Traveling with Decathlon's Itiwit Kayak

Recently, our family went on a camping trip in Laguna. Since the campsite is surrounded by a lake, we decided to bring a kayak with us. While swimming in the lake is quite fun, we deemed that it would also be fun to be exploring the calm lake with a kayak. With that, we got Decathlon’s Itiwit Kayak. If you’re thinking of getting one to, here’s what you need to know about it.

The Itiwit Kayak

We got the one-seater, sit-inside type Strenfit DropStitch Itiwit Kayak. It is an 18-Kilogram, inflatable and foldable kayak made of PVC and is good for both the beginners and intermediate kayakers. The kayak is good for touring and recreational use. When inflated, it is 12 feet long and more or less two feet wide on the cockpit area. We found it easy to take it to the waters with its grab handle by the bow and stern. It has less rocker and hard chine hull which made it easy for us to glide through. However, we noticed that with an aggressive maneuver, we would easily tip or the kayak would capsize. When we finally got a hang of it, we found it easy and comfortable to use it without worrying that much about capsizing. Lastly, it doesn’t have a skeg, rudder nor a part where you can install one.

The kayak comes with a bag including its detachable seat, foot rest and repair kit. After inflating the kayak, the seat can be just propped at the cockpit and the foot rest can be fastened inside. We find the seat comfortable enough due to its material. As for the foot rest, it can be adjusted depending on the user’s leg’s length. It can be locked so it won’t have to slip every now and then. Take note that the kayak paddle is also not included in the bag. thus, it is advisable that you also get one.

Inflating and Deflating the Kayak

The Itiwit Kayak has six chambers: two in its floor, on the walls and on the arches. Since it is an inflatable one, you would have to buy a separate Kayak pump for it. Take note that you can pump it with an ordinary one since it has unique valves. We inflated each chamber to a maximum of 10 PSI with the double action hand pump. These chambers are independent. Shall a part of the kayak gets punctured, only that part gets deflated. Hence, we could still go back to the shore safely despite such event. However, it is advised that we stay away from sharp rocks, reefs and oyster shells especially when using it in the sea. To deflate, we just pulled off the valve’s cover and added pressure to fully release the air. The whole unpacking and inflating process took us around eight to ten minutes only.

Traveling with the Itiwit Kayak

We find it really easy to travel with the Itiwit Kayak. When not in use, it is folded and stored in its own backpack. Overall, it weighs 18 Kilogram. Since we drove from the city to the site, we just had it stored at the trunk. We didn’t have to bring a car with a roof rack or trailer just for it. It’s also easy to travel with it by plane since it’s dimension and weight is good for a check-in baggage.

The vessel is good for adventures such as Kayak camping. It has storage on boards with buckles and a bungee for extra loads, too. What we also love about this is that, we can fasten a 30 Liter Itiwit dry bag on its board since it has designed holes where we can insert the bag’s strap to securely fasten it.

Cleaning and Storage

After our trip, the kayak got really muddy since it’s been raining in the town during our stay getting the site muddy, too. We just washed off the mud by the lake and continued with the rest of the cleaning at home. Cleaning it is quite easy especially if it’s inflated. In this way, it is easy for us to turn the kayak upside down to drain the water from the inside. A sponge or rug and detergent or dishwashing soap would do. After rinsing it, we just left it not even under the sun and it’s dry after an hour or two.

When it’s finally dry, we deflated the kayak and pulled its bow and stern to the middle to fold it so it would fit into its bag.

The Verdict

If you are a kayak enthusiast and you intend to do it frequently, the Itiwit kayak is really perfect for you. Further, it is a kayak that can go well either at the sea, lake or calm rivers. It’s something that you can take with you everywhere easily thanks to its foldable design. On the other hand, if you decide not to use it for a while, you can store it safely anywhere at home.