| INFLATION ON THE RISE! a review by Marge Nichols |  |
A little hot air on inflatable kayaks
"Most inflatables belong in swimming pools."
So sniffed Randel Washburne in his 1983 book, The Coastal Kayaker: "Some can handle moderate whitewater...Most can be guaranteed to float...But they will not carry much cargo, have little freeboard, will not track, and are abominations in wind."
Well! By 1989, Washburne’s view had warmed up a bit. In The Coastal Kayaker’s Manual, he admits, "Hawaii resident Audrey Sutherland has forced me to eat my words. This veteran worldwide coastal cruiser has paddled over 4,000 miles in Alaska and British Columbia alone, always solo and always in an inflatable. Her ingenious gear system allows self- sufficient travel for weeks at a time, and she regularly manages 20 mile traveling days."
I thank Audrey Sutherland for turning me on to inflatable kayaks. But most of my sea kayaking friends have all they can do to stifle their guffaws at the thought. And in the East, you can’t be a serious whitewater demon if you’re in a (snicker) "rubber ducky." Out West, however, whitewater paddlers love ‘em. Jeff Bennett sings their praises in his book, The Complete Inflatable Kayaker (Ragged Mountain Press, Camden, Maine, 1995). So now, inflatable kayaks even merit their own book, at least for whitewater, if not for touring.
Contrary to Washburne’s earlier claim, there are many inflatable kayaks now made to withstand the most punishing Class V rapids, as Jeff Bennett’s book shows. And in case you doubt whether the author is a serious whitewater paddler, check out the photo of him on page 109, in mid-flight half way down a 30 foot waterfall - in an inflatable kayak, of course.
From a background of maneuvering ponderous rafts on large-scale western rivers, Bennett found himself drawn to the smaller, more nimble craft. The inflatable kayak is "more exciting than rafts and more forgiving than traditional hard-shell kayaks," he says. "It is equally at home on meandering rivers or Class V canyons...even on protected harbors, gentle seas and crashing surf." And it has a big boon for city dwellers and adventurers alike: "It packs and travels with the simplicity of a large suitcase and can be carried into remote wilderness streams."
The majority of inflatables shown in Bennett’s book are whitewater boats. They have rockers and upturned bow and stern ends - perfect for those eddy turns, but not a good shape for distance paddling or open water. The side tubes are bulky (10" to 12" wide), the cockpit space limited for camping gear - exactly as Washburne said. Nonetheless, if you’re looking for a whitewater boat, these appear to be excellent.
From 1989, I was nuts about whitewater paddling myself. In 1992 I became fascinated with sea kayaking and camping out on islands. My ardor for whitewater cooled after I acquired 21 stitches in my forehead courtesy of a class III rapid in the Catskills. I was wearing a helmet - but, well, it’s a long story. The lure of taking river rocks head on has faded for me, if you get my drift.
Still, I love to get out on the water, and have one of those flashy British fiberglass boats to impress my friends. But five years ago, I also bought an inflatable kayak. I keep dreaming about getting into those "remote" places - especially if they are green and warm and tropical. Now I can pack it up, hop on a jet and toodle about on some remote watery place.
My inflatable is designed not for whitewater, but for touring. It has more room for gear than my hard-shell sea kayak, high but narrow side tubes (5" diameter), no rocker bottom, a rudder for wind. It is made of a very tough but flexible rubber and Hypalon combination. After five years of use and packed storage, it shows no sign of cracking, breaks, or thinning. It is stable and difficult to capsize. And it is sooo comfortable.
My boat is 13 feet long, but packs into a single suitcase size pack, along with two seats, the pump, two break-apart kayak paddles, and life jacket(s). Fully loaded with all the above, the pack measures 30" X 22" X 12" and weighs only about 45 pounds.
Of course, folding kayaks have long been popular for the same reason. But the boat I have has three advantages over a folding kayak of the same relative size. 1. It’s lighter weight by ten to twenty pounds. 2. It costs considerably less than a folding kayak (around $1000, as opposed to $2000 to $3000). 3. My boat can also seat two adults, not just one, when we are day-tripping and not loaded with gear.
It’s disadvantage is that it is slow, being flat bottomed. I would not attempt to paddle with a group of sea kayakers. The shrieks and hoots of laughter would merely fade into the distance as they left me behind.
No problem! When I was on a remote pond on an undeveloped Caribbean island approaching a flock of 150 wild and wary flamingos, I had no interest in speed. While drifting down Wyoming’s Snake River with the Grand Tetons as a backdrop, I didn’t want to pass the buffalo, bald eagle and herd of pronghorn antelope any faster than the swift current was already taking us. I could never have sneaked up on that six foot alligator in that city park in Florida if I had been in a rush.
That's me!! 5 feet and 115 lbs. hoisting my inflatable boat in Grand Teton National Park
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My Grabner boat on Jackson Lake in Wyoming Grand Teton National Park
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Audrey Sutherland does claim, however, that inflatables handle very well in rough seas "...and you do not have to worry about their filling with water and sinking." In her book, Paddling Hawaii (The Mountaineers, Seattle, 1988), she says, "I have not been in a hard-shell or a folding boat in 15 foot seas and 30-knot winds, so I cannot compare them with the fully loaded inflatable I paddled in those conditions off the coast of northern Moloka’i. That boat behaved beautifully, balancing easily on the crests and in the troughs."
Audrey Sutherland’s exploits and the chapter in her book, Paddling Hawaii on the merits of inflatables, inspired me. Since then, I’ve also taken the boat to Florida’s Keys and intracoastal waterway. I’ve paddled in Yellowstone National Park, past steaming hot springs. Eventually, I hope to return to Costa Rica’s jungle canals, where dugout canoes pass you by and clusters of white-faced monkeys peer at you from the trees. And maybe someday Belize...the waterways of Europe...Thailand....
When Captain Al of M.A.S.K. first told me about Jeff Bennett’s new book, The Complete Inflatable Kayaker, I was psyched. Could it really be true that someone out there besides my heroine, Audrey Sutherland, uses inflatables for adventure travel? Well, perhaps, but Bennett barely touches on the subject.
For whitewater paddlers, The Complete Inflatable Kayaker is a great book. But it’s really not as "complete" as it’s title would suggest. Very little is said about non-whitewater uses and designs of inflatable kayaks. There may be a number of reasons for this: touring inflatables are made by few manufacturers. Whitewater paddlers and sea kayakers are two different animals that rarely mix. And possibly only two people in the world use touring inflatables for remote exploring. (Anyone else out there? I sure would love to know.)
The Complete Inflatable Kayaker has extensive chapters on river techniques. For this, Bennett’s book is very thorough. However, wave formations, holes and eddies are not unique to paddling an inflatable craft. Out of 140 pages, 100 are devoted to whitewater advice you can find in any other whitewater "how-to." Sections are devoted to hydraulics, running rapids, paddling techniques, safety and rescue, playboating and advanced "three-dimensional paddling" (as in, how vertical can your creek get?). But, almost as an after- thought, only 11 pages total (Chapters 10 and 12) are devoted to multi-day trips and saltwater paddling.
Bennett has some good information on how inflatables are made. Boat design including foam or inflatable floors, seams, types of valves and tube structure is useful to anyone curious about their construction. His description of fabrics used in making inflatable kayaks, and their relative strength and flexibility is enlightening - hypalon, vinyl, PVC, to name a few. Self-bailing floors are great for whitewater where you expect to get inundated - no more hauling the boat to shore to dump out all the water! But a self-bailing floor is not necessarily a good idea when your boat is loaded with camping gear, and your’re trying to protect it from water with a spray deck.
The Complete Inflatable Kayaker lists 19 makers of inflatable kayaks. It’s quite possible that some of these manufacturers make other kinds of inflatables besides whitewater boats. I know at least one on his list does: Sevylor. Sevylor markets the popular and inexpensive 11 foot kayak, the Tahiti, made of PVC. It’s not a rugged boat - although their prevalent ads in paddle magazines show it among the icebergs of the arctic. Its attraction is its price of around $150, but it can only fit one adult comfortably, with very little gear.
Sevylor is now also distributor of Jumbo kayaks, heavier duty boats, which also include several two-person open-canoe style inflatables. These boats used to be made in Germany, but are now made in France. Their price is around $1,000.
Their Tramper SL is closest to a sea kayak in design, but it does tend to have bulkier single side tubes, upturned bow and stern ends and lacks a rudder. Its lower profile is probably better in wind than my boat, but that means less space for gear. However, three other Sevylor models have available a full spray deck with attached spray skirts. For information on these Sevylor boats, write:
Sevylor
66511 E. 26th Street
Phone (213)727-6013
Los Angeles, CA 90040
Or you can try calling Dick Gehr in Portland, Oregon, who is manager of the Jumbo boat line, at (503)274-2313.
Still, I like my Grabner boat best, their "Holiday" model. Back in 1991 when I was looking for my boat, not a lot of information was available. I crossed two oceans to get it, and ended up finding it over a thousand miles from any ocean.
Okay, I admit this was all by mail. I wrote to Audrey Sutherland in Hawaii, who told me the boat design closest to her choice was now made by the Grabner Luftboote ("airboat") Company, in Austria. Off I wrote to Europe. They, in turn, directed me to apparently their only U.S. distributor, a paddle shop in Boulder, Colorado, of all places.
He shipped me the only one he had in stock at the time. Last year when I called, they said they had no Grabner boats at that time, but could order me one. Well, Grabner appears to be a big company in Europe, but they are not pursuing an aggressive marketing strategy over here! If you want to try, however, call Mr. Landis Arnold (303) 444-2336 or write to: P.O. Box 4617, Boulder, CO 80306.
You may have better luck, though, if you write directly to Grabner and ask for their latest catalogue. Their 1994 catalogue was gorgeous, in full color and greatly expanded from their 1991 catalogue. But it’s all in German, so be sure to ask for the separate English translation supplement. Make your inquiry to the attention of Gertrude Pfaffenbichler, Export Dept. I always received excellent and rapid responses from her:
Grabner Luftboote & Sportartikelfabrik
Weistracher Strasse 11
A 3350 Haag
Austria
My boat also sells for around $1,000. When I bought it, I had to make my own spray deck to fully cover all gear, with instructions that Ms. Sutherland kindly sent me. But, the 1994 Grabner catalogue now offers a spray deck that fits the model, complete with two cockpit holes and attachable spray skirts or hatch covers.
Three screw-in valves are a crucial part of my kayak, any one of which I would hate to be without. When you order, be sure to ask for a spare set of valves, and one extra pump nozzle adapter. As for pumps, there are two basic kinds: flat oval foot pumps, and cylindrical kinds you pump by hand. I’ve found that the foot pumps are either not strong enough to blow up my boat to 14 psi, or very heavy (weight matters when you have to carry it). My cylindrical one ("Tradewinds" brand) is lightweight and strong enough to do the job. I found it in a local store that sells beach balls, air mattresses, and camping gear.
Jeff Bennett’s book concludes with a chapter on repairs to your inflatable. He has advice on glues, solvents, patching tips and general care of your boat. You may probably get a patch kit as standard equipment - one came with mine. Or ask the dealer or manufacturer what types of glues and solvents to use and where to get them.
I must say I have only had one tiny pinhole leak - a year ago. It took me awhile of earnest listening to find it! I let it go for several hours and never noticed a reduction in pressure. As Audrey Sutherland says, these boats will not pop. A tiny drop of epoxy glue solved my problem. Even some duct tape can tide you over until you can stop for repairs.
Ultimately, "inflatable kayaking will become whatever you make of it," Bennett says. So, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got to run and pack. Those jungle canals are calling.
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