RMR IK-126 Taylor Inflatable Kayak

The sporty Rocky Mountain RMR IK-126 Taylor Inflatable Kayak is hands down the best value in the solo whitewater i.k. market, and not just by a little bit. The IK-126 truly looks like a $1,500 model in every way. The price may be super low but the hull design, modeled after the tapered tube Custom Inflatables Thrillseeker but with a very firm drop-stitch floor, puts it at the top in terms of handling and responsiveness. The underside is flatter than a Thrillseeker, which means cross currents and eddy lines effect it less. The real Thrillseekers have a slightly raised floor, which can be helpful if you have to straddle small rocks just under the surface, but it also means the river can push them around a bit more when you are sideways to the current.

The rocker on the RMR IK-126 Taylor Inflatable Kayak is 12” to wide over most waves, and prevent penciling at the bottom of big vertical drops. This rocker is what we measured from the underside, not the top, so you would add 2-1/2” for that. This rocker is just shy of a solo AIRE Lynx bow but it is definitely all 99% of boaters would ever want or need.

The IK-126 is just 29.5 pounds, very light for a boat that is a tad over 10-1/2'. The width is now 39”, up an inch from last year, but still an inch less than what's shown on Rocky's website, and the tubes are a full 11” at the center point. And until the very bow & stern, they do taper slightly less compared to the Thrillseeker model.

The backrest is a 10” diameter inflatable thwart for firm support in the rapids with the same Bravo valves as the other chambers. There are two D-rings that this thwart attaches to via a pair of cam straps on each side, and there is a little leeway to where you can slide the thwart's position plus or minus two inches. It's not a lot but even tall paddlers will have no issues fitting in the boat. A ten inch thwart is perhaps not the most comfortable backrest, but again, the rigidity it provides in whitewater is important, and if you wish you could certainly set a camp / stadium seat against it. The forward thwart D-rings are actually double-D's, so the second metal D there and another one on either side by your ankles are where thighstraps can be connected to. And no, these do not come with the IK-126, but our straight or curved Boat People thigh straps will attach easily via the D-rings provided. For the very small price of this kayak you are already getting a lot for your money. This model also has lift handles, and D-rings at the bow & stern on top of the little bras. For extra credit, the nose and stern are also reinforced with a second layer of material providing a very durable impact point. This last bit is important since we always found the bow tip to be a high wear point on all our rental i.k's.

The drop stitch floor pad locks into place as it is inflated tight, and there are additional attachment camstraps for it at both ends. These prevent the ends of the drop stitch floor pad from lifting. This floor actually seems somewhat firm even at 2 p.s.i., and it would be more comfortable to sit on at this lower pressure. However, we suggest going up to at least 3 psi because it may not lock into the hull tight enough at lower pressure. Heavier paddlers might also get a little water around their butt if it were under-inflated. Even folks in the 160 pound range can have a little water around their tushy, so this kayak and all competing models with a 4" drop stitch floor are best paddled with a drysuit or wetsuit.

One model this will be compared with, since the price point is similar, is the Tributary Tomcat solo. If you plan to do self supported kayak trips for two or more days, and you & the payload add up to much over 190 pounds, the Tomcat will float higher and it has a bigger payload capacity overall. It also has more tie-downs out of the box. So for some uses or larger paddlers it will be a better choice. In most other ways, the IK126 is going to beat out every other model with it's strong material and fast hull, including most of them that are two to three times the price. Like all RMR products, this comes with a five year warranty, compared to the one year coverage on the Tomcat.

Although new, feedback on the RMR IK-126 Taylor Inflatable Kayak has already been extremely enthusiastic to say the least. Some of this was from larger people in the 200 pound range. The eight 1.5” bail holes may prove to be somewhat inadequate for those running hyper-continuous rivers, but many models with more bail holes along the floor edge tend to use smaller diameter holes. This means the total drainage area isn't that much less on this Rocky Mountain model. The only other detail we can think of is that you may wish to glue in two to four small d-rings behind the thwart seat in the stern area, should you want a drybag back there.

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