Cheap Kayaks:  A Great Way To Have Serious Fun For Just A Little Bit Of Money

This article presents features and benefits of several cheap kayaks. “Cheap kayaks” are a great way to have fun, relax, enjoy being outside, and experience nature in extreme quiet if you wish. On a lake or pond in the still of the morning or around dusk, you can sneak up and see fish, birds, and other animals within an arms reach in places you could never reach on
foot.

Cheap Kayaks Does NOT Mean Cheap Quality

All things considered, kayaks are an inexpensive option for boating and frankly, you can go where no other boat can go and you can experience things no other boat will allow. However, due to the simplicity of a kayak and the wonders of plastic injection molding, you can get a quality kayak for a relatively low price. On this web page, I will reveal a few of the least expensive options in cheap kayaks … inflatable models … and even some low-cost hard plastic models.

Of course, you can spend a lot of money if you want to get into the elite class of river kayaks or streamlined sea kayaks, but it’s really not necessary unless performance is your primary concern. In this article, I will briefly start out by covering some aspects of basic kayak designs and benefits, but my primary purpose is to reveal a few alternatives for
cheap kayaks you can investigate further. Also, please feel free to check out other pages on my website for more interesting information about kayaks.

A Quick Summary of Kayak Designs or Types

• Arctic kayaks: This is the fundamental design on which most kayaks today are based.

• Folding kayaks: This type of kayak folds up for easy transport and storage and are just as sturdy as regular kayak designs. Of course, they cost a little more.

• Inflatable kayaks: These are the epitome of “cheap kayaks” with ultra-low cost, easy to use, and light weight.

• Plastic kayaks: Most cheap kayaks are made of vinyl (for inflatables) or plastic. Plastic kayaks are sturdy, lightweight, perfect for most people and generally affordable. You can, however, get more expensive plastic models
  too.

• Sit-on-top kayaks: Contrary to what you might think, Sit-On-Tops (a.k.a., “Sit Upons”) are really stable
  (i.e., not easy to turn over) and are ideal for beginners.

• Surf skis or wave skis: Small kayaks used for surfing the waves

• Wooden kayaks: Wooden kayaks are NOT cheap kayaks. They are normally very pretty, but also pretty expensive. You can, however, save money and have fun building your own.

• Fiberglass kayaks: These models are super light and more versatile than other types of kayaks. If you want performance, you probably want fiberglass.

• Solo versus tandem kayaks: Solo kayaks carry one person; tandem kayaks carry two.

• Sprint kayaks: These modeals are made for racing, but are harder to keep upright than regular kayaks and more expensive.

• Squirt kayaks: Squirts are designed for maximum maneuverability in difficult rivers.

• Surf kayaks: A new form of surfing.

• Touring kayaks & Sea Kayaks: Sturdy kayaks designed to be pretty long so they go pretty much in a straight line
  with each paddle stroke. Shorter kayaks are more maneuverable, but they tend to wiggle from side to side as you paddle. These models also have a fair amount of stowage space for cargo like life jackets, coolers, drinks, coats,
  etc.

• Whitewater racing kayaks & Slalom Kayaks: Whitewater kayaks are short, tend to be round from side to bottom to other side and are very maneuverable; they’re great for doing tricks.

• Whitewater touring kayaks: These kayaks are built sturdy for rough, whitewater downriver travel.

• Flatwater kayaking: These tend to be good, general-purpose cheap kayaks which are easier and better for learning how to kayak

• River kayaks: Similar to whitewater kayaks, but perhaps not as sturdy and not as pricey.

Now, you know a little about the different types of kayaks, let’s move on to some specific cheap kayaks. Although I have not included specific prices here, all the inflatable kayaks presented are under $100 and all the rigid kayaks are under $300.

INTEX CHALLENGER K1 KAYAK: Inflatable 

The Intex Challenger Kayak is an inflatable kayak made of “Super Tough” 22 gauge (0.56mm) thick PVC vinyl for durability. It includes high-visibility graphics for safety, and the cockpit is designed for comfort and space, and it includes an inflatable seat and backrest. It employs a low-profile design that lets you quietly drift into the shallowest water on lakes and mild rivers. There is also an inflatable I-Beam floor for comfort and rigidity, and it uses a streamlined design for easy paddling. In other words, it paddles like a sea kayak … efficient forward motion.

This boat measures 109 inches long, and carries 200 pounds. The cockpit is large for easy entry and exit. It has 5 separate air chambers and a U.S. Coast Guard ID. RWTUV approved. Repair kit, air pump, and paddle included. And since it’s inflatable, it’s easy to stow and transport.

Product dimensions: 137.8 x 29.9 x 15 inches weighing 24.6 pounds.

Here are a few customer reviews for the Intex Challenge K1 Sports Kayak

 

I’m a student who has barely any money for fun things, so I decided to buy a kayak so I could have a lot of fun with just a one time “fee”. It’s perfect for being only around $80.00. I have no complaints since it’s my first kayak and I have nothing to
compare it to. I do highly recommend buying a different paddle, the one included isn’t too comfortable and efficient since it’s on the short end. People who complain about it’s “tracking”(going straignt while paddling) need to understand this is not a touring kayak made of carbon fiber. It’s an $80 inflatable kayak. I’ve taken it out on lakes around 20 times so far in the last
two months and have had only one leak. The leak was from me being dumb and taking it to the ocean where a shell made a nice little tear. This was easily fixed with the included repair kit. All 20 trips have been for at least one hour. Two of those were “long” trips(6 miles round trip). It holds up fine in strong winds and mild waves. On my second long trip the winds were 20mph with 30mph gusts and about 2ft waves. It’s pretty fun and you definitely get splashed, here in Florida that feels good though. There’s a good bit of space behind the seat to store items as well as in the front where your feet go in. It does include an inflatable “foot rest”. I’m not exactly sure what it’s called but it helps with maintaining proper posture. It deflates in 5 minutes and fits into a small 2×2 bag which fits perfectly in any trunk. I highly recommend this if you need a way to get out on some water but don’t have the money or space for a ”higher-end” model.

By Aiken

My husband I enjoy kayaking and once we saw the prices of fiberglass kayaks, we hesitated to buy. I saw this inflatable kayak on Amazon and showed my husband who told me not to get it because they would puncture easily and blow away or fill up with water quickly- he could not have been any more wrong. After purchasing two, we took them on their maiden voyage today and both of us were very surprised; they were easy and quick to inflate and navigated perfectly in the water. The material of the kayak is very thick and durable and I am in the process of having all of our friends purchase this item as well.

By Reagan

I ordered the inflatable kayak kit on the 16th and recieved it on the 22nd, not bad considering I live in CT and the company was in Ca! Moving on, my girlfriend and I have a two-person inflatable kayak that been through alot and never even got a puncture in it, so we decided that inflatable kayaks might be the way to go for now on. With that being said, we ordered two of these single-person Intex challenger inflatable kits from Backstore. Immediatly, I opened both packages and inspected the products we recieved. I found that the material is the same as our two person, which is a very good thing, the bag that came with it is very narrow and almost a briefcase size, the air pump was very basic but works well to inflate
this kayak. I would reccomend buying a 12 volt pump that plugs into your car, and just take the lightweight handpump with you down river incase of a puncture. The last part of the kit is the paddles….they are GREAT! I have used a few different paddles now and the Intex aluminum paddles,that are in the kits, are a bit heavy but that is not a bad thing. We had full plastic put-together ones just like these. The plastic ones are lighter (by about 1/2 the weight) BUT heavy is not a bad thing, these paddles will last and the minute you put one together and hold it, you will feel just how durable these are, plus they won’t bend like the traditional plastic ones! I spent $85 on an entire one person kit with shipping. To get a inflatable kayak, basic pump, good aluminum paddle, and a carry in bag for this price is just a great value. The two-person kayak we
purchased from a box store was $99 because the price was mismarked, if they didn’t correct it and give us the wrong tagged price it would have been $129.99, and that didn’t come with a pump, paddles, or even a carry in bag. Look at this entire kit compared to any other and you will find that this kit is an extreme value when compared to any other kayak. Thank you Backstore and Intex for offering the cheapest prices and allowing me and the gf to have fun all summer long for a one time price of $170 for two entire kits!!!

By Erhardt

For a price in the $80 range, the Intex Challenger K1 is the ultimate of cheap kayaks

Sevylor Sit-On-Top Inflatable Kayak

This kayak is a 2-person “Sit On Top” Inflatable kayak. It’s portable, comfortable, stable, and durable, and it includes dual-tracking fins for easy steering, recessed storage compartment with secure cargo net, an 86-inch aluminum paddle, and an “Air Tight Guarantee” not to leak. It’s made of heavy-duty 25-gauge PVC vinyl with double-lock valves that prevent air loss and yet ensures quick, easy inflation and deflation. This kayak measures 13 feet 1 inch long by 3 feet 1 inch wide, and holds 2 people (up to 595 pounds total weight). This easy to stow, easy to transport boat weighs just 32 pounds.

Here are a few customer reviews for the Sevylor Inflatable Sit-On-Top Kayak

This kayak is super comfortable & has decent handling. There are 2 small built-in skegs (bottom fins) for directional control, one at the nose & one at the rear. It’s long & wide & very stable with very comfortable seats. It came with 2 sets of paddles
(not just 1), they’re light-weight, float & work okay. In the open harbor we bounce a bit in small waves & wakes but that’s fun! You will get a little wet with the supplied paddles, the water gets trapped in the foot rests & other crevices. The splashing is greatly reduced if you use longer paddles. This kayak really encourages you to just sit back, stretch out, relax & enjoy the
scenery. Have fun!

By Mo

I purchased this so that I could take my girlfriend out on some nearby lakes. Set up was very easy, but I’d recommend using a manual air pump as opposed to an electronic one. After setting in the water, it took a few minutes to get used to paddling and steering. Since this is my first kayak, I believe any frustration I felt toward this one is due to my inexperience, as now that I’ve had more time with it on several occasions, I can honestly say that I love every minute of the experience, thanks in large part to the quality of this craft.

Recently, I went out on a large lake (Lake Martin in AL) and was pleasantly surprised to see how well the kayak handled waves created by other boats. It glides right over them with ease, mostly without altering your heading! Wonderful construction is to thank for that.

All in all, I believe anyone who has not experienced any other inflatable kayak will love this one since it is such an easy entry into hobby kayaking.

By Burke

These are just a couple of examples. You can also find some great non-inflatable kayaks for reasonable prices. The price won’t be $80 for a solid plastic kayak, but you can find one for as little as $220. Regardless of which kayak you buy, you should get at least a couple-hours of lessons for safety, to understand how to paddle, and just to get comfortable
with kayaking. You can fall out of one, although I find it’s rather difficult unless you are trying to get in a high-performance river kayak which rolls pretty easy by design. In my opinion, it’s much easier to fall out of a canoe than a kayak. Anyway, there are lots of great choices for cheap kayaks … just to get your feet wet.

Next we will present a few non-inflatable kayaks to give you a feel for what’s available.

FoldLite 10 Ft Folding Kayak

The first example is a folding kayak. It is a true rigid shell kayak, but it is
fully collapsible, easy to pack and transport, and is extremely lightweight
(only 20 pounds). It is made of extruded polypropylene for high strength-to-weight ratio which can carry up to 250 pounds. It is 10 feet long, and yet, it’s collapsible and flexible enough to fit in its specially designed backpack! You will not need a roof rack or trailer, and you can store it anywhere. This folding kayak offers you the ultimate flexibility and convenience.

The package includes a water proof backpack, the hull and deck sections, rib caps, floorboards, a water proof cover, quick fasteners, and alignment tool, a floatation seat, a collapsible paddle, and an assembly manual. The deployed size is 10 feet 1 inch long with a cockpit of 31.5 wide x 28.5 long x 14 inches deep. Folded this kayak measures 7 inches high x 22 inches wide x 33
inches long (roughly 2 feet x 3 feet x ½ foot).

Calypso Kayak with Soft Back Rest and Paddle in Blue

 

Our next example low-cost kayak is a Calypso kayak which
seats one adult and one child, and it is nearly impossible to turn over. The Calypso kayak includes a soft back rest, molded in child seat; it’s lightweight (just 43 pounds) and is made of plastic. This kayak includes a flat bottom for stability and even includes a mast receiver for a sail.

There are foot wells for leverage when paddling, paddle cradles to hold the paddle when you’re not paddling, generous cargo hold,
trays for holding miscellaneous stuff, a bottle holder, a cut-out side carry handle and a T handle in front. Measuring 96 x 28.5 x 9 inches, this model is easy to transport in a truck, SUV, or minivan, and can even store under a bed or in a closet. This kayak offers a 250 pound weight capacity.

Pelican™ Pursuit 80 Deluxe Kayak

Our final example is the Pelican Pursuit 80 Deluxe Kayak which is a great starter kayak. It’s designed to be comfortable including an adjustable padded backrest and an ergonomically designed seat cushion that dramatically reduces fatigue. You can store stuff on the bow using the included bungee cords. The Ram-Xhull construction is extremely tough for river kayaking. There are carry handles on the bow and the stern. This kayak carries 200 pounds with a 32 x 19 inch cockpit. The kayak itself measures 8 feet long by 28 inches wide and 14 inches deep weighing just 27 pounds.

Now, you have seen a decent representation of the different types of cheap kayaks available with inflatables, a sit-on-top, a foldable kayak, one for Mom or Dad and the kid, and a simple rigid side kayak. There are hundreds of models available ranging from an $80 inflatable up to nearly $2,000 performance units. The best thing to do now is browse around and see what models you like best. Be sure to check out the other pages available on this website for more cheap kayaks (and a few high performance models too) from specific manufacturers.