iRocker Inflatable Kayak: Overview
The iRocker Inflatable Kayak makes a welcome addition to any paddler’s gear garage with high quality construction, great performance, and the ability to work as a solo or tandem kayak. This feature-heavy boat is capable of just about any kayaking adventure.
Specifications
Dimensions:
- Length: 12’6”
- Width: 37”
- Tube Diameter: 8”
Weight:
- Kayak Weight: 32 lbs
- Capacity: 1 or 2 people
- Maximum Payload: 440 lbs
Buying Info:
- Warranty Period: 3 year
- Returns Period: 45 Days
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Price:
iRocker Inflatable Kayak – Construction and Capacity
The iRocker Inflatable Kayak uses a familiar inflatable kayak design with three separate air chambers, but takes things a step further with their great construction. The kayak floor is made of a drop stitch PVC material similar to iRocker’s SUPs and is rated to a maximum 10 PSI. Drop stitch kayak floors offer more rigidity and durability than basic I-beam designs found in cheaper boats. At 10 PSI the iRocker Kayak is essentially stiff enough to stand on without the boat bending into a taco. This also helps give the iRocker Kayak its great performance on the water.
Along each side of the kayak are 8” side air chambers that give the kayak more capacity, stability, and shape the boat into a sit-in, rather than sit-on, kayak. These side tubes are made of reinforced PVC and have a maximum pressure rating of 3 PSI. The side tubes also have a diminishing shape that tapers at each end. This helps create a high quality rocker profile for maneuverability and easily handling choppy conditions.
The floor and tubes are joined together by a reinforced PVC sheet on the hull of the boat. With minimal distance between the floor and side tubes, the iRocker Inflatable Kayak feels more like a single unified construction rather than three separate pieces. One thing that is missing from the floor is drainage. There are no drain holes or scuppers built into the floor panel, so swamped kayaks will need to be either pumped or dumped by turning the kayak over.
Both the bow and stern of the kayak have a hard plastic cap on the tubes and a hard plastic bow and stern keel. There is a plastic keel strip on the hull under the front third of the boat for additional protection while launching and landing as well.
I didn’t notice any bending or flexing while paddling the iRocker Inflatable Kayak, nor while loading, launching, landing, or adjusting my position while on the water. The high pressure floor and side tubes do a great job of keeping the boat rigid on the water.
iRocker Inflatable Kayak Features, Accessories and Comfort
There are some seriously impressive numbers when it comes to storage and mounting points on the iRocker Kayak. There is a large cargo area with removable bungee cord at the rear of the boat and two Scotty-style fishing mounts just in front of that for rod holders or other compatible accessories. iRocker included 8 carrying handles on the kayak, so no matter how you have it loaded you’ll be able to move the kayak in and out of the water with ease. But the coups-de-grace are the 8 threaded mounts and 26 D-rings placed around the kayak.
With all of these storage and attachment options there’s nothing you can’t bring with you, and that includes a second passenger. The iRocker Kayak is designed to be used solo with the included seat in the middle position, or tandem by adding a second kayak seat and placing the seats in the front and rear positions.
The included iRocker kayak seat has an inflatable bottom and back. I really like this design as it provides a comfortable, non-slip surface and keeps the back rigid and supportive.
The kayak seat attaches to the kayak with four clasps that go to the floor and two more clasps on longer straps that attach to either the floor or the other D-rings on the top of the kayak tubes depending on the seat location and desired tension.
One issue I did initially run into is with the velcro tabs used to connect the straps to the seat. I’m not sure why these straps connect with velcro rather than being sewn directly in, as the velcro can slip and disconnect at times. The very first time I sat in the iRocker Kayak, the seat straps popped right off. I made sure the velcro was fully matched and seated for my second attempt and it seems to be holding well for now, but I am more careful with how I lean into the seat.
The deck of the kayak features iRocker’s logo-embossed deck pad – similar to what is found on their inflatable SUPs. This provides great traction and comfortable feel when moving around and does provide a little bit of resistance for your feet when paddling. iRocker doesn’t include, or currently offer, a bulkhead attachment to fully press your feet into, nor thigh straps for additional boat control. Though with the large number of D-rings on the boat you can attach these accessories if desired.
The eight carrying handles make it very easy to carry the iRocker Kayak with a friend, though it can be a little awkward to carry by yourself without dragging it. If you are planning on solo paddling sessions I do recommend inflating it as close to your launch point as possible.
iRocker includes a 3-piece adjustable-length kayak paddle with the iRocker kayak. This paddle uses the same carbon fiber shaft and fiber-reinforced nylon blades as their SUP paddles. The only changes are the additional pin holes in one blade to adjust the length and the inclusion of drip rings to help keep water from running down the paddle into the boat.
The weight, fit and finish of the iRocker kayak paddle all feel great. There’s no doubt that the paddle feels good in your hands. There are two ways this paddle could be greatly improved, though.
The first is to have secondary pin positions to allow you to adjust the feather angle of the blades. Currently the two paddle blades are forced to be perfectly in-line with each other (0° feather angle). Feathering the blades can improve ergonomics but also greatly reduce air resistance when paddling in windy conditions.
The biggest issue, though, is that the blades are shaped exactly like SUP paddle blades. These blades are meant to be used perfectly perpendicular to the water’s surface when you are standing and paddling. While sitting in the kayak, your blade angle lowers. Low-angle paddling is far more comfortable for recreational kayaking, but the symmetrical blades mean there is uneven pressure on the top and bottom of the blade causing it to flutter in the water. This is why kayak paddles have blades shaped with the top longer than the bottom.
Since this is a kayak-specific paddle I would really like to see iRocker include a proper kayak blade and adjustable feather angle. This will make a big difference for anyone using the iRocker kayak for more than just a few minutes at a time.
One thing that is notably omitted from the iRocker Inflatable Kayak kit is a pump. While there’s no pump included with the kit itself, iRocker is currently offering a free e-pump with any Kayak purchase. The iRocker electric pump makes quick work of the kayak’s relatively low pressure (10 PSI floor, 3 PSI tubes) and has been very reliable over the last two years of heavy use.
iRocker Inflatable Kayak – Stability, Maneuverability, and Speed
The iRocker Kayak is 12’ 6” long and a total of 37” wide with medium size, 8” side tubes. Overall I’d consider this to be a medium-large recreational kayak, though I do personally prefer this length of boat compared to shorter 10’ kayaks.
I feel like the iRocker Kayak is almost over stable. I actually had a really difficult time tilting the kayak onto its side to test its secondary stability! The stiff floor and tubes prevent it from bending during use (a very good thing), and the low profile keeps your center of gravity closer to the water (also a very good thing).
Both on flat water and moving water the iRocker kayak never felt tippy, and I was never worried about accidentally dropping too far over the side. The floor is rigid enough to stand on, though don’t expect it to feel as stable as standing on a 36” SUP as the floor itself is only 21” wide.
My paddling career actually started with whitewater kayaking. One of the things I’m having to adapt myself to with recreational kayaks is not being fully connected to the boat with foot, knee, thigh, and hip contact points that let me control the tilt of the boat and drive through my legs. This is both good and just OK. The “good” is that it’s very difficult to put the iRocker kayak onto its side tubes, making it very hard to rock the boat. The “just OK” is that it’s very difficult to put the iRocker kayak on its side tubes to help carve a faster turn.
Turning the iRocker kayak is still relatively easy while standing still. I only needed an average of 6.5 forward sweep strokes to turn a full 360° while not moving. Using a reverse sweep stroke sped this up to just 5 strokes, all while using the included 9” tracking fin. While paddling I did find it harder to make these sharp turns. Using more advanced strokes made it easier, but when the fin is installed turning quickly while paddling forward is not the easiest task.
On the flip side, the iRocker Kayak does track very well. From a standstill it only takes 6 paddle strokes before you are tracking in a straight line, and it’s very easy to keep moving straight. In addition to the optional fin, the iRocker kayak also has hard plastic bow and stern caps that help act as a keel and increase the waterline of the boat for improved tracking.
Removing the fin will increase maneuverability and lightly decrease tracking. The size and shape of the kayak, combined with even alternating strokes, does a great job of keeping the iRocker Kayak on course.
The iRocker Kayak’s speed performance is great for a recreational inflatable kayak. The SUP-style paddle blades actually work better when used at a high angle for fast paddling (shown above), and help propel the kayak at an average top speed of 5.5 MPH. For a 37” wide inflatable kayak, that’s pretty quick, though it does take some effort to maintain this speed.
At a more casual cruising pace of around 35 strokes per minute, the iRocker Kayak easily cruises along at an average speed of around 3.5 MPH. This is a very comfortable pace and I never felt like I was having to push the kayak through the water thanks to its rigid construction. Instead of flexing and requiring you to push the boat through the water like on lower-pressure rec boats, the iRocker Kayak does a great job of gliding through the water with little effort.
iRocker Inflatable Kayak – Warranty and Customer Support
The iRocker Inflatable Kayak is covered by iRocker’s 3/2 year warranty. Core construction items like seam leaks are covered for 3 years, while accessory items (like D-ring attachments) are covered for 2 years. iRocker also has a generous 45 day return period that they extend during the holiday season if you plan to give the iRocker Kayak as a gift. If you do have any questions about the iRocker Kayak, you can contact their customer support team via phone, email, and web form.
iRocker Inflatable Kayak – Overall Impressions & Review Summary
I really like paddling the iRocker Inflatable Kayak. The rigid floor and side tubes keep the kayak stable and moving easily through the water. The 8” side tubes are a great balance between offering capacity and stability without creating such a high profile shape that it becomes difficult to paddle, re-enter the kayak from the water, or paddle in the wind. The seat is extremely comfortable, and the ability to adjust its location makes it easy to paddle with passengers or load up for overnight trips.
If you’re looking for a high-quality inflatable kayak that is great to use for recreational paddling, fishing, or multi-day trips, the iRocker Inflatable Kayak is a fantastic choice.
