I still remember the first time I went kayaking. I was already an avid outdoorsy type but being in the water gave me a whole new perspective to the nature around me I thought I knew so well. I couldn’t believe what I had been missing. There comes a sort of zen with the tranquility of gliding over the water with birdsong in the air. I was hooked immediately. Recently, in a bid to downsize and simplify my life, I traded in my hard body kayak and purchased an Innova/Gumotex Seawave inflatable kayak.
Of course the ease of storage and transportability was what I was looking for and I was more than satisfied with the Seawave. At just 39 lbs, it comes with its own transport drybag which fits in any size car and rolls out to 14’11” with a max. load of 551 lbs. Its long narrow shape make this kayak easy to control and very fast. Another thing I love is the versatility. It can be converted to a tandem kayak by simply installing the second seat. And room for a third seat allows for three. I purchased the optional deck and spray skirt, which means hitting the river in the springtime guarded against that freezing Canadian white water and sea kayaking are a blast without being a soaker.
Packing and unpacking the kayak, what is immediately noticeable is how flat the kayak is when deflated – of course, this makes it quite compact for travel. I bought the 6/3 pump and it takes me less than ten minutes to have the boat ready for the water without breaking a sweat. The amount of room and payload lets us take as much gear as we need for portaging and would comfortably fit a child or canine friend.
I’ve enjoyed every moment on the Seawave and love the fact that for its compact size, with minimal prep time it becomes an excellent touring kayak built for the wilderness. The set up and pack-up are quick and easy and I can’t say enough about how versatile and roomy it is. A gifted companion in any adventure you seek, I always look forward to our next trip on the water.
