INTEX CHALLENGER K2 | INFLATABLE KAYAK REVIEW

At such a good price point, I had to buy the Intex Challenger K2 inflatable kayak. It’s certainly one of the cheapest out there, and for the most part, the reviews are good as were the trip reports I heard from people in person.

My Intex Challenger K2 review will cover my experience with the inflatable kayak, tips and tricks I’ve found useful, and how to prevent the canvas from splitting (this was the one issue people have had – easy solution).

If you don’t want to read more dribble from me, and just want to buy the kayak, head over to Macpac website in New Zealand or Australia.

INTEX CHALLENFER K2 REVIEW

1. Likes & Dislikes
1. Setting Up The Kayak For The First Time
2. Kayak Performance In The Water
3. Packing The Kayak Away
4. Tips, Tricks, Etc.
5. Frequently Asked Questions

1. LIKES AND DISLIKES

WHAT I LIKE

• It all comes in one bag. Keeps it simple, no need to look for oars, string, pumps etc. It’s all there, except for PFDs (FWIW, Macpac Australia has some and I got these ones in NZ from Rebel Sport).
• It’s relatively cheap. This is the biggest selling point of the Intex Challenger K2 compared to other inflatable kayaks on the market. The performance might not be optimal, but for those who just want fun, you can’t go wrong.
• Ease of setup. I’ll mention a couple of mistakes I made setting it up the first time later on, but overall a muppet like me had few issues getting it set up an in the water.
• The double valve system makes life easy. Known as the Boston valve, this makes it so easy to inflate and deflate the kayak.
• Includes a pump that isn’t overly flimsy. This is something they didn’t have to include, but it certainly makes life easier.

WHAT I DON’T LIKE

• You need to be careful with it on rough terrain. Given the price point, this inflatable kayak isn’t as durable as some others therefore you’ll need to be extra cautious to not place it on sharp objects or scrape it against rocks/branches etc. (the same goes for ensuring you don’t overinflate it).
• Pooling of water. My friend’s bum was sitting in a small pool of water for most of the paddle on our first use. Probably due to my uncoordinated paddling letting lots of water in (after a few more trips, I’m better now), but once the water is in the kayak, there’s no way to get it out other than manual scooping.

2. SETTING UP THE KAYAK FOR THE FIRST TIME

Given I had the kayak for a month before finally using it, I wish I’d read the instruction manual first!

It’s only a couple of pages, but it would have saved us time during the setup.

It took about 20 minutes for us to get the kayak in the water the first time, 15 minutes the second time at Bob’s Cove. I reckon this will be under 10 minutes eventually.

A couple of tips:

• There are two Boston valves, labelled 1 and 2. You’ll want to pump them up in order to make life easier. The first one is on the inside, kind of where the thigh is for the front passenger.
• They include a little plastic ruler thingy to help you inflate the kayak the right amount. There’s a line next to the valves indicating 10cm which is the optimal level of inflation. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to overinflate the kayak.
• When blowing up the seats, you need to pinch the valve when you blow air into it. It took my friend a few minutes to work that out first time!

3. PERFORMANCE IN THE WATER

The first journey we took the Intex Kayak Challenger K2 on was at Queenstown’s Sunshine Bay. I didn’t bring my phone on my first outting, so the photos in this post are from a subsequent trip.

It was a super hot day, so after both using the pull lines at the end of the kayak to ensure we weren’t going to drag the kayak over the rocks we were soon in the water. It was a calm day, with a tiny swell.

Getting into the kayak was a lot smoother than both of us expected. We didn’t fall out which was a great success.

We both had little experience with kayaking, and we were never really in a rhythm, but we were able to make progress…albeit with some unplanned 360-degree turns involved. I’m sure the people on the beach got some good entertainment from us.

Tip: If you’re really struggling with getting in a rhythm, use only half an oar each. I did this on my second outing, and things went really smoothly.

It would have helped if we remembered to put the fin/skeg on the bottom.

The person at the back is the primary steerer, but in fairness we both didn’t really know what we were doing and just hacked our way about to different parts of the bay. Great fun!

While there were a couple of moments where a slightly bigger wave came past made it felt like we were going to tip we didn’t even get close once.

We didn’t spend the whole time paddling that’s for sure. There was plenty of time just chilling, letting the water dictate which way we’d float. A great way to relax.

Would recommend!

RELATED POST: WHERE TO GO KAYAKING IN QUEENSTOWN

4. PACKING UP THE KAYAK

This process is fast if you need to get away quickly and don’t mind doing the finer details when you get home. Note: If there’s still a little bit of air in the kayak, it likely won’t fit in the bag

But if you’re wanting to put it away properly the first time, it can take some time. And a couple of attempts to figure out the best way to pack it all away.

The kayak deflates easily thanks to the Boston valves. Simply unscrew them and the air flows out. But I find that getting the last 10%-ish of air out takes a bit longer, so provided you’ve got no sharp objects under the kayak, squeezing it out can move things fast.

Granted I’ve only used the kayak on sunny days so far, the water has dried off fast. That said, popping a towel or paper towels in the bag would help dry up the last of the patches.

Take your time when unpacking the kayak the first time to remember how it’s packed so you’ve got a chance at putting things back in the way they came in.

4. FREQUENTLY ASK QUESTIONS

Can the Intex Challenger K2 be used by one person?

How do I inflate my Intex K2? Using the pump that’s included with the Intex Challenger K2, you place it on the top part of the Boston valve and start pumping. It’s super easy! Just make sure

How do you deflate an Intex K2 kayak?

It’s as easy as undoing the two Boston valves used to inflate the kayak. Rather than popping the top part of the lid off. You’ll unscrew the bottom part of the valve.

What’s the Intex Challenger K2 warranty like?

If you purchase the kayak from Macpac, you can take it into any of there stores if you have any issues. They’ll be able to liaise with the supplier to work out a solution to any faults.

Can one person use the kayak?

In theory, yes. But it’s not easy at all for one person to manevur as it’s quite a long kayak and being inflatable it’s not super stable with all the wright at one point.

What’s the weight limit for the kayak?

On the kayak, it labels the weight limit at 180kgs.

Can I use the kayak in salt water?

The Intex Challenger K2 is designed to be used in calm lakes and gently flowing rivers. Not oceans so much. That said, I’ve seen a few people mentioned they’ve taken it to the beach and it has been great.

Is this suitable for kids?

Is it easy to flip the kayak?

In my experience, no. You’d be doing very well to tip the kayak when getting in and out. While paddling, you’d need to have a rouge wave or be trying to be clever in order to tip the kayak.

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While I haven’t used other inflatable kayaks extensively to be able to compare the Intex Challenger K2 to others, I find this a great product.

If you’re after a kayak to float about in lakes and rivers with performance and getting from A to B as fast as possible, then this is a great purchase.

You can buy them online at Macpac (Australia | New Zealand) or pop into the nearest store. If you need it right away, call the cloest store up in advance to make sure they have some stock in store.

If you have any questions/concerns about my Intex Challenger K2 review, leave a message below or email jub@churnewzealand.com.

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