Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame Inflatable Kayak

For those that don't have the space or the budget for a nice fiberglass kayak, the Advanced Elements is the next best thing. I purchased this early this year for my wife (having purchased the Expidition model for myself) and I have had the opportunity to use it a few times this season. I continue to think it's one of the best purchases I've ever made. It's easy to store, easy to set up, handles well, performs well, and is very comfortable. All around a great recreational kayak.

Setup is pretty simple once you get the hang of it. This model has 7 chambers to fill, which sounds like a lot but it's really not. There are two main chambers which get filled up first, and then the floor and the deck lift chambers, and finally the combing for the skirt. The two first chambers take the longest - maybe 10 minutes total using the bi-directional hand pump. The rest can be filled in under 5 minutes, making the total time for inflation about 15 minutes.

Construction of the AF... Read more

We've been doing hardshell sit ins and sit upon kayaking, both touring and in the ocean for years. This year we thought it would be fun during a visit to Venice, Italy to kayak the canals and participate in the Vogalonga. After extensive internet research, it didn't appear that there were any kayak rentals easily available in Venice. A little more research and we stumbled on Advanced Elements 10 foot inflatable as a good possibility to take with us to Italy.

We've now tried it out locally touring on flat water 4 times and my wife wants to throw out all of our other kayaks. Warning, the first inflation takes about 20 minutes with the manual; after that it takes about 5 minutes. Fully inflated it tracks pretty well and can keep up a good touring pace with hardshell sit ins. It's comfortable to sit in; my wife keeps on asking if it's OK to inflate it and put it in the water just to nap in.

The take down is simple, quick and the reverse of inflations. We wipe... Read more

This inflatable kayak is just great! It is inexpensive and made of strong material. It looks great, like a hardshell, not like a boat-shaped balloon costing 3 times as much. It is lighter than hardshells and you don't need to buy a $600 roof rack to take it places. Unlike other reviewers, the first time I assembled it, it took about 20 minutes. 8 or 9 assemblies later, it takes less than 10 minutes. It is the most comfortable kayak I have ever sat in or on, and has been quite durable. If you are purchasing this product, you ABSOLUTELY MUST also purchase the floor beam. Advanced Elements BackBone-Bow & Stern Frame-Advanced Frame I This beam goes under the floor mat of the kayak and converts the base of the boat from flat to v-shaped, drastically improving tracking and speed, as well as efficiency, allowing one to paddle further expending less energy. It makes an enormous difference. Also, Advanced Elements makes a large line of products to accompany this boat, and most... Read more