Advanced Elements  AdvancedFrame Convertible Elite Tandem Inflatable Kayak

Bought 2 weeks ago, and taken it out 3 times. I love that I can pack my kayak in the trunk and take it to the local lake after work. I average about 3mph in it and have topped 4.2mph. It handles waves from speed boats with no issue, lands on the slightly rocky beach no issue. I left it open my first outing, and used the conversion deck the next two. I much prefer the deck as it keeps the kayak dryer for less cleanup after. I take a towel in the car to wipe it down after outings, and that plus 15 minutes in the Texas sun takes care of basically all the moisture. My one con is that it technically buckles in the middle a tad when I go solo. I'm 5' 11" and 250lbs; I doubt this is a universal issue. It is NOT enough of an issue for me not to love being out on the water, not a safety issue, not a "take on water" issue.

We live in Tacoma but didn't have the vehicle or storage space for regular kayaks. We found this as a cheaper alternative to the Oru tandem and are overall pretty happy with it. It works as advertised and really only takes 10-15 minutes to setup once you practice a few times. Some things to note. AE brand pump is not optional, you need it. The way this thing works you really float on top of the water instead of cutting through it so you do not track at all. It took my wife and I a bit of practice with rowing coordination to get anything resembling a straight line of travel. The drop-stitch floor works well and is a nice upgrade if you are worried about stability. It is basically a SUP on the bottom of your kayak. After using it and reading reviews I think the standard version with the backbone might offer better tracking, but would have a squishier floor. The backpack that comes with it is NOT the one pictured and is painful to use. Literally. The straps do not go the entire length over your shoulder and the metal clips attaching them to the bag (not sure why they thought they should be removable) cut into you with its considerable weight. I am considering adding a glue-on NRS tracking fin if we keep it. I am 6'2" and my wife is 5'10" and we barely fit. We had to remove the middle float footrest and her feet rest on my back and my feet squish together in the front.

Awesome for a COVID summer, when so many parking lots near the water were often closed. Easy to lug a good ways from a car to waters edge. Inflated, deflated, and packed easily. Sturdy and durable. Tracks great on the water for an inflatable. Can hold two adults and a small child or a dog but it’s a little tight.

I spent about a year researching and trying to find a kayak that would fit 2 adults and a 60 pound dog. Plus we needed it to be inflatable for size of storage and carry. I have a mustang and it easily fits in the trunk for a quick trip. I can have it inflated in about 8 minutes and ready to get on the water. Deflating it is just as simply and fast. I found this one and I'm so glad we did. We have used this kayak almost every weekend since we purchased it, 2 months ago, for day long kayaking trips over rivers and lakes. This past weekend we did a kayaking and over night camping trip with some friends. It rained the entire night we were there and filled with water. Easy to flip over and get the water out and stayed inflated for the trip back to our cars. Our friends were shocked with the quality. The drop stitch floor was a necessity for us, since we have a dog with claws, and she hasn't even made a scratch on it. Jumping in and out of the kayak to swim, our dog was easy to get in and out. Even with us (i'm 6'1 - 185 Pounds) getting in to swim is easy to get back in while still on the water. I fit perfectly in the front with room for my long legs, and also in the back without my 60 pound dog or without the back inflatable cushion installed. Enough room to carry gear for the day. The only issue I have is after a day on the lake or river getting in and out of the kayak, the inside gets pretty wet and is hard to dry out before we pack it back up. It isn't a big issue, but I'm still figuring out the best method to dry. But if you are not getting in and out to swim the only thing that gets wet is the bottom, even with a little wake from other boats the kayak stays pretty stable. I can even leave an opened drink on the floor and it will not fall over during brief hits from small waves. But overall I'm VERY pleased with this product and would highly recommend it to family and friends.

I debated between this and the last model, which is significantly less expensive, and went with this one because of the backpack and the design improvements. What I found when I got it is: 1) design improvements (different floor) don't seem to improve performance much, both track well for inflatables, 2) the backpack is terrible. It doesn't distribute weight well, the buckles cut into your shoulders, and it is still VERY difficult to move from place to place (which is the whole point of an inflatable). I had high hopes, and now have to ship this back to REI from Hawaii, which is a major bummer. Advanced Elements - please improve your bags and lessen the weight of these kayaks so they are actually portable!

I had the original, cheaper model with a separately purchased DuraFloor so I could bring my two 60-lb dogs along with claws being a problem (and go fishing without a dropped lure ending my day). It worked great, but stability was an issue for them, and pulling the pups in when they took a spill was pretty difficult to do without flipping. Also, that floor didn't have the rigidity to let me carry the kayak overhead without it starting to fold and flop. This meant I had to carry my whole awkward pack and inflate it on the shore if going solo. I upgraded my setup to the Elite by purchasing the Dropstitch floor and have been very impressed. My dogs are comfortable now that the stability is improved and they actively enjoy kayaking / nature viewing. I can also carry the kayak overhead without it bending so I don't even need to carry the awkward duffle/pack to the water anymore. I still use the foam Durafloor in combination to protect things from rocks/paws. Also, the Dropstitch floor definitely improves the tracking. I've used the kayak on the Kasilof and Kenai Rivers as well as lakes in Alaska and immediately noticed an improvement. I've noticed that it keeps a line in Class I/II whitewater much more easily than before.

I bought this kayak to take my wife and I to the beaches in the Sea of Cortez from our boat. I weigh 195 and my wife around 135 (i dare not ask her exact weight) for a total of 330 pounds, well below the rated passenger weight 550 pounds. Water comes over the sides way to easily. Don't try adjusting yourself while in the kayak or that will bring in more water. We are traveling with our boat and there are no REI's nearby or I would return it without a doubt.