Side by Side Comparison of: ADVANCED ELEMENTS vs Sevylor

Not wanting to transport our canoe on top of the SUV when camping, we had to find a more practical solution to getting on the water. I had researched a few inflatables earlier and was leery as to durability. When I started to read about AE products I felt this was what I needed. It has proven to be both portable and durable.This is a great looking kayak and tracks well. We will use it for sightseeing and fishing. Perfect for rivers, lakes and bays. I have no intention of using it in too severe conditions but would feel comfortable if those conditions arise.Setup and take down is relatively easy. Allow 30 minutes for each. Make sure it is dry before storing. The process takes some common sense in maintaining your investment. It will last many years if taken care of properly.I really don't feel there are any negatives on this kayak. Some complain that it is heavy (53lbs) but that is a sign of its quality. I know my 14' Old Town canoe weighs in at 75 lbs. It may not be a speed demon, but it is not designed to be.

These inflatable kayaks are very versatile, made well, track in the water very efficiently and I might say handle really well in the ocean with 3 to 4 feet rolling waves. I was so impressed I bought another so all my daughters and I can go kayaking often. The convenience and versatile of throwing them in your trunk then inflating them at your location is so awesome.

I am a whitewater kayaker and previously only had tried whitewater kayaks. I went through the whole novice phase where trying to paddle just turns you around and around - not to mention, extremely frustrating. White water kayaks are meant to spin very easily because you want to be able to maneuver your kayak really quickly when you are in the rapids or among rocks or other hazards. Speed is much less of a concern with a white water kayak since, well, the water is already moving, so you don't need to paddle very hard.However, taking a whitewater kayak in a lake is pretty much good for only two things: 1) An extremely good workout - since the kayaks simply do not want to go straight and 2) Practicing your skills in a safe environment without having to worry about hazards and currents.My wife had been wanting to go on the water with me for a while now so I finally buckled down and bought this kayak (of course after researching the hell out of inflatable kayaks.) Friend kayakers had told me that Inflatable kayaks are in general stable and this kayak just delivers on the mark. I bought it with the double action pump and it worked pretty well. The kayak is pretty heavy - 56 lbs. I consider myself strong but trying to carry it in the case to the water was a bit of struggle. The reason is not that the weight. Rather, the carrying case is is like an oversize shopping bag - of course, zippered, so it is completely enclosed. The handles are not big enough to give you enough length to hang around your shoulders. You can put your arm in and put it on your shoulder, but it is not very comfortable.Setting it up was pretty straightforward. It takes about 10 minutes to fully setup. One thing I had been dreading was pumping the kayak up. Surprisingly, the kayak barely requires 1-2 psi pressure when fully inflated, so the pump really pumps it up very quickly.I did a water launch of the kayak i.e. take it in about calf deep water and then place your butt in the kayak. Then raise your legs and bring them in. My wife is not a kayaker and does not know swimming, so I was quite concerned with stability of the kayak. I suited her up in the life vest and had her sit in first in the rear seat. Boy, it was stable! She sat down with not an issue. I got in without any issues as well. I tried to rock the kayak, it does not rock much. Both Primary and Secondary stability of the kayak are excellent. Primary stability means when the kayak is sitting on water and you try to rock it a bit, does it become tippy whereas secondary stability means when the kayak is almost on its side, does it become tippy or tips over. Happy to say, I did not feel any tippiness at all.Tracking: Tracking means when that when you are paddling, how well does the kayak move in a straight line. Coming from a white water world, I am really well versed with keeping a kayak straight (remember how I earlier said that white water kayaks DO NOT want to go straight and require skill to keep them moving in a particular direction). I was simply amazed at the tracking ability of this kayak. I mean after I paddled it for a few strokes and just let it go, it would go in exactly the direction that I left it at. No turning, no twisting whatsoever. Coming from the whitewater world, this just seems like magic. The fact that the kayak has a welded keel at the bottom and a plastic weldged spine at the bottom must be contributing to that as well. I tested the tracking in flat, calm water and it performed superb. Of course, if you try it in a windy place or otherwise moving water, it would affect the tracking.I noticed while setting the kayak up that there is an aluminum backbone in both the tips of the kayak which keeps the tips sharp and help it cut through the water. It was not much work to make it travel through the water.The seats are pretty OK. The seats attach to the kayak with two buckle straps and I tightened mine to make it near straight back sitting. After an hour or so, it was slightly uncomfortable. You might have to play with a few adjustments, aftermarket accessories if you want to go on a long trip. As someone else mentioned, the rear seat touches the back ring of the kayak, so the person in the back seat is likely getting more support and is likely more comfortable. Of course, this is a bit of nitpick. Any kayak, no matter whether hardshell or inflatable requires fiddling around with the seat to make it work best for you.NOTE: I had read a few comments on how the instructions on how exactly to inflate the kayak are a bit unclear. I concur with those comments. So, the pump connects with the spring loaded air valves. What the instruction booklet does not make clear is that the central portion within the spring loaded air valves can be pushed with a finger and that you can actually turn it with a finger without grabbing it. No seriously, just push the central portion of the valve down and then just using pressure and friction, try to turn it left or right. It will turn. So, this central position has two positions, down and up. When the valve is up, you can pump air in and when you detach the pump, the kayak will hold air. If the valve is in down position, you can pump air, but as soon as you remove the pump, it immediately starts losing air. So lesson: when filling it up, keep the value in the up position and when you want to deflate, push the valve down and twist it with your fingertip till it gets stuck in the down position and it will let the air out.NOTE: Note the way the kayak is folded when you first take it out of the carrying case. If you don't, you might struggle quite a bit to put the kayak back in its case. For reference, this is how I fold it: The back side of the kayak folds a small fold, then the just folded portion is folded again over itself. Next, approach the kayak from the other edge. Fold the other edge on the main body. Now take the newly folded section and fold it over the rear side. Not sure if that helps, but that is the way I do it.Now for the Cons:- When the broadside is facing wind, the kayak feels a teeny bit tippy. I have heard that this is more common with inflatable kayaks. Even hardshells have it, but inflatables have it a bit more- No footrest. Coming from whitewater, this was a bit of a shocker. In white water kayaking, your lower body is completely locked win the kayak. You are pressing a footrest with your foot and your knees are under extended portion of the kayak that covers your knees. Effectively, the point is to make sure that your lower body and the kayak behave as one unit, so you can control the kayak with purely your lower body. This kayak has no footrest. In fact there is quite a bit of space in front of your legs. I guess for flat water, it felt just fine, although if I want to take this in moving water, I would probably stuff something in front of my feet to have something to push on. There are no knee braces, but I guess if you buy the extra shell, you might have something like it.- Water - Some water got in while paddling. Probably less than a cup or two but it did. This is not the kayak's fault. The kayak is open top so of course some water will splash in. I used the white water paddle with my kayak (they are a bit shorter and have wider blades) and no water splashed onto my wife. I read another reviewer's comment saying that it splashed water on the person in the rear, but I did not experience any such thing.- Drying - Now, this was a chore. With my hardshells, I just lift them on my shoulder and twist and turn till I let all the water out and then I just have them sit in the garage while they dry out. The fabric at the top, although nylong, is a woven nylon fabric which gives it great strength but also makes it retain some water. So after I brought it home, I had to use a sponge to take out all excess water. The fabric at the top and around the tubing was wet, so I let a pedstal fan blow on it all night and it was dry in the morning. I have seen comments saying that they leave it outside for a while in the sun and it dries up. I leave in Pacific Northwest and this is not really an option for me most of the year. I guess this is the cost I will have to pay to get the flexibility of an inflatable.I MUST really really complain about the carrying case again (by the way, the fabric of the case seems waterproof and is pretty solid). The issue is not just with this kayak but pretty much anything that comes with a case. The manufacturers try to save on the material to the degree that both taking the kayak out of the bag and putting it back in is a frikkin pain in the butt. I work up a small amount of sweat pushing it back in into the carrying case. I mean SERIOUSLY! I just paid $650+Tax for a kayak. If they would have taken care of making a case that was a few inches longer, I could actually have put the kayak back in easily. As is, it is like wrestling with a gator. It takes me and my wife both about 2-3 minutes pushing and shoving and pulling the case up to get it in.Final observation: I am a big complainer when I don't like something, so please don't read the above comments as if I am trying to dissuade you from purchasing the kayak. This is an absolutely fantastic kayak. I love it and would not trade it for anything. The construction is rock solid. The fabric used is both aesthetically pleasing as as pretty strong. The canvas at the bottom inspires confidence. The fact that they thought over and have two tubes with separate valves that by themselves can keep the kayak afloat - so that in case one of the tubes fails, you can still get back is a testament to the marvelous engineering the folks at Advanced Elements did.Overall, buy without hesitation but be ready to struggle with the wretched case.

I did a fair amount of online research before buying this kayak. I have a soft-top convertible car so a hard shell kayak wasn't really an option. I've never owned a kayak before, I've only rented them on vacation. This kayak is great. It's a breeze to set up. It only takes about 10 minutes with a dual-action hand pump to get fully inflated. It's really easy to put together. Deflating is also really fast. I just reverse the pump and it takes all the air out. I kayak in Sausalito so I just rinse the kayak off in the driveway when I get home and fold it up for the next time.In the water it handles very easily and seems to track well (I don't have a lot of kayaking experience to compare it to). If you're in the market for an inflatable kayak, I highly recommend this one.I like the kayak so much that I just ordered a SUP from Advanced Elements. I'll write a review on that once I get it.

Well, that was fun. This Advanced Elements inflatable, convertible kayak was procured at the last second before leaving on a tour thru Oregon. I ended up putting it into several small lakes (Sparks, Elk, Hosmer) as well as sending it down a river (Clackamas near McIver SP). Due to the length and diversity of our tour, my Perception Acadia hard shell was once again left at home.There are several things you need to know. First and foremost, where ever you go you will be the only one with one of these. You will be conspicuous. You will be watched. At the boat ramp, people will stare at you because either they've never seen anything like it or because they wonder if they too should get out of their hardshells and into something a lot more portable. Whereas other inflatables reveal their parallel tube design, the Advance Elements products wraps the tubes in a conventional looking and handsome envelope. Reviews of other smaller tandems mention that leg room can be an issue, so I'm happy to report that at 15 feet there is plenty with the AE. Don't count on a much cargo though unless you convert over to single passenger.The second thing you should know is that it does its job very well. On the lakes it was fast in the open and, close to shore, impenetrable. On the river, the tough rubber lower survived rude rocks in class 1+ rapids. Yes it is heavier than the others, but it is also stable, robust and sturdy.Third, those electric pumps normally used for matresses will not work. Surprisingly, a cheap 14" double-action will do the job, in about 200 strokes, allowing you to get from car trunk to water in under 10 minutes. I recommend going to a 19" pump. Count on getting the pump online because currently, kayak dealers and sporting goods stores provide almost no inventory or support for inflatables. I got a longish 240cm paddle and was glad I did as the inflatable tubes necessarily make the kayak wider than a hardshell.This was an unexpected game changer for us because we can now tour knowing we have impromptu access to lake & streams along the way without worrying about security and storage for a hardshell.

I was very happy with this boat for its maiden voyage. My only gripe is that the back bone and pump with a guage is really needed and it was an extra cost and not included.I read a lot about people complaining about the weight of this boat but I hope they remember that this is a 15' boat. I am 6'2" and I rode int he back quite comfortably with a 5'2" girl in the front. We were also able to bring some gearI strongly recommend this to any one who is looking for an inflatable. This is no pool toy

I researched for days prior to ordering this Kayak and I am so thankful I took the plunge and purchased it. My goal in writing this review is not just to tell you what I experienced with my new kayak but to encourage anyone that is struggling with their size not to let it keep you from getting out there. I am 5 8' 320 pounds give or take and I am trying my best to get out and be active. I loathe the gym and I am trying to find things that I can do. I have always been athletic but due to injuries from working out being the size I am has made adventures quite challenging and sometimes painful. But here's the skinny on my maiden voyage. My kayak arrived 2 days after order and I had a planned to head to the lake with a friend to try it out immediately. I inflated it in my home because I did not want any surprises happening on the lake. I ordered new paddles before my kayak arrived because of so many other reviewers reporting how crappy the ones are that come with the kayak and I must agree on that point. It was easy and quick to inflate but I have yet to figure out the back pack which also is the back support, The kayak fully inflated is very light and easy to transfer from the car to the lake area. There was a boat launch where we were which was nice. I decided to straddle the kayak to sit down into it as recommended by another reviewer, it wasn't pretty but it worked. I realize that the boat is made to hold up to 400 pounds but it did sag in the middle some and my bottom was wet the entire time but I didn't care because I was finally able to kayak!! It takes a while to balance and paddle at the same time as it does not track as well as a hard shell kayak but I got into a great rhythm and figured out how far to place the paddles in the water to maintain my stride and balance. The friend I was with had a hard shell kayak and I kept up with her perfectly. The back support is not much of a support but to me it was comfortable because I liked sitting back while I paddled. The top and back came up slightly out of the water and there was a small crease where I sat on the kayak but to be honest I didn't really care what I looked like I just wanted to be out on the water. The material was very durable and we were out when it was in the 90's. My dog laid comfortably on my leg as I paddled and her nails were no problem at all.

My first voyage was over 2 hours and I loved every minute of it and I can't wait to get back out there. So all in all I am giving this kayak 5 stars. It's an inexpensive alternative and it worked well for me.

I ordered one to go kayaking with my 11 year old who has a youth (hard plastic) kayak, we went the first night and I LOVED it! My Mom tried it out and she LOVED it, so we ordered her one, then my 11 year old tried it, and she liked it better than hers, so we ordered her one! Yes that is a total of 3! They are very durable, I was not sure how I would like it being "inflatable", but it proved to be really GREAT! It comes with a paddle and a hand pump. Get a more durable paddle!!! That would be the only complaint, and I never used the hand pump because we have an electric (air mattress) pump and that works! I would (obviously) recommend this product to anyone!

I love this kayak! It's perfect for paddling around on the lake. It's easy to maneuver and super lightweight to carry. The design is brilliant - from backpack to fully inflated in less than 10 minutes. In the off season, I store them on the wall in the garage - in the backpack. All of my friends are jealous and want one now. I'll definitely recommend they get one of their own.

This is a great inflatable! It is well designed and very easy to inflate. It paddles and tracks very well even in waves and breakers. The small skegs on the forward and rear bottom do make a difference in the tracking. It turns on a dime and is very responsive. I didn't care at all for the enclosed paddle that came with the kayak. It is a bit too long for me and came apart the first time I used it.
(I use my old paddle instead, which works far better)
I found a neat way to carry the boat is to push the paddle under the triangle bungee tree on the bow and hook the back of the paddle under the seat straps. That way you can use the paddle as a very efficient carrying rod for the kayak out of water. You just lift the whole thing up with one hand and carry it away! And, since it is light weight, it's easy to carry it. I am a little old gray haired lady of 71 and am able easily 'horse' it around with no problem! It tracks well in waves and is very stable. I've been paddling for over 45 years and am very pleased with this product.

The Sevylor Inflatable Sun Island is a great way to spend a nice sunny day on the water. Whether using it for water sports and/or games, or just simply wanting to float around to get some sun, this float provides a fun, sturdy, and comfortable experience.

PROS:
1. thick durable rubber material
2. over-sized air nozzle good for using various air pumps, also allows for quick deflation
3. no protruding objects or sharp rubber seams that would poke or scratch ya
4. The rope is great in helping maintain balance and stability
5. very good air tight seal
6. Large - 72" diameter
7. 'Snap n Stay System' - connect more than one in tandem

CONS:
1. becomes faded w/ or w/out pool chemicals (sun faded)
2. Any sunblock that gets on the material makes for a VERY slippery situation.(natural occurrence which doesn't affect rating)

This float was used on a river which has some occasional floating debris - sticks and such. No problems to report when coming in contact w/ debris.

A very well made, durable product.

Right up top, let me say this review is by a novice kayaker who up until purchasing this had never kayaked, just done a little river rafting. This kayak takes a little while to warm up to. The first time I tried to set it up it took me literally an hour, and it was still crooked. This was in large part because of the Durafloor attachment in there, but you may want to practice setting this up in your backyard before hitting the water. Once I had it set up my daughter and I practiced with it in the pool, and we took turns falling out and climbing back in. The kayak proved very stable, we were able to get in and out easily. Next we practiced with our 60-lb dog, who fits nicely between the two seats. Again, the stability kept us from rocking too much as the dog would turn around.I took it to a lake first and it was great, although it revealed one of its drawbacks: it's big and heavy. At fifteen feet long and fifty pounds (plus oars, gear etc) it was too much for my little man body to carry, and my daughter isn't strong enough to carry a side. Luckily a nice guy at the lake helped us, but had there not been someone to help out I would have just had to drag it. So if two adults are involved, no problem. There are some little kayak trailers out there, one of which I purchased but it sucked.Since the lake I've taken it to the ocean a few times, and again, it's been great. Make sure to inflate the floor enough, it seems to make a big difference in the kayak performance. Since I have to rinse off the kayak after the ocean I've started skipping using the bag and just dumping it in the back of my truck. The bag works well for storage but sometimes you'll fold it like you have every other time and it just won't fit.Overall I have been very happy with this kayak, and even as a novice I was able to pick it up very quickly. I'd say I can deploy it using a hand pump in about seven minutes now, which isn't bad at all. I have noticed a scrape with a little missing PVC on the bottom already, so be extra careful not to drag it! The only thing I don't like about it is the original floor. It's basically a crappy pool toy raft, and it isn't dog safe so you have to purchase one of their superior floors. I'd rather they just offered the kayak with a nice floor all in one package.

Love the Kayak, very versatile 1 or 2 person. I use it with my 6 years old and it's very stable and comfortable. I'm thinking about purchasing the shell + the backbone to make it even more rigid.It's a 15 feet kayak so it's not light but once inflated and on the water it's a great product!

So I have had this boat for a little over 2 years now and have had some great experiences. First of all this is high quality boat and is built really well. There is plenty of space for 2 people or even 1 person and two kids or dogs etc. It tracks really well and is a pleasure to paddle on the water.Pluses- great amount of space if your taking multiple people - not a problem to paddle alone but there may be better options- design with outer shell seems perfect for durability - no problems at all to report- paddles really well and tracks well- setup is fairly easy - after the first time setup shouldn't take more than 10-15 minutes- storage is great as it fits into a large bagDrawbacks- weight - even though fairly easy to store its pretty heavy to heft around- drying it out after use is the only reason I cannot give five stars. A certain amount of water gets into the kayak and based on the design its very difficult to dry out unless you remove the inner part and dry seperate - once you do this putting everything back together is definitely a pain.In conclusion I can highly recommend this boat but just be aware that even though setup is a breeze that drying out and preparing for storage is a bit of a project.

I have been using this Kayak almost every week. Yes indeed, it is a hard work to inflate and build the kayak and worse once you are tired deflate the Kayak clean it, and store it. However, it worth the effort. Some people say that is better than having to carry a hard kayak, and I believe it.I was inexperienced, and was hard to me keep in a straight line, until I realized that the Backbone need to be perfectly in place and also the current make it harder. I had my learning curve, still learning, but it has been a lot of fun.Every time I inflate the kayak, the people always approach to me asking me where I bought it, how much does it cost, and if it is safe.I think AE Convertible still has a great value, but you need to be aware that you need to spend in: 2 paddles ($70), Pump ($26), 2 Life Jacket ($80). Then if you are planning to go to the Sea, you also need the Backbone ($94) that I would recommend. The initial AE Kayak I received had a problem with the air chamber 2. I don't know if it was caused by the backbone, or if it arrived damaged. I could never inflate it correctly because it had that problem. But even loosing air the Kayak was able to navigate. Amazon made it very simple, they sent me a RMA, I dropped the Kayak in UPS, and send me a new one next day. It was an amazing experience for such a bad problem. Thanks Amazon!

I bought this kayak a year ago and I really like it. I use it to paddle my daughter (age 3 1/2) and usually a dog, or two. The material is durable, it is easy to assemble and inflates quickly with the double action hand pump. I went with the inflatable kayak because I don't have to maneuver a hard shell on and off of my car alone and it packs away conveniently to store. It has stayed clean, in spite of the fact that I don't get to drying & cleaning it immediately after use. My daughter can easily jump in and out of the water and stand up without tipping the kayak. It is very stable.A few thoughts: I am paddling alone with a child & canine passenger. The kayak is pretty huge for just day use and I probably could have purchased the single (it would be fine for two adults and a dog). I did not buy the spine and I think I might for better maneuverability. My set up now is ideal for a slow moving river or a lake on a calm day, but I had some trouble paddling alone on a lake with wind... just a lot of work. I have the basic seat and I think there are some upgrade options there also. I put a boat pad under my seat to raise the height slightly (I am small) and, because I am in and out of the water, keep the water off of my bum. I'm not sure how wet this would be on a cold day (I don't have the skirt). This is a great product, but with all of the extras, quite expensive.

I have always wanted to have my own kayak but did not want to take up all that space in my garage. Bought the convertible this week and spent the day on it with my family at the lake today. Loved it. I didnt put the back bone in correct so the kayak leaned to one side but we still had a great time on it. It didnt take much to fill it up with air and setup was a breeze. The kayak is comfortable and extremely stable. The material is tough and stood up to the elements well. After a day on the water, I deflated the kayak and cleaned it before packing it away...no problems at all. A couple of recommendations. 1. Get a backbone, its worth the money and adds stiffness to the kayak. 2. Unpack your new kayak and set it up at your home and get familiar with the process. 3. Bring a tarp to set underneath your new kayak for setup so not to cause unnecessary damage. Enjoy!

Not too bad for the price but a few notes... Definitely doesn't handle like a hard plastic kayak and having more weight in the front would of helped with that. The paddle isn't the best and the hand grips are tough on the hands. You're butt is going too get wet so be prepared for that. Perfect for calm lakes but would be difficult to maneuver on a choppy lake. Fits well into the pack which is a pretty awesome design and is great for any size car. All in all a good buy.

I like this inflatable kayak. I am not a small woman at 250lbs so weight capacity was a consideration. I found that the front did tip up a little which made it hard to steer at times. I utilized it for hours and would do so again. I will probably put a small cooler in the front to keep the front down a little bit more which solves the minor problem of it tipping up.

Had 2 issues:
1. No way you'll ever get it back in the "backpack" which is really just your kayak seat that wraps around it.
2. The paddles broke and fell apart first time in the water. They are held together by plastic rings that bend and break with the rowing pressure.

HOWEVER, Great little kayak, easy to air up, easy to transport, just not as easy as it is supposed to be. Much easier than mounting on a car rack.

This kayak was easy to tote around, since I don't have a rack for my car. A little bit of water gets in it, but it may be that I didn't inflate it enough. The paddles that came with it are very cheap but that's no big deal - I can just buy a better one. For the portability, and not having to rent a kayak, I felt it was a great purchase and very reasonably priced. I did order the pump that you plug into your cigarette lighter, and that was also well worth the 16.00!! Inflated it in less than 5 minutes, with no effort at all.

Ok, when I purchased this, none of these ratings really helped, so my rating is going to be very honest and hopefully help some ppl with their purchase decision. First- I'm a big girl- 38 yrs old, 5'5 355 44DDD. Yes, that's relevant, in a moment I'll explain why. I bought this bc it's weight capacity says 400lbs, & I figured it would be a perfect way to figure out if I wanted to, would enjoy or could use a hard shell kayak, without spending $500+ So I'll start with set up- relatively simple. It's heavy when folded up, so if you're weak, or have any mobility problems, this maybe tough for you. I laid it out in my living room and pumped it up. There's 5 air chambers, 2 large, 3 small. I chose to do it at home rather than at the water, simply bc I was so unsure I could do it all alone. I fit it in my Toyota Camry, fully blown up/assembled by angling it from the back seat behind the drivers chair to the front seat in front of the passenger. Not ideal, bc I couldn't see out the back but I was only going a mile. I put mine in at a boat launch on a very slow moving river, which ended up being very helpful bc of the incline of the ramp. I was nervous to try and figure out how I was going to get on this thing without flipping over or making myself look foolish. I decided I'd just straddle the seat & sit in one motion. Done. Since its inflatable, and somewhat flexible I was able to get my leg over it and adjust my position while straddling it and standing in the water. As another reviewer mentioned, the middle sinks slightly. My rear was soaked but I was pleased to be on board. Since the middle sunk slightly, both the front and back end, were lifted out of the water a bit. Now, here's the honesty part. I'm top heavy, my chest gets in the way slightly, and so does my belly, however I am able to sit up right on the floor with my legs together, in front of me, but it's not terribly comfy. I found sitting on the kayak, with my legs in the leg rests, while balancing, very difficult. If you carry most of your weight in your belly, you may want to consider a canoe. The seat back lends little support on this kayak. I ended up sitting with my legs straight out but open with my feet slightly hanging off. Much easier, and gave me a bit more stability. I paddled around for about 2.5 hours on my maiden voyage. Never flipped, but had a few close calls. I was quite proud of my little adventure. When I returned to the ramp I found it slightly difficult at first to exit the kayak. But moving to water that was just about to my knees seemed easier. I used the paddle for leverage, and rocked forward, and stood up.
About the kayak itself- very durable. The material used is very heavy duty. I had no fear of ripping or snagging it. The drink holder is useless for bigger folks. The paddle is ok, since I'm a beginner but I can see wanting better quality in the future.
All in all if you're a beginner, I think it's a safe way to learn. Great for slow moving, flat water.
400lb weight rating? I'd say it's more like 300lb person max, with 25lbs of gear split between the front & back ends to balance the weight out a bit. But it's fun, relaxing, & gets some exercise in.

While the kayak is fun and functional when inflated, the effort to inflate and, more importantly deflate has proven to be a big damper on the amount I use this product. That may sound lazy, but let me be more specific: its almost impossible to thoroughly clean. After trying to superficially clean it at the park where I put in, it always ends up going in the back of car dirty (don't even think about trying to put it in the bag still damp). Then I get home and need to lay it out to dry (where it is still getting dirt all over it), but then I should probably inflate it to wash it off, right? Well, there are so many crevices and places that don't get revealed well that inflating to clean doesn't help much either. Also, any time you try to move this thing around too much while deflated the internal bracing gets all wonky, which you don't realize until you have it fully inflated and the nose or rear is floppy. When that happens you have to deflate it, fiddle with the bracing, and try inflating it again hoping you set it all up correctly.Overall I would say if there is no way you can get and/or transport a hard body kayak then this is a decent replacement, but don't think that it will be a quick and easy gig. The "convenience" in transportation you get by being able to pack this up is quickly lost in the effort needed to unpack, inflate, deflate, clean (if it ever gets clean), and then repack. With a hard body you can just throw it on your car dirty and wash it off at home with a hose. This requires a couple extra steps that I don't think make up for the inflatable aspects.

Difficult to set up, wish we had just bought the non inflatable type. They are sturdy and fun, once you get them blown up

I bought an Advanced Elements Advanced Frame Convertible inflatable kayak and took it out yesterday for the first time. I am new to kayaking but very experienced in inflatable boating. The target consumer is someone like myself who is restricted by portability and/or storage size restrictions, and certain compromises are to be expected in performance, but I was pleasantly surprised. My target need was portability for storage to fish Tampa Bay and inshore coastal waters of the Gulf which kayaks are commonly used for that purpose.The base AEC is a quality, albeit, expensive piece of gear, with compromises stated above, but also some not well thought out shortcomings. Being 6'2" and over 300 pounds, I knew I was stretching the design limitations of this kayak, but the specs, depending on which you read, state a rated load of either 500 or 550 pounds. None the less, I am often faced with issues surrounding my physical size, so what I found wasn't a surprise, but as always, somewhat disappointing. Irrespective of size issues, I found a few glaring issues that anyone should be concerned about when investing this amount of money for an inflatable. Overall, the AEC will fit my immediate requirements but will require personal upgrades and design alterations at additional cost to render it fully useable.I purchased and tested the following; AEC kayak, AEC Backbone, AEC inflatable foot brace, AEC Pack Lite 4 Paddle, AEC Single Deck Conversion, AEC Lumbar Seat, AEC Double-Action Hand Pump with Pressure Gauge and an AEC 12 volt Pump online at Amazon. Other considered AEC accessories pending my initial evaluation at purchase time were the AEC Double Deck Conversion, AEC Accessory Frame System and AEC Dura-Floor. Additionally, I purchased an AEC RapidUp Sail and an AEC Forum member recommended large spray bottle of 303 Fabric Guard, plus other needed marine supplies at a local West Marine store. Total investment for the purchased AEC components was over $1,400.00, with other AEC considered options of an additional $150 + the cost of the as of yet unpriced AEC Dura Floor. This investment takes it well within the upper range of fully equipped poly kayaks, and approaching actual marine grade inflatable, and trailerable boats and should not be considered lightly.Currently having only an apartment with no garage facilitated the need for an inflatable. I had owned and used for years a fully accessorized 12 foot Sevylor Fish Hunter that took loads of abuse and wear and satisfied every need including loading into a Cessna for transport , so as stated, I am fully experienced in inflatable use, design compromises and care. I should mention also the Sevylor, at the time, was a considerable less investment with much more room, including a 50 lb. thrust Minnkota, but the comparison between the two styles of boats is not a fair comparison, but the cost factor is.I fully built out the AEC in my apartment the night before, check-fitting all equipment and was pleased with the build process, and basic quality. What was immediately clear was I am too big to use the AEC Single Deck Conversion I bought. Unless you are an average person- or far less- in size, you will be using the AEC without a deck. This did not bother me as I live in Florida and am not afraid of being wet. It would be an immediate consideration elsewhere. The next thing that immediately became clear, and that I am always fearful about was the AEC Lumbar Seat, as well as the included standard seats, do not provide the support necessary for someone of my size. The AEC Lumbar Seat comes very close, but more on that later. Lastly, the AEC is almost completely void of any useable, and/or accessible storage areas, the most glaring a real, fixed anchor point, either for or aft. This is very bad for any vessel.I collapsed and packed the AEC with relative ease and will mirror other reviews that the storage bag- while big enough to pack a wet AEC, is ill-designed as the zipper used does not allow the bag to be opened wide enough to conveniently stow the kayak, seats and floor. Ultimately, the bag should be designed larger to facilitate the additional purchased AEC components that make up a fully built AEC to include Deck Conversion, Dura Floor and or Drop Stitch Floor, possibly the AEC Back Bone and paddles- anything the becomes wet. This feature would demonstrate forward thinking and added value on the part of AE for the investment. Instead, this equates to additional cost and inconvenience to the customer in additional storage bags for wet gear. I took the AEC to the Dunedin, FL causeway for the maiden voyage. At high tide, this represents a short grassy beach approach to the water, at low tide, a wide, sharp, rocky beach is exposed. The sea conditions were 2 foot swells with a 10 knot wind, not ideal for a maiden voyage, but good for a real evaluation. I setup the AEC as the night before which did not include the AEC RapidUp Sail. I found the $99 RapidUp Sail to be a novel idea, but in no way worth the cost and poor, cheap design. The plastic clips felt cheap and did not even fit the AEC D Rings without cursing. Above all other accessories, the RapidUp Sail was of a MUCH lower quality than expected. After completing the setup, I sprayed the entire bottle of 303 Fabric Guard on all exposed surfaces, including the AEC RapidUp Sail, let it cure before using it for 4 hours, 2 hours less than the minimum recommended but I got a late start to the day.Finally, it was time to hit the water. For this, I had to remove the AEC Single Deck Conversion. Most kayaks in Florida are sit on, open styles and this was not a concern. In the surf, I managed to board with little water, and paddled away with little effort. However, I boarded with poor placement to the AEC Lumbar Seat and immediately leaned back nearly flat on me back. I continued, as it was fun anyway. I was impressed by the tracking and the speed I could make in the 2 foot seas and headwind of 10 knots. The RapidUp Sail I could not get to full collapse so it was some measurable impediment to progress. I continued into the wind until I thought better of going back and re-boarding properly to evaluate the additional cost of the AEC Lumbar Seat. Turned the vessel, released the too-short tie down of the AEC RapidUp Sail, and it worked, except one of the cheap plastic clips broke in front immediately. The RapidUp Sail became the RapidBroken Sail.I tied the strap of the sail the D-Ring when back at shore and re-boarded. The AEC Lumbar Seat provided "better" support this time, but overall, proved that using the AEC will be a painful experience- not totally it's fault but a better design will work for big people as well as others, and would be a value-add for the investment. This time I continued for thirty minutes in the conditions which provided a slight flooding I am certain could be avoided if the deck conversion could be used. Even with some water aboard, the vessel was very stable and fun. I finally turned and raised the RapidBroken Sail and used it all the way to shore.I went out a third time with the same results of a painful but fun paddle, against the swells and wind and was convinced the AEC has potential, but at additional cost over and above the large investment.Teardown was not any pain that wasn't expected, especially now that the operator was tired- something a chore to consider in all inflatables. The storage bag design could be so much less of a hassle and a much more welcomed convenience, that I already anticipated this and shopped for- and didn't find, a bigger storage bag before my AEC was delivered. This is a necessity as no wet inflatable packs, with wet accessories, like it arrives from the factory. Again, something to be very appreciated when in falling darkness, cold, tired and wet. AEC would do its customers well by making the storage bag bigger, redesigned with a full open zipper. HINT HINT. Building an inflatable is easy dry and with excited anticipation of a fun day, packing a wet inflatable when exhausted sucks. Male that experience easier and you are well on your way to a successful total solution people will outwardly talk about.For people who have absolutely no recourse for storage or portability issues, the AEC represents a quality "start" that will make their dreams of inshore accessibility a reality. But be advised, certain issues will present themselves; setup, teardown and cleanup time associated with any inflatable, high investment cost of this particular product, and some items clearly designed with cost cutting measure in mind that need immediate upgrade- additional tie down/anchor points, unusable conversion decks, poorly designed sail, total lack of rod holder.Would I purchase this again, knowing what I know now? Not for the cost- I would hold out and invest in something more costly, less portable but overall more satisfactory. The investment is that near that decision point. Will I keep using it? Yes, it will work out over time.

It looks like a real kayak. It is rather fast and does not side tracks much. The complete set is skimpy: no paddles, no pump, no backbone, and no frame deck. In my opinion the backbone or something like this is absolutely necessary as otherwise the kayak just folds in the centre like an air mattress. It also says somewhere in the description that there are 3 layers in this boat to protect from drowning. This applies only to main inflation chambers. There is only one layer on the bottom. Otherwise, so far so good. I tried the kayak with 2 little guys, 5 and 4 year old. We could all fit in this boat comfortably and had lots of fun.

I'm like 220 lbs, holds me pretty well, but I do tend to get wet as the center tends to sag. I was careful to not over inflate it. Also, the two skegs are about 2-3 inches in depth. Does not appear to be enough depth to overcome cross breezes. Hard to keep on a straight course.

Plan on buying your own paddle. Mine broke withing 30 minutes of using it. Cheap plastic bindings. The actual raft was was easy to set up and fun on my first use. May plan on tubing with it since its so durable.

This kayak is awesome. I am amazed at how sturdy it is and how it doesn't flip or even react when I plunk myself down on it. It's very wide and stable. From the image I had assumed I'd get very wet...but truly I haven't. It's designed very well, easy to inflate and deflate. I can't comment on the paddle as I have my own.

Edit Changed from 5 to 3 stars: I love my purchase of 08/16 so much that, because I'm flying overseas on vacation, I ordered a new one, just so I wasn't putting something sandy or not completely deflated in my suitcase. I waited till two nights before I'm leaving to open the new box. Imagine my disappointment: It is NOT a brand new kayak. It has obviously been inflated previously and not completely deflated...there's also footprints and water spots on it and was not packed the way the first one was (which came IN the backpack). This one was so poorly deflated they couldn't even fit it in the backpack. I worried that it may have a hole in it, so I've inflated it all the way (which grossed me out because the seat and foot rests I inflate by mouth)...anyway I now have an inflated kayak on my couch overnight to confirm there will be no deflation through holes...my whole concept of flying with the a new/compact kayak is gone. SHAME ON THE SELLER for selling this item as NEW.

I still love it though. I wonder if it comes in a male version.

Purchased two of these for my husband and I to give kayaking a try without a huge investment. Worth noting, my husband is 6'3" and about 260 lbs., I'm 5'6" and hover around 200. These have individual weight capacities of 400 lbs, so I didn't have any concerns about it keeping us afloat. That said, our backsides were pretty soaked after using.

Inflation is quick and can be a bit of a workout for two of them, especially on a hot day. Our first trip was to a mountain lake in Colorado. We were able to get on the kayaks easily and were off and kayaking fairly quickly. We did upgrade the paddles based on reviews here that the paddles it comes with are horrible. While we haven't used those paddles, the construction of them seemed pretty flimsy, especially compared to the new paddles we purchased. Cruising around the shoreline the steering wasn't too bad. Once you get used to how it maneuvers it's quite easy. We were on calm water with gentle wind, so lucky for our first trip.

Our second trip was to a lake in the Denver suburbs. The water on this like was quite choppy, but we still had fun paddling around and no really problems maneuvering it around.

Third trip to another lake....one kayak seems to be leaking but we can find no holes, but chambers 3 and 4 definitely losing air. After thorough checking we believe the valves were the culprit. When we returned home I pumped it up again to check for holes and found none, but did still have noticeable air loss within 1/2 hour. Fortunately I was on the very last day that I could return the item to Amazon, so back it went.

We really like these kayaks. I wish the one would have held up better under gentle, adult only use. All in they were used for 2.5 hours, so I'm concerned about durability. I would expect more usage at this price point. We were meticulously careful with cleaning the kayaks and letting them dry before packing it back into the pack it came with, so I don't think there was any carelessness on our part. We did keep the other kayak and I hope to see better performance from it.

The kayak is good quality and the backpack is cool but the kayak itself does not glide at all so expect to paddle the whole time and not be able to keep up with hard kayaks at all. The paddle is nice but definitely want to get a new one because the one it comes with is small and not curved and the plastic will wear away at your hands.

I love the Advanced Elements single kayaks, but this tandem one did not do it for us. The boat was lopsided, and even when we adjusted the outer tubes the best we could (covering up the velcro strips to do so), it was never even and we got water in it. Also, putting the heavier person in the back was a disaster. It was better once we switched. The manual does warn that a 12V pump (for air mattresses) will not be enough to fully inflate it, so we probably should have spent even more money on a more powerful pump, but we sold this one instead and bought two hard-sided ones. The engineering on larger inflatables I think is just more tricky, and we were just never happy with this product.

One of the seems failed on one of the 3 we purchased, while we were on vacation. Come back from vacation to find out the return window closed while on vacation. (by 2 days) Where we were had no reliable connection to cell service, forget 4g or anything of the sort...
Oh... The paddles are fine, if you are under the age of 10, or only have the strength to lift 10 pounds... Anything beyond that, and the will snap, with no notice... They break right at the screw on joints.

Acutally it worked pretty well for the price. Trying to get somewhere in the thing was slow since diredtion control was hard. It seems to be built pretty sturdy, but be careful fishing,,,a catfish fin can sink you.

It did great the six times i took it out. It gives a good cardio workout. Took it out for 7 th trip inflated ,launched , within twenty min it was leaking bad enough i returned to shore and have since purchased a real kayak. Feeling safer these days on the river

These are really big and can support a good amount of weight but they get punctured by just about anything. I bought two and they lasted me a few days each.

We were very pleased when we received this inflatable. It was a little bigger than expected and seemed well-made. After using it one time in the lake the outer ring deflated. There must be a leak but we don't have the time to try and find it. There is a 30 day return policy, may look into the shipping costs for this.

Item returned.

really liked it till after 4 hours of use when we realized it was loosing air.dont you test these before selling . so now what do i do .a lot of money to have such problems.sorry i bought this on line if i had purchased it at a store i would just bring it back to where i bought it .

When I first received and unpacked this boat I was quite impressed with the design and quality. However, once I inflated it I noticed that there was a lot of slack in the fabric deck on the right side. Looking closer and per the manufacturers advice, I removed the tube to see what was going on. Measuring it, I found that the circumference of the tube on the right side was significantly smaller than that on the left - in some places as much as 7 cm smaller. While the kayak would float and basically worked fine, it didn't look right, being visibly smaller on the right side. Given the price, I wasn't satisfied with this.I informed Advanced Elements, and they sent me a replacement tube, concluding that there was a manufacturing defect. However, the new tube had the exact same problem - it was skinnier on the right side than on the left! At this point I decided to return the boat for a refund - too much trouble to deal with it any more. I haven't yet decided which boat to buy instead.This boat has a lot of potential, but based on my experience some of the parts may have manufacturing defects. If the one you purchase has this problem, and you bought by mail order, it's going to be a headache either way - waiting for a replacement part which may also be defective, or returning a package that weighs in at 60 pounds.

This company has horrible customer service.

I bought two kayaks. Returned warranty card with all required information.

One paddle broke on first outing. Thought it was just defective and we would get a replacement or part to fix.

I submitted request.
Had to complete a questionare via phone.
Company emailed requirements:
1. Picture of kayak serial # with issued incident number written next serial #.
2. Receipt of purchase.

Denied since receipt was not in PDF format.

Will submit with screen shot of receipt.

I had to submit a picture of the serial number on kayak with incident number issued by them

Deflated upon first use...somewhere there is a hole...as soon as i used it iti noticwd it was deflating i thought it was due to use but it has a hole and i just put it in the water to use it i pafdled around ut was greag amd fun but when i brought it home to pump it up.more it quickly continues to deflate there is obviously a hole i want a refund

Seat had a hole in the seem after one use. Now I have to patch it. Would not recommend anyone spend over a hundred dollars for 1 time use.

Bought two kayaks....one showed up with a hole in it and the other took out on to lake very hard to move through water and stay with group. I never stopped paddling and kept falling further and further behind.

poor material is not durable not worth the money