INTEX Explorer Compact Inflatable Boat Series: Dual Air Chambers – Welded Oar Locks – Grab Handles – Bow Rope – Sporty Design

A great price for a simple little 2-person dingy. It easily held me (175 lbs and another child up to 60 pounds). Rated for 210 pounds according to the hull. There are two separate inflation chambers, the floor and sides. Two oar locks that are well built and solidly attached. Durability - we had a group of 7-11 year olds beat up on this craft over a 3-day weekend at the beach and not a single snafu. Be aware that maneuvering the craft is not easy, as there is no fixed rudder to counteract the oars. So kids tend to spin in place unless their oaring action is perfectly synced left and right. For the price it includes two oars that break down into 3 pieces for storage, as well as a small two-way hand pump. IMO the pump's output was fairly worthless with a raft of this size though perhaps appreciated by those with small lungs, we were fortunate to have a battery operated pump on hand, and otherwise used our lungs.

I got this boat not knowing what to expect, and i hoped i could get at least one use out of it. I did, and the boat is still intact. when i opened the box, i was surprised at how much was in the box (instructions, the boat, oars, the pump, a rope to tie to the front of the boat and even a repair patch. It took about 10 or 15 minuets to inflate the boat, and then i was ready to go out on the lake.It was a little difficult to get in, but once i was in the boat it was like a super comfortable folding chair, only better. (One quick suggestion: when you get into the boat, sit with your back to the front of the boat, it is more easy to control and stays much more level with the water. Also, this is really a one adult comfortable fit boat.) another suggestion is that you put a large amount of sunscreen or a towel over your legs and knees, since these parts of the body are getting direct sunlight.)The boat is easy to control once you get the hang of it. The oarlocks are awesome, because you don't have to hold onto the oars constantly. Another suggestion: when you use the oars, you will pull on them if you sit the way i did as suggested above, use the oars one at a time, and alternate between the two. This way the boat is much easier to control especially when you are new to it, then when you are more experienced try using them at the same time.the weakest part of the oar is the center connecting piece. i cracked mine on both oars but both are still fully functional.For the price, this is an epic deal. once I got good at it, i could go slightly slower than my grandparent's $200 kayak that hurts your butt after 30 minuets of rowing.This boat takes some practice and some shoulder strength, but it is super fun on the water. I have rowed more than a mile in it.

Drawbacks? Sure. As many reviewers have pointed out this is no cigar boat. Or kayak, as far as that goes. It won't get you anywhere fast. Everything, and I mean everything, will scoot right by you. And even before you hit the drink you're going to be spending upwards of fifteen minuets or so just inflating this. And that goes for deflating this crazy little Looney Tunes raft when you're done, too. Does that also mean that you’ll also notice its neon orange sides tend to sag a bit over the course of, say, a hour of two afloat? Yup, it does indeed. In other words, forget about setting sail for the, say, the Vineyard in this. More of a lazy ol’ river kind of raft, in that respect. And, yes, it is made of nothing but vinyl. And glue. So, yeah, one good poke and . . .But, c'mon. For the money, this is a much better value than it's often given credit for. Seriously. You might even say with just the slightest attitude adjustment every one of these drawbacks turns into good thing. Opportunities, even. That business of having to laboriously inflate the whole bulging bag of air, for instance. (Yeah, that's all it is. Just a big ol' bag of air. But so is it's nearest relation: that big black inner tube so crucial to coursing through the fizzing froth of any wild, wild river you like.) If you didn't have to blow it up, you wouldn't be able to hump it down to you're favorite body of water. Ugh-ugh. You'd need a car, people. With a rack, for godsake. Or a truck. Because, like it or not, even a small kayak weighs a ton. You did know that, didn’t you? And that fifteen minuets you're going to spend pumping? Ever heard of being in the moment? That’s a really good thing, believe me.Same goes for the speed. Or rather lack of it, as far as, you know . . . getting anywhere in this baby goes. As I said to a kid in a motor boat one day (offered to get me something that'd go a "a lot faster.") It's the journey, not the destination, buddy. And if there's anything messing around in the Explorer 200 shows you, it's that. Say hello to that turtle getting a little sun over there. Sit back and watch that Great Blue Heron flap by just overhead. The one paying you so little mind you'd swear it'd mistaken your bizarre little bubble of air for nothing but the world’s most morbidly obese muskrat. Revel in the sensation of really being in the flow for once. But if you really must put a move on--and you got those oars--by all means, row away. Like many reviewers, I too was very skeptical about them. But, surprise, surprise! The darned things actually work. So I wouldn't assume that you've gotta order a kayak paddle to get anywhere in one of these things. Yeah, yeah, I know at least one reviewer swears that's what did the trick for him. Me, not so much. Kayaks are much narrower, after all. So, in my experience, getting a proper stroke with one of those was next impossible. And that's without even mentioning all the water that every one of those--painfully awkward strokes--shed. And I mean on me, rather than where it should have been going. Back into the river it’d come form. But those foolish little plastic oars? Do exactly what they're designed to do. And I mean with surprising efficiency at that. Little bit of a learning curve, if you haven't had much experience with rowboats. But with practice you'll soon get the hang of it.Quick tip. After having tried this from either end, I found it's probably best to stick to conventional rowboat protocol and row with you're back to the bow. Yeah, facing AWAY from the direction in which you’re traveling. Much better power that way. Save the stern first stuff for navigating around rocks. And bridge piers. Or that big ol' bass boat. You know the one. The one with just about nothing on it but a couple of barstools and an engine the size of a small SUV.Finally, as far as it’s being vinyl goes. Again, stronger stuff than it’s often been given credit for here. Yes, over the course of the summer I did have one puncture, for which, I might add, that patch so easily mistaken for nothing but a small extraneous piece of paper and hence completely overlooked is of no value whatsoever. But that’s it. Just one. And that was easily handled by a proper “inflatable patch,” as they’re known in the trade, apparently. Just slap one on and you’ll be good to go. Does that mean the ship is going down if you run into anything? Nope. To go through this stuff it’s gotta be good and sharp and it’s gotta strike head-on. Not at an angle. Ran aground in some rocky shallows today and just reached down and pushed it through. Rubbing, you see. Not really a problem with this. Not something I’d want to make a habit of, mind you. Going over a bunch of goopy wet rocks like that. But just goes to show: in that regard at least, it’s actually pretty tough.So all and all, super fun for next to nothing. Could anyone ask for more?

I bought a couple of these for some entry-level fatbike pack rafting with a friend. The raft rolls up into about the size of a small tent or sleeping bag, and is easily strapped down to a cargo rack. When inflated, it's big enough for one person to sit in, and a 40-lb fatbike can be set on top of your feet without falling off or tipping the raft. I even strapped it down using the oar anchors and the anchor at the front.We took them down the proverbial "lazy river" and had lots of trouble navigating with the oars (although we had never rowed before). We quickly reassembled the oars into makeshift kayak paddles and it was much more manageable. Even pleasant! One raft got a hole after running over a piece of concrete at the shore, so be careful. The included patch did an ok job, but get some Coghlan's Airstop if you really need it to hold air.We then took them out to open water on a large lake. The waves and boat wakes were over a foot tall for most of it, but even with a bike on the top of each raft, we didn't have stability issues. Just turn into any big waves and it's surprisingly stable. However, the oars are not heavy duty enough to be doing lots of paddling, and you can't put a lot of power through them. Both of our paddles were showing stress marks and bending after pushing out from the beach and paddling for a few miles on the open water. The air pumps work well but take a while- we counted about 650 pumps for the raft. They will also double as bilge pumps if you get water inside! Overall, we determined these "toy" rafts were not well suited to open water, but usable in a pinch.These rafts are a great value but best suited to a river, pool or other calm water conditions. They work well with a steady river current as well, so you don't have to paddle for propulsion. If you're going to be paddling them, think about getting a "real" kayak paddle, and definitely carry a bottle of PVC sealant if you're going to be near pointy underwater objects!

I've used this several times now and it's been great. I use it to take my 60 lb senior dog out on the lake. It comfortably holds myself and him without issue (I'm 5'1" and 105 lbs for reference). I bought a pump to blow it up and I bought better oars... YOU'LL NEED BETTER OARS! It's very hard to maneuver with the cheap oars provided. But otherwise, it's a great little boat... very durable, no leaks yet, sturdy and affordable.

The boat was great, but the pump broke before I even finished pumping it up

This was such a nice find! Little did I know that in a couple weeks I would be visiting family I have not seen in so long, and we would be swimming at a lake. What I love is this is all compact, so I did a trick where I brought this in a box with some water gear. I filled it with air in some tall grass, and just threw it in the water before everyone came. No one had any idea that the boat was mine :). The kids really loved the boat, the would jump in it, the crowd ate it up! Just a year ago I remember wanting to use the hard plastic peddle boats. But this took over that.As much fun as it was it was definitely a challenge to use. I have never used something like this, I kept turning side ways instead of going forward. I think the problem would lie in that I did not put enough air. Also it seems like I kind of have to be laying down to use this. In other words this takes some getting used to. I remember when the sun was going down, I went back to try it out again, eventually I did get the motion down. Though I think I was already very tired so this is kind of subjective.It is interesting that a good while ago I was thinking about making my own kayak, one that can fold and be compact. but this is probably better than what I would be able to do. All for an amazing price!

For $20 you're getting a pretty high quality raft. It's not top of the line, but it definitely competes with similar rafts that sell for $80-$100. I've taken it out to the bay 4 times so far and once to the ocean. It's not really worth it to use this raft in the ocean (the waves will turn you in every which direction) but it's PERFECT for the bay. I'd imagine the same for lakes, pools, and anywhere with calm water.The pump that comes with the raft works, but falls apart pretty easily. I can still use my pump but I have to hold it kind of awkwardly. Regardless, for $20 i'm surprised it even comes with a pump.Letting the air out takes a while because the air opening is so small, but I have a tip: use your teeth to rip off the little air valve thingy so that you don't have to pinch the air nozzle for the air to come out.All in all.. you're getting a nice and sturdy raft for a price lower than anywhere else you'd ever be able to find something similar. 4/5 stars.

I paid just £9.99 + free delivery for this little set. I was really, really pleased when it arrived.It came in a small box and was perfect for the hols.The boat was quite good quality for an inflatable and I was impressed how big it was when inflated.The oars were really good and came in small 30cm sections which makes them really easy to transport. They can be assembled as a kayak oar too which is a great little feature.The pump was also good quality. It's a 'double quick' hand pump.The kids really enjoyed using this set and will do so again next year.All in all: A very good buy, worth every penny!

Was fun...while it lasted. the seams ripped/split open though so I think best to lower kg limits..or use with 1 child at a time.

Cool boat, worth the money Used it for 2 years then it got torn. I don't use it

Excellent

La pompa gonfia male e non si sgonfia facilmente