Advanced Elements Lagoon 1 Review
Rating
Performance: 4
Size/Weight: 6
Durability: 4
Setup: 3
Value: 3
OVERALL: 4.0
A compact and lightweight hybrid style at a more reasonable price.
If you’re set on an Advanced Elements-style kayak but don’t have that much cash to throw around, consider the Lagoon 1. It’s a lot shorter than the flagship AdvancedFrame range and as such, doesn’t handle as well in terms of straight line tracking - but it’s really packable, decently lightweight and well constructed.
Comparison
Rank: #7
Open Size: Short and wide
Packed Size: Flat (13cm) and wide
Weight: Light
Capacity: Low
Best For: Recreational paddling, calm or choppy water.
Pros: Lightweight, considered design, packable.
Cons: Poor straight-line tracking, inflatable seat, multiple valve adapters, fabric cover takes longer to dry.
Verdict: A reasonably-priced option if you’re set on the Advanced Elements name.
Skip ahead to First Impressions, Setup/Packdown, Paddling Experience, or the Final Verdict, check out how the Advanced Elements Lagoon 1 compares to others in our list of the Best Inflatable Kayaks, or see how we choose the best inflatable kayak.
Specs:
Open Size: 254cm x 86cm
Packed Size: 74cm x 46cm x 13cm
Weight: 10kg
Capacity: 113kg
Approx Price: $475
First Impressions
The first thing we noticed is how thin the box is - and at a mere 13cm deep when packed, it is definitely easy to store and pop in the boot of your car.
Having said that, the bag is designed to match this kind of shape, so is much more of a shoulder carry bag than a backpack situation. At only 10kg this isn’t a huge problem, it just means it swings around a little between the car and where you want to pump it. If the water’s not too far from the car, we found it easier to pump next to the car, stow the bag, pump etc back in the car, and just carry down the inflated kayak. The deck of the kayak also has a couple of handy velcro straps for attaching your paddle, so it’s one of the easier kayaks to carry kayak and paddle to the water fully assembled.
It’s clear that this kayak comes complete with Advanced Elements quality construction, with the quality and durability of the materials being evident as soon as we unfolded the kayak. However, it’s also definitely at the lower end of the cost scale for AE, its size including much less material and having much less rigidity eg. no stiffening bow and stern inserts, inbuilt foam floor, and inflatable seat.
Setup/Packdown
Our big gripe with the Advanced Elements kayaks is no different for this one - onerous setup and pack down. This has 6 points to inflate if you want to do it properly (and, to be honest, other than the first time for this review, we can rarely be bothered). Two main air chambers in the body of the kayak, and then switch the valve to inflate the combing valve, two deck lifts (to provide a bit more space between the top deck fabric and your legs), and the seat cushion.
It certainly results in a kayak that is more comfortable than, say, the easy to inflate Intex Challenger… but we’re not convinced the fiddliness is worth it.
The floor, being foam (not inflatable or drop-stitch), doesn’t require inflating, which is at least one less thing. The hull also has a small inbuilt fin on the bottom so no attaching of a skeg necessary, but this has implications for the kayak’s handling (see below).
And then there’s packing away. Those who are regular readers of ours know what’s coming - fabric-covered kayaks take longer than most people have patience for to dry out. Store them when they’re even a little bit wet and they’ll dry out. We’ve also found through our testing and enquiries that the fabric covers, while appearing durable, often hide the use of less durable vinyl in the body of the kayak, resulting in a kayak that must be inflated to a lower pressure and will never compare in firmness to some of the more rugged PVC kayaks. We’re not necessarily saying this is the case here… but the inflation pressure is only 2psi.
Paddling Experience
If you’re after for something that’s going to track well for long journeys in a straight line, this is not the kayak for you - end of story.
Being so short and with very little on the bottom of the kayak to ‘grip’ the water, the nose swings all over the place when you’re trying to paddle forward. It’s a frustratingly inefficient use of muscle when so much of your paddling energy is being expended on sideways movement.
Having said that, the trade-off is incredible manoeuvrability. This kayak turns on a pinhead with lighting-fast speed, and is stable enough that a quick turn won’t unseat you.
The foam floor is also another thing to consider, and very different to most inflatables. It’s much thinner and less stiff than an inflatable or drop-stitch floor, and you can really feel the water through it - another element that impacts performance as the softer floor causes more drag through the water. The inflatable cushion is also not a personal preference of ours. Although it’s not as soft as other inflatable seats we’ve tried, it still has that bounciness that absorbs paddling energy rather than directing it into the water.
It’s also worth noting there’s next to no storage space, other than a cute little zipper compartment on the front that will fit your phone (but is not waterproof). Recreation only, no day trips.
Final Verdict
Advanced Elements does a great job of designing, manufacturing and marketing a range of quality kayaks, and they’ve developed good brand recognition for it. However, we’re kind of pressed to see the point of the Lagoon 1. It’s definitely much cheaper than most of their range which is a big plus, but for a kayak this short and not super well performing, it’s not especially lightweight or particularly cheap, which you would expect to be the selling point when you’re sacrificing those things. We had fun in it… but we’d rather paddle something else.
Why not visit our list of the Best Inflatable Kayaks to see how the Lagoon 1 compares?
Water & Outdoors reviews are written by our staff writers, who combined have over fifty years of experience on the water and outdoors. We may earn commissions if you choose to buy through a link you’ve clicked on our website, however this does not influence our reviews. For more information, please see our Editorial Policies.