Rating

Performance: 8

Size/Weight: 5

Durability: 7

Setup: 8

Value: 7

OVERALL: 7.0

A dependable, high-quality pick.

When we look at the Aquaglide Navarro 145, we see a great deal of versatility and durability everywhere. It’s well-built, with 600 denier hex ripstop polyester and a drop-stitch floor. There was no issue with manoeuvrability, but a few hiccups with staying in a straight line. Overall a great choice for anyone looking to go downriver, touring, and cruising.

Comparison

Rank: #5

Open Size: Spacious

Packed Size: Portable

Weight: Heavier

Capacity: Higher

Perfect For: Choppy waters, recreational touring.

Pros: Sturdy and easy to manoeuvre, reasonably priced.

Cons: Not great straight line tracking, doesn’t include pump, pump adapters, and paddles.

Verdict: Good design and performance for leisure use.

Skip ahead to First Impressions, Setup/Packdown, Paddling Experience, or the Final Verdict, check out how the Aquaglide Navarro 145 compares to others in our list of the Top Ten 2 Person Inflatable Kayaks or see how we choose the best inflatable kayak.

Specs:

Open Size: 442 x 94cm

Packed Size: 68cm x 63cm x 36cm

Weight: 18kg

Capacity: 227kg

Approx Price: $1,119

The Aquaglide Navarro 145 is packed with almost everything we need. It is convertible to a single-cockpit deck for solo paddling, and it has great skirts as separate-purchase accessories that give a comfortable fit. Like the 1 person version, this was built to withstand various temperatures, and it says a lot based on the design. The spray skirt adds warmth and keeps you drier in less than ideal conditions. When we took it out, it happened to be sunny so we didn’t need the skirt. This kayak seems to be versatile to fit just about any weather because we did enjoy an open-deck kayak and it felt more spacious with the skirt removed.

Equipped with a sturdy drop-stitch floor, you can expect a durable kayak that makes paddling easy. The long front deck had enough room for storage and an added rear storage hatch. Paddle holders were compact and well-placed on each side so it’s easy to put away when grabbing a snack. There’s a nice amount of considered detail here, which is common to the Aquaglide range.

This kayak comes with a duffel bag for easy packing down. We like how compact it is and how the drawstrings open up a wide mouth to fit everything inside.

Switching between valve adapters still bugs us and it takes up more time than actually using a single type to inflate all points. We wish it was designed with a single valve. Overall, it took roughly 12 minutes to unpack, inflate, and install everything.

Keep in mind too that with the polyester covering, it does take longer to dry than pure PVC models - and it’s important to make sure it’s completely dry before you pack it away, especially if you’re going to be storing it for a long time.

Paddling comfort is what makes this kayak stand out. With the help of the drop-stitch floor, the Navarro has nice firmness and provides a stable ride. No complaints about the adjustable seats with high backrests and padded seat cushions.

The 600-denier hexcell ripstop polyester covering handles the elements very well. We can tell it was built to last - however on ours, it was a little wrinkly and loose in places which we haven’t seen on other fabric-covered kayaks, but it wasn’t an issue in the water.

Since we’ve tried this on semi-rough waters, we feel it struggled a bit with tracking in a straight line, but it did turn and manoeuvre easily. It was overall a fun experience and something we’d take on different weather conditions and tours.

The Aquaglide Navarro 145 is suitable for almost any type of water and weather, packed with features that make it a great versatile kayak. It has good manoeuvrability, great cockpit design, and spacious storage to name a few. It falls short in ease of setup and packdown, and could track better in a straight line, but if that doesn’t bother you, this is worth taking out on your next cruise.

Want to see how the Aquaglide Navarro 145 compares to other kayaks we tested? Head over to our 2 Person Inflatable Kayak Review.

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.