AQUAPLANET INFLATABLE KAYAK | GEAR REVIEW

Way back in the summer (back in Weekly Blog Episode 107), Aquaplanet kindly sent me one of their inflatable kayaks to help give me another way to enjoy One Hour Outside (and more) – on the water.

Over the last nearly-six months, my boat and I have had some lovely local adventures together. You’ll have read about some of my paddles in Weekly Blogs 109 and 111, before I paused that series to play catch up on some other writing, as well as over on Instagram. Now I can really call my kayak a part of my outdoor adventure arsenal, it is only right that I share some of my thoughts on my water-going friend.

The Short Review

This inflatable kayak by Aquaplanet – mine is the two-person – is a really great boat. It’s well made, sturdy, easy to inflate and deflate, and compact and light enough to carry on my own. It’s proper; not flimsy or easy to puncture, with a wide bottom for stability and a fin to help with going in a straight line. It needs just 1.5psi of air in each of the three chambers, and I can easily be ready to paddle in 10 minutes. It just seems to be excellent quality.

Given that you get a proper seat, complete with padding, this inflatable kayak is very comfortable. I admit my longest paddle so far has been just a couple of hours, but I know that I will not be cursing the seating position when I am able to get out for something a bit longer (watch this space…).

More than the boat itself, it’s what I can do with it that I’m enjoying the most. Having the ability to go on intentionally leisurely paddles on rivers close to my home is just bliss. I’m fortunate that I live close to the Rivers Avon, Severn and Wye, and they all have easy-to-paddle sections. While I’ve only scratched the surface of adventuring by boat, I’m loving it.

This really has opened up a whole new world to me – everything looks a little bit different from the water, and I am always looking forward to the next time I can get on the water.

Aquaplanet Inflatable Kayak

My Aquaplanet inflatable kayak is a surprisingly rigid boat which is easy to blow up, stable on the water, and packs away into its own backpack.

The outer shell is made from a quick-drying polyester in a fab bright blue and orange colourway, while the inside is a triple chamber construction with replaceable bladders, making it nice and safe when you’re on the water (you know, if you manage to pierce one of the chambers…), meaning the boat will last and last. The deep v-shaped hull makes the boat sit nicely in the water, almost no wobble (very reassuring), and the SUP-style fin helps with going in a straight line.

For comfort, there’s a deep fill seat cushion with reinforced back and side panels for support, with fully adjustable seating straps and a bunch of connection points to allow you to get the seat in just the right place. Well, there are two of those, so you can head out with a friend, although I admit that most of the time I’m a happy loner when it comes to kayaking.

There are front and rear spray covers with extra bungees for storage, and plenty of space for pretty much anything you want to take with you on a day out – or overnight adventure. The four reinforced grab handles make putting the boat in and out of the water nice and easy, and the various plastic loops make it possible to easily tie up the boat at launch sites. I added a couple of basic elastic bungee cords to mine to help me ‘moor’ the boat so I can get in and out without having to worry about the boat floating away.

All in, this is a very well-featured boat that’s much more polished than a cheap kayak you might buy from a supermarket.

From Car Boot to Water

Key to my enjoyment of having a kayak is keeping the faff level down when I want to get out on the water. With a busy life and a desire to squeeze in as much outdoor fun as possible, it’s vital that getting the boat from my car onto the water takes a little time as possible. You might, then, think that a solid plastic boat might be a better option, but the problem then changes to storage. An inflatable craft means that my boat doesn’t take up too much room at home between uses.

First up, I should say how surprising I found the weight. Even though the website lists it as 14kg, which isn’t blow-me-away light, it is much lighter than I thought it would be in reality. I can very happily cart it around on my own without difficulty, both in the provided bag, which is made easy thanks to the backpack straps and grab handles, and when inflated and I’m getting it to the water.

Size-wise, it fits in the boot of my very standard-sized Mazda 3 without any difficulty. It even goes in end first, so I have space next to it for all my other gear, and with the paddles on top. The paddles come in four pieces, but I keep them broken in two, making them quick and easy to assemble when I’m out.

Apart from the storage bag, the kayak also comes with a large capacity pump, including an in-line pressure gauge, which really does help make inflating the kayak quick and easy. I’ve got a pump I can plug into my car to make it even quicker, the sort I you use for car and bike tyres, but I’ve just not bothered with it, there’s no need.

And no, I promise I’ve not had secret only-I-know competitions with paddle boarders at launch sites… but I can definitely get my boat from my car to the water before they’ve got their board half-way inflated. Yes, I know that’s because my kayak only needs 1.5psi in each of the three chambers, and a paddle board need something between 15 and 22 psi (depending on the board), but it still makes me feel good. Sorry, suppers…!

Messing About on the River

I’m not a novice kayaker, I did quite a bit when I was younger, but have never had my own to play with before. While my paddles have been quite short, a couple of hours at a time, and from places that are within very easy reach of home, I am thoroughly enjoying rekindling my love for this water-based outdoor activity.

By far the best thing about this, is how wonderful it’s been to explore my local area in a very different way over the last few months. One paddle in particular sticks in my mind as I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many dragonflies in one go before. It was utterly bliss – serene, tranquil, just me and the wildlife.

I’ve seen places I’ve walked regularly from a very different perspective. My favourite moments have been when I made the effort to get up and out early in the summer to be on the river before everyone else. To be honest that’s how I like my hiking, too – get out when the car park is empty and arrive back ready to go home when it’s full. I’ve enjoyed calm waters, had brief but pleasant conversations with fishermen and other boaters, paddled under bridges – with trains going over the top, had private displays from wildlife, and had time to think.

Where I’ve been and how paddling makes me feel is not wholly relevant to a review of the Aquaplanet inflatable kayak. But it is important, because no-one should be spending money on a bit of outdoor equipment they won’t get plenty of use of. The main reason I hadn’t yet bought one myself was a genuine concern that I’d spend a bunch of money (these things are an investment), and then not be able to use it enough to warrant the spend. Shouldn’t that always the case with outdoor gear? Or any purchase, really. Stuff is only worth the money if you use it regularly.

Muddy Launches

While I absolutely love my new kayak, and can only sing the praises of the build quality and features of the Aquaplanet one I have, it’s not always 100% happy boating. I have, very recently, discovered one downside of an inflatable kayak, and it would be remiss of me not to share.

As with much of the rest of the country, on Saturday morning I got up to a cold and foggy scene. It was beautiful. Rather than head up the hill for a walk, I packed my car with my kayak, wrapped up warm, and headed to my most local put-in. When I arrived, I found a launch which was absolutely caked in mud. The river had clearly flooded here recently (this is the Avon, it’s not unusual), and when it receded, left a thick and slimy layer of slippery silt all long the launch.

Now you know I’m not against a bit of mud (far from it!), that in itself wasn’t the problem. And while muddy get-ins aren’t a deal-breaker, muddy get-outs are more of an issue. When you have to deflate your kayak at the end of a paddle, fold it up, and put it inside your car to get it home, there are limits. If you have a solid kayak – that you transport on the roof of your car – you can be less worried about the state of the launches.

I tried two other launches but the story was the same – and the last launch I tried had a locked car park (locked from November until Easter). Given that I’m highly unlikely to go to the effort of taking a bucket and sponge with me to wash the kayak before I come home, I shall have to do some more research to make sure my kayak doesn’t live in the shed all through winter.

Final Thoughts

After years of thinking maybe I should get such a thing, but not doing so for fear of not getting enough use out of it to warrant the cost, I jumped at the offer of a collaboration with Aquaplanet. And I’m so glad I did. I’ve absolutely loved adding kayaking to ways I can spend One Hour Outside.

As I said in my short review right at the top of this post, this really is an excellent boat: well made, stable on the water, easy to inflate, and light to carry. If you are reading this post considering whether or not to invest, then I can honestly recommend it. The Aquaplanet inflatable kayak is a great product.

I am so looking forward to getting even more use out of this in 2023. I’ve got a small handful of to-paddle places on a new list I’ve started, and I hope to find launches that will be good for winter so I’m not waiting until spring to get back on the water. I’d love to find a quiet cove to take it for a dip in the sea. And eventually, when I’m a bit more paddle-fit, I’d like to take it on an overnight camping trip somewhere.

This two-person Aquaplanet inflatable kayak is currently priced at £449, including the backpack, one paddle, and pump. Additional four-piece paddles are priced at £29.99. 

I shouldn’t need to, but I will add: I always wear a buoyancy aid when I’m paddling, because, you know, safety. I also have British Canoeing membership so I can paddle knowing I am fully licenced. For more information about good paddling safety and etiquette, please visit Go Paddling.

With thanks to Aquaplanet for sending me their inflatable kayak.