2 Plus 1 Child) by Lancy Rakesh

Revainrating 5 out of 5

Meets my expectations

Before buying the Almanor 130 I studied almost all inflatable kayaks and I think I made the right decision. Everything is thought out, especially portability. I've read that many people have trouble repacking some brands, Driftsun has the right solution to transport this kayak from the parking lot or anywhere on the water. The bag can be carried by two people using the shoulder straps, or by one person using the center strap, or by one person using the integrated shoulder straps (my favorite option). Плечевые ремни великолепны, но вам нужно что-то, на чем можно "припарковать" сумку, например, скамейка или стол для пикника, когда вы идете, чтобы войти или выйти из нее, так как наклоняться к земле немного сложно, по крайней мере, to me. I'm only 128 pounds. and the whole package is about 45 pounds. On the back. A second person can help lift him onto his back or off his back. But if you think about it, your whole journey is in that bag; Kayak, paddles, seats, footrests, keel, pump, and I even had room for two self-inflating life jackets. Inflating is easy with the supplied pump, takes about 10 minutes, attach the keel, position the seats and footrests as you wish, mount the paddles and you're ready to go. There is space at the bow and stern to roll up the bag and stow the pump when you don't want to put it back in the car. The floor is strong enough to stand on when getting in and out and you won't tip the thing over, the side tubes are very wide. The seats are well padded and offer ample back support and are also easily adjusted depending on how straight you want your back to be. My wife and I weigh 128 pounds. and we find that when seated between the side tubes they sit squarely on our hips, not snug but comfortable. However, if you have noticeably wider hips, you may feel that they are "tight." The Driftsun is easy to paddle even in windy conditions. We use it mostly on lakes and sheltered rivers, and it's surprisingly straight when paddling. When my wife got tired, I had no trouble paddling a half mile or more across the lake in fairly strong winds. The construction looks good as the material is heavy and has extra protection (rubber keg under the nose) to get on shore as well as extra padding where your hands or paddles rub against the side tubes. Immediately upon inflation we received compliments from fellow kayakers and once out on the water the color scheme and overall look are very pleasing to the eye. As with any inflatable, you should ensure it is dry before storing, but this isn't just necessary for shipping. We wiped the water off with a towel on return and it was mostly dry after 10 minutes. Fabric upper wicks moisture, rubber bottom. We blew the air out and put everything back in the bag (save the foam protector that came with the keel mount as it protects the rest of the hull from dents when folded). After we bring it home I partially inflate it and leave it out until the top and inside edges of the side tubes where they meet the ground are dry. Overall we are very happy with this purchase and look forward to taking it with us on our hikes. It comes with repair patches but no glue as it is considered dangerous goods and cannot be shipped by air. A quick phone call to the company in California and they'll send you a small tube with a few more patches in the mail. I really can't find any faults at the moment, we've only used it twice and I'll update some photos and useful information in the future. As a side note, at some point I may look for longer oars to reduce the amount of water dripping from the ends into the boat. Although there are dirt scrubbers on each end of the blade to prevent water from running down the handle, water still runs off the blade and wets the top of the side tubes. This is VERY insignificant as you are still in a kayak, not a motor yacht.

Pros
  • Good product for the price
Cons
  • Communication with the seller