AdvancedFrame Sport

I originally posted a terrible product review here and I have to say that I was WRONG. The Customer service is Incredible. They were responsive and helpful. I am looking forward to using this product for a long time. Don't hesitate to buy this product. They are great.

Excellent customer service from Advanced Elements - answered my questions quickly before I bought. I needed an alternate kayak to my hard shell, and the inflatable DS model made for airkayaks.com was exactly what I needed. Very light, rugged, comfortable, and so easy to setup and travel with. Tracks better than my hard plastic kayak! Comes with inflatable seat lumbar and drop-stitch floor, as part of special package. When I bought, I got free shipping and no tax type promotion.

I didn't give the kayak 5 stars simply because it has a modified valve and a separate pump is needed to blow it up.However, the stitching is excellent and easy to get it in the water, handles very well (almost as good as a hard tail), and tracks perfect with minimal paddling skill. I would not hesitate to purchase another, and am pleased with the AE's customer support!

I loved my advanced frame sport when I used it all summer. I love, love, love it with the drop stitched floor I just bought. It is a joy to paddle, very stable and tracks great. The stiff floor keeps the kayak higher and dryer and what little water gets in is easy to dry out when done. I went out December 26 and had the best kayaking day ever. I'm not an expert, but have several kayaks, low to mid range in price. The AE advanced frame sport equipped with drop stitched floor is a whole new level in paddling efficiency, comfort and ease of transport!

After purchasing an inflatable last spring from Sea Eagle, I was very unhappy with the performance and skeptical that any inflatable would make me happy. Then I learned of Advanced Elements and purchased the AF Sport. I also ordered the backbone after reading reviews online. The rest is happy history!

I immediately bought a second and they are always in the back of my CRV so that I can be spontaneous with anyone interested in joining me. I use a 12 volt pump but top off the main chamber and floor with a foot pump. Two of us together can have both kayaks ready to go in under ten minutes. Tracking is very good and the seat is way more comfortable over time than a hard-shell. Sometimes windy conditions can be a challenge, but not unmanageable.

People are always stopping me to ask questions and are impressed that I don't need a rack and can lift these myself. I am strong but now over 60 and must look ahead because I have many years yet that I hope to enjoy the water. Love these kayaks!

We have 4 AE Sport kayaks for our family and we love them. The kayaks take up minimal space and it only takes about 20 minutes to inflate all four. Same to deflate and pack them up. The kayaks are very durable but most of all comfortable, no hard shell. I would recommend them to anyone looking for a recreational kayak.

I purchased my Advanced Elements Advanced Frame Sport in August 2012 and after using it once, I realized I wanted the "AE Backbone" for added stability, support and improved tracking. I wasn't able to go kayaking using the backbone until 2 days ago on October 1 and boy, what an improvement in the kayaks' performance.

The AE AF Sport is my third inflatable kayak and by far the best one I have owned thus far. I found it handled 1 foot waves on a lake quiet well and tracked and sliced through the water like a hard shell kayak. I love the fact that it weighs only 26 lbs (plus another pound with the backbone installed). I use my AE Inflatable foot rest for added leg stability. I absolutely love the paddle holders on both sides and the deck rigging bungee cord for holding my manual bilge pump(just in case I need it).

I like the orange and blue sporty design on the deck (easy to see on the water for safety reasons), the built-in carry handles and the fact that it is so portable unlike hard shell kayaks. I believe that the aluminum ribs in the bow and stern combined with the AE Backbone I purchased, give the AE AF Sport excellent tracking and performance. I am very pleased with my purchase and would purchase AE inflatables again and I recommend them to friends and family. If you cannot lift heavy hard shell kayaks due to physical problems, but still want to be able to go kayaking, then inflatable kayaks are your ticket to getting out there and enjoying being "at one with water" again.

PS: My first AE inflatable kayak was the Fire Fly but I found it to be too short (at 7ft. 10 in. long) to track well unless I used really shallow paddle strokes. It is very stable on the water. I found it to be a well constructed inflatable kayak good for kids or small adults. I have tried to sell it online but no one wants to buy it because they think it is just a cheap plastic kayak like the ones you can get at discount stores but AE inflatable kayaks are not cheaply made at all.

Thank you Advanced Elements, for making such quality products at reasonable prices.

Loved it!
I have some real physical issues, some of which P related in review of Pelican Break. I have rheumatoid arthritis, and a neurological condition. The neuro has left me very - as in VERY - weak. The advertised and probably very near accurate 26 lb of this boat is about all I can handle, and I must be careful of carry in that I also have issue with connective tissue and can easily pop ribs out of place fore and aft. I am also a business owner, but I do not do this to make a lot of $$$, but to work around many issues including the base issue of mine: autism, and I make very little $ and also live in a house all of 8' x 15' (really) and have small storage space. Rubber ducks are good.

The Advanced Frame is light enough to work for me. It folds small enough to store even in my house, and can carry as luggage; that last bit assisted me a lot in carry inasmuch as I am weak. The boat sets up quickly and with little effort (goodie). It also goes easily back into its bag... my earlier inflatoboat did not. This is not like fighting an angry anaconda upon deflation and stow. It is nearly too easy. The quality of materials is wonderful. The bag it came in and goes back into is of higher quality than the Sevylor boat I had previously owned. all is well considered.

The boat is a good boat, not "Well, it's okay for being an inflatable..." I found that it tracked well, and that even I (equipped with a Canon was it, Cascade paddle) could easily make 3.5 MPH at cruise in still air. Also, this boat eats wind! I live at nearly 7,000 MSL in the mountains of Arizona and there can be wind here. The boat works waves (such as I encountered - to about 18" trough to crest) and wind at any angle on the boat. No ill handling at all, easy ride, good tracking, the wet I got came from paddle drip in the wind. I had it on GPS to 3.5 cruise and about 4.25 top. I think a hard boat of this LOA would not beat that by much. And it was comfortable too, both to paddle and to carry.

I have no complaints at all about the Advanced Frame Sport. I loved it. I also must state that Airkayaks.com is the place to buy. They were nice and service was fast and prices the best. So why the past tense? Well, whereas I loved the Advanced Frame Sport, I would if I could, return my life! Business sucks in this Obamaconomy and my architectural business (about $10,000.00 gross last year) is not doing well. In a bad economy marginal persons such as myself suck the first and the worst. The county government that I must deal with has several of my jobs in the realm of von neuman incompleatness and I have not been paid for a long time. i just sold 'yak and paddle and vest and pump to make this month's credit card bill. When life gives you lemons, rub your eyes with them - my new motto.

But the boat was a goodie. Gal I sold it to calls it "a Cadillac' in comparison with her other boat. I wish I had the receipt to my life!