Advanced Elements AirVolution Sport Recreational Sit-On-Top Inflatable Kayak with Pump - 10'
A shorter, lighter, price-conscious entry to a fully drop-stitch kayak, the Advanced Elements AirVolution Sport sit on top has an open deck for easy entry, and useful action cam and accessory mounts.
- With high-pressure drop-stitch air chambers, it has a hull speed comparable to a hard-shell kayak
- Supportive features like a high-back adjustable seat let you enjoy extended hours of comfort while cruising along the water
- Below-deck storage compartments hold small items, and bungee deck lacing and D-rings secure larger items
- Designed with 2 air chambers and pressure relief valves for proper inflation
- Includes adjustable high-back seat, dual-stage pump with pressure gauge, removable tracking fin, backpack duffel, repair kit and owner's manual
Imported.
View all Advanced Elements Inflatable Kayaks| Best Use | Flatwater Kayaking |
|---|---|
| Material(s) | Drop-stitch PVC tarpaulin |
| Length | 10 feet |
| Width | 33 inches |
| Depth | Unavailable |
| Weight | 30 pounds |
| Cockpit Size | 49.5 x 19 inches |
| Seat Type | Padded / Foam |
| Number of Paddlers | 1-person |
| Paddle Included | No |
| Weight Capacity (lbs) | 280 pounds |
| Tracking System | Tracking Fin |
| Packed Dimensions | 31 x 15 x 9 inches |
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Sturdy and ligh for club trips, casual paddling
I fell in love with the prototype of this boat at Canoecopia in spring 2023 and got mine as soon as they arrived at REI. I do marathon kayak racing in a Stellar (carbon-fiber), but wanted something rough-and-ready for fun club trips down twisty creeks with rocks that would damage my racing boat. I have bad knees/back, so a sit-on-top was a must have, and this fits the bill. THE GOOD: It's super light, sets up in 6 minutes with an electric pump (purchased separately, see below), takes down in about 30 seconds, and fits back into the carry bag easily. After a group trip with the local club, I literally have my boat folded and placed in my car while other club members are still struggling to get out of their sit-in kayaks. (We're mostly an older bunch!) This boat is well made and very sturdy, like those Zodiac rafts that handle extreme whitewater without puncturing. I've hit a zillion rocks with it, and the skeg and bottom of the boat don't have a scratch on them. It's ultra stable. I've taken a small dog with me that runs around a lot, and been in boat wakes, etc. and this boat is totally stable. My husband does whitewater and agrees with the manufacturer that this boat would be fine in class 2 rapids. Its slower than my sleek carbon-fiber racing kayak, and slows even more in a headwind. But in tests, it is faster than my previous Dagger Axis 10.5' rotomolded kayak. On the same slow river, I can go 6 mph all out in the racing kayak, 4 mph in my Dagger Axis, and about 4.5 mph in this boat. In fact, the only time I've raced in this inflatable, I got 1st place against half a dozen women in rotomolded sit-in-kayaks. How? Because this boat is so sturdy I just charged right over rocks and floating logs--and I could easily hop out and hop back in if I had to throw it over a log, etc.. THE BAD: The seat that comes with it is very thin. I never even tried it but immediately bought a $200 one with better cushioning. Also, the system of holding the seat on (the same used by virtually all sit-on-top kayaks) allows the seat back to fall down flat if you scooch forward, so I sewed on two more straps to solve that issue. My only major beef with this boat is that it has no comfortable place to brace your feet while paddling. So I made a fiberglass-over-foam "semi-circle" to put in the bow as a foot-brace. That makes the boat soooo much more comfortable--I wish they would include something like this with it as standard. I never tried the pump that came with it. Owners of other inflatables all said these take 20+ minutes of hard work and that electric ones that plug into the car are way better. So I got a $120 one that pumps up both chambers in 6 minutes and love that. Even though I had to put some extra money in to get it how I like it, I really like this boat. Perfect for club trips, rivers, lakes, taking a small dog out, floating around eating lunch, wildlife photography (so stable there's no danger of overturning), etc. For those new to inflatables, note that after each trip, you should reinflate the boat at home, hose it off, dry it with towels, and then let it dry on a porch, etc. for a few days before deflating and packing it. Otherwise, inflatables can become moldy. I've followed this procedure with each use of this boat and it's like new. I wanted to note this because I think they market a lot to people in apartments, but you really cannot take this boat out of your car and just stick it in a closet when you get home.
Excellent for my needs
We have owned Airvolution tandem for 3 years and put it through heavy use, it exceeded expectations. I needed now a lighter single and Airvolution Sport showed in my research. I took her on the lake today and it did not disappoint. I had her ready in 10 min ( car pump is recommended). Very stable, easy to maneuver. When properly inflated, this kayak is as hard as SUP. However, as all inflatables it glides on the water rather than cutting through it ( tracking fin is necessary). Not an issue for me and the convenience of having it in the trunk for anytime I want to use it cannot be overestimated. Looks like I became Airvolution fan!
Outstanding lightweight / portable kayak
My first Advanced Elements kayak was a used AirVolution 2 tandem about 2 years ago now. I love that kayak and have been looking for a similarly capable 1 man kayak to use solo ever since. I have a 1.5 mile round trip walk to the water so the 39lb AirVolution (1 man) was a little too much for me to manage solo. This kayak is just right: it drops about 10 lbs of weight and some of the features of the AirVolution like the spray skirt rim, but the construction has most of the strengths of the full feature AirVolution. A longer and hard shell kayak would doubtlessly handle better, but this handles pretty well and it's manageable enough size and weight wise that I get it into the water almost every day. I paddle in coastal waters (Puget Sound) and this has handled competently in ~15 mph winds with whitecaps, although I wouldn't push it much past that at my skill level anyway. I do miss the drain valve but this one is manageable enough that I can beach and flip it over to dump water, or of course bilge if I'm ever far from shore. I've tried the AdvancedFrame Ultralite but it didn't handle that well in my typical conditions, i.e. with some chop, and was harder to clean. Despite being 10 lbs heavier, this one is also easier for me to carry than the Ultralite because of the rigidity and the structure of the cockpit edges. This is such a great little boat and really hits the sweet spot between the structure and weight of the AirVolution 1/2 without sacrificing so much of the rigidity and handling as the Ultralite does. I've been happy with the quality and durability of Advanced Elements kayaks overall given that this is my 3rd one, my 1st one was used 2 years ago and is still going strong, and I would absolutely buy their stuff again.
Short life. Bad qualtiy!
DO Not BUY!!! After owing the Advanced Elements 3029 for only 18 months the air started leaking rapidly from the lower air chamber. The kayak still looks like new, has only 18 hours of usage, was only inflated to 10 psi(12 psi recommended) and has no external damage. The air seems to be leaking from inside a factory installed, non-removable, stern cap. You can feel the bubbling of the air from under the cap. I would assume that the tandem kayak has the same problem.