Sevylor Ranger Inflatable Kayak

There are many inflatable kayak options to choose from and I have found one of the best is the Sevylor Ranger.

This inflatable kayak is a great all rounder. It is tough easy to pump up and looks very good in the water.

I was so impressed with this particular inflatable I now own three of them. The ranger was the first inflatable kayak I ever purchased and at first I was sceptical about the durability of an inflatable kayak. How wrong I was! Three years on and the ranger is still going strong despite some very arduous adventures it has never picked up a single puncture.

I have paddled many times in sea water and due to time restrictions and a bit of laziness have not always got round to washing the corrosive salt out straight away after my journey and have simply packed the kayak still wet back in its bag.

Fearing the worst after a few days I have unpacked it only to find it was still as good as new.

Over the years the only sign of wear and tear has been to the brass buckles that secure the kayak seats in place but whilst they have become slightly corroded and stiff they still work and I have no doubt a bit of a polish and elbow grease and they would again be as good as new.

On one of my first adventures along the Stour River in Suffolk I was paddling with some friends when we came upon a huge willow tree which had been blown down across the river in high winds the previous week. Only one of us was not paddling an inflatable kayak and in view of the dry sharp branches of the willow it seemed impossible to venture any further for fear of puncturing the boats.

The last portage was miles back and the river banks were too high to get out. There was nothing for it but to have a go at going through the willow. The rigid kayak went first and believe it or not and despite some truly horrendous spiky branches scraping the sides and bottom of the rangers they all made it through without tearing.

Since then this inflatable kayak has been dragged along many riverbeds, beaches, pontoons and roads and for some remarkable reason the heavy duty canvas remains to this day unscathed.

To say these kayaks are impossible to puncture would obviously be a lie, and two of my friends have punctured their rangers. However they are easily and quickly repaired with the repair kit you get when you buy them which is more than you can say when you get a hole in a rigid body kayak.

My initial fears of an inflatable kayak being fragile have been soundly put to bed by the Sevylor Ranger as this is one very tough inflatable kayak.