Advanced Frame Inflatable Kayak Review

A few years ago when we were planning to do a trip to Fraser Island we were looking for a kayak that we could use to solve a logistical problem. The problem was that we had very limited room on the car owing to the amount of stuff on the roof so a traditional hard body kayak was not an option. folding kayaks were not easily available in Australia and all of the inflatable kayaks I had used were like paddling a floating marshmallow and hard work against the wind. My local kayak shop suggested I look at hybrid inflatable kayaks that were made by Advanced Elements and that led us to one of their earlier designs, the Advanced Frame Inflatable Kayak.
It's 3.2 meters long, 81 centimeters wide, and has a carrying capacity of 136 kilograms. At 16 kilograms it's not the lightest in their range but it was still significantly lighter than our other 'ride on top' kayak. This video shows some of the early tests I did in which I found out (to my relief) that the kayak performed comparably to a lot of basic off the shelf hard body kayaks. It's made out of a 600 denier polyester PVC laminate in a ripstop material and for an inflatable kayak it is surprisingly durable. It was a good call buying this kayak as it served our needs as a great travel kayak. So much so that if I was to get any further kayaks the first place I would look is in the Advanced Elements range.
I recently took this kayak around the Garden Island Ships Graveyard. That video can be watched on our 'Keeping it Real' Vlog Channel:
• [Ep 10] Kayaking Aroun...
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[@donalddumas6987]

Best review that I have viewed about this Kayak, now I am more convinced to buy one. Thanks! Amendment, I finally purchased one and I like it.

[@tomm7096]

Great video thanks. I have one also. FYI, you do not have to take the floor out when packing it up. You can leave it in place always unless your get water inside.

[@martinkrahge5568]

Great Video fella. Helped me immensely - well one

[@svaphrodite]

I had one of these in Alaska and now have two of them in Florida. Very convenient and stable. I've run Class 2 rivers and used it as a platform for bird photography. The big compromise is cleaning and drying after being in muddy water, especially in a humid environment where mold is inevitable unless you have a dehumidified storage area.

[@Fishaholicboy]

This kayak actually looks really good.. solid looking. Thanks for sharing

[@OzinPictures]

I continue to be impressed by it. Advanced Elements does a lot of other inflatable kayaks that I am interested in. There is an ultra light version that is about half the weight that I was considering for overseas travelling purposes and some double kayaks that may be suitable to get to and from our 23 foot sailing boat whilst at anchor (still researching what the best option for that is though).

[@HSE2inc]

I'm in the market and am now thinking expedition elite. Never paddled much previously and see kayaking as a great way to stay fit and work the upper body at 52 years old. I was thinking advanced frame and still might go that way but I'm probably biasing extra safety in buoyancy and rigidity over speed and for comfort I might look at extra seat padding or maybe even a different seat. Thoroughly enjoyed this video. Thank you. Have much more research to do.

[@OzinPictures]

@@HSE2inc I actually considered the larger Expedition Elite too, mainly due to it's larger storage. In the end for me it came down to cost and I was able to get the Advanced Frame for a reasonable price. I had a bit of a time frame I was working towards before our trip to Fraser Island and I needed it for that. It's been a good inflatable kayak. If I end up getting a second one it will either be the Ultralight, the Expedition Elite or perhaps something small and ride on top that I can use for 2 people to get to and from our sailboat when it's at anchor.

[@TheBchick]

Thanks for a good video. Bought one today and will tryout tomorrow

[@OzinPictures]

Will be interested to see what you think. I think it's great.

[@TheBchick]

@@OzinPictures Took me 15 minutes to get started. This was my first experience paddling a kajak. I think it was easy and took a shorter wonderful trip. Also just turned 60 years so was a little bit worried to get in and out in the kajak but I did manage that to :)

[@Beyondthebackyard-au]

I know so many people asking about what kayak to buy and should they get inflatable, this was a good insight into them. I always thought they would be how you described in the beginning, paddling a floating marshmallow. But 5km/hr over 6km is not too shabby for a recreational kayak, no worse than a SOT.

[@OzinPictures]

They are actually surprisingly good. The furthest I've done is about 14 km in it and that even included a fair bit of wind and chop on the Port River which is a major shipping channel. The only think I've found with this which is a little bit annoying is that the zip on the top leaks so water can drip into the front on your feet. I generally assume I will get wet feet anyway so it's not the end of the world. Not sure if they have addressed this in newer designs.

[@samarasbasilios5207]

I solve this problem with an ultra strong gaffer tape....both front and back zippers up to the coaming.and then wear a hand made spray skirt and a hand made backbone from pvc.....i always use it in sea and never worried about waves and wind any more....

[@donalddumas6987]

Apparently, it has been discontinued this year and possibly replaced by an elite version.

[@doggyman1202]

Thanks for the thorough demo and review. Excellent! (I currently have the AE Lagoon, but I'm giving it to the kids. The Lagoon has a lot of great qualities, but tracking isn't one of them. It tracks terribly). I just ordered one of these for myself, but curious about something: The AE Frame reviewed last year by Ken at Paddle TV has a clear numbers sequence for inflation on the valves, but I don't see that on your boat. Did they discontinue that practice of numbering chambers?

[@TeemoMoffitt]

I just got mine yesterday, they still have the numbers🙂

[@chuckdilmore2040]

Thanks for the review! Does it include footpegs, mate?

[@Golfr2020]

Thank you for the demo. I wonder how you went with the lumber support?

[@OzinPictures]

Not bad but I didn't find it such an improvement that it was worth using it over the regular seat for me.

[@johanjeverstam6166]

Do you think a 191 cm guys would fit?

[@taylorhart325]

Where did you purchase the optional drop stitched floor???

[@OzinPictures]

I ordered it through my kayak retailer, Adelaide Canoe Works.

[@TeemoMoffitt]

I got one on Amazon and delivered in two days

[@TheFbiFilesRepeat]

Is it good for lanky fellas? im 200cm

[@OzinPictures]

It may be a bit snug for really tall people but I can't be sure. What I will say is that Advanced Elements have a whole range of Inflatable Kayaks and if the Advanced Frame doesn't provide enough leg room then you will likely find one of their longer sea kayak models more suitable.

[@daltonc690]

Can anyone say how much differnt this one would be vs a budget hard kayak like a pelican?

[@OzinPictures]

I haven't paddled a pelican so I can't say for sure but it compares favourably to my ride on top kayak. They aren't cheap but the space saving makes them convenient if you don't have a lot of space. What I should add however is you do need to find a place to dry them properly before putting them away for a period of time.

[@rodrigostockebrand]

Please note these do NOT come with the pump.

[@rodrigostockebrand]

Or oars…