ITIWIT 2 man inflatable kayak review

For official information, reviews from other individuals or to buy the ITIWIT 2 man inflatable kayak, please head over to Decathlon’s website here. You may also be interested in our top 10 best inflatable kayak reviews.

ITIWIT 2 man inflatable kayak bag

The ITIWIT 2 man inflatable kayak comes in a strong bag and the kayak is not fitted too tightly inside of it. The bag itself is not huge and does fit easily in an average car boot. The bit of extra room in the bag makes it easy to take the kayak out.

ITIWIT 2 man inflatable kayak in the boot of a Qashqai

The ITIWIT 2 man inflatable kayak in the boot of a Qashqai

The bag comes with a top handle to carry it. It also has 2 straps at the back so it can be carried around like a back pack. The straps are not the comfiest so I wouldn’t recommend carrying it on your back for a long a time. The weight of the kayak is 14kg so you can definitely feel it on your shoulders. For a short stance to the river or the beach this is perfect though.

When I first put mine on my back I thought it was pretty heavy and uncomfortable but after 2 minutes walking towards the sea I forgot the kayak was on my back.

The bag also has a front pocket with the instructions inside of it. A simple “feature” but a very useful one, the pressure required for the kayak is written in a big clear font on the front pocket. I love Decathlon products in that regard. It’s simple and practical, tells you what you need to know right in front of you.

The bag contains 3 keels to go on the kayak to help with stability and direction. The front pocket also contains a repair kit.

It does not however come with a pump or paddles. This dual action pump is recommended by Decathlon, and you will also need 2 sets of kayak paddles (I would advise to get collapsible ones) and 2 buoyancy vests.

Inflating the ITIWIT 2 man inflatable kayak

After inflating various inflatable SUP boards in the past, taking what seemed like forever, I was not looking forward to inflating this kayak. Being over 3 metres long, I thought it would take ages. I was wrong!

I literally could not believe how fast you can inflate this ITIWIT! It has 3 chambers, 2 for the sides, 1 for the bottom. With the dual action pump it took about 5 minutes to inflate the whole thing!

As previously mentioned, you inflate the kayak at 1.5psi. That’s where the difference lies with inflatable SUP boards as they usually require around 15psi which obviously takes  longer (and more effort) to reach.

The kayak

The kayak weighs 14kgs, is 3.40m long and just over 1m wide. It is made of 3 main bladders, 1 for each side and 1 for the wide floor. This setup improves the kayak’s stability. There are 2 other bits to inflate, which are the seats. Once inflated the seats are very comfortable and add height to the seating position, improving the paddling experience.

All these inflatable bladders are protected by a tough looking, water-repellent canvas which can be unzipped (or detached from the velcro attachment). This allows access to the bladders so they can be taken out for repair or replacement. On the sides, there are some printed instruction again to remind you of the pressure you need in the bladders.

Printed required pressure straight on the kayakThe kayak comes with handles at the front and back and on both sides to help carry it when inflated. The end bit also boasts an elasticated net where you can slide an ITIWIT watertight dry bag for example.

The 3 keels provided with the kayak are safely secured to the bottom (2 at the back and 1 at the front) with a plastic pin keeping them in position.

The kayak can accommodate 1 or 2 people to a maximum load of 150kg (about 330 lbs). The seats are adjustable so they can be placed along the length of the boat in a well balanced position for either a 1 person or a 2 person situation. This is a nifty little trick that can come in handy.

All in all, the ITIWIT 2 man inflatable kayak is an affordable, practical and well thought through inflatable kayak for recreational use. It’s packed with lots of little features really helping the kayakist(s) to make the most of it.

Kayaking

With its raised and very comfy seats, this kayak provides a very good position for a comfortable kayaking experience.

Because the seats can be moved along the length of the kayak, the center of gravity and balance of the embarcation is always optimum.

The patented bow shape of the kayak gives a great gliding performance. The 3 keels provide good stability and manoeuvrability.

See below this short video from the Decathlon website showing the ITIWIT 2 in action.

Deflating the ITIWIT 2 man inflatable kayak

Deflating this kayak couldn’t be easier, simply undo the Boston valves and help expel the remaining air by pushing it out from the furthest point to the opened valves. That’s it! It’s that easy.

Cleaning the ITIWIT 2 man inflatable kayak

Simply rinse the kayak thoroughly with clean water. Don’t use any chemical, soap or detergent to clean your kayak, just clean water.

I haven’t tried with my pressure washer, but I wouldn’t recommend it. Stick to clean water, a garden hose or buckets of water will do just fine.

Drying the ITIWIT 2 man inflatable kayak

It takes a fair bit of space to lay the kayak flat on the floor to dry. A garden patio is a perfect place if you happen to have one.

Being in the UK, weather can be unpredictable and so to help with the drying process, I recommend removing the floor from the kayak and remove the bladder from it too. This way each element can dry a bit faster.

Little tip from my own silly mistake; there was water left in the floor canvas where the floor bladder goes. Remove the bladder, and at one end of the canvas there will be a hole. Simply lift the other end of the canvas so the remaining water goes out from that hole. This helps the drying speed.

The hole in the floor canvas to get the water out

The hole in the floor canvas to get the water out

Repacking the ITIWIT 2 man inflatable kayak

Once your kayak is clean and dry, replace the bladders in their containers. The floor in the kayak and the seats on the floor. Laying the kayak flat on its bottom part, flip the sides towards the middle of the kayak so the overall shape is now almost a rectangle.

Now roll the end of the kayak which doesn’t have the valves towards the end with the valves. This will help remove the last bits of remaining air from the bladders. About 2/3 of the way through, roll from the other side. Then flip both rolled bits together. Simply place the bottom of the bag over the rolled kayak, then flip the whole thing over and finish zipping it up.

Have a look at the video video showing how to setup, dismantle and repack the ITIWIT 2.

Repair and replacement parts for the ITIWIT 2 man inflatable kayak

We touched on repair and replacement above. All the inflatable bladders are removable so you can repair them with the repair kit provided. You can also purchase replacement parts. See below a list parts you can currently buy from the Decathlon website.

Overall review of the ITIWIT 2 man inflatable kayak

Very pleasantly surprised with the quality of this kayak. It is well packed and doesn’t take too much room in the car boot. It is relatively easy to carry on your back (but maybe not for hours). Inflation time is super quick – about 5 minutes.

It’s definitely worth its second place in our top 10 best inflatable kayaks for recreational use. If it wasn’t for the price difference, it would be on top. But it might be a better investment in the long run. So a very close second.

The kayak comes with a 2 year guarantee offering spare parts essential to the use of the product.

You can buy the ITIWIT 2 man inflatable kayak online from the Decathlon online store here

 

 

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