Customer Reviews

Coleman 1-Person Sit-On-Top Touring Kayak with Paddle

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(10)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This has proved to be a nice item for family recreation. I have several of these for group outings. The kids just love them. The kayaks are quite stable, easy to manuever, and a novice can easily handle them.

Compared with canoes and hardshell kayaks they are more forgiving, much easier to transport, but quite slow. You can plan on traveling about 1 mile per hour without current. You will not be able to make much progress up stream or into a stiff wind.

They have done well on afternoon outings on tame rivers and lakes, but definately not built for big water or whitewater. The kayaks have proved reasonably durable, but I have had to patch several pinholes.

Wonderful invention for the family summer vacation. You WILL get wet because water drips from the paddles. Not a REAL kayak, but great for the money. Excellent quality. Extremely comfortable. Gets up good speed to cover some distance. Paddles are light but quite sturdy. Cup holder snuggly holds that important bottle of water. Cargo carriers work well.

A high quality product! I was not one bit disappointed in the ease of inflation, light carrying weight, and durable paddle. I was in the water in minutes enjoying my ride. Best handling on calm waters. The back rest is really supportive. Great buy for low-cost investment introduction to kayaking.

We have both the Coleman 1-person and 2-person inflatables, and I would recommend the 2-person any day, even for someone who intended to go solo. It just handles much better because it has bigger skegs on the bottom, which keep it tracking straighter. Other than that drawback, we've enjoyed the single one, too, but it's much slower, even if you're floating with the current.

If you want to have a blast buy one of these kayaks immediately. We have had our two years and have floated down over a dozen rivers ranging from the Merced high up in the High Sierras to the Deschutes in Sunriver, Oregon. Inflates with a portable pump in three minutes and is so stable you literally cannot tip it over. If you don't want to get wet, you won't. The paddle is included and works perfectly. Both my wife and I absolutely love these kayaks and she even gave up her ocean going one. They deflate within a minute and fold up into a small space. The inflatable compartments have a special valve that will not leak unless you pull it out and away from the boat. It makes inflating and deflating a breeze. One of the best bargins I have seen over the past couple of years.

Well, if you read my review of the Coleman sit-inside kayak, if I had to choose between the sit-on-top and the sit-inside version of these inflatables, I'd choose th sit-inside every time. Because unless you weigh under 100 lbs., you are going to have a very wet ride on the SOT.

Aside from that this didn't seem to quite have the speed or stability of the sit-inside (and I wouldn't consider either one FAST by any stretch of the imagination). I took both kayaks out under the same conditions on the same day, on a lake with no breeze.

The main thing this kayak has going for it is the price! If you just use it two or three times, it's a whole lot cheaper than renting a kayak, but you just will not get the same performance as a hard shell.

If you need an incentive to get outside and get a bit of exercise, it's great for a leisurely day of paddling on still water. I wouldn't recommend this for any kind of tidal waters -stick to lakes and ponds that have minimal motor boat traffic. Stash a couple bottles of gatorade under the cargo net and you're good to go.

Also, I'd suggest that you wear a life preserver because the canvas simply isn't as heavy as some of the more expensive inflatable kayaks on the market.

The paddle could stand to be a bit longer and I would strongly recommend buying a battery operated pump to accompany this boat. It will easily inflate in under five minutes once you are familiar with the procedure. You'll always have a few onlookers while blowing this boat up and you might actually wind up selling a few on the Coleman.

If you're looking for a serious kayak, get a hard shell. If you just want a quick trip on the water every now and then and aren't looking too deeply at performance, this would probably serve you just fine. Just make sure you bring a dry pair of shorts!

It inflates easy, is very stable, and has reasonable storage space (in the front under the net and behind the seat). Some issues I had with it were that the hull and valves tear easily when cold (under 40°F). I've had two places in the hull tear, and two valves. The good news is that super glue works amazingly well at repairing both of these (when given enough time to cure). This kayak has given me 20+ good trips since September and despite issues, is still going strong. If you have more money to spend, I would get a higher quality kayak. but if you're on a tight budget and/or are a beginner you can't beat this kayak for under $100.

I was very happy with my first trial use of this Kayak. I was going along with no worries until I saw a 5-6 foot alligator about 20 yards away. This made me think that maybe this wasn't the right place for an inflatable. Other than that it was a breeze to inflate and use. I'm very happy with this purchase. I just need to do some more research about my locations first. Pretty crazy rookie mistake.

I went to the beach a few weeks ago and used one of my friends high quality expensive ocean kayaks. When I came home I used in the river I live on for a few days. I was hooked and wanted one instantly but being in college, I don't have the cash to purchase a high quality kayak, so I began checking out inflatable ones. Spur of the moment I bought this kayak dying to get back in the water and I was highly impressed! I couldn't believe how stable it was and how easy it was to inflate. For the river, it was actually just as easy to handle as the hard kayak. If you lean slightly in the ocean kayak you easily can turn over but in this one it's rather difficult to flip. It does not go quite as fast but for the price it's wonderful. If you are a beginer kayaker or a person on a budget and not ready to commit to the high end real thing, this is a great deal.

I bought this kayak skeptical about its features and was amazed:
-takes no time to inflate
-seat is extremely comfortable and allows you to be out of the water for as long as you want without discomfort. I would almost venture to say it is mor comfortable than some real kayak seats.
-has different levels for foot placement so it works for almost anyone no matter what their height.
-clip on the side of kayak allows you to relax while out on the water without holding onto the paddle or simply store it there while not using it.
-my only complaint is that when water comes into the kayak which it will if the water is choppy or you move around a lot while on the kayak or stop quickly, it goes right onto the seat so you are sitting in the water for the entire duration of your excursion.

***Bottom line: a great investment for the enjoyment and quality in this kayak. BUY THIS!!***