Spotlight Pick
Intex Challenger Kayak - Inflatable Canoe
4.4 / 5
Balanced option for paddlers who want a high-confidence all-round setup with strong value retention.
Product Breakdown
Intex Challenger Kayak Set
4.4 / 5
Intex Challenger Kayak Set - Convenient and Portable Inflatable Kayak for Adventurous Water Excursions
Deep Dive
Description
Intex Challenger Kayak, Inflatable Kayak Set is designed with a comfortable and spacious cockpit. The inflatable I beam floors add stability, while the removable skeg provides exceptional directional movement.
This kayak set is lightweight, compact, and easy to assemble. It offers high mobility with a non-restrictive cut. The upper buckle is placed higher to reduce ride up, and the back panel is thinner to reduce seat back interference. All foam corners are rounded and sculpted, making it more innovative and durable compared to other economy PFDs.
The Intex Challenger Kayak is Coast Guard approved, ensuring safety for open water explorers. It is suitable for paddlers over 90 pounds and can be used for paddling, general boating, and personal watercraft. The set includes one adult universal PFD life vest in a convenient zippered storage bag, weighing only 0.7 pounds. It is easily adjustable and fits most sizes.
When it comes to inflating, assembling, disassembling, and deflating, the Intex Challenger Kayak is relatively quick and easy. Inflating the kayak itself takes about 3 minutes, and the other items can be inflated and assembled in approximately 7-8 minutes or under 10 minutes. To deflate the kayak, an effective method is to roll the air out, similar to deflating an air mattress.
The durability of this product is impressive. Many users have reported that it holds up well even in challenging conditions. It can withstand being dragged on rocks, as well as encounters with twigs, branches, submerged logs, and sharp edges without acquiring any cuts, tears, or slow leaks. The kayak remains intact even when used by individuals exceeding its weight limit, making it a reliable choice.
After a year of regular use, there have been some cases where a hole appeared along the seam on the bottom of the kayak. Although the provided patches may not hold, it has been recommended to use HH-66 vinyl cement for fixing such issues. It is advisable to store the kayak in a cool shed after use.
If you happen to lose the removable skeg on your Intex Challenger K2 Kayak, a replacement part is available. The 6" skeg (model 12181) from the Intex website fits the kayak perfectly. It can be purchased for $3 along with shipping costs.
01Hi! I'd like to purchase an Intex Challenger K1 Kayak. How long does it take to inflate, assemble, disassemble and deflate? thank you!+
I had the same question and this setup video was super helpful for me: https://youtu.be/6sKhIEEFxSY b/c u can watch a high school girl inflate and assemble everything in real-time (shows you how do-able it really is). Personally I was getting confused hearing everyone's opinion on how long it would take but watching someone, I could judge a lot easier :) I've found that just the Kayak can be inflated in about 3 min. And then inflating the other items, assembling the paddle, etc. can all be done in about 7-8min or under 10min no problem. And one helpful trick when deflating it is to approach it like you're rolling air out of an air mattress. Doing that works a lot better than trying to fold up the Kayak to get the air out. Hope that helps!
02how does it work in a river were it can drag on rocks at times+
I've now had this particular kayak for 3 years. and i had the model right before it for 2 years(gave to a friend). both have held up wonderfully to everything including being beached and scooting my self and the kayak across the shallow rocks, i've run into twigs and branches, over submerged logs and snails and run into other sharp edges with absolutely no cuts or tears, no slow leaks. and not only am i not easy on this thing, i myself weigh 40 lbs over the weight limits and i usually carry 20-30 lbs of stuff with me on it. i absolutely love this thing, it easily fits back in its bag and goes in the trunk. when/if it ever pop's i will be getting another one.
03IS THIS PRODUCT DURRABLE?+
I've had mine for just over a year and used it 10 times (1x on the river and 9x in lakes). I've been pretty careful not to rub on rocks or anything and always store in a cool shed, but do empty and fold up after each use. Now there is a hole, along a seam on the bottom that won't hold the patches provided. Hopefully using HH-66 vinyl cement like has been recommended will fix the issue.
04We lost the removable skeg on our Intex Challenger K2 Kayak and were wondering if we could buy a replacement part?+
If you're looking for the 6" skeg I can confirm that 12181 on the Intex website fits. As of 7/1/19 it's $3 for one and shipping is $5. https://www.intexcorp.com/replacement-parts/sporting-goods/sport-series-boats/kayaks/12181-skeg-for-kayaks/
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