Quick Disassembly

You might like the notion of inflatable kayaks because they are easy to store, simple to travel with, and fast to setup. But when you are done paddling, it's also really great to have a boat that's quick to put away.

Innova kayaks are the fastest on the market to break down, dry off, and pack up. Our boats have large diameter valves that deflate the kayak in seconds when opened, and the kayaks fold up rapidly into their backpacks. More importantly, our Nitrylon rubber-coated boats can be simply wiped off with a towel to completely dry them in a couple of minutes. And you don't have to unpack Innova boats when you get home to finish drying them.

Airline Carry-On Luggage

Performance

...in a 25-knot headwind, the Innova was faster (by ½ a knot) than the rigid sea kayaks in the race...

In the 1997 San Juan Challenge an Innova Helios (as the only inflatable entry) was one of only 17 kayaks out of a field of 41 to finish this 40-mile race. With winds of 25-29 knots, gusting to 45 knots, nine rigid sea kayaks capsized and needed to be pulled from the water by chase boats when they could not self-rescue in the rough conditions.

The Innova Helios II won its section, averaging 3 knots. In a 25-knot headwind, it was faster (by ½ a knot) than the rigid sea kayaks in the race. In calm water, it was slower (by ½ a knot) than those same boats.



Some inflatables, like the Innova Safari, are unique in their ability to handle a wide variety of water conditions. Use your Safari in whitewater, surf, and when touring.

Durability

Out boats are made of the same material used in high-end Zodiac-type yacht tenders.

Think Zodiacs, Jacques Cousteau, GreenPeace, the US Coast Guard, and Grand Canyon whitewater rafts...our boats are made of the same material used in high-end, Zodiac-type yacht tenders and high-end whitewater rafts. For these demanding applications inflatables are considered the tough and proper boats to have.

Sometimes people think that inflatables are fragile, a lingering image from childhood wading pools. Forget the pool toy image. Modern inflatable kayaks can take years of hard use.

From a customer:
I have spent at least 700 days paddling the Helios in the South Pacific, guiding clients and going off on my own, and am convinced the Helios is the best boat you can have for tropical applications. French Polynesia, the Cooks, Fiji, Micronesia, Papua New Guinea, you can go ANYWHERE with this boat! I've never had a puncture, though I've scraped over staghorn corals at low tide more than a few times. I am always careful to let a lot of air out of the boat if it's going to be out of the water for more than a few minutes, and I'm religious about parking it in the shade. A little caution with heat, sun and pressure, and this boat will last you for many years. The rubber material handles the intense tropical sun amazingly well, better than
my skin.

How are Innova inflatable kayaks and canoes made? Why are these inflatable kayaks and canoes resilient?

Safety

Easy Entry & Greater Stability (think stable and forgiving)

Inflatable kayaks have multiple air chambers for redundancy which results in greater stability than rigid boats.

With additional stability, you have:

• Greater ease getting back aboard: unlike rigid kayaks, inflatable kayaks are vary easy to get into from the water
• Less tendency to capsize in difficult paddling conditions: In the first 40-mile San Juan Challenge race the winds blew 25-29 knots, gusting to 45 knots. Nine rigid sea kayaks capsized and needed to be pulled from the water by chase boats when they could not self-rescue in the rough conditions. The Innova Helios was the only inflatable entry in the field of 41 sea kayaks and one of only 17 finishers, winning its section

Freedom from Cartop Worries

Your kayak in the trunk of your car

Alas, summers don't last forever. And if you're like us, you'll stash your Innova in the trunk of your car this summer in preparation for an evening paddle...any evening paddle.

An inflatable kayak means

• no wrestling with roof racks and tie downs
• no hoisting your boat on and off your cartop
• no heavy lifting (inflatable kayaks weigh about half as much as plastic rigid kayaks)
• Your kayak is safely out of sight in the trunk of your car, with room left over for extra boats (for your paddling friends).

Ease of Setup

Quick and easy

An Innova inflatable can be setup, or put away in its bag, in less than 10 minutes - honest!

Everyone's Travel Club inflates an Innova Helios II inflatable kayak


Compared with folding kayaks (which also travel well), boat setup time is quicker and easier (Innova boats set up in under 10 minutes...and you won't need a degree in mechanical engineering).

Compared with rigid kayaks, in the time it takes to rig your roof rack and tie down your boat, you could have been out kayaking an hour ago.

The below photo by Rémi Bénali shows adventurer, Kira Salak, inflating her Innova Safari on the start of her 600-mile journey down the Niger river to Timbuktu.

The image below shows the foot pump being used to inflate the Innova Safari in the above photo featuring adventurer, Kira Salak.

Ease of Transport and Storage

Think light and easy.

Inflatable kayaks pack up smaller than any other type of boat.

Take your Innova kayak as airline carry-on luggage -- and fit it into the overhead bin.

Load it into your car, no heavy lifting.

Put it into your backpack (most models come with their own backpack as shown below).

Looking for a Good Put-In? Take a Hike!

In the photos below, paddlers hike 3 kilometers with their inflatable kayaks on their backs. After they arrive, the kayaks are inflated and the happy paddlers launch. We borrowed these photos from paddlesheep whose blog features great stories of his travels in his Innova Sunny.