In article , "Chris"
writes:

ok who has had to make this decision or who has both? I think the
inflatable would be ultra convenient but does it feel cheap and unstable? I
plan to kayak Florida rivers/lakes/swamps/intercoastals. Maybe some Gulf.

Thanks for your help

Chris

I'm sure that Bill will chime in here also, but there is my take on it.

excluding the pool toys, inflatable kayaks are more expensive than their
hardshell counterparts. There are some exceptions, the Innova Sunny and Solar
IK's, the Aire Tom Cats and the Sevylor River X series. An IK isn't as fast as
a similar sized hardshell kayak, but will hold their own with a Sit on Top
kayak of like size. Most touring sized Inflatable kayaks are impossible to
roll, but pretty easy to re-enter in the water. OTOH, many recreation style and
mixed use touring kayaks are difficult if not impossible to roll also, as are
most SOT's. You have more gear space in a Hardshell Kayak, but it is easier to
access in an IK. IK's have storage hands down.

I have two touring style boats, an Prijon Yukon Expedition (solo hard kayak)
and an Aire Super Lynx, which you could paddle either solo or tandem. Neither
of these boats are inexpensive. The super lynx tracks pretty well for a craft
that is still capable of handling mild whitewater and is probably as fast as
any IK around.
The profile is pretty flat, so it doesn't catch the wind very bad. This is the
tandem boat of choice for me and my wife, who perfers to paddle kayak style.
This and the tandem solar or sunny would be my choice for a flat water IK.
check out www.theboatpeople.com for more info on inflatables.


SYOTR
Larry C.