which inflatable canoe

[highlander2504]

I am planning a holiday in the lake district and am considering buying an inflatable Canadian style canoe.
It will need to have 3 seats (2 adults and a child) and be reasonably priced.
Does anyone have any experience with inflatable canoes? If so, are they any good and which make would you recommend?

[SoldierPmr]

Dave will be the best man to answer this 

But when are you planning on heading down here and where abouts?

[highlander2504]

Yeah, reckoned Dave would be the man.
Will be heading down to Bowness on 15th Sept. Family holiday so definitely not a pleasure trip

[SoldierPmr]

Ah the opposite side of the lakes from my self  :lol: if your planning for trout Sept is a very dour month here Daddies work well if you can tempt the fish but most of them have there spawning heads on by then saying that I usually get some of the largest fish of the season at the end. A lot of good pike in Windermere though 

[corsican dave]

to be honest, I wouldn't touch inflatable canoes with a barge pole, unless you're going to throw a lot of money at them. of course, depends on your idea of "reasonably priced". the sevylor Hudson gets pretty good reviews and is good quality. here's a fairly objective assessment: http://www.songofthepaddle.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?26870-Sevylor-Hudson-KCC-360-Inflatable-Kayak

it's priced at around £250, which gives you some idea of the quality.

why don't I like them? they're very bulky, normally very heavy to cart about and they tend to paddle like dogs, even the expensive ones. they are also very prone to being blown about by the wind, so beware of this. don't forget to factor in the cost of buoyancy aids and paddles to your budget.

have a good look around the song of the paddle forum before you spend your money

[highlander2504]

Cheers Dave.

Would have prefered to buy a proper rigid canoe but space and practicality rules that out. We will not be doing any serious paddling, more just to give the boy some experience on the water.

[corsican dave]

Cheers Dave.

Would have prefered to buy a proper rigid canoe but space and practicality rules that out. We will not be doing any serious paddling, more just to give the boy some experience on the water.

thought about renting? don't know if that's an option down there, but you're probably only looking at £30-£40 for a day and you'll get safety gear chucked in for that. if you're only thinking of a day or two out, it could be worth thinking about. gives you a chance to see what a proper rigid canoe feels like. if he likes it, then you'll have some serious thinking to do! if not, then you've lost nowt....  :

ps a quick google found this: http://www.lakescanoeandkayak.co.uk/canoe-and-kayak-hire-prices/

[highlander2504]

That looks ideal Dave.

Thanks
Kevin