Quikpak K1 Coverless Sit-On-Top Kayak

My paddling Facebook group has a dozen members. 9 of us have inflatables and 3 are Sevylor K1s. We like them for their portability and fast inflations/deflations. They are are fun kayak and get us on the water quickly. The width makes them stable, even when riding the large wakes of speedboats. I like having 5 chambers as they give me extra security in case of a chamber failure while on the water. I’ve used mine on a Quarry lake, small and large inland lakes; even in a large harbor on Lake Superior. The downsides... The paddles that come with the boat are really bad with small blades and flimsy klutzy assembly; had to replace. Even on small lakes, a little wind makes for a difficult trip. They have small rudders, but are high profile and lightweight. I happened to put my foot on the edge of my boat while inflating, my bad, lesson learned, and got a small puncture. First I tried patching with the material that came with the boat; I followed the instructions to the letter. It was useless and would not stick. Next, I ordered a highly rated patch kit from Amazon. It seemed to be stickier but also failed. Next, I tried Flex Seal Tape. Success!!! Problem solved. Boat holds air like it is new. The seat assembly took some time to figure out. Also, the pump instructions are sketchy. There are 3 different nozzles. I haven’t figured out a use for one of them. It’s a fun boat for short recreational paddles. I’ll keep mine for those. But, despite the transport issue, I will be buying a hard shell. Keeping up with paddlers half my age in their Old Towns can be a challenge in my boat. I consider myself a strong paddler, but I am 75!

My wife and I purchased two Sevylor K1 Quikpak inflatable kayaks for each other for Christmas. We had gone kayaking a couple of times and wanted to do more, but did not want to pay a lot for kayaks or have to deal with transport. We decided to give inflatables a try.

This weekend we had our fifth outing with the kayaks and we really love them. They are perfect for a couple of 50-somethings who want to do simple flat-water kayaking. They can be inflated and ready in less than five minutes. They are very stable in the water (a little wider than most kayaks). Deflating and repacking is pretty simple as well.

The only reason these kayaks are a 9 and not a 10 is the paddles. It comes with three part aluminum paddles that attach together with plastic couplings. The paddles are a bit small, and they come apart too easily. We purchased replacement paddles and have been quite happy ever since.

I know "inflatables" may be looked down upon by some paddlers, but these have really fit the bill for a recreational/occasional kayaker.