Our Kayaks

Posted September 29, 2016 – Narrated by Jim (updated April 2025)

To listen to the podcast, click the play button

Since we started full-time traveling in our Airstream, almost every time we launch our inflatable kayaks, we’re asked:

Where did we get them?
Who makes them?
Do we like them?
How do they handle?
What do they weigh?
Are they expensive?
How small do they pack up?

We’ve been kayaking since 2004, and began with both personal and small-group instruction with the experts at Southwestern Aquatic Center at the Silver Strand State Beach in San Diego.

I’d recently had major neck surgery following years of muscle atrophy in my arm, and I instinctually felt that paddling would be good physical therapy.

After our second summer of classes in 2005, I’d gained strength, repaired nerve damage and we became enthusiasts, purchasing two Wilderness Systems Pamlico 145T kayaks.

We liked that they could be set up as tandem two-seaters or as solo crafts by moving the front seat back.

These boats served us well on the San Diego Bay where we regularly padded to lunch, breakfast, the fish market and to concerts on the bay.

But, at 14.5 feet and 73 pounds, these stable, sturdy, yet maneuverable boats seemed to get heavier every year!

We continually looked at lighter weight crafts, but never made a decision … Then, came the bad news that I needed a second neck surgery.

I needed a new neck – and because of a great surgeon, I got one. A very good one, Thank you Dr. Jeffrey Lee:

Carmen and I decided to be kinder to this new neck and lighten up our lives in more ways than just our kayaks.

We began selling everything we owned including the Wilderness Systems Pamlicos, because by that time we could barely pull them on the hand trailer, much less lift them on top of our new tall Ram truck with a cap – even ultra-light boats we’re beyond our ability to manage safely at that height.

We needed kayaks that we could fit inside the truck … but with a generator, a ladder, grill, fire pit, table, tools, etc, there was simply no room.

New generation inflatable kayaks were intriguing, but we’d never seen one, didn’t know anyone who had one, and couldn’t find any in showrooms featuring them in San Diego.

We certainly didn’t want to buy kayaks without a water test.

Then, one weekend in March 2016 when we were staying at Campland on the Bay, we couldn’t believe that the folks in the space right beside us had two Advanced Elements inflatable kayaks – the very kayak brand we’d been coveting on the internet for months – and they kindly invited us to test them out on the bay!

By this time, we hadn’t paddled at all for about six months.

The video below shows Carmen taking a test run.

We decided on the Advanced Elements Advanced Frame Inflatable Kayak, model AE1012. Good for level one and level two waters.

The Advanced Frame kayaks each take about 10 minutes to get out of the bag, inflate and set it up.

We love these kayaks and have nothing but good to say about how easy they are set up and how nicely they handle.

As a bonus, while camping, they both fit under our Airstream trailer for quick and easy access:

Inflated, they are 10 feet 10 inches long and 33 inches wide. They fit into a small 31″ x 18″ x 10″ duffle bag and we store them in the back of the truck.

They weigh 35 pounds each including the seat and floor. Here are the included features:

Rigid-formed Bow and Stern with Aluminum rib
Integrated Tracking fin
Military-style Air Valves and Twistlok valves
Molded low-profile rubber handles
Durable double PVC-coated nylon ripstop material with tarpaulin fabric
Electronically Welded Seams
Bungee Deck Lacing to hold extra gear
Coaming area to keep out water
Durable, lightweight and compact – inflates in minutes!
Designed to be used in flat water to salt water.
Adjustable foot brace system
Ladder-lock straps on seat back to attach optional fishing rod holders
High-back lumbar seat for the ultimate in a comfortable with an adjustable back rest.
Carrying case
One year warranty
Repair kit and instructions

We also got the High-pressure inflatable 4-6 PSI dropstitch floor for extreme rigidity (we LOVE this feature and cannot recommend the high-pressure floor enough!) WARNING: We do not recommend this kayak without getting this high-pressure dropstitich floor.

To make inflating our kayaks easy, we got the Double action high-pressure 14 PSI hand pump with pressure-gauge. Our kayaks came with this pump.

Since we knew we would be using these boats regularly in our travels, we bought two very light kayak paddles

We also bought two Advanced Elements Stowable Kayak Kart/Dollies so we could walk them to their destinations.

kayak dollie cart — We bought two of these, one for each kayak

When we arrive to the water, we pop off the wheels and stow them behind the seats under the stern, then collapse the frame and stow it on top with bungee cords (you can see the dollie frame stored on top of the back with the wheels detached and stored underneath the zipper).

The only negatives is risk of mildew. When you deflate them for storage they must be dry – especially for long-term storage.

To avoid mildew, we drain them well and then dry in direct sunlight for a couple of hours, then towel dry before packing them up.

If you want a tandem kayak

You like tandem kayaks? Here is a similar kayak to ours in a tandem format.

Where we have Kayaked

For months we paddled in the San Diego Bay until we started traveling full-time, 3519 days ago. Now we have paddled in almost every state. We add to this list below periodically. Here are a few locations:

Lake Tahoe - South Lake Tahoe, California — Lake Tahoe – South Lake Tahoe, California

Amistad National Recreation Area, Del Rio, Texas

Indian River - Melbourne Beach, Florida — Indian River – Melbourne Beach, Florida

Lake Murray - Dreher Island State Park, South Carolina — Lake Murray – Dreher Island State Park, South Carolina

Potomac River - Harper's Ferry, West Virginia — Potomac River – Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia

Chassahowitzka River - Homosassa, Florida — Chassahowitzka River – Homosassa, Florida

Mangroves at Curry Hammock, Florida Keys

Colorado River - Yuma, Arizona — Colorado River – Yuma, Arizona

Lake Winnewanka - Banff National Park, Canada — Lake Winnewanka – Banff National Park, Canada

Two Jacks Lake - Banff National Park, Canada — Two Jacks Lake – Banff National Park, Canada

Lake Logan - Hocking Valley, Ohio — Lake Logan – Hocking Valley, Ohio

Lady Liberty - Manhattan, New York — Lady Liberty – Manhattan, New York

Hudson River - Manhattan, New York — Hudson River – Manhattan, New York

Put In Bay - Lake Erie, Ohio — Put In Bay – Lake Erie, Ohio

Jones River - Cape Ann, Massachusetts — Jones River – Cape Ann, Massachusetts

Cliff Pond - Nickerson State Park, Massachusetts — Cliff Pond – Nickerson State Park, Massachusetts

Long Pond - Acadia National Park, Maine — Long Pond – Acadia National Park, Maine

Waterbury Reservoir - Little River State Park, Vermont — Waterbury Reservoir – Little River State Park, Vermont

Colorado River – Fisher’s Landing, Martinez Lake, Arizona

Blue Mesa Reservoir – Gunnison, Colorado

Steamboat Springs Lake – Steamboat Springs, Colorado

‎⁨Fishlake National Forest⁩ – Salina⁩, ⁨Utah⁩

Fred Gannon Rocky Bayou – Niceville, Florida

Cape Fear River - Carolina Beach, North Carolina — Cape Fear River – Carolina Beach, North Carolina

Sinepuxent Bay- Assateague Island, Maryland

Chinoteague Bay - Assateague Island, Maryland — Chinoteague Bay – Assateague Island, Maryland

Indian River Bay - Rehoboth, Delaware — Indian River Bay – Rehoboth, Delaware

Great Sound - Cape May, New Jersey — Great Sound – Cape May, New Jersey

Lake Huron - Mackinac Island, Michigan — Lake Huron – Mackinac Island, Michigan

⁨Tahquamenon River ⁩- ⁨Paradise, Michigan⁩

Saylorville Lake⁩ - Granger, Iowa — Saylorville Lake⁩ – Granger, Iowa

Strait of Juan de Fuca, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada

Morfee Lake, Mackenzie, British Columbia, Canada

Hay Lake, Fort Liard, Northwest Territories, Canada

Atlin Lake, Atlin, British Columbia, Canada

Yukon River, North of Whitehorse, Yukon, Canada

Resurrection Bay, Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska

French Broad River, Asheville, North Carolina

‎⁨Cane Creek Lake⁩, ⁨Waxhaw⁩, ⁨North Carolina

‎⁨Stone Mountain Lake, ⁨Stone Mountain⁩, ⁨Georgia⁩

Wolf River Harbor - Mississippi River, Memphis, Tennessee — Wolf River Harbor – Mississippi River, Memphis, Tennessee

Old Hickory Lake, Mount Juliet, Tennessee

Calcasieu River, Lake Charles, Louisiana

‎⁨Eagle Nest Lake⁩⁩, ⁨Eagle Nest⁩, ⁨New Mexico

Happy Kayaking!!!!!

If you want to see the exact route we travel, click here.

*photos in this post (unless otherwise noted) were taken and copyrighted by Living In Beauty.

Follow “Living In Beauty” via Email

Enter your email address and receive notifications of new posts by email, about once or twice a month. We will not sell or share your email address, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Join 8,996 other subscribers

Name*

Website

When you enter your email address, a “bell” icon will appear.
Click it to receive an email when we reply to your comment

14 Comments

Inline Feedbacks

View all comments

Miriam Barlow

9 years ago

Thank you for this informative post! I love kayaking and this is great info!

Living in Beauty

Reply to Miriam Barlow

I’d love to go kayaking with you, Miriam! The inflatables get us on the water without stress or injury. I only wish there was a place to water test all of the different models that coming out. You’re welcome to try ours out in Yellowstone.

Teresa Lefrancois

I love your travel logs. The best ever!!!! Living the dream!!!!

Reply to Teresa Lefrancois

Thanks for coming along, Teresa!

Kelvin Ritchie

We have the Sea Eagle Fastback 385 (12 1/2′) inflatable. Its an open design that accommodates us either tandem or solo. However, we are looking at the same kayak you previously had, the Pamlico 145T for tandem/solo use. The main reason is to free up space inside our Ram 2500 (with ARE cap). While inflating isn’t the issue, deflating and making sure it is dry is getting old and time consuming. Also when leaving it outside in the campground we have to find spots in the shade and deflate a little so the sun doesn’t expand the air. I’ve noticed some staining in our drop stitched floor. Our kayak can’t really be used on cold waters. Everything inside gets wet. Your Advanced kayak looks like you could put a skirt on for cold water kayaking. The wife doesn’t want individual boats.

We figure with wth the correct rack system (we have the Yakima bar option on our ARE) we could store a Pamlico 145T on top our Ram and not spend so much time making sure our Sea Eagle is dry before storing. How is the 145T for cold water paddling? Do you find the 145T takes on a lot of water in tandem and solo? (I’m 190lbs, wife 135lbs).

Kelvin

Laurie Roeder

Reply to Kelvin Ritchie

Hey Kelvin, we have neen kayaking for 35-plus years. We have had inflatable, sit-upon, hard plastic, graphite, and fibreglass ones. We have had tandem and singles. Our favorites are our Voyager and Nekkie ocean-going touring kayaks. Though longer than some, they have a rudder that can be controlled by your feet, so steering and tracking are excellent. Fairly lightweight with ample storage for several days or more camping. They do not get wet inside and they seem fairly warm in cold water. Hope this helps!

Hey Kelvin! Great to hear from you!

Another happy surprise was that these inflatables are much drier than the Pamlicos. It’s rare to get any water in them at all. Once, rough swells in the San Diego bay got us a little wet, but the separate inflatable floor kept us dry. Also the seat is about 3 inches above the floor. We haven’t felt a need for the skirt. As far as cold, we’re still hot-house flowers and have never paddled in truly cold conditions – but when we do, we’ll let you know! If we were strong enough, we’d probably still be using the pamlicos or a craft that Laurie Roeder recommends 🙂 because of the inconvienence of planning for dry out and packing time. But, for us, if it weren’t for the inflatables we’d have to pass on paddling.

Do you have bikes, Kelvin? If so, what kind and where do store them?

We’re currently looking for folding bikes – perhaps, electric – but they have to be light enough for us to lift them onto the back seat of the truck.

Jan Spencley

Great info. This makes a kayak an option for a condo or apartment dweller. Thanks.

Reply to Jan Spencley

Agreed, Jan. I think we’ll always have inflatables simply because we can’t do heavy lifting – but the space-saving aspect is truly revolutionary. The first time I saw a new generation inflatable was in Venice. A couple of American backpackers stepped off the train and onto the bank of the canal, took their backpacks off and pumped their boats, threw their gear in and before we boarded the train they were long gone … Awesome!

Michael Shelley

Okay, you hooked us! Just got off the phone with Holly at AirKayaks (she is great, by the way) and purchased two XLCs (they are out of stock until November), two dollies and two sets of the paddles you recommended. I did tell Holly we saw this in your blog and really liked what we saw. We have a good hybrid canoe, but it is getting a bit heavy to lift on and off our huge truck’s bike rack. Looking forward to using these here in Arkansas and the many places we hope to visit in our AS, “Rose,” over the next many years.

Reply to Michael Shelley

Great! We really need to meet up! We’re driving through Nebraska right now in high winds and we sure are glad we don’t have boats on the roof!!!

Reply to Living in Beauty

We would love that as well. If you are ever in the Little Rock area, be sure to give us a call. Send me an email directly and I’ll give you our contact info. Re: bicycles; we just have not been able to convert to folding; have two road bikes each; travel with one set at a time, of course. Judy and I love your travel maps and enjoy following your blog. Thanks for taking the time and effort to do the very informative post on the kayaks; it is the reason we made the decision to buy them.

Karen Brockman (K.K.)

5 years ago

Great info and beautiful pics of your kayak adventures. It’s so nice to know these inflatable and lightweight kayaks exist! We still would like to meet up this summer and kayak with you while you are in Colorado! It was wonderful to see you both this week!

Reply to Karen Brockman (K.K.)

K.K., glad you found value in our inflatable kayak information. We love these kayaks. We have paddled them in every imaginable place except we don’t do rapids or try to launch or land them when waves are present. Let’s keep in touch this summer while we are visiting the great state of Colorado.