Customer Reviews

Intex Challenger K1 Kayak

5 star:		(25)
4 star:		(21)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

I'm a student who has barely any money for fun things, so I decided to buy a kayak so I could have a lot of fun with just a one time "fee". It's perfect for being only around $80.00. I have no complaints since it's my first kayak and I have nothing to compare it to. I do highly recommend buying a different paddle, the one included isn't too comfortable and efficient since it's on the short end. People who complain about it's "tracking"(going straignt while paddling) need to understand this is not a touring kayak made of carbon fiber. It's an $80 inflatable kayak. I've taken it out on lakes around 20 times so far in the last two months and have had only one leak. The leak was from me being dumb and taking it to the ocean where a shell made a nice little tear. This was easily fixed with the included repair kit. All 20 trips have been for at least one hour. Two of those were "long" trips(6 miles round trip). It holds up fine in strong winds and mild waves. On my second long trip the winds were 20mph with 30mph gusts and about 2ft waves. It's pretty fun and you definitely get splashed, here in Florida that feels good though. There's a good bit of space behind the seat to store items as well as in the front where your feet go in. It does include an inflatable "foot rest". I'm not exactly sure what it's called but it helps with maintaining proper posture. It deflates in 5 minutes and fits into a small 2x2 bag which fits perfectly in any trunk. I highly recommend this if you need a way to get out on some water but don't have the money or space for a "higher-end" model.

My husband I enjoy kayaking and once we saw the prices of fiberglass kayaks, we hesitated to buy. I saw this inflatable kayak on Amazon and showed my husband who told me not to get it because they would puncture easily and blow away or fill up with water quickly- he could not have been any more wrong. After purchasing two, we took them on their maiden voyage today and both of us were very surprised; they were easy and quick to inflate and navigated perfectly in the water. The material of the kayak is very thick and durable and I am in the process of having all of our friends purchase this item as well.

I ordered the inflatable kayak kit on the 16th and recieved it on the 22nd, not bad considering I live in Ct and the company was in Ca! Moving on, my girlfriend and I have a two-person inflatable kayak that been through alot and never even got a puncture in it, so we decided that inflatable kayaks might be the way to go for now on. With that being said, we ordered two of these single-person Intex challenger inflatable kits from Backstore. Immediatly, I opened both packages and inspected the products we recieved. I found that the material is the same as our two person, which is a very good thing, the bag that came with it is very narrow and almost a briefcase size, the air pump was very basic but works well to inflate this kayak. I would reccomend buying a 12 volt pump that plugs into your car, and just take the lightweight handpump with you down river incase of a puncture. The last part of the kit is the paddles....they are GREAT! I have used a few different paddles now and the Intex aluminum paddles,that are in the kits, are a bit heavy but that is not a bad thing. We had full plastic put-to-gether ones just like these. The plastic ones are lighter (by about 1/2 the weight) BUT heavy is not a bad thing, these paddles will last and the minute you put one together and hold it, you will feel just how durable these are, plus they wont bend like the traditional plastic ones! I spent $85 on an entire one person kit with shipping. To get a inflatable kayak, besic pump, good aluminum paddle, and a carry in bag for this price is just a great value. The two-person kayak we purchased from a box store was $99 because the price was mismarked, if they didnt correct it and give us the wrong tagged price it would have been $129.99, and that didn't come with a pump, paddles, or even a carry in bag. Look at this entire kit compared to any other and you will find that this kit is an extreme value when compared to any other kayak. Thank you Backstore and Intex for offering the cheapest prices and allowing me and the gf to have fun all summer long for a one time price of $170 for two entire kits!!!

This kayak is a winner: excellent price and very good performance. I bought two of the one-man kayaks (one for me, one for friends and relatives). So far we have traveled 31 miles total spread across four separate river trips down the Rio Grande River (calm waters) here in New Mexico. I am 6'0" and weigh 190 lbs, and the kayak fit me fine. Others I have taken with me have ranged from my 6'2" son-in-law (length was OK for him) and a friend (205 lbs., weight was not a concern). The kayaks handled very well, and both trips were a real joy. Here are some observations:

- Inflation is very fast with the included high efficiency hand/foot pump. There are four air chambers, and the kayak has never taken more than about 4 minutes to inflate. I throw the pump into the kayak behind my seat when we take off, just in case I need to top up later (which I never have had to do).

- Storage and transport are a breeze. The kayak stores in a small, cloth travel case about twice the size of a briefcase. At 25 pounds, it is relatively light weight. Once I had to carry the kayak about 0.5 miles to get to the river, and hauling that weight was not a big deal. I have carried the inflated kayak a few blocks hanging it on my shoulder, and it was easy to carry.

- The bungee cord storage area in the front is great for carrying a fanny pack, water bottle, sandals, spare paddle, etc. Also, there was more storage space behind the seat.

- Maneuvering is very easy, great for river use. There are two small plastic skegs (about the size of your open palm) under the boat to add a little directional stability. The skegs are at the center of the boat, which allows you to rotate easily while still maintaining a fairly consistent non-zig-zag rowing pattern. If this kayak were strictly for lake use, I think rear skegs would work better, but they would also restrict quick turning.

- Buoyancy is very good. The kayaks tend to bottom out on sand bars when there is less than 6" of water. Primarily, it is the skegs that hit since they are located directly below where you sit. But, hey, 6" of water clearance is not bad.

- The included paddles are good quality, but seemed a little short (they are 86"). After my first trip, I went to a local sporting goods store and bought 96" paddles, which worked much better.

- The vinyl construction seems good. However, one of my kayaks developed a leak (and later a rip due to my stupidity in not following repair instructions). I have since fixed the rip using VINYL cement (available at any awning supply store). The vinyl repair kit included with the kayak should be adequate for any small leaks you put in the kayak. I feel confident the kayak will last a long time (especially now that I know how easy it is to repair even a major issue like a rip which I helped cause). However, I am not sure I would take the kayaks into serious white water.

- You will get a little wet with any kayak, so wear a swim suit or nylon shorts. In calm water, most of the water gets in if you aren't careful when you launch or disembark. Carrying a small hand towel is a good idea, both for keeping your hands and sitting area dry, as well as wiping down the kayak after the trip to clean off any dirt or water prior to storage.

In summary, I was extremely pleased with this kayak. It appears durable and has taken me on a few river trips with excellent results. Hope to use it for many trips to come.

This is the best deal I could have possibly gotten for a kayak. All the other problems i read about in inflatable kayaks were nonexistent in this kayak.I read a review for some 300 dollar inflatable kayak where the bottom leaks water into the kayak. After taking this kayak for a ride today, this complaint seems ridiculous.

the kayak was well built. It never filled with water. I ran over rocks and it didnt tear, and it was really comfortable. I'm 5'9 but im sure it could fit someone around 6'2 without the foot rest thing. It inflates really quickly for its size, although the pump is kinda cheaply made. The paddle is great too. It tracks pretty well while you paddle, but will drift if you stop paddling for too long. I just wanna add that it comes with a cargo net on the bow of the boat which is not in the picture but this is a bonus.

This is a HUGE STEAL! Buy this kayak.

It is lightweight. Quick to inflate/deflate and easy to store. Perfect for a small to compact-sized vehicle as you don't need a truck or roof rack to transport. Can't beat the price! Comfortable, too. It maneuvers well and my friends were envious and they have traditional fiberglass kayaks!

Based on the many 5-star reviews here (with which I agree) I bought two of these inflatable one-person kayaks - and could not be happier with the result. My grandson (age 16, 6'1", 185 pounds) and I (age 62, 6', 206 pounds) carried them as checked luggage to Italy - where we used them to explore the canals of Venice. Compared to the $140 cost of a 40 minute ride in a gondola, the cost of this kayak is a bargain, even after paying the airlines surcharge for a second "bag." And, we were free to explore the canals of our own choosing, at our own (leisurely) pace. Even better, we were able to do this at night, when the city is utterly quiet, free of the competing boats and gondoliers - a truly magical experience.

The product arrives very well packed - inside a sturdy display box which fits very snuggly into the (second) packing box. You could easily check the unopened box as luggage, without fear of puncture damage in transit. Also, the product comes with a black, high-strength, carrying bag - a sort of "tote-bag" shaped like a large briefcase. While it makes carrying the kayak easy and could be checked as luggage, I'm not sure it would offer sufficient protection against the airlines baggage-handling system. Rather than run the risk, I used cheap suitcases, mostly to gain the advantage of wheels.

I did not experience the difficulty some reviewers cited. The oars worked fine - we marveled at how sturdy (aluminum pole with plastic paddles) they are, not at all flimsy. There is no need to get an electric pump - this sedentary old geezer had no difficulty inflating his kayak. The instructions are easy to follow - and DO have an obvious and effective warning against over-inflating. A couple of reviewers cited the unpleasantness of water dripping onto them from the paddles - and recommend a longer paddle. While I also noticed this, not lifting the paddle quite so high out of the water seemed to be the cure - although I am intrigued at another reviewer's information that paddle "rings" can be added (at minimal cost) to catch the water.

For our limited purpose, this product was a dream.

Length:: 1:06 Mins

I had this kayak for a few days and I took it out in the water twice , this are my impressions :

The good:
First off all , the price ,getting a kayak , pump and paddle for around $80 is a bargain , you will have to pay a lot more for an entry level hard shell .

Inflating is easy , takes about 10 - 15 min , practice makes perfect and after a few times you get the feel for the right pressure , you still need to double check with the included gauge , over inflating is not a good thing .

Cargo net is very useful .
The bad :
THE PADDLE , it will break at the most inappropriate time , when you are far from shore , the plastic couplings are the weak point .

The ugly :
The seat is too small to provide any back support making it difficult to get in a good position for paddling , fix it by adding some stiff support , I used a kids kick board made of styrofoam .

It doesn't track ( go in straight line ) well , has two small skegs right under the seat area but they are too small , fix it with an extra skeg , there is an example on the reviews for the Challenger K2 , I used the plastic paddle that broke and some wood .

Over all it is a fun little kayak and it will take you almost anywhere , as long as you use it in a lake or tranquil river , don't even think about putting it to white water rivers , you have to get another paddle since the one that comes with it is certain to break ; it is still useful to make the extra skeg tough ,this makes it easy to go straight but makes turning a little harder , not a big drawback since this baby was not build for speed anyway , four stars since you have to make some mods to make it work , but for the price you are still getting a good deal , until you are ready to upgrade to something better and more $$$ .

Tips :
Get a small waterproof plastic box ($8 at Walmart ) and stick the inflation gauge to the inside of the lid , it will cling easily , this way you wont lose it , very handy to keep your phone and car keys with you as well .

Always use the foot rest , it helps to brace you on the right position .

Take the pump with you , it fits nicely behind the seat , after 10-15 min in the water come out and check the pressure ; cold water will drop the air pressure.

Best way to deflate , start with the floor bladder , once deflated you can use a towel to dry the inside , then deflate the upper body , start rolling the tip farther from the valve and when you get to the valve , roll the opposite tip towards the valve , this will get the most air out .

Have fun !!!!

UPDATE !!!!
After all the fun I had with this kayak , I upgraded to a hard shell one ; the Emotion Glide , first thing I noticed is hard shell kayaks have little stability compared to the Challenger ,you have to learn to balance them although they are faster than inflatable ones , if you are a beginner like me the Challenger's stability is a great bonus !

This Kayak is just a steal. I take it to the beach, and it is a great workout to hit the waves. Compact, easy to throw in the trunk since it all fits in the enclosed duffle bag.

Would be nice if it was self bailing, however. It fills up with water almost instantly the way I use it.

I'll give it 4 stars as it is a nice toy! Couldn't give five stars as the order wasn't complete.

Fun, TOY that our grandkids had a ball with on flat water, e.g. small lakes and ponds. I'd say it is more like a sturdy pool toy than a moving water boat. It was a BLAST! BUT, be aware it is certainly NOT intended for any kind of rough use or fast flowing river!

Problem - we ordered two and one came without a paddle! It was tough getting to the right person and when we finally did we were told "The paddle is out of stock and we'll send you one when we get them". Heaven only knows when we'll get one - if ever!

I hope yours comes with a proper paddle - if so you'll love. For now we are up the creek without one...