Today I looked at posts on the blog that my friends and I write -- kayakyak.blogspot.com -- and realized something important. My inflatable kayak from AdvancedElements is five years old!
It's a Dragonfly, an older version of the Lagoon. The colours were chosen by West Marine, the store that sells these kayaks under the name Skedaddle.
That's not a "sit in the closet all winter" inflatable kayak, either. When I'm not paddling it or taking it on the bus, most of the time the kayak sits 3/4 inflated in the porch so it's ready to go. Rain, snow, and racoon footprints have caused no problem for the tough deck and hull. Neither have stony beaches, barnacled rocks, and tarry docks.
Once a year I give the kayak a good coat of 303 sun protectant. The bright deck colours have faded just a little. There's a grubby stain where the deck rubbed against a dock green with algae, but most of that mark came off with a wet facecloth and a bit of dish soap. And there is a small rust stain where the kayak leaned against a rust mark on my bike.
This kayak has been on the water at least fifty times a year, in all kinds of weather. In the summer, I take it out on the bay two or three times a week. In winter, this kayak has faced air temperatures below freezing, breezy days, and snowfalls. It's been deflated, folded into its bag, transported and reinflated well over a hundred times.
It's a wonderful boat, and the new version (the Lagoon) is even better.[/url]
Five Year Old Kayak!
Happy Birthday to your kayak!
5 YEARS!!!!! Darn good going for an inflatable and just reinforces the decision to buy one! Mine is coming up for 2 years, used almost every weekend in salt water. Probably gets washed once a month if it is lucky, poor thing. I still love the yak though and it is still going strong.......but 5 YEARS! Fantastic value for money!
5 YEARS!!!!! Darn good going for an inflatable and just reinforces the decision to buy one! Mine is coming up for 2 years, used almost every weekend in salt water. Probably gets washed once a month if it is lucky, poor thing. I still love the yak though and it is still going strong.......but 5 YEARS! Fantastic value for money!