As far as we know none fo the Innovas will be available through dealers in the lower 48 this season. We will update this page and the descriptions for the other Innova models when we know more.
The fully decked Swing I solo inflatable kayak from Innova has an optional sprayskirt (found both in this section and in our Kayak Accessory section), but even without the skirt the cockpit combing where you sit is raised up by two removable lightweight anodized aluminum arches. These insert before you inflate the side tubes, lifting the deck upward a few inches, and this does an amazingly good job of keeping water out of the boat even in wind & chop. Including the hardware this boat is pretty light, only 25 pounds not counting the bag. It is 10'5" long and the width is 34". It's recommended for paddlers up to 265 pounds, though you will probably get better performance if you stay around 220.
Innova Swing Inflatable Kayak New Fabric
Innova is now bringing in the Swing I and Swing II kayaks with the same 1200 denier nitryl material as all their other kayaks, as opposed to the lighter 500 denier fabric used for the previous several years. This has brought the weight up a bit however, and some of the specs on the Innova website are off by a few pounds (i.e., a few pounds lighter than what they actually weigh).
Competing models, often designed with multiple layers of bladder & hull material, are far heavier and take far longer to dry - and many of them also tend to get pretty stinky after any salt water use. The Swing kayaks have zippers fore and aft on the decks, and opening them speeds the already good drying time.
This boat does about a walking speed, so it is similar to the discontinued solo Innova Helios. Maybe a bit over 3 m.p.h. in calm water if you are a good paddler.
Innova Swing IK Chambers
The seat is a "Crazy Creek" style chair, and there are three main chambers like most duckies. Lift handles are mounted at both ends and like most of the Innova touring models, the Swing comes with a removable skeg. The folded size is very compact, though in an effort to keep the price competitive, the carry bag that comes with the Sunny and Helios series is not included with this one (it would raise the retail $50, and the bag is available separately in our drybag section).
Overall a definite winner and quite air travel-friendly, though we might suggest stashing the aluminum arch ribs in a different bag or suitcase from the boat. You never know when metal parts are going to raise a red flag with airport security.
There is a new green-tube/gray deck color available this year too.
)
)
)
