Rating

Performance: 1

Size/Weight: 3

Durability: 1

Setup: 3

Value: 3

OVERALL: 2.2

It made our list because frankly, there aren’t a lot of other choices in Australia.

Look, to be blunt, there’s not a lot going for the Glide Aquavate Duo. It’s a shame, because Glide’s hard-shell kayaks aren’t half-bad, and even its one-person inflatable Sport has a bit more going for it. Like the Intex Challenger, this is built of single-layer vinyl, so is more in the pool-toy territory, but is more expensive than the Challenger and can’t go in a straight line to save itself. It’s also very small for a two-person - get ready to have your knees bent up to your ears. With all that considered, even its ultra-light weight can’t save it.

Comparison

Rank: #10

Open Size: Very short, wide

Packed Size: Small

Weight: Very light

Capacity: Very low

Best For: Occasional recreation, flat water only

Pros: Light, cheap.

Cons: Very tight for two people, poor tracking, not durable, uncomfortable.

Verdict: Buy it as a gift for your grandchildren?

Skip ahead to First Impressions, Setup/Packdown, Paddling Experience, or the Final Verdict, check out how the Glide Aquavate Duo 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: 328cm x 92cm

Packed Size: 72cm x 22cm x 35cm

Weight: 9kg

Capacity: 180kg

Approx Price: $349

We’ll say this - it comes complete with everything you need. Included paddles: fine. Included double-action hand pump: actually half-decent (especially compared to the foot pump provided with the Aqua Marina Laxo). All you need to add are life jackets and away you go.

It also folds down relatively small, and at only 9kg is very easy to carry (unfortunately this is due to use of lightweight single-layer vinyl, which decreases the kayak’s durability, and therefore we couldn’t score it highly on our Size/Weight criteria). Sadly, the mesh storage bad it comes with is not particularly designed for carrying, so if you have a long way to go to the water like we did, you may find it easier to inflate the kayak first and carry it to the water like that, while the other person carries the paddles.

Pro: vinyl dries really quickly, so sitting it in the sun or towelling it off after your done means you can pack it back up straight away and not have to worry about it getting mouldy.

Con: there are seven inflation points, because the seat bottoms and backs need to be inflated separately. It’s a little painful.

Here’s the real problem with the Glide Aquavate Duo — think of it more like a pool toy that you’re trying to move along with some paddles rather than a kayak. The bow is quite rounded, meaning the kayak has very little piercing power through the water, and the skeg is not really long enough to provide any meaningful traction for an otherwise very smooth underside.

If you just want to be on the water then fine, but don’t expect to actually go anywhere in it.

There’s also the matter of comfort. Like many of the cheaper kayaks in our review, this one is tiny — it’s not comfortable for two adults (in fact, look at the marketing materials and you’ll see a hilarious picture of the guy in the back with his knees bent right up) and is much more suited to two kids, or an adult and child at best. At 180kg, it’s very light capacity, and with its inflatable seats that have very low backs and no footrests, provides very little support.

The Glide Aquavate Duo has a place as a low-cost recreational craft that kids can muck around in close to shore on flat water. Other than that, we’d suggest you look elsewhere.

Want to see how the Glide Aquavate Duo compares to other kayaks we tested? Head over to our list of the Best Two-Person Inflatable Kayaks.

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.