Posted September 29, 2016 – Narrated by Jim (updated April 2025)
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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 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.
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).
Here you can see where we store the dolly (cart) behind the seat with the wheels detached and inside the kayak and the frame secured on top with red bungee cords
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.
For months we paddled in the San Diego Bay until we started traveling full-time, 3551 days ago. Now we have paddled in almost every state. We add to this list below periodically. Here are a few locations:
Lake of the Woods, OregonLake Tahoe – South Lake Tahoe, CaliforniaHilton Head Island, South CarolinaMarathon Island, Florida KeysAmistad National Recreation Area, Del Rio, TexasIndian River – Melbourne Beach, FloridaIn case you wanted to see it better, here is a closeup of the gator in the photo aboveFt Pickens National Park, FloridaBig Bear Lake, CaliforniaCarrabelle, FloridaLake Murray – Dreher Island State Park, South Carolina Potomac River – Harper’s Ferry, West VirginiaChassahowitzka River – Homosassa, FloridaMangroves at Curry Hammock, Florida KeysColorado River – Yuma, ArizonaLake Winnewanka – Banff National Park, CanadaTwo Jacks Lake – Banff National Park, CanadaPanama City Beach, FloridaSouth Padre Island, TexasLake Logan – Hocking Valley, OhioMono Lake, CaliforniaLady Liberty – Manhattan, New YorkHudson River – Manhattan, New YorkMystic River, ConnecticutPut In Bay – Lake Erie, OhioJones River – Cape Ann, Massachusetts Cliff Pond – Nickerson State Park, MassachusettsLong Pond – Acadia National Park, MaineLong Pond – Acadia National Park, MaineWaterbury Reservoir – Little River State Park, VermontFish Creek Pond Campground, New YorkColorado River – Fisher’s Landing, Martinez Lake, ArizonaHotel del Coronado, CaliforniaWatson Lake – Prescott, ArizonaBlue Mesa Reservoir – Gunnison, ColoradoHorsetooth Lake – Ft. Collins, ColoradoBoyd Lake – Loveland, ColoradoSteamboat Springs Lake – Steamboat Springs, ColoradoCrawford Reservoir – Crawford, ColoradoFishlake National Forest – Salina, UtahGulf State Park – Gulf Shores, AlabamaFred Gannon Rocky Bayou – Niceville, FloridaBay St. Joe – Port St. Joe, FloridaCape Fear River – Carolina Beach, North CarolinaSinepuxent Bay- Assateague Island, MarylandChinoteague Bay – Assateague Island, MarylandIndian River Bay – Rehoboth, DelawareGreat Sound – Cape May, New JerseyLake Huron – Mackinac Island, MichiganTahquamenon River - Paradise, MichiganLake Michigan, MichiganPictured Rocks, Munising, MichiganLake Superior, MichiganSaylorville Lake – Granger, IowaMorro Bay, CaliforniaDillon Beach, Tomales Bay, CaliforniaCoos Bay, OregonStrait of Juan de Fuca, Victoria, British Columbia, CanadaMorfee Lake, Mackenzie, British Columbia, CanadaHay Lake, Fort Liard, Northwest Territories, CanadaMuncho Lake, British Columbia, CanadaAtlin Lake, Atlin, British Columbia, CanadaYukon River, North of Whitehorse, Yukon, CanadaKachemak Bay, Homer Spit, AlaskaResurrection Bay, Kenai Fjords National Park, AlaskaLower Lake, Sardis, MississippiTombigbee Lake, Tupelo, MississippiFrench Broad River, Asheville, North CarolinaCane Creek Lake, Waxhaw, North CarolinaStone Mountain Lake, Stone Mountain, GeorgiaGun Island Chute, Montgomery, AlabamaWolf River Harbor – Mississippi River, Memphis, TennesseeOld Hickory Lake, Mount Juliet, TennesseeCalcasieu River, Lake Charles, LouisianaLake Arrowhead, Wichita Falls, TexasLavon Lake, Wylie, TexasCochiti Lake, Cochiti, New MexicoEagle Nest Lake, Eagle Nest, New Mexico
*photos in this post (unless otherwise noted) were taken and copyrighted by Living In Beauty.
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