http://www.amazon.com/RAVE-Sports-Sea-Rebel-Kayak/dp/B004K6U9Q0/ref=sr_1_10?ie=UTF8&qid=1418564411&sr=8-10&keywords=inflatable+kayaks

Rave Sea Rebel Inflatable Kayak

 

List Price:	$259.99
Price:	$162.52 & FREE Shipping. Details
You Save:	$97.47 (37%)

Only 1 left in stock (more on the way).

Ships from and sold by Amazon.com. Gift-wrap available.

Arrives before Christmas

Want it Tuesday, Dec. 16? Order within 28 hrs 29 mins and choose One-Day Shipping at checkout. Details

Size: One Person

• 103" x 35" x 8"
• Heavy-duty nylon cover with PVC Tarpaulin bottom for slick and easy gliding.
• 4 foam-filled handles; 22 lbs.
• Limited 1 Year Warranty  
  Rave Sea Rebel Inflatable Kayak - Enjoy the lake, river or streams with the Sea Rebel Kayak by Rave Sports. This new inflatable kayak is comfortable, easy to inflate and perfect whether you're angling, relaxing or traversing on the water. The lightweight and easy-to-carry Sea Rebel Inflatable Kayak inflates in minutes and comes equipped with a water resistant dry bag and water bottle holder. Features: Carrying Bag, Limited One Year Warranty, 3 Bottom Fins. Type: Inflatable, Hull Design: Inflatable, Number of Paddlers: 1, Bulk Heads: None, Hatches: None, Adjustable Seat: Yes, Model Year: 2011, Product ID: 243997, Product Note: Coupons or other discounts cannot be applied to this item. This item may not qualify for Price Matching., Christmas Delivery: This is a Special Order item and is not guaranteed for Christmas delivery., Shipping Exclusion: This item is only available for shipment by UPS to the lower 48 United States. APO, FPO, PO BOX, Hawaii, and Alaska shipments may not be possible for this item. (Please call prior to purchase.), Special Order: This is a Special Order item, will be shipped from the manufacturer, and is not stocked in our warehouse. This item does not qualify for our Price Matching Policy. Order processing time may vary., Model Number: 2365, GTIN: 0695742023655

Hobie eVolve for i-series inflatables

Sea Eagle - RazorLite™ Inflatable Kayak Instructions

Aquaglide Inflatable Kayaks 2014

 

http://www.aquaglidekayak.com/

Low to high price range.

AIRIS Inflatable Kayaks

 

http://www.airkayaks.com/categories/Airis-Inflatables/?gclid=CjwKEAiAhIejBRCKm_fTxIWyyXcSJABXY0XYw73J6CLgMRBie_2MTgZSrv6vd-RhBZMPSRpCkLadyRoCTMPw_wcB 

These are not inexpensive kayaks. Just an FYI.

How to get back into an inflatable kayak from the water

The End of the Season

Our paddling season came to an end on Labor Day. This is not to say that the weather didn't permit more journeys. In fact, there were many beautiful days, but the demands of work prevented more outings. What we're going to do is post numerous videos concerning inflatable kayaks. We do not endorse any of the kayaks in the videos, but thought they would help our readers view the large number of options available.

As we have mentioned, inflatable kayaks are ideal for boomers. They are easy to transport and are relatively lightweight. Kayaking is general is also a great form of exercise and lots of fun. The world needs more fun.

Looking forward to a new season!

Outdoor Retailer '10: Advanced Elements Inflatable Kayaks

Kayak Review for Camden Harbor

Camden Harbor is, to me, the quintessential image of coastal Maine. It's a place we go to often for breakfast, shopping, and just because it's a nice place to be. While there is a public boat launch, the parking is quite a distance from it, and there are no facilities. But for kayakers, that's no problem; just go to the public beach a few minutes from the town center. There are restrooms by the parking area.

(Oh, and might it be appropriate to mention here that ever since we started kayaking, there's been a steady refrain of "I want to kayak in Camden Harbor"? -D)

Here are two views of the beach/launch area:

It's a steep drop to the beach and for this reason we have to take off a half kayak in the rating.

The interior of the harbor is to the left which opens to Penobscot Bay to the right.

Heading into the harbor.

The outer harbor area.

That's the library in the background.

There are always 2 or 3 masted schooners at dock.

There are some massive yachts here.

Not a bad cottage!

The homes are are quite beautiful.

Heading out into the bay.

Better not start a fire in that fireplace!

 More photos are posted in the Pages section of the blog. Clearly, this is a beautiful place to visit. You can dock and take in the wonderful restaurants and shop the quaint stores. Of course, many things here are pricey, but most of the shops carry high quality, often locally made, items.

KAYAK RATING FOR CAMDEN HARBOR: 4.5

NOTE: The video is a little shaky. Waves will do that.

Kayak Review for Lower Damariscotta Lake

There is a public boat launch off Rte 213 in Jefferson, maybe 10 miles south of the state park on the west side of the lake. Plenty of parking, but, as of this writing, anyway, there's no toilet facility on site. There is a pad where one might have been located, but it stands empty. Hopefully, this will be corrected, as it is the only negative we can find to this location.

Quiet, peaceful, and picturesque are the words that come to mind. There are power boats on the lake, but they are not any kind of nuisance. This end of the lake is narrower than up by the park, making it easy to get from shore to shore. There are lots of little "nooks and crannies" to explore.  This is a location worth several visits because it's just a pleasant place to be.

KAYAK RATING: 4.5 KAYAKS

It really needs a toilet facility!

Health Benefits of Kayaking

We've done a little bit of research and it appears that kayaking can be a boost to your health regardless of age. From white water kayaking (which we don't do), to a leisurely paddle on a lake, pond, or harbor, kayaking seems to offer numerous benefits. We are not medical practitioners and do not share this information as medical advice; rather, it is for informational purposes only.  Please consult with your medical care provider for further input on these statements.

Following are excerpts from various sites that talk about the benefits of kayaking:

Canoeing and kayaking are low impact activities that can improve your aerobic fitness, strength and flexibility. Specific health benefits include:

• Improved cardiovascular fitness
• Increased muscle strength, particularly in the back, arms, shoulders and chest, from moving the paddle
• Increased torso and leg strength, as the strength to power a canoe or kayak comes mainly from rotating the torso and applying pressure with your legs
• Reduced risk of wear-and-tear on joints and tissues, since paddling is a low impact activity.  http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Canoeing_and_kayaking

Back, Chest, Stomach, Arms and Toning through kayak fitness training:

When you are paddling you can expect to do about 500, maybe more, maybe less, strokes per mile!  Placing the paddle in the water and executing a good stroke is going to incorporate every muscle in the upper body and some lower body muscles as well.  This means that in one hour at 3 mph you are going to do about 1500 repetitions of low impact upper body movements, which no matter what your fitness goals are, you are going to tone up almost every muscle in your body.  Hey, you are going to look good!
http://www.kayaklakemead.com/health-benefits.html

Overall Health Improvement

Kayaking provides an aerobic workout, which should be a key part of your weekly fitness routine. General benefits of all forms of aerobic exercise include increased endurance, improved heart health, better regulation of cholesterol levels, blood sugar control, lower blood pressure and better lung strength, according to the Cleveland Clinic.

 http://www.livestrong.com/article/81242-benefits-kayaking/

Kayaking: Sports to Make a Strong Heart

Cardio Advantages. Kayaking is that rare upper-body-centric cardio exercise. One of the benefits of aerobic work is that it increases the number of capillaries in the muscles worked; paddling shares this perk with your chest, back, shoulders, and arms, and the natural resistance of the water means that you can't just coast along and expect to remain in motion.
http://www.mensjournal.com/health-fitness/exercise/kayaking-the-best-workouts-for-heart-health-20140213

The articles all basically agree that there are great benefits to your health from kayaking and boomers would do well to take this up as way to keep the essential juices flowing. Perhaps more important is the stress reducing feature of that quiet lake, the light breeze, the call of a loon, the gentle splash of water from the paddles, and beautiful scenery.

Kayak Review for Seven Tree Pond

"Seven Tree Pond stretches across 528 acres from Union to Warren. It’s a natural part of the St. George River, which flows toward saltwater in Thomaston Harbor. The maximum depth of Seven Tree Pond is 45 feet, with a mean depth of 24 feet. The water quality is below average. Round Pond is located entirely in the town of Union. Its 255 acres is accessible via canoe by paddling up the outlet from Seven Tree Pond. With a maximum depth of 34 feet and a mean depth of 17 feet, the principal fisheries are largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, white perch and chain pickerel." ( http://blog.mrlakefront.net/2012/04/01/the-ponds-of-union-maine-seven-tree-crawford-and-round-pond/ )

We like this pond. It has a small beach, decent facilities (port-a-potties, but they're in an actual building, are changed regularly, and don't stink), and picnic/grilling areas. As you can see from the map, Seven Tree also accesses Round Pond; a trip we have yet to take, although we did cross under the bridge today, so I suppose we were technically there.

Seven Tree has a nice energy feel, and there is "stuff" to look at.  Of course, as with most Maine lakes/ponds, there are loons. There is also a public boat launch. For some reason we were mobbed, literally, by mosquitoes during set up. This was really the first time we've ever encountered such a problem; it wasn't an issue last year. Might have been the time of day, since were were there before the sun was really out full bore.  As it got higher, the mosquitoes got fewer!

KAYAK RATING: A SOLID 4 KAYAKS

Kayak Rating for Pemaquid Pond

We were not impressed. There was just something about the place that was creepy. The water was brackish, which, admittedly, could have been due to the recent rain, but it had an odd salt marsh/swampy feel. Deb kept saying she expected a stone hand, dripping seaweed, to emerge and grab her.

The "facility" - read outhouse - was in deplorable condition; we really didn't want to use it.  The toilet seat was thrown on the ground outside, and what was left was covered in ... well, let's just say Deb gagged and refused. The watershed volunteer who was there checking boats for invasive plant life, who was a really nice guy, said it had been that way for a while ... at least since last year.  Yuck.

At a glance, the pond itself looked pretty. There were people fishing, but there was not much to see.

Very little chance we would ever go back.

There is a public boat launch.

Just don't use the outhouse.

KAYAK RATING: 2 KAYAKS

 Maybe 2.5

Pemaquid Pond

Bremen, Damariscotta, Nobleboro, Waldoboro, Lincoln, Maine
MIDAS 5704

Area (acres):	1537
Perimeter (miles):	23.8
Mean Depth (feet):	20
Max Depth (feet):	61
Delorme Page:	7
Fishery Type:	Coldwater + Warmwater
Invasive Aquatic Infestation:	None known
Water Quality:	Average

Lake St. George Kayak Rating

St. George Lake

St. George Lake is the fourth largest lake in Waldo County, Maine. It is in the township of Liberty, on the western side of the county. Lake St. George State Park is on the northwest shore of the lake. Wikipedia

This is another very picturesque state park. There is a very nice swimming area and many places for campers. There's a boat ramp just past the park entrance, if you're heading west, but you can launch kayaks from a small cove just to the right of the beach. It takes a few awkward steps to actually get down into the water but it's certainly doable and convenient.

 It's about a two-foot drop off, so watch your step.    

You can see the folded blue WindPaddle on the front of my white kayak. It was a windy day, so it got its first workout. There's an earlier post on that subject, along with video.

 The boat ramp

 Beach area

The park has it's share of wildlife including ducks, geese, and loons.

 There are still many sights to see on Lake St. George, and we'll be happy to revisit.

KAYAK RATING FOR ST. GEORGE: 4 KAYAKS