Accessories

WHAT FUN!
IT IS QUICK AND EASY TO INFLATE AND DEFLATE - 2 WOMEN CAN DO IT WITH EASE. IT RIDES THE WAVES WITH A GREAT BOUNCE, THE BACK REST MAKES A COMFORTABLE RIDE, THE CUP HOLDER GIVES YOU A PLACE FOR WATER.

Loads of Fun for the whole family
Took it to the beach and it was really easy to inflate and get in to the water. The whole family really enjoyed it, even my son who rarely joins in on such outings. Handled very well and I did not have any problem with the oars, as I thought I might after reading other reviews. Also the seats are really comfortable. Highly recommend this product!!

I have to give it 4 stars
Since the rechargeable pump is a must have the actual price is near $[...]
Even though I popped mine on a simple stick off the bank of a river I have to admit it was comfortable, roomy and handled well in 2 mph current.
Overall Im satisfied but not amazed.

Assembling the paddles
I unpacked my new Coleman 2-person, sit-on-top, inflatable kayak last night. It's bigger than I expected: 13 ft. long by 32 inches wide.

The instructions for assembling the paddles are totally inadequate. The parts don't screw into each other. Rather, they slide into each other and are then cinched in place by tightening collars around them. I wonder if the paddles have been redesigned since the instructions were printed. For anyone who is having difficulty assembling the paddles, here are my tips (which would be clearer if I could paste photos into the text):

The shaft of each paddle consists of three aluminum tubes. Two of them have a black plastic end cap at one end and are narrower at the other end. These two are the outer sections of the paddle shaft. The ends with the black plastic caps slide into the sockets of the paddle blades. The other, narrower ends slide inside each end of the third aluminum tube, which is the middle section of the paddle. The two black plastic connector tubes surround, reinforce, and lock the joints between the outer and middle sections of the paddle shaft.

The two black plastic connector tubes have collars at each end that screw on. Screw the collars towards the middle of the connector to tighten them, away to loosen them. They arrive in the box already screwed on tight. If you unscrew a collar entirely, you'll see that the end of the connector tube has threads and three channels cut into it. These channels give the connector end a little flex, so that, when you screw the collar on tight, it squeezes the connector end so that it grips the aluminum shaft.

Starting with the middle section of the shaft, slide one end into a black plastic connector tube. You might have to loosen the collar to get it in. Slide the aluminum tube end all the way in until it stops against a flange inside the middle of the connector. Tighten the collar by screwing it until it more or less covers all the threads on the end of the connector. It doesn't need to be gorilla-tight.

Now slide the narrow end of one of the outer paddle shaft sections into the other end of the black plastic connector. Slide it in until the narrow part is fully inside the end of the middle section of aluminum tube. Then tighten the collar around it.

It's the same process for the other connectors and for the paddle blades, which have similar cinch-collars. Before tightening the second paddle blade, check its angle relative to the first paddle blade. Do you want them parallel or offset at 60 degrees?

Good for basic kayaking; not seaworthy
Before I bought this kayak, I had no kayaking experience whatsoever. This would be my first kayak, and knowing about its basic nature and cheap price, I thought it would be a good way to gain experience in the sport and be ready to buy an advanced kayak one day.

When I got it, it was folded up small and nicely. It also weighed less than I thought. It is not too bad to pick up and carry, though you have to carry it on your shoulder. In front of you on your arms will not do it, and I am not a weak guy either.

I first took it out to Kiddie Beach, Oxnard, CA in the Channel Islands Harbor. It inflates pretty quickly using a basic dual action hand pump. I got mine from BigLots and it works fine, so no need to buy an expensive hand pump. It takes about 5 minutes to inflate. Once I got it inflated, I dragged it over some sand and onto the water. I got in on the sides, and unfortunately this is where it feels pool toy-ish. When you go to get in it, regardless of which seat, it will dip in that area as you get adjusted. There is no way to avoid this; you will get your first bit of water in the kayak just by getting in. But once your in the seat, it floats nicely. Well, off I went into the harbor. My first time out I was alone, and it handled well nonetheless. Easy to steer, and sluggish but it responded to my paddling, to word it like that. I made a round around the harbor, and overall it was a lot of fun. It is very stable and went over humps in the water without even getting ready to tip. Not bad! The paddles are actually pretty good. I don't see the issue, except they are a little confusing to assemble at first. I haven't tried professional paddles, but these work fine. It propels the kayak without issue.

Well, I then decided to leave the harbor into the great Pacific Ocean, off the coast of Point Hueneme/Oxnard, CA. I got about maybe .75 miles out to sea easily. Very stable trip out, even though the sea was choppy. It was more fun than anything else, and I know it was moving nicely because the oil rig in the distance became more closer and detailed as time went on. Then I turned it to head back to shore....and the problem started. I don't know if I was just in "isolation shock" or whether there was a real current, but the kayak kept trying to turn south west while I needed to head northeast for shore. As I paddled, it seemed like "one step forward two steps back": I just didn't seem to be moving closer to shore. So, all I could do was keep paddling with my best effort. Eventually, I got back to shore, so perhaps I was moving the whole time and just panicked as it was my first time away from shore in my life. But one thing's for sure, and that's the fact that it kept trying to move southwest on its own despite my best paddling efforts (efforts that had been turning it successfully all day).

I took it out a second time with a partner, and it went faster, but handling was just as good as solo, so speed seems like the main benefit of going tandem.

Overall, it is a great way to start kayaking, and is great for protected, calm waters.

While it is overall great, there are a few problems. The cargo nets are just plain stupid; I don't trust putting anything there. It simply isn't safe; when you see the nets and storage space, you will know what I mean. Also, cold water (even just cool water, in the 60's F) and the sun really affect this thing. The cold water makes it lose air, and thus softens up, and the sun makes the material soft and thinner. It hasn't punctured yet, though, but I can imagine a knife going through this thing when the sun is on it.

Worth my money though.