Comparing Inflatable Kayaks vs. Folding Kayaks

The growing popularity of Inflatable and Folding Kayaks has helped make portable watercraft one of the fastest growing areas of the outdoor recreation industry. They are both easy to store and transport. They're lightweight. And neither needs an expensive rack for your car or truck and both can be stored in compact areas in your home or garage. One of those reasons is probably why you decided to purchase a portable kayak. The next step can be a harder decision to make ... which type to purchase?

Here are the main differences .....

Materials ... Folding kayaks are a throwback to the original kayaks built by the Indians and Eskimos with skins over sticks or bones. Their frames are light metal and skins are modern flexible polymers. Inflatable kayaks have no metal parts, except for the occasional 'D' ring for attachments. They're made of a strong polymer fiber that uses air pressure to maintain it's stiffness and flotation.

Performance ... A folding kayak tracks in the water much more like a hard shell kayak. The slightly more flexible skin and frame structure, though, absorbs more wave energy and often makes the boat feel steadier in the water than a hard shell. Inflatable kayaks track a little higher in the water and can be affected more by the wind and waves. Some paddlers feel more comfortable in an inflatable, rather than a ‘sit-in’ kayak, because of it’s buoyancy and ‘self rescue’ potential. Others prefer the similarity of the folding models to hard shells.

Assembly ... Folding kayaks can take up to 20 minutes to assemble (faster with practice). An inflatable kayak takes about half that time to pump up with only a foot pump.

Price ... Quality inflatable kayaks range from under $300 and up. Quality folding kayaks range from under $700 and up.

These kayaks are designed for all types of paddlers from novice to expert and all types of water from calm lakes and streams to raging whitewater. Each model will differ as to it's whitewater capacity as well as it's weight capacity. (NOTE: PortableKayaks.com has Product Comparison Charts that make it easy for you to compare these variations.)