The Walker Bay Airis is a sit-on-top inflatable kayak. What sets it apart is that it’s not only extremely light, but also extremely rigid.
It really defies expectations. Something this light ought to be a floppy, insubstantial “pool toy”. But this isn’t like that at all. It feels substantial, sturdy, structurally sound.
At the boat show, they’ve got it supported by two pieces of plywood on edge, one at the front of the cockpit and one at the back. And they invite you to sit down in it.
It’s fun to watch people CAREFULLY commit their weight to it. You can see it in their faces: “It’s going to fold in half at any instant!”
Except it doesn’t. It barely flexes at all. The sensation when you sit on it is that it’s supporting your weight without deforming in the slightest. You start bouncing up and down a little, and you can’t really believe it’s so firm.
It ought to support the passenger’s weight even better in water, where the load is distributed evenly. Here’s a picture of the cockpit area, showing the drain as well as the air floor you sit on. With luck, this keeps your butt out of the water. The seat is pretty comfortable, and offers good lower back support. GREAT support for a “floppy, lightweight, inflatable pool toy”!
The Airis is currently available in four single-passenger varieties. The “Play” models are offered in 8′ and 9.5′ lengths, 15 and 18 pounds, respectively. The “Sport” models (10′ and 11′ long, 20 and 21 pounds) feature a built-in dry bag at the stern.
I doubt anyone would try to overnight with one, but you could pack a sweater, lunch, and a camera into the dry-bag storage chamber.
This picture shows how small it gets, folded up in its case.
A pair of these might come in handy for coastal cruising, allowing you to explore the shoreline without monopolizing your boat’s precious storage space.
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