Intex Excursion Pro Kayak - any feedbacks?

[AnotherInstanceOfMe]

Hello,

 

thinking about kayak I found Intex Excursion Pro, called "Professional Series Inflatable Fishing Kayak". It was on sale for $124.99 last winter in Amazon, hopefully can catch it for same money this year. But is it worth the money?

Does anybody has it?

I understand that it is inflatable, that regular kayak in 100,000 times better, but sorry, I have no $700+ for normal kayak...

 

Thank you

[Bankc]

Worth is a matter of opinion.  I've never used one, but Intex seems to make decent inflatable boats.  I'd be afraid to fish out of one, because I've hooked my plastic kayak a few times.  On a plastic kayak, nothing happens when you do that.  On an inflatable, you sink.  Also, they're very, very slow in the water.  They don't have the rigidity to form a proper hull, so you're basically paddling a small barge.  That alone would make them very frustrating to use, as the wind and waves will easily overpower you, forcing you to spend more time paddling than fishing.  On a small pond that was protected from the wind by trees, it might be okay.  But honestly, I think this is something that you'd likely buy, be disappointed with, and just want to buy something better or give up trying to fish from a boat all together.  Either way, you'd be wasting your money.

If you wanted to go this route, I'd suggest looking at a fishing float tube, or a cheaper kayak.  Maybe look for some used kayaks over the winter and early next spring.  You might be able to find something like a Lifetime Teton or Tamarack on the used market for within your budget.  They're not the greatest, but they would still be miles above an inflatable.  A fishing float tube would get you away from the bank.  And while you wouldn't have the room as you would in an inflatable kayak, you'd have more control, comfort, and stability, due to the way your body would be positioned.  Plus, since it's a lot smaller and you can use your legs to swim it around, you wouldn't waste so much energy trying to move it around the water, and it would be less likely to get a hook in it.  And you'd spend more time fishing, since you're hands wouldn't be glued to a paddle.  

[J Francho]

Put some rod holders on this bad boy!

 

 

[AnotherInstanceOfMe]

1 hour ago, Bankc said:

Worth is a matter of opinion.  I've never used one, but Intex seems to make decent inflatable boats.  I'd be afraid to fish out of one, because I've hooked my plastic kayak a few times.  On a plastic kayak, nothing happens when you do that.  On an inflatable, you sink.  Also, they're very, very slow in the water.  They don't have the rigidity to form a proper hull, so you're basically paddling a small barge.  That alone would make them very frustrating to use, as the wind and waves will easily overpower you, forcing you to spend more time paddling than fishing.  On a small pond that was protected from the wind by trees, it might be okay.  But honestly, I think this is something that you'd likely buy, be disappointed with, and just want to buy something better or give up trying to fish from a boat all together.  Either way, you'd be wasting your money.

If you wanted to go this route, I'd suggest looking at a fishing float tube, or a cheaper kayak.  Maybe look for some used kayaks over the winter and early next spring.  You might be able to find something like a Lifetime Teton or Tamarack on the used market for within your budget.  They're not the greatest, but they would still be miles above an inflatable.  A fishing float tube would get you away from the bank.  And while you wouldn't have the room as you would in an inflatable kayak, you'd have more control, comfort, and stability, due to the way your body would be positioned.  Plus, since it's a lot smaller and you can use your legs to swim it around, you wouldn't waste so much energy trying to move it around the water, and it would be less likely to get a hook in it.  And you'd spend more time fishing, since you're hands wouldn't be glued to a paddle.  

 

Thank you Bankc, just found one at Amazon for $445 Pelican Sit-on-Top Kayak - Sentinel 100X - 9.5 Feet - Lightweight one Person Kayak

 

 

 

[Bankc]

Walmart has a Lifetime Tamarack Pro right now for $350.  The Tamarack Pro has a stadium seat, which will be a bit more comfortable than that molded seat.  And since you can't stand up in these kayaks, you'll probably want a comfortable seat.  

[BrianMDTX]

I’d say everyone has their reasons to use one type of boat/yak/whatever over another. I wanted something to fish the local ponds in my area (there are 46 ponds I can fish, although maybe 35 of them are suitable for a yak, canoe, etc.). A fishing yak was my first thought, but storage, loading/unloading, etc. was an issue. I’m not a spring chicken anymore. I wanted something to get me out on the water that was easy to stow/launch that was practical, decent to fish from and wouldn’t break the bank. So I bought a Sea Eagle Packfish7 inflatable with the option plywood floor for rigidity. 
 

To be frank, the position of the oarlocks is not great, although I made it worse by installing a 7” seat pedestal, and swivel and a low back seat vs the inflatable seat that came with it. But I bought a 94” yak paddle for $39.00 at Academy that solved that issue. 
 

I purchased it direct from Sea Eagle for $399.99 (the deluxe package with the plywood floor- without it was $379.99). The pedestal, swivel and seat plus hardware was less than $70.00 but IMO, well worth it. I also spent about $15.00 to make a rod holder that fits behind the seat that gives me four rod holders (I normally bring two baitcasters and two spinning rods with me). It has two storage pouches (one on each side) and a small one in the rear. 
 

Is it perfect? No. It’s not very fast and if the wind is 5 kts I need to anchor it or it will blow across the pond easily. But, at less than 40 lbs it’s easy to load in the bed of my truck (inflated) and easy to launch, it's comfortable enough to fish in all day long and I’ve caught numerous nice bass out of it this summer and now in fall. All-in-all I’m happy with it. And if I had no truck, deflated it would fit in the trunk of any car or SUV and be inflated in 5 minutes. 
 

 

 

 

This is the original configuration. 
 

[AnotherInstanceOfMe]

3 minutes ago, BrianMDTX said:

I’d say everyone has their reasons to use one type of boat/yak/whatever over another. I wanted something to fish the local ponds in my area (there are 46 ponds I can fish, although maybe 35 of them are suitable for a yak, canoe, etc.). A fishing yak was my first thought, but storage, loading/unloading, etc. was an issue. I’m not a spring chicken anymore. I wanted something to get me out on the water that was easy to stow/launch that was practical, decent to fish from and wouldn’t break the bank. So I bought a Sea Eagle Packfish7 inflatable with the option plywood floor for rigidity. 
 

To be frank, the position of the oarlocks is not great, although I made it worse by installing a 7” seat pedestal, and swivel and a low back seat vs the inflatable seat that came with it. But I bought a 94” yak paddle for $39.00 at Academy that solved that issue. 
 

I purchased it direct from Sea Eagle for $399.99 (the deluxe package with the plywood floor- without it was $379.99). The pedestal, swivel and seat plus hardware was less than $70.00 but IMO, well worth it. I also spent about $15.00 to make a rod holder that fits behind the seat that gives me four rod holders (I normally bring two baitcasters and two spinning rods with me). It has two storage pouches (one on each side) and a small one in the rear. 
 

Is it perfect? No. It’s not very fast and if the wind is 5 kts I need to anchor it or it will blow across the pond easily. But, at less than 40 lbs it’s easy to load in the bed of my truck (inflated) and easy to launch, it's comfortable enough to fish in all day long and I’ve caught numerous nice bass out of it this summer and now in fall. All-in-all I’m happy with it. And if I had no truck, deflated it would fit in the trunk of any car or SUV and be inflated in 5 minutes. 
 

 

 

 

This is the original configuration. 
 

Thank you Brain for your feedback, much appreciated!

[BrianMDTX]

8 minutes ago, AnotherInstanceOfMe said:

Thank you Brain for your feedback, much appreciated!

Trust me. I’d love a decked-out bass boat. Or a pedal yak. Hell, even a 14’ jonboat with a trolling motor. But that ain’t happening at this point in my life lol. This gets me off the shore and on the water. 

[michaelb]

I have had two inflatable kayaks in the past but never tried to fish out of one. The Intex Excursion Pro looks like a nicer boat, but I still have the same concerns: you won't flip, but it will be terrible to paddle and your back will be in pain if you try to sit and fish in that + you will get wet. My boats did not have a skeg, and this does, so maybe that will help, but basically the tracking was impossible and the boat would spin like a top; any wind was hopeless, plus the large side tubes and bathtub seating position means you can't really even get a good paddle stroke. The tracking problem was compounded by lack of inflation, and so even the slightest bow in the center from your weight where you sit and the boat "tacos" and you will spin around. So this needs to inflated to be rock hard and rigid to work. I have an inflatable paddleboard now that does inflate to be solid and paddles great; I rigged it with a larry chair to sit, and I could almost maybe think about fishing it (I would get a larger wider paddleboard for fishing). With all that said, if you are paddling 500 ft and fishing for an hour or two, yes this could work.

 

But, any plastic bathtub kayak off craigslist that someone is dumping for $100 bucks would be better for fishing and paddling (I had one of these for a while too).

[TnRiver46]

I’ve had some inflatable kayaks and my brother has one. Contrary to what has been posted, they are not hard to paddle at all, in fact it’s quite the opposite. My brother uses his on the Delaware River in swift tides and says its nearly “tide proof.” His regular kayak gets dragged by the current where the inflatable just floats on top of it and skims along. If the performance was so terrible on inflatables, why does the coast guard use them? Also inflatable boats are tough, a fish hook doesn’t just pop through them like a balloon and you go down. Most everything will bounce off the bladders. I’ve paddled Fishing rafts on 10 hour trips that had a few pinholes in them, just keep a hand pump on board and pull over to pump maybe twice a day on lunch/bathroom breaks. If inflatables were so easy to pop and sink, why would they use them in the biggest baddest whitewater on the planet? The only drawback I can imagine from fishing out of an inflatable is boat positioning on windy days 

[Bankc]

6 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

I’ve had some inflatable kayaks and my brother has one. Contrary to what has been posted, they are not hard to paddle at all, in fact it’s quite the opposite. My brother uses his on the Delaware River in swift tides and says its nearly “tide proof.” His regular kayak gets dragged by the current where the inflatable just floats on top of it and skims along. If the performance was so terrible on inflatables, why does the coast guard use them? Also inflatable boats are tough, a fish hook doesn’t just pop through them like a balloon and you go down. Most everything will bounce off the bladders. I’ve paddled Fishing rafts on 10 hour trips that had a few pinholes in them, just keep a hand pump on board and pull over to pump maybe twice a day on lunch/bathroom breaks. If inflatables were so easy to pop and sink, why would they use them in the biggest baddest whitewater on the planet? The only drawback I can imagine from fishing out of an inflatable is boat positioning on windy days 

The Coast Guard uses RHIB (Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat).  They have a V shaped hull, so they can cut through the water like a normal boat.  They're primarily chosen because they're cheaper, lightweight, fuel efficient, the can be bounced against other ships without sustaining or causing damage, and can carry more weight than most vessels of a similar size (due to their buoyancy).  They're not the same thing as what we're talking about here.  RHIB's aren't really designed to be inflated and deflated, nor are they designed to be lifted up by hand.  

 

They use them on whitewater for similar reasons.  They're extremely buoyant and they bounce off rocks and stuff without sustaining damage.  They also can fit more people on them.  They're often used by commercial businesses because they need less repairs, cost less to maintain, and you can fit more customers in them.  You also don't have to teach everyone how to maintain their balance as well as you would on a smaller craft, so their beginner friendly. They're not as maneuverable as a rigid kayak, so you typically see them used by beginners and guided tours on more popular water, whereas the serious pros that brave waters that are typically seen as too dangerous for the general public, tend to use rigid kayaks, as they're smaller, faster, and easier to control.  

 

And true, dropping a hook on one won't cause it to pop.  They're fairly puncture resistant.  But a sharp hook can still rip a hole in one under the right circumstances, which can sink a craft, whereas a hook is far less likely to damage a rigid kayak, and even if it does, the kayak should remain buoyant (though you might have to bail water from time to time).  It's a rare circumstance that most people probably won't face, but I think it's still something to consider.  Either way you should be wearing a PFD.  

 

I'm not saying inflatables are dangerous or useless.  If they were, no one would buy them.  I'm just saying that, for the money, I think you'd be able to find something more enjoyable to use in a rigid plastic kayak than an inflatable.  However, if you value storage space and want something you can fit in the trunk of a sedan or on a shelf in the garage, then you can't beat an inflatable.  It's all just tools.  Each tool has a use it performs best at.  And the job is typically easiest when you approach it with the best tools designed for that job.

[wisconsin heat]

Personally I couldn't own an inflatable kayak. I couldn't tell you how many times I've set the hook on a fish and have had the bait come rocketing back at me. Also have to think about when you have a fish at the side of the boat how easy it is for them to come unpinned and how easy it would be for any hook to puncture at that close of a distance.

 

I also don't want to think about getting a hole in the boat while in the middle of the lake or anywhere not next to shore - I imagine that could get dangerous quickly.

 

 

I'm not bashing inflatable kayaks or anything but they just aren't for me. I don't want to have to fish cautiously. Just the constant worry would take some of the fun away from me.

 

If you have the space, and the means to transport a regular kayak - I do believe there are good budget options available. Lifetime tamarack is what I own and I got a deal on mine for $180 and I see them at Walmart for under $300 all the time. At that price it's a great boat. I've heard good things about pelicans too - if I were in your shoes, I'd look for a fishing sit on top kayak by one of those two companies. Stay away from sun dolphins.

[Jeffrey Walker]

On 10/14/2020 at 10:50 AM, AnotherInstanceOfMe said:

 

Thank you Bankc, just found one at Amazon for $445 Pelican Sit-on-Top Kayak - Sentinel 100X - 9.5 Feet - Lightweight one Person Kayak

 

 

 

anyone have any experience with this?

[schplurg]

Quote

whereas a hook is far less likely to damage a rigid kayak, and even if it does, the kayak should remain buoyant (though you might have to bail water from time to time). 

 

I'm curious how anyone could put a hole in a rigid plastic kayak with a bass fishing hook, especially enough to have to bail water out of it. I think it would be pretty tough to puncture an inflatable with one too, but obviously easier. I wouldn't worry about it on ponds and smaller waters.