Our inflatable kayak
line includes whitewater
models, kayaks for oceans,
calm water, and backpackers,
with AIRE, Innova, NRS,
Incept, Hyside, and a couple
of our Boat People exclusive
design touring models. We will
also be adding some new
PakBoat skin & frame kayaks in
the near future. Details on solo
whitewater, tandem
whitewater, and touring
inflatable kayaks are found on
their respective pages, but
some rough rules of thumb
about all models are as
follows:
The more boat length in
the water, known as the
"waterline", the more easily a
whitewater model will ride
through holes but the harder
it will be to pivot quickly.
The shape of the boat's
underside also matters,
flatter bottoms always being
better in whitewater. Long
waterlines
on a touring kayak - inflatable
or otherwise - increase hull
speed and tracking. Wide boats
are more stable but also
slower. In other words, there's
no such thing as a fast
flatwater boat that is also
going to be a great, stable
whitewater
craft.
An i.k's total payload
capacity (your weight plus
your gear) depends on width &
waterline length, tube
diameter, and on self-bailers,
how thick the inflated floor
is from top to bottom. In some
instances you will be sitting
directly on top of the
inflatable floor, and on other
kayaks there may be an
inflatable or foam buttrest
underneath you. Many of the
Sea Eagle, Stearns, and
Sevylor "self-bailers" that are
being sold today have floors
that only range from 3" to 4",
so if you are a larger person,
and particularly if you want a
tandem boat, you want to keep
this in mind. To really function
properly most true river
inflatables will have floors 5"
to 6" thick, or at least 4" on
some of the longer solo
models. All inflatable kayaks
in our two whitewater sections
are self-bailing except the
Innova Vagabond.
We don't try
to carry every brand of
inflatable kayak. Many
companies sell direct to the
public, and many others are
sold through so many big box
outlets and mass-marketers
that it makes little sense for
us to try and compete. A few
brands simply don't seem to
offer good value for the money.
This usually has to do with
the price/quality/warranty
ratio. The absence of a boat
or brand from our site does
not mean the product isn't
worth your consideration, but
we do try to
carry inflatable kayaks that
will provide both excellent
performance and cost you the
minimum amount per year to
own.
Call us with any questions
at 925-820-2628, or email us
at theboatpeople@hotmail.com .
We have had issues since
sometime in February with our
"info@" email address so don't
use that one for now or we may
not get your questions.
