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You will agree with us when we say that when you get a product made by Intex, you will most likely end up with a high quality product. It will prove to be efficient in all the aspects you are looking for in a kayak.
Because of that reason we have decided to review Intex Explorer K2 to find out whether it fits perfectly in the desired requirements or not.
In this review we will explore the strengths and weaknesses of an Intex Explorer K2 kayak and decide if it’s worth buying or not.
Intex Explorer K2 Kayak
Produced with highly durable and tensile material, Intex Explorer is extremely versatile in its recreational aspect. Modern design makes it a very good fit for veterans and beginners alike.
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| This kayak is extremely durable when it comes to long term usage, solid stern and bow build. With the ability to adjust seats, it can fit kayakers of different dimensions. | Built to provide the best of both kayaking and fishing, this kayak is exceptional when its performance compared to others. The stability is amazing and matches that of Intex Explorer. |
Quick Summary of the Product
Intex Explorer is considered the crown jewel of the kayaking world due its unmatched utility and comfort when compared to its counterparts. With its spacious and streamlined design, Intex Explorer is a fit for people with different dimensions. Being 10 feet long and 3 feet wide, it provides a lot of sitting space without clumping up too much. It also has a weight capacity of upto 400 pounds which gives it the ability to carry extra gear.
Compared to its competitor, the Intex Explorer K2 kayak is equipped with a removable skeg. This feature allows Explorer K2 the superior directional stability. Grab lines and handles on the stern and bow area allow easy and convenient transport on and off land.
Intex Explorer K2 is made with highly resistant Vinyl material. This gives Explorer K2 its exceptional tear and puncture resistance qualities. It also comes with the multiple air chambers technology to avoid sinking in case of a tear. The Boston valves on the Explorer K2 kayak makes it very easy to inflate and deflate.
Features and Benefits
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Boston Valves:
There are many aspects of the Explorer K2 kayak that directly contribute to its efficiency and utility as a product.
One of these is that K2 is outfitted with Boston valves. Now this may seem unimportant but in reality, the ability to inflate and deflate easily makes this kayak very convenient and time conserving.
Also, the Boston valves help to keep the kayak air tight at all times without losing any air inside which in some cases can cause sinking without a warning.
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Sporty Graphics:
The Intex Explorer K2 kayak is designed to be simple yet sporty at the same time. The pixelated design of it is very eye pleasing.
The outer shell of K2 is made to be eye catching yet it is very uncomplicated. Usually neon themed colors are hard on the eye and are very bright. But the Explorer K2’s color scheme despite being neon themed is very easy on the eyes.
The other advantage of K2 being sharp neon colored is that it can be easily spotted over great distances in case of an emergency.
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Dual Person Capacity:
Space can be a real issue when it comes to kayaking. Often kayaks are made for a single person or dual person with limited storage and capacity.
Explorer kayaks effectively tackle this hurdle as it gives ample space for not just one but two passengers. It does so that both passengers have enough room to sit easily and have large enough leg room for comfort.
This is very helpful if one decides to bring a friend along for a good kayaking trip. The extra will ensure that both people have a nice and comfortable journey.
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Build Material:
The Intex Explorer K2 kayak is made from vinyl material. It is strong, durable and longer lasting.
This specific material helps Explorer to be extremely resistant to abrasion, tears and punctures. It can be a worrisome aspect of an inflatable kayak. But an Intex Explorer handles it with ease.
This allows the kayak to be in good shape for several years if handled with care. Also, the outer shell is UV protected to help in longer trips under the sun.
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Adjustable Seats:
In most cases inflatable kayaks are made with pre-fixed seats which can only be inflated and deflated along with the kayak itself.
The Intex Explorer K2 kayak provides the user with the option to adjust the seats to their will. The inflatable seats are a big plus.This gives the user the ability to store more gear and carry more weight in their kayak if they are travelling solo.
They can be bent down, moved forward or back or can be not inflated at all.
Also, this allows the person to sit in front or in the back depending on their mood. This feature helps in rowing the kayak according to the user’s physique.
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Removable Skeg:
It is easy to understand that steering a kayak even in smooth water flows can be a little bit challenging.
The Intex Explorer K2 kayak comes with a removable skeg. This gives the kayak all the directional stability it needs while making turns quickly and effectively.
The skeg also provides great benefit when going long distances or streamlined paths.
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Low Profile:
The main reason why Explorer kayaks are so stable and easy to control is the close to water design.
It is made to have its edges as to close to water as possible. This gives the passengers a low centre of gravity which in turn gives them more stability and safety from turning over. This makes K2 very suitable for lakes and mild rivers.
Kayaks with higher edges may seem safer but have a rather high chance of turning over compared to low profile kayaks such as Explorer K2.
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Rigid bottom:
Most of the inflatable kayaks are made with a single build floor which means it is even from end to end.
The Intex on the other hand made Explorer’s floor with inflatable I-beams. This makes the floor of the kayak extremely comfortable yet rigid at the same time so the passenger doesn’t lose their footing while rowing.
Comfortness is a very important aspect of kayaking and Explorer certainly fills this category.
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Grab handles:
The Explorer K2 kayak comes with grabs handles equipped on both ends along grab lines.
This feature allows one to carry it around without much hassle. Inflatable kayaks may look lightweight but they can get a bit too much to carry around without proper support handles.
The handles and grab lines definitely provide an edge when carrying the kayak on or off land. Easy and convenient for a single person especially.
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Multiple Air Chambers:
A lot of Inflatable kayaks are made to be a single build means that the kayak acts like a huge balloon.
Intex Explorers on the other hand are made with multiple air chamber technology. It is essentially divided into three different compartments; left, right and center. This is extremely beneficial in case of a tear or a puncture. Instead of tearing up and deflating the whole kayak, the K2 keeps you afloat if one compartment gets punctured. Just enough support to get you to a safe location or the nearest shore.
This feature is extremely favorable in saving cost because once a kayak gets punctured a person might have to get a new one all together. But with this multiple air chambers technology one can patch up the punctured part and get on with their trips instead of changing the whole kayak.
Pros and Cons
Pros
- Intex Explorer is made to be highly durable and extremely efficient in lakes and mild rivers. The overall design ensures that the kayak proves to be sturdy and resistant to sharp cuts or punctures.
- Even though the Intex K2 is outfitted with a bunch of features, it is surprisingly easy to use and handle. It is produced to be user-friendly for beginners and experienced kayakers alike. The Boston valve feature is one of the many things that make it so.
- With its spacious design, the Intex Explorer K2 can easily accommodate 1-2 persons. It is specifically made to be used for 2 people but a single person can also utilize it to maximum efficiency if they desire to carry more gear with them.
- The Intex K2 is made to be very stable in lakes and mild rivers. The low profile design and the option of having a removable skeg allows it to benefit the user in multiple circumstances.
Cons
- Despite the highly quality of the inflatable kayak itself, the paddles that come along with it are very cheaply made. They look and feel very easy to break from just normal kayaking. Buying a pair of good and durable paddles is a quick fix for this problem.
- Keeping in mind that this kayak is made for two people specifically. It provides very little storage space when there are two passengers. There is only little room for extra gear in front and the back just the same.
Social Proof
We personally had a very satisfying experience with this inflatable kayak made by Intex. But to get a better opinion regarding the Intex Explorer K2 kayak, we explored through many online reviews. Many customers who have been using the Intex kayaks reviewed it to be satisfactory. The majority were happy with the product they got with only 10% of the reviews being critical of it.
A lot of customers were long term users who reviewed it from time to time with their updates on the durability of the product. They stated that even after a couple of months of regular use, the K2 kayak was never punctured or torn in any area.
Customers also praised the added features of having a removable skeg, a carry bag and a high quality pump. The dual person option seemed to be the major selling point of K2 as a lot of people preferred buying a single kayak that provided all the features instead of buying two separate kayaks.
More Recommendations!
#1: Material Build Alternative to Intex Explorer K2 Kayak – Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame Convertible Review
The AdvancedFrame convertible kayak is outfitted with everything that a person requires for more than just a casual kayaking experience. Made with highly durable materials in triple layer fashion, this kayak can withstand uneven water flows with ease.
It is made with unique aluminum ribs that are fitted in the bow and stern area to provide the kayak with good traction and tracking in water.
The inflatable seats are totally adjustable with backrests allowing the user to have maximum comfortability in longer trips compared to other kayaks.
Features of AdvancedFrame Convertible:
- 1-2 people capacity
- Double deck conversion
- Pre-assembled
- High quality aluminum oars
- Multiple air chambers
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Cons |
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Best Material Build Alternative Kayak
The Material Build alternative is Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame Convertible Kayak. It is made to be extremely strong in the bow and stern areas.The ability to transform in a single or double deck kayak can benefit you a lot. The triple layer material is highly resistant to tears and abrasion.
#2: Dual Purpose Alternative to Intex Explorer K2 – Sevylor Colorado Coleman Review
The Sevylor Colorado Coleman is designed to deliver the best of both worlds. Equipped with all the essentials needed for kayaking and fishing.
It is built to be extremely stable while serving as a normal kayak and simultaneously being efficient as a fishing kayak.
Similar to the Explorer kayak, this kayak takes no time inflating and deflating.
The spacious design allows you easy fishing in almost any direction while standing up or sitting down.
Features of Colorado Coleman:
- Built in fishing rods
- 2 person capacity
- Multiple air chambers
- Paddle holders
- Mesh storage pockets for handy gear
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Cons |
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Best Dual Purpose Alternative Kayak
The Best Dual Purpose alternative is Sevylor Colorado Coleman Kayak. It is designed to give you the performance of a stable and agile kayak but also the comfort and features of a fishing kayak. With a lot of features that are pre-installed, you can just hop on and get going on your trip.
Guide to Buy
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Durability:
A lot of kayaking companies have started to use different materials for their kayaks other than the traditional PVC. To find something that suits you better is gonna be a task. Companies are making kayaks with tarpaulin layered material, fibreglass and a couple of others on the list. All of these materials have their own durability range. Some are good for smooth even waters while others are made just for sporty, rough waters.
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Portability:
Generally, inflatable kayaks are very convenient and easy to carry around. They fit right into your luggage without any hassle. It is often necessary to find a kayak that comes with a carry bag for your kayak or buy a separate one to avoid any external damage to it and preserve it for longer use. One other thing is carry handles, they are essential to carry your inflated kayak around.
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Price:
Since inflatable kayaks are easier to make than rigid body kayaks, they are priced far lower than an average kayak. But that doesn’t mean you should go for a cheap priced option. The materials in cheap priced kayaks often prove to be less durable and sturdy. A moderately priced kayak will fulfill all your required essentials and also have good durability.
Wrapping up…
Bringing this review to an end, we must admit that the Intex Explorer K2 kayak has impressed us quite well. It’s definitely a great option to look out for. It is very durable and longer lasting which also provides utility for more than a single person.
