My Review of the Itiwit Touring Inflatable Kayak
by the bald scrambler
Published By: Daniel Weadley. Date: 17th October 2024. Filed at: Kayak Reviews. Disclosure: I earn commission from purchases made via links, read more.
The Itiwit Inflatable Touring Kayak was my first ever inflatable kayak and I still own it – friends borrow it when they come out on the water with me.
I’ve since purchased a better (and more pricey) kayak but the Itiwit is perfect for some people.
This is my honest review.
In a hurry?
Here are the key points:
- It’s reasonably priced.
- I found it very stable and safe.
- It’s soft and comfortable.
- It has a tough outer sleeve that protects from scuffs and scrapes.
- I think it would be great for parents with kids.
- It’s not very efficient and covering any distance is hard work.
This Kayak is Sold at Decathlon
I purchased this kayak from Decathlon.
This is What I Like About The Itiwit Inflatable Touring Kayak
It’s stable – If you’re new to kayaking and want something wide and stable, this would be a great choice. I found this kayak very forgiving, even when getting in and out of it. Unlike other kayaks I’ve owned, I’ve never tipped this one over.
It’s reasonably priced – I once purchased an inflatable kayak that cost £1100. The Itiwit is currently on sale for about £300 (2-3 people) or £260 (1-2 people) so it’s well-priced compared to other kayaks out there.
Soft and comfy – The seat, floor and sides are fairly soft and in general the kayak is comfortable to sit in for short periods of time.
It’s easy to inflate – This isn’t a high-pressure kayak and is easy to inflate/deflate and pack away etc.
Weight – at 14kg it’s lighter than many other inflatable kayaks. The heaviest I’ve owned weighted over 30kg.
Carry bag – the bag has straps so the whole kayak can be packed away neatly and carried like a rucksack.
Photo above: Kayaking on the Thames
Itiwit’s bag has straps so can be carried like a rucksack
What I Disliked
While great for families and beginners, there are a few issues I experienced worth mentioning but some of these are expected at this price range:
It’s shaped like a banana – This kayak is shaped a bit like a banana and whenever I dipped the paddle into the water, it strayed off heading and veered left or right. This made travelling any distance hard work. The best touring kayaks are ones that stay on-heading as this makes paddling so much easier.
At the end of the video shown below, you can see the kayak continue to spin, even though I’ve stopped paddling (this doesn’t happen in my current kayak):
Width – The extra width also causes considerable drag. This kayak is much slower than my narrower Bluewave Glider and Advanced Elements kayaks.
Cleaning – I currently own a kayak with a plastic surface and this can be cleaned and dried with a cloth in 5 minutes. The Itiwit is made from absorbent material and cleaning/drying is time-consuming. I often have to leave the kayak in my garden all afternoon to dry out and if I can’t do this, odours and mould become a problem.
It’s very flexible – the floor of this kayak is fairly soft, as are the sides and the entire kayak flexes and lacks rigidity.
The seat – This lacks support, moves around a lot and is uncomfortable on long treks.
Above photo: It’s wide, soft and spongy. Dixie the dog enjoyed it though.
Above photo: Banana shape.
Is This Kayak For You?
I quickly outgrew this Itiwit kayak as I wanted something that could cut through the water and cover long distances and this wasn’t it.
My main issue was the kayak straying off-heading but the long dry times also became a pain.
I still own the kayak and friends have come out for casual paddles on rivers and canals with me over the last few years.
I think this kayak is great for very casual stuff like poodling about on a lake or only going short distances on a river.
For anything more than that, I suggest investing in a more streamlined and rigid kayak.
I rate this Itiwit Kayak 2.5 stars out of 5.
Alternatives
Itiwit has other kayaks that are a step up, including one that is very similar but has a rigid floor and streamlined walls.
This alternative will perform better but costs nearly double:
See this kayak on Decathlon
I own the Bluewave Glider Kayak and it’s the best one I’ve ever owned. It’s a little unstable and narrow but cuts through the water with very little effort and is easy to clean:
My narrow, streamlined and somewhat unstable kayak is sold on Amazon
Read my review of the Bluewave Glider here.
I previously owned the Advanced Elements Convertible Kayak which cost over £1000 with some optional extras. I sold it not long after buying it as it had some issues I couldn’t accept:
If I Could Give You One Tip
If you’re serious about inflatable kayaking, and I could give you just one tip, it would be:
Go for a dropstitch kayak.
I’ve owned four inflatable kayaks and I’ll never go back to those spongy rubber tubes.
I’m currently using a Bluewave Glider, this is made from dropstitch and has lasted me three years so far with no issues whatsoever and I’ve paddled hundreds of miles on rivers and canals.
The short video below explains what dropstitch is:
About Daniel Weadley
This review of the Itiwit Inflatable Touring Kayak was created by Daniel Weadley, aka The Bald Scrambler.
From walking along beaches and kayaking down rivers to making his way up mountains and even jumping out of planes, Daniel has a love of the outdoors but scrambling is his real passion.
Daniel Weadley aka The Bald Scrambler
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Have fun, keep safe. Hopefully I’ll see you on the mountains one day
By The Bald Scrambler
2.5* seems a bit harsh
Great review. I’ve been testing the ITIWIT 100+ (the X100 successor) with electric propulsion and found that the offset motor can create significant yaw on this inflatable hull. I eventually solved it using asymmetric skeg geometry.
I’m documenting the testing, telemetry and DIY engineering solutions on my YouTube channel e-kayak SRB.