INTEX Challenger Inflatable Kayak Series: Includes Deluxe 86in Kayak Paddles and High-Output Pump – SuperStrong PVC – Adjustable Seat with Backrest – Removable Skeg – Cargo Storage Net

----I purchased the Intek Challenger K1 to try kayaking and see if I enjoyed it enough to warrant spending $500-$600 on a solid-shell vessel. I spent the first few weeks paddling around a small lake behind my home and had no complaints. The Challenger is easy to inflate, easy to deflate, and fitting it back inside the carrying bag was easy as well. I would recommend purchasing a higher quality paddle because the one that comes with the Challenger is a bit short and not very durable. After approximately three weeks of use my paddle cracked, but since the packaged deal was so cheap I didn’t mind purchasing a new one. ----After about two months of paddling around in small bodies of water, some friends of mine and I decided to go on an 11 mile trip down a popular local creek that we heard was ideal for inner-tubing and kayaking. In hindsight, that decision turned out to be one of the worst we had ever made. Our trip took place in early May, 2011, and just two weeks prior much of our area was devastated by tornados. The creek was low, so we all drug out kayaks through ankle-deep water for the first half-mile. Once the water deepened a little bit we were kayaking like some pros, but at around the three mile mark we encountered some trees that had fallen across the creek. I was particularly nervous since my kayak was the only inflatable of the bunch, but I threw it on top of the pile of trees, climbed up beside it, threw it down into the water, and began cruising again. Less than 5 minutes after our first climb over trees, we encountered several more fallen trees. Again, I threw my Challenger on top of the pile of trees, climbed up beside it, threw it down into the water, climbed in, and paddled on. We all kept telling ourselves that we had to have gone through the worst of it, but the fallen trees we kept coming up on proved us wrong. The estimated three-hour casual kayaking trip we planned turned into 8 hours of tossing or pulling kayaks on top of tree piles (most of which were 10-12 feet high), dragging kayaks through shallow water, and navigating around all of the household items (lawn mowers, refrigerators, etc.) the tornados had dropped in the creek. About four hours into the trip I was hoping that my Challenger would get a hole in it so that I would have had a good excuse to scale the wall of the creek, walk to the nearest road, and call someone to come pick me up. Unfortunately, none of the abuse my Challenger received that day fazed it….not one single hole! ----After the “trauma” of that trip I decided kayaking was not for me and I draped my Challenger over a fence in my yard to dry. The kayak remained on top of that fence in blistering heat, rain, and cold for the next 9 months. In early 2012, I finally removed the Challenger from my fence, folded it up, put it in its bag, and stuck it in my shed. Recently I decided to give kayaking another try so I broke out the old Challenger and pumped it up to see if its time on the fence had damaged it. The Challenger pumped up as easy as the day I bought it, and it did not have a single leak. ----Overall, I would say that the Intek Challenger K1 Kayak is a great product and ideal for beginners or those who have to walk long distances to get to where they are going to be paddling. The kayak, paddle, and pump are relatively lightweight and easy to carry in the included case. As I said before, I would recommend purchasing a separate paddle since the one that comes in the kit is not the best quality. The Challenger does not glide through the water like most high-dollar solid-shell kayaks, but it easy to paddle and steer. If you are like I once was and want to try kayaking without investing a lot of money, the Intel Challenger K1 is what you need.

If you’re thinking about trying kayaking but don’t know if it’s something you’re gonna want to stick with past a single summer, this really is a great way to test the waters. ((full pun intended)) It’s cheap, easy, and if you decide you don’t like it, you don’t have a giant plastic boat laying around you have to try and sell… Take the time to dry and fold it up after each use in the handy carry bag they provide and it’s super convenient to toss one ((or more)) in the truck of a small car and go off on adventure. No giant roof racks you have to install on your car and pray it doesn’t scratch the paint. No trying to manhandle a bulky heavy boat possibly by yourself… I know a lot of people gave poor reviews to this inflatable kayak because it’s inflatable, but honestly, all I can think is they must not have been doing it right because things went fantastic from the first time out. Luckily, I guess for me, I was very excited to try kayaking, but skeptical of an inflatable boat. So in addition to reading reviews here on Amazon, I also watched the “unboxing” videos other customers provided. This turned out to be a blessing because in doing so I learned you want to inflate the boat past what you think you need to. Also that there’s TWO Boston valves you need to fill and one is hidden inside the boat. A lot of people complain about maneuvering and it sinking but I’ve learned that comes from not inflating the boat enough. This isn’t a pool tube, you need to make sure it has enough air to function right. Basically, use your little powered air pump to fill it as far as it will go, then use the provided foot pump to give it 8-12 more pumps. You will have a much stiffer boat that’s easier to use. As for the handling, I’m not sure it would be the best for river rapids where rocks or branches could cause it to pop, but for some weekend lake paddling it’s super nice, and a ton of fun! It can be a little hard to squeeze in and out of, especially if you’ve got long legs like me ((I’m 5’10”)) but after a few tries I got the trick of it, and can even pull my legs out in the water and straddle the boat to cool off. The videos and other review also mentioned good ways to dry your kayak before deflation so it doesn’t get musty in storage. One thing they don’t tell you as an inexperienced kayaker:: it WAY easier to get in from the ground than a dock. Take the boat out into the water about a foot deep so the fin doesn’t scrape the bottom of the lake. Straddle the boat and lower yourself down. Then bring your legs in. Far less chance of tipping all over the place. The paddle is decent. Compared to the paddles provided by different inflatable kayak companies my friends got their boats from, this one is a real nice quality. Neither the paddles nor the pole are super flimsy and the paddles are rounded for easy movement. They will also float for moment so you don’t have to panic if you drop it in the water. I can easily get up a nice little bit of speed with it. Wouldn’t try and use it for competition kayaking or anything, but all in all this whole set up is exactly what I said. A nice, inexpensive way to test out kayaking and see if it’s for you before dropping huge amounts of money on big plastic boat you have to store, clean, mount to the roof of your car, etc… If I had a single complaint about this boat it’s that my friends’ boats had places to pop the paddle in and hold it on the side of their boats, while I have to juggle mine.

My husband and I are on an extended stay in Florida but our vehicle is a Prius. We couldn't fit two kayaks in it if we tried and we didn't want to purchase a roof rack. So we found these kayaks. For the most part, they are 5 stars but there are a few things to note and why I marked it as a 4 star. 1. Inflates in just under 2 minutes. I use the K1 (one seater) and my 6'4 hubs uses the K2 (two seater) It takes me 60 pumps for the base and 40 pumps for the top. His K2 takes 90 pumps for the base and 60 for the top. It is extremely easy. We are nearly 60 years of age and it was a piece of cake to fill these kayaks. 2 minutes for each of us. 2. They deflate in under 30 seconds. I usually put mine in the car inflated then undo the plugs and fold over. By the time Jeff gets his into the car, mine is fully deflated. 3. They are a very nice quality, mostly. We kayak nearly every morning at sunrise and about twice a week at sunset. Additionally, we do an all day trip usually at least one weekend day every week, sometimes both days. In the first month of ownership, Jeff got a small tear. To be fair, he hit an oyster shoal. What was remarkable, is this did not cause him to sink. We carry the provided patches with us but we decided it would be better to use the higher quality patch (sold separately) if we could get back. We were over a mile from our launch site but his kayak barely deflated. After the initial hissing, it stopped deflating and was completely fine until we made it back. I have since gotten a small tear in one of the seat backs (separate piece) Both were easy to patch, we did, however, purchase a higher quality product for repairs from Intex than the provided patch. These separately sold products require 48 hours though so do not use on the trail, the ones that come with the kayak cure in a half hour. 4. These are insanely comfortable. There is simply no comparison to the comfort of these kayaks to a traditional kayak. 5. But they are slower. If you are kayaking with someone else in a regular kayak, they will have an easier/quicker experience. But if your whole party is using these it doesn't matter at all. We drink our coffee watching the sunrise nearly every morning and it is pure heaven. 6. In summary, we would still purchase again. Although, we had to repair and we anticipate having to repair again, the repairs appear to stay repaired. The tears occurred after extensive use. The price is great and the fun is endless, not to mention you can take them ANYWHERE!

I purchased the K-2 model as I weigh just over 200 pounds, have long legs and wanted to have the ability to carry gear and my 15 pound Havanese dog. I did purchase an inexpensive yoga mat with mine as an added comfort for my dog along with some extra protection from claws. I also purchased a PFD and a longer paddle with drip reducing blades with a notch that facilitates that and doubles as a grappling hook. The paddles that come with it are decent enough but could've had a longer shaft. The shortness of the included paddles were a little awkward for me to make decent strokes at an efficient depth through the water due in part to the width of the sides of the kayak. I didn't like the shaft rubbing the sides of the kayak. I'm hoping the extra length of the replacement paddle allays my concerns and improves performance maneuvering through the water especially in windy conditions. PROS: It maneuvered amazingly well for an inexpensive watercraft and the added skeg makes tracking markedly better. My floating partner's watercraft does not have a skeg, and I could see her struggling more to keep it on course. We encountered a couple riffles that it handled very well. My 15 pound dog rode on the bow most of the trip and this didn't adversely affect its handling. I'm very pleased with its stability. It at no time felt "tippy" and for me as a first timer on a kayak, this was huge. CONS: no handles to assist in carrying, making it difficult for one person to carry, no cup holders and no drain plug to remove water when getting out of water and stowing. There's also a place under the bow to tie a rope to, however you'll need to purchase the rope, as it's not included. I had to deflate it partially (the screw out deflation part of plug can be extremely difficult to unscrew, next time I'm packing channel locks!) to fold in half, holding bow and stern ends up so water that collected (and it will, as the sides of this kayak is barely a foot above the water line, when you're going through moderate yet mild rapids and water splashes in over the sides. Bring something for baling water, incase you get swamped. Even with 6" of water where I was seated in the rear, this kayak maneuvered very well.) could run out towards middle, then wiped it out with a towel. I hope these cons are addressed in future models.

I can’t believe I haven’t written a review for these yet. I bought 2 of these in 2017 and 2 more later. If they are the same quality as 2017, these things are fantastic. I live in AZ where it gets 115/120°F and add 30° to that for the internal temperature of my car. I have stored these kayaks in my car trunk for years, and every time I use them again I’m always worried that the heat would have damaged them and they’d leak or pop— but never. They are STURDY. They hold up to temperature changes and running into the rocks and brush of river banks. I’m sure the right sharpness and angle of puncture could possibly do them in, but so far I have had mine for years and they are still in mint condition. The reason I bought 2 more is because my friend borrowed my first 2 and left water in them and they got moldy and then their male buff friend was an ***** and tried to smack a snake with the paddle as hard as he could and he broke it. Neither of these were the fault of the product, but I guess my only warning is to make sure you get all the water out before folding back up and don’t use the paddles as weapons lol. BEYOND improper use and improper storage, these things are 10/10 amazing. Because I handle my things with care, there is no damage on my new kayaks which I’ve had for 4-5 years now. I find them easy to pump up personally, and easy to deflate. Way lighter to carry than I expected. They’re just awesome all around. Also, I’m 5’8 and my weight is in my lower half so I fit in them ok and I don’t topple over. If you’re taller or built up top, maybe you’ll have more trouble but my friend who is 5’10 and another 6’0 who are built up top were fine. I do have to take my water tennis shoes off once I’m in the kayak so I’m more comfortable though, but they fit nice in the net in front. These things are worth the price. Don’t think too much, just get them.

I would like to update my review and complain that I lost my skeg 2 miles out on my last trip. Just like a lot of other reviewers this is a very poor design. This Kayak can hardly be steered without a skeg. It took me forever to paddle back. I bought a Quik Pak Kayak to replace this piece of crap! Original review: I just spent 8 hours on my new Kayak and had a blast. However there are some gripes.I'm 6"1 180 lbs and have been in hard Kayaks quite a bit. I can't say that this Kayak is roomy, but it wasn't uncomfortable. I spent as I mentioned earlier 8 hours in it and traveled about 10 miles. First off this Kayak is extremely stable in the water. I bought mine when the price went down to $69.00 and was the last one in stock. I Felt like I got a great deal. I set it up at home to see how simple it was and was impressed it only took me 5 minutes the first time. I never bothered with the included paddles. I purchased some more expensive ones after reading reviews. I launched at a creek and let the current carry me through a very wide river (miles from side to side), and drifted out in to a bay with depths well over 25 feet, which connected with the Atlantic Ocean. While I was in the creek 18 mph winds kept blowing me in to the shore as I attempted to fish. It was extremely frustrating when I tried to bait my line. Lesson learned buy a Kayak anchor. I thought the Kayak tracks pretty well even compared to hard Kayaks. if there is some current or wind you will drift when you stop paddling. It also felt like it took more effort to paddle at the same speeds I was used to in a traditional hard Kayak. My second frustration came when my back support to my seat deflated. It was not a puncture it's just the way the valve sits it's very easy to pop it open and leaning against the seat forces all the air out. My back started hurting after a while, eventually I was able to position myself to blow air in to it. 30 minutes later I had the same issue. I'm going to be looking for a new seat. With 18 mph winds, some current, and waves up to 2 feet high I had no fear of capsizing. I did take some water, but that is to be expected. Because the Kayak is so light I almost go flipped a few times when I turned my side to the wind. Once I realized I could not fight against the current of the tide going out and 18 mph winds I had no choice but to paddle to shore and drag it a few miles. I had no problems with the skeg coming off towing it from both ends. Quite a bit of that was through quicksand like mud up to 4 feet deep that sucked up and swallowed my water shoes for all eternity. What really aggravated me was the wind kept yanking the Kayak and dumping all my fishing gear. A few times I dragged it to shore and to my horror the wind sent it rolling down the shore spilling all my fishing gear again. It flipped and rolled over the fish hook on my fishing pole multiple times. I had a knife and hooks and no puncture. I was impressed how well it stood up. Putting it away required me using a towel to dry it and still ended up with a reasonable amount of water in my trunk even after dumping it multiple times. I didn't bother putting it back in the bag. A few people parked next to my car were very curious about the Kayak and asked a lot of questions. Lessons learned if you are fishing buy an anchor, this is not a good Kayak for windy days, it's hard to paddle against even a light current, even with me being extremely athletic. Buy a replacement seat. It's more sturdy than a pool toy don't be afraid to fish in it. It has very good buoancy even on some rough water. The skeg stays on securely just take your time and make sure you are putting it on correctly. Why would you rush to put anything together when you are risking your safety on it anyways? Bring a towel to dry it.Be prepared to put a little more work in your paddling compared to a hard kayak.A few reviews commented how the balance seemed uneven I noticed this on the side the wind was blowing on. Again not a very good Kayak for windy days. For the money I am satisfied with my purchase.

I was skeptical when I bought it. Bought it on prime day so it was only $73. I also had purchased a chargeable tiny air pump to make it quicker to inflate. It only took about 4-5 minutes. However it did come with a hand held pump. The bag to store it in is huge and I was able to fold it up once I let the air out and easily place in the bag. You can make needed adjustments for the seat so it supports your weight. Also, I’d blow up #2 inside bottom right before #1 on top. Just easier. The valves have 2 portions. The bottom unscrews to quickly let air out and the top of it allows for 1 way air in. Very sturdy thick material. If they go on sale again I will purchase a 2nd so someone can go with me. Definitely great for the value I spent.

Heads Up: I purchased this kayak a few months ago, and have used it less than 5 times. Pros: -Purchase Price: Needless to say, this is a cheap boat. -Storage: I live in a small apartment and this allows me to have a kayak that I can store in a closet or under the bed. -Transportation: Even the paddle breaks down into small pieces, meaning packing this into my small sedan is not challenging. It fits easily in the trunk or back seat when packed down. -The storage bag is large enough that it is not terribly challenging to repack the kayak into the bag. -Inflation is quick and easy. Getting it in the water takes maybe ten minutes. Cons: -Paddling effort: This thing handles nothing like a normal kayak on the water, and I would be hesitant to take it out on any large bodies of water or in busy waterways. On a calm weekday, when boat traffic is low, I can maneuver it on my local, low flow river. But it takes a lot more effort to move it than the hard kayaks at the rental. But were I up against a strong current, a lot of wake or wave action, or a good wind, I think I'd be stuck, fast. -Steering: This kayak turns with each stroke of your paddle, so you move in a sort of accidental serpentine. This means the already slower speed you can move the kayak is not being used efficiently. If you are paddling with a friend in a higher end inflatable or traditional kayak, you're going to have a hard time staying together. -Speeds: They're slower. My local waters have ducks and geese, and I paddled past some parent ducks who didn't appreciate my presence. I was not able to pick up speed and move away quickly, which took me by surprise. -Weather: Waterfronts tend to be windy, and wind makes this very hard to operate. -Confidence: Even a small wave reminds you that you're effectively sitting in an air mattress on the water, and it doesn't give you a solid feeling. There are two inflatable chambers in this kayak- effectively the floor, and the sides/top. If either of these become punctured or begin to leak air, you're going to go down fast. My local kayak-friendly waters are not open to swimmers, and so there are few places where it would be safe to bail out. This means I paddle with my mind focused on, where am I going if I have an emergency? -This is more minor, but the storage bag feels a bit cheap, and I get the feeling it won't hold up to a lot of transporting the kayak to and from the water. A few things to consider that are, in my opinion, neutral: -You should never pack the kayak away wet. I share this because you do need to have a plan for how you're going to get an inflatable item completely dry before packing in. Are you going to let it air dry by the boat launch, or are you going to deflate and pack into your car, take it home, and then reinflate it to dry? Keep in mind that this takes some extra time either way you do it, so having a plan is a great idea. If you take a towel for the kayak with you to the water, you can dry off a lot of the water so that it air dries quicker, but keep in mind that the interior of the kayak will collect water and is poorly exposed to the air. Reinflating at home and setting it up in front of a fan will probably help it last longer. If you're planning to air dry by the water front, have a plan for how you won't lose it to the wind. -Folding the kayak is not intuitive. If I could go back, I'd take better note of how it was packed originally to try to replicate it, for neater packing. -I'm short (5'2"), and this kayak has too much legroom. In a normal kayak, there's something to brace your feet against, and this helps you paddle efficiently. I haven't tried a lot of adjustments of the seat, so take this with a grain of salt. As I continue to use it, perhaps I'll find an easy solution. But so far, the space in the front of the kayak is too open for my tastes. -I wish it had a cup holder. Not worth calling a con, but its a bit of a pain to have my water bottle floating aimlessly in the kayak with me. Main Takeaways: For me, I was not in a position to buy a normal kayak, store it somewhere, and install transportation hardware on my older car. But if you have a place to store a hard kayak, its definitely the better choice. If you don't have the money to shell out on a better inflatable, and you don't have the space for a traditional kayak, and don't mind going slowly, only boating on perfect weather days, and avoiding busy days and times, then sure, buy this kayak. I'm not disappointed that I did, but I'm not impressed with its performance at all. For the price of roughly three rental days, however, I can justify the spend. If your idea of "kayaking" is less about paddling and more about sitting on the water and enjoy the weather and the water, you could probably be satisfied with this boat. If you like to paddle and move, you're probably going to be unhappy with the purchase. I fall into the latter category, so I've had to adjust my expectations. Finally, please have a life jacket when paddling a boat that could easily be in a sinking situation. Even if you're a great swimmer, you could be hard to see from a boat- and the life vest can help prevent an accident.