Itiwit 1-Person Cruising Kayak Review
Rating
Performance: 1
Size/Weight: 4
Durability: 3
Setup: 4
Value: 3
OVERALL: 3.0
A great lower-cost option for family fun on the water.
If your budget is limited and you’re looking for something that’s going to last years of kids jumping off it, dogs’ scrabbling claws and being beached by your cousin Cindy then this is the one for you. It’s wide for stability, tracks reasonably well with an attachable skeg underneath, and at 11kg isn’t onerous to get to and from the water. We did find the wide side tubes a little difficult to reach around with the paddle so it’s not one for paddling long distances, but for basic recreation it’s a great choice.
Comparison
Rank: #10
Open Size: Bulky
Packed Size: Small
Weight: Heavy
Capacity: Low
Best For: Flat water, recreation.
Pros: Made from more durable materials than similar priced kayaks, nice and stable for kids or inexperienced paddlers.
Cons: It’s larger, heavier, and at 100kg capacity doesn’t support as much weight as many of the other options out there. It’s also covered in polyester, which means it takes longer to dry out.
Verdict: Get it for the kids to muck around in.
Skip ahead to First Impressions, Setup/Packdown, Paddling Experience, or the Final Verdict, check out how the Itiwit Cruising Kayak compares to others in our list of the Best Inflatable Kayaks, or see how we choose the best inflatable kayaks.
Specs:
Open Size: 300cm x 95cm
Packed Size: 62cm x 44cm x 27cm
Weight: 11kg
Capacity: 100kg
Approx Price: $399
First Impressions
We like that the Itiwit Cruising Kayak comes in an easy to carry backpack, and at 24lbs/11kg is a relatively light load on your back. We took it down about 200 rocky stairs to access the water and it wasn’t onerous. Note though that it doesn’t come with a paddle or pump to you’ll need to BYO, and the backpack’s designed to fit the kayak, so paddle and pump don’t easily fit inside. We ended up strapping our paddle to the outside and carrying the pump.
In terms of pieces, it’s pleasingly simple - there’s the kayak itself, and three removable skegs. The inflatable/folding seat is already placed in the kayak, though it does separate and is adjustable. The kayak also has inbuilt handles in the bow and stern, and at the sides, making it easy to carry once inflated.
The kayak materials appear pleasingly tough and the fabric seemed thick enough to wear scratching pretty easily.
Setup/Packdown
Inflation was a simple affair, with three valves for the floor and two sides situated conveniently close together at the stern of the kayak. The next step is to inflate the seat, which didn’t take long with our triple-action pump. The seat position can be adjusted if desired by tightening the straps that attach the seat to the kayak, and positioning the base along the velcro line on the kayak floor. We found the positioning of the seat didn’t make a huge difference for me (5’7”) or my much taller testing buddy.
Flip it over and the skegs clip in underneath — we’re usually happy with one longer skeg rather than the three just for ease of setup, although the shorter skegs meant we were able to flip the kayak back upright without worrying too much about bending or damaging them (don’t get it until you’re in the water though!)
Note though that there is no footrest so clip in — more about that in a minute.
Being a fabric top, the kayak takes longer to dry off than for instance PVC models. We were unfortunate with the rain during testing and found we had to leave the kayak outside under shelter for three days before we felt confident it could be packed away without inviting mould.
Paddling Experience
The kayak is relatively wide, so felt relatively stable to get into - however, we were surprised by how wobbly it felt when even small waves came at us from the sides. There’s no design feature I can put my finger on that would make it do that, so that remains a mystery to me.
It tracked relatively well in a straight line, although owing to its width wasn’t particularly fast - great for gentle recreational outings.
However, the physical experience of actually paddling was our main gripe. The inflatable seat base does elevate you up above the floor of the kayak, which was neither here nor there to me but my testing buddy liked with his longer legs. The elevation does go some way to helping the paddle reach around the wide side tubes and into the water, but with my shorter arms this was a little challenging.
There’s also the matter of paddling on a slightly wobbly sack of air in the seat base, and having no footrest to push against. Combined, that makes for much more strain on your core and hip flexors, and we found the Itiwit Cruising Kayak harder work to paddle than other comparable models for that reason.
Final Verdict
Decathlon have created a well-considered, accessibly priced kayak with the Itiwit Cruising Kayak. This would be a great choice for beginner or slower-paced recreational kayakers — if it had a footrest it would really round off the whole package.
Looking for more inflatable kayak options? Check out our list of the Best Inflatable Kayaks of 2024.
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