Innova Safari Inflatable Kayak

Josh - 2008-09-22

If you want the best all around IK for the money...you've found
Have had my two for over 5 years. The preceding Mark II version with interchangeable seats. Taken them down class III whitewater fully loaded, fish off it regularly, surf it every week at Venice Beach (something it does very well), hike it into the Sierras for a little backcountry fishing, you name it. Thanks to religious use of 303 Protectant the things still looks brand new. For those unhappy with the small amount of water in the boat, plain old duct tape (I get it in black) over the scupper holes will solve this in less than 10 minutes and will easily come back off if you need it to self bail again. Really easy to swim off of. Every time I put these on the water somebody asks where I got them and who makes them. Money well spent.

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Anonymous - 2008-09-09

excellent flat water boat, and a heck of a tippy whitwater kayak
My spouse and I got two of these about 5 years ago and have loved them. We mostly use them on flatwater - our local reservoirs and on Lake Tahoe in California. They track super well with the fin and are very fast - faster than the SOT kayaks we used to rent. These Safari's can easily take the whitecaps that form on Lake Tahoe when the wind picks up - much better than the rented sit-on-tops can. There is also a lot of storage space on these kayaks, along with bungee lacing at bow and stern for securing your stuff. Note that the manufacturer's max weight for these kayaks is 220 lbs though. My brother-in-law who is 280 sits real low in the water. Re-entry from shallow water is easy because the boat is so narrow, but re-entry from deep water takes practice because the kayak rolls over real easy. If you want a swimming kayak that you jump off and get back on, then get an Innova Summy instead. The Safari's are tippy and you're also going to get some water around your butt from the scupper holes. The Safaris are one of the few inflateables that are self-bailing. You can use them on white water if you are EXPERIENCED and don't mind swimming, because you can easily and will tip over on all but the mildest rivers. I've never been able to successfully roll it, but you supposedly can and it is equipped with thighstraps. Set up and inflation is quick and easy if you're in practice. The first time each season can be frustrating. We usually practice 2 or 3 times at the first of the season before going out. If you are in practice, you're all set in about 10 minutes. My firend is still levering his hardshell off the top of his car when we're already walking to the water's edge. Oh yeah, and the Safari's are so light compared to a hardshell. And you just throw them in the back of teh car. The material of the Safari is tough and can take a lot of abuse from rocks and such without problem. We use 303 protectant after each use and let them dry completely before folding and storing them again. Very very cool boats!!!

Is this Handy? - Yes - No

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Anonymous - 2007-03-27

I love this boat
Great boat, excellent, though materials, fits into a small bag. I don´t feel it as tippy as I have read in some reviews. It's fast and it's easy to keep on its tracks, even without the fin.

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> Read All 11 Reviews

Josh - 2008-09-22

If you want the best all around IK for the money...you've found
Have had my two for over 5 years. The preceding Mark II version with interchangeable seats. Taken them down class III whitewater fully loaded, fish off it regularly, surf it every week at Venice Beach (something it does very well), hike it into the Sierras for a little backcountry fishing, you name it. Thanks to religious use of 303 Protectant the things still looks brand new. For those unhappy with the small amount of water in the boat, plain old duct tape (I get it in black) over the scupper holes will solve this in less than 10 minutes and will easily come back off if you need it to self bail again. Really easy to swim off of. Every time I put these on the water somebody asks where I got them and who makes them. Money well spent.

Was this Innova Safari Inflatable Kayak Review Helpful? - Yes - No

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Anonymous - 2008-09-09

excellent flat water boat, and a heck of a tippy whitwater kayak
My spouse and I got two of these about 5 years ago and have loved them. We mostly use them on flatwater - our local reservoirs and on Lake Tahoe in California. They track super well with the fin and are very fast - faster than the SOT kayaks we used to rent. These Safari's can easily take the whitecaps that form on Lake Tahoe when the wind picks up - much better than the rented sit-on-tops can. There is also a lot of storage space on these kayaks, along with bungee lacing at bow and stern for securing your stuff. Note that the manufacturer's max weight for these kayaks is 220 lbs though. My brother-in-law who is 280 sits real low in the water. Re-entry from shallow water is easy because the boat is so narrow, but re-entry from deep water takes practice because the kayak rolls over real easy. If you want a swimming kayak that you jump off and get back on, then get an Innova Summy instead. The Safari's are tippy and you're also going to get some water around your butt from the scupper holes. The Safaris are one of the few inflateables that are self-bailing. You can use them on white water if you are EXPERIENCED and don't mind swimming, because you can easily and will tip over on all but the mildest rivers. I've never been able to successfully roll it, but you supposedly can and it is equipped with thighstraps. Set up and inflation is quick and easy if you're in practice. The first time each season can be frustrating. We usually practice 2 or 3 times at the first of the season before going out. If you are in practice, you're all set in about 10 minutes. My firend is still levering his hardshell off the top of his car when we're already walking to the water's edge. Oh yeah, and the Safari's are so light compared to a hardshell. And you just throw them in the back of teh car. The material of the Safari is tough and can take a lot of abuse from rocks and such without problem. We use 303 protectant after each use and let them dry completely before folding and storing them again. Very very cool boats!!!

Is this Handy? - Yes - No

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Anonymous - 2007-03-27

I love this boat
Great boat, excellent, though materials, fits into a small bag. I don´t feel it as tippy as I have read in some reviews. It's fast and it's easy to keep on its tracks, even without the fin.

Is this Useful? - Yes - No

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Yung Lee - 2006-03-15

Great little kayak
Not too big, not too small. Take any where. I got 3 plastic SOT kayak, 1 Folbot foldable kayak. This got to be the easiest to make it to my trip. Good for fun paddle, lazy fishing trip etc. Not desinged for speed, fast set up time , very easy for my bad shoulder to carry. A keeper.

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Anonymous - 2004-08-02

Good deal and versatile
Have had this boat for two summers. With the skeg this boat tracks well in the lake even in a wind. Handles well in class II whitewater. The drybag/backpack is very useful. Boat is lightweight and easy to transport. Things to consider: watch the weight specifications for the captain - a heavy friend (>230lbs) used the boat and had difficulty staying upright and getting in and out. All other people in the 135 - 165 lb range that have used were OK. Watch out for thorns - mine got 3 pinholes from blackberry or thistle thorns that were easy to fix when a friend I loaned this to was not real careful.

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mark - 2004-07-27

great boat
i purchased a safari a week ago, tested the past weekend in lake ontario, and prepared to buy another one for my wife so we can go together... overall it is a great kayak, fairly stable in the water, especially when i tied myself to the boat with thigh strap and footrest. the tracking fin works great, it goes pretty straight, although i know i can make it even straighter by combining with the right paddle strokes. the amount of water in the boat is quite minimum, about the same you will get through stepping into the boat with wet feet or from paddling as those non self bailing ones. i haven't tried the rodeo moves, actually innova people told me with the new design it is harder to roll, probably this is the reason that most people have failed that according what i have read. the boat seems to be able to cut into waves quite well, and because it is quite manuverable, i can turn myself quickly to be perpendicular to the waves, which will be very useful when encountering big waves overall i am very happy about it ...highly recommend it!

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Anonymous - 2004-05-19

Really Fun Kayak
This kayak is great for bumping around in the wet stuff. The thigh straps help keep you in the kayak very well.

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I think you should get this kayak - 2002-08-16

The Best Inflatable Kayak
Though I have only used my kayak about 5 times, It's a ball. When I used it on a lake with the touring fin(included) it can go pretty straight and fast. When I took it down the South Fork of the American River, I found that it was very maneunerable. The only downside I think is that you cannot do rodeo moves. But otherwise this has been a great kayak.

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Anonymous - 2002-03-18

It's a great boat.
I've had my Safari for two summers and I love it. On calm water, it's fast. On Class II whitewater, it's easy to handle. Rolling it? I hired a roll clinic instructor to try to roll it, but he couldn't do it either. Sometimes I wish that I wasn't wet all the time, but that disadvantage (sometimes) is offset by all the conveniences: lightweight portage, easy to inflate, fits in the trunk of my sportscar. All in all, it's a tough, fun boat.

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Anonymous - 2000-08-03

Fun beginner boat
I liked this boat. I took it on a week long float trip down the Green River and it worked excellent. It is easy to inflate and portage. The included Dry bag carry pack makes it easy to pack in and out.

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Ron B - Atlanta, GA - 2005-06-28

Beginner's impressions . . .
I purchased this kayak primarily for lake trips on my motorbike due to the "packability". This is my first kayak, having only used the resort ones while on vacation. Some reviewers have commented on it being "tippy". I found this to be the case, but using more controlled strokes made it feel more settled. I have not yet tried to tip it to actually see what its tolerances are. Overall, it performed well on my first outing and I'm happy with my purchase.

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