Intex Explorer K2 Kayak, 2-Person Inflatable Kayak Set with Aluminum Oars and High Output Air Pump

I love this kayak! You can go swimming in the middle of the lake. Re-entering is easy and it won’t flip. When you remove both seats 2 people can comfortably sit on inflated floor facing each other and enjoy lazy afternoon on the water. You can also buy kayak anchor and enjoy sunshine without a drift.

 Great product. I purchased toward the end of summer for $94. So the the price does fluctuate with the season. Took me about 20min in set up the 1st time. About 15min for subsequent attempts. I’ve taken it out 3-4 times in the last 2 months. Collapses down small enough to fit in the trunk of a small car. The paddles work, but I felt were on the small side for me. This kayak is somewhat wide also. I ended up getting a 96inch paddle but i’m 5’10”. My 5 yr old daughter does ok with it. When I stretch out my legs, I have to tuck my feet to the sides of the front seat. The skin of the boat is reasonably strong. You’d have to scrape against some jagged metal or be hit head on by a hard pointy branch for this to puncture.

For the boating itself, this craft is ok. It doesn’t seem as smooth or can go as fast as a hard plastic boat. But that’s fine considering it’s $100-200 less. I even took it through some mild rapids (still choppy enough to splash me good) and it held up fine.
The fin/skeg works fine and is easy to install but requires decent hand strength to remove (a good thing). It basically clicks in place and you have to push a tab down to remove it. I drilled a hole and put a fishing line through it in case the skeg falls off as suggested by others, but this is unnecessary. I even started heading away from shore once and the skeg, and only the skeg, hit an underwater boulder. I was going about 3mph when it hit and came to a dead stop, all 200+ lbs of the boat and people. The skeg edge was a little scratched but in place at the end. Maybe Intex updated the skeg after it 1st came out. I’m going to remove the fishing line before the next trip because it is unnecessary and gets seaweed,etc caught in it creating more drag.

If you were to give me the choice (price not an issue) b/w a hard plastic boat and this, I’d pick the hard boat. That said, I’m very happy with this very inexpensive and easy to transport kayak.

After having this for a year I can tell you this is a really good kayak for the occasional jaunt onto smooth water. My wife and I have taken it out multiple times and find it a real pleasure to use. Easy to setup and put away. It is heavy and a little bulky to store but you expect that. when inflated it is a nice smooth ride through the water.

This is an inflatable kayak, and those who review it in comparison to a solid hull craft are doing it a disservice. You are not going to go white water kayaking with this and you’re not going to be going on week long jaunts with tons of gear either, it is meant to be recreational in purpose, nothing more. With that in mind for the price you cannot go wrong. Also comparing this to the 4-600 dollar models is not fair either, it is not meant to be in that class.

Suggestions:

Drill a hole in the Skeg and tie a line to it and then to the stern of the kayak to prevent losing it. It WILL come out as others have said.

Do not overinflate the seats, they don’t need to be rock hard.

Get some longer oars if you can afford it. Better quality wouldn’t hurt either. But if you can’t the stock one will work in a pinch.

1st time you use it make sure you reach inside and press the drain plug in the stern in FIRMLY. it will come out and your back side will get soggy.

Get a better bag to store it in. I use a large Coleman duffle bag I had laying around. The bag they give you is crap and will tear out. Plus it will not hold the oars anyway.

Other than that just enjoy it. it is nice way to waste and afternoon.

A genuinely usable intro to the world of kayaking. I would upgrade the paddles for a more comfortable grip. Also, I improvised a semi-official solution to the lost-skeg problem by using a Go-Pro tethering system (search GoPro Surf Mount) to keep the skeg from getting lost once disconnected. See photo.