AdvancedFrame Convertible (AE1007) Review

[ejain]

Got this boat to replace a Sevylor Colorado with a broken valve (and a poor design that made replacing valves difficult).

We use the boat a couple of times a year, both to explore short stretches of flat water (lakes, tidal flats) and to float down rivers (up to class II).

What sold us on the AdvancedFrame was the design that would allow for better tracking in flat water, and the (hopefully) higher quality and better repairability if something does break.

We've taken the boat out three times so far on different types of water, and it's living up to our expectations! Nevertheless, there are some minor issues for which we are still looking for workarounds (or will just have to get used to):

- The seats get wet, soaking up water like a sponge. The Sevylor's seats were a few inches off the bottom thanks to inflatable cushions. Has anyone found good replacement seats that are higher, or (waterproof) cushions that fit well and don't slide around?

- Ended up getting the double deck conversion kit because the outside walls were pulling apart too much, so with every stroke I'd drip some water in the space between the cover and the tube. Now the biggest source of water in the boat is the gap where the front zippers close, especially since water tends to pool there. Any ideas how to fix that?

- It's hard/impossible to get all the tubes etc lined up well after taking everything apart for cleaning/drying even once. Judging by how often this boat looks slightly crooked on photos I come across on social media, I'm not the only one to have trouble with this... The outside of the mid-section always looks a bit slack/underinflated, even when I pump the same amount of air into both of the main chambers. Would getting a pump with a pressure gauge help?

- The floor is awkward to inflate on my own, because the twist valves don't screw on to the pump, so I need to keep one hand on the valve and pump with one hand... This is less of an issue for the deck lift and foot brace etc since they don't require much pumping.

- The packed boat is heavy and awkward to carry; I struggle to carry it for more than 100 ft at a time. Recommended gym workout routines? :-)

- The bag is big enough to fit everything, but the shape and short zipper makes getting the folded boat into the bag a bit of a struggle.

Finally, Advanced Elements' support has been great: I reported a minor fabrication issue with the floor, and received a replacement within days!