Why Replacement of the Banana Kayak Itiwit X500 Strenfit. / problem bend straight turn unrepairable

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[@janets3549]

Hi Dan-Erik, It's lucky you bought Erika a Strenfit x500 or you might have struggled for a long time in the banana. Your video will help a lot of people and it's fantastic to hear you had a great experience with Decathlon. Now you will enjoy kayaking even more than before. This morning I went paddling for the first time in one year. I felt so happy. It was a beautiful morning and I loved every minute of it. Just to enjoy the fresh air and to enjoy the scenery on a beautiful Spring day in Sydney Australia.

[@danerik.westerlind]

You say the exact thing Erika said! I had started to look on other hard kayaks, but a hard kayak that is only 16kg is expensive and everything doubles here, but it’s a great that Erika and I share the same hobbies! I also hope that it will help others!! Oh what a joy to hear that you been paddling!!!🙌😍 you’re comments normally makes me so happy when I eat breakfast, but this morning I felt joy!!!😍

[@Remembergold]

Thanks for this video, I've had my x500 just over a year in the UK and it has always annoyed me how it turns into the bank when I stop paddling. I had nothing to compare it to as this was my first kayak and just assumed it was a design flaw or lack of skeg. But seeing your video, my kayak looks just like your banana one. I've just taken some photos and contacted decathlon, hopefully I'll get a great response too. It'll be interesting if I get a replacement so I can test the speed difference. I've been timing myself over a 2.4 mile distance on flat water for about a year every weekend and consistently do in in 32 minutes (give or take 30 seconds) if I get a new flat x500 I'll update this on the time difference. Thanks again for bringing this fault to my attention 👍

[@kwchalky02]

Sorry to hear you had an issue with your first one. Ive had an x500 (v1) for a few years now and I love it. Use it in lochs (lakes) and also at sea and find it good fun and fast. It tracks well, and Im really happy with it. Hope you have many happy days in your replacement one.

[@danerik.westerlind]

Thanks, I also hope that it will last long!🤗Glad to hear that you have had yours for a couple of years and are happy🤩 Normally you only hear when it goes bad. Also great to hear that you like V1, have not tested but read that a lot felt it was unstable. Also a lot of complaints about v2 stability but I find it very stable!🙌

[@LetsGoPaddling]

Somehow this went under my radar completely and I have never noticed the difference. After seeing this I went back to my footage and photos to compare my UK and Polish units (which I don't have anymore due to durability issues). Now this explains why my Polish Strenfit felt much faster than the UK one - in the UK I also had that "banana" one. This is a serious production stability issue and just another one to add to a growing list of problems haunting this kayak. I hope your kayaks last longer than any of mine. I will probably not buy it again anymore despite it being one of the best all-round performers.

[@danerik.westerlind]

Thanks for sharing that I’m not the only one that had this problem! So you also had two x500 but in different countries, not that easy to compare as we have them in the same place. As you say it seems like many people have problems with this kayak due to construction and manufacturing problems. I also hope that our kayaks will last for a long time, if not I’m not sure what to buy. Because for me this looks to be the best preforming inflatable kayak for its price. A lot of inflatable kayaks are so wide. Others take so long time to setup. But I do have space for hard kayaks, so it might be a hard one but they cost a little more, because I really like that x500 is light, doesn’t want a kayak that is heavier.🤗

[@lgnd-lm6ug]

I just tested my V2 today and it flipped over from nothing. Before that I tried paddling against the current and I really struggled keeping it straight. It was constantly veering to the left so much so that I had to paddle on the left side only and it still wasn't enough to stop it. A quick search led me to your video. Like you I also thought that it was my inexperience with this model that was the culprit but now I'll definitely check for that banana shape. Thanks

[@danerik.westerlind]

Sad to hear that you don't have any good experience so far with your x500. I have never flipped in my x500 and current can be hard. Start with test in calm water and no wind and look how it behaves. X500 is also sensitive to how you sit in the cockpit to paddle straight, so test with that too and of course look so it´s straight and not banana shape.

[@kristaps2010]

amazing story. just imagine if there is bad batch of those faulty kayaks. those customers don"t have a clue the kayak is faulty. they think it's just rubbish kayak, but it's not. x500 is good kayak. thanks for sharing ITIWIT should RECALL banana issue kayaks informing every single one customer.

[@danerik.westerlind]

I don´t know if it's just that one kayak goes wrong from time to time or if it's a batch problem. But one comment so far on this video shows that this is not the only x500 that have the banana issue. If quality chk have missed it, they don't know we others, that's my guess. In all production of things it can go wrong, so quality chk in factory is very important. I agree, know I really think is a fun kayak and awesome that my wife now also have one so we kan kayak together! Thanks for watching and your comment, really appreciate it!🙌🤗

[@-S-P]

Thanks for the video! Itiwit should make a QA user manual for this model :) How much straight should the deck be ? In other words: How much space should be left under the center of the kayak if I turn it upside down on a flat ground?

[@danerik.westerlind]

Thanks, happy that you appreciate my video. I guess they never would do something like that. It's a great kayak so it´s sad that it seems to be so much problem with it. This is the only problem I have had so far and Decathlon replaced it. But a lot of people have different problems with the kayak.

[@-S-P]

@@danerik.westerlind How much space has your new kayak there?

[@danerik.westerlind]

@@-S-P I don't really know what you mean. but if you take a picture of your kayak and show me where to measure, we can probably solve it. You can send me an email, you will find the address in the information about the channel.🤗

[@THE-RIVER-RAT]

Glad you got everything sorted and now you're are happy paddler. I had a problem last year with the seams and also found Decathlon to be brilliant and like you they sent me a new Yak.

[@danerik.westerlind]

Yes, really good support on Decathlon, glad to hear they were helping you too in the best way!🙌

[@davidpoots8362]

Thanks, Decathlon gave me a refund for a leaky V1 without any questions. I haven't replaced it yet because of these quality concerns but any other packable kayak which I could use on the sea is about 3 times the price so I will probably get another one.

[@danerik.westerlind]

Great to hear, thanks for sharing your experience!🙌 Seems like Decathlon are very good at taking care of their problems. So you have the same thinking as me, packable kayaks are wide or expensive. X500 seems to be in it's on class for performance and price.🤗

[@santegolin1146]

I'm considering purchasing the ITIWIT X500 and your experience is undoubtedly useful to me. Thanks for sharing!!!

[@danerik.westerlind]

Thanks for watching, really appreciate your comment!🤗 For me this looks to be the best preforming inflatable kayak for its price. I don’t think any other inflatable kayak is better. A x500 will be a great choice. If you’re buying a x500, look on my unboxing video and see what I did to the seat. A lot of people get a hole there. I don’t have any hole yet, looked like brand new on the banana kayak before I returned it. It will come a separate video about that. kzbin.info/www/bejne/gXiWc2Zsn9Z9gdU

[@santegolin1146]

Thank you. I'm convinced of the quality of the X500, I'll just pay attention to the banana effect when unboxing...😉@@danerik.westerlind

[@danerik.westerlind]

@@santegolin1146 🙌

[@ioandragulescu6063]

I really wanted to like this kayak but after reading numerous negative reviews regarding reliability and some of decathlon's own advice in the replies on their own site (i.e. oh, it develops cracks while packed over winter? uhm, maybe don't keep it packed ... ) I decided that sacrificing some performance for reliability and consistency is totally worth it so I got an advanced elements sport with a drop stich floor as an option. Because I found some good deals, I got the kayak, the DS floor, pump and a 4 parts carbon shaft paddle for 50 euros more than the x500 alone goes for currently at decathlon. Currently the x500 is at version 2, maybe by version 10 or so they'll fix all the problems ....

[@danerik.westerlind]

Yes a lot of negative things about x500, which is very sad, as there is no inflatable kayak that paddles as well as x500 in my opinion. I keep our x500s inflated all the time. I hope you will be satisfied with your new Advanced Elements and get a lot of fun time on the water!🤗

[@garzapedroa]

Im planning to buy one in Mexico, its good to know, that they back up their products😊. I'm still wondering if it's true that a V3 is already being shipped, and if so, whats the difference vs V2

[@danerik.westerlind]

@@garzapedroa I recommend to buy one. Really like them!🙌It’s seems to be true, some people have bought them and publish on facebook. I don’t know the difference yet so I can say what the difference is.🤗

[@AlwaysWildCS]

Couple of years ago X500 had version 1, not there's much more stable version 2. It seems like they sold you version 1?

[@danerik.westerlind]

I don't know, I have heard of version 1 but I think that is older, it was marked may 2022, the one I got as a replacement are marked April 2022.🤗

[@AlwaysWildCS]

@@danerik.westerlind Yeah, that's true. It must've been just a bad one. Happy that Decathlon replaced it for you!

[@danerik.westerlind]

@@AlwaysWildCS yes, they said right away that they should replace it when I sent them the pictures. So not even a discussion, really good!

[@didierplouhinec4899]

The high stability of a kayak ,the windage of this inflatable will become disadvantages if suddenly the water becomes rough and wind increases. You will need to learn two times if you decide to go for a surfski later and probably have bad habits from this beginner inflatable which requires a too long paddle.

[@danerik.westerlind]

Well, all things have pro and cons, x500 is a fun kayak to paddle in the river and on the lake. I'm not sure if surfski is the right way to go, when I tested Surfski , it was fast, but doesn't feel fun to paddle, just go fast. Was not so easy to turn, that might be better if I paddle it more, but still feels like it's built to primary go fast. I guess surfski is fun in ocean but not in rivers and lakes. I'm also not sure that a long kayak is the right way. So far this x500 is more fun in the river than the surfskis I tested. 🤗