If you’re looking to get into kayaking, you don’t need to spend a fortune on a hard shell model. The Intex Challenger K1 is a great choice for an entry-level kayak.
This kayak might not have the same durability and performance as a hard shell model, but it makes up for it with impressive handling, aggressive styling, and an affordable price tag. With the K1, you get everything you need in one package to start your kayaking experience this weekend.
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Contents
Here’s our Review of the Intex Challenger K1
When you lay eyes on the Challenger K1 for the first time, you get a mixed reaction. One part of you admires the styling and design of the kayak, and another part screams, “oh no, it’s an inflatable.” Sure, inflatables might not seem like the way forward when buying a kayak, but it has their place.
The K1 is ideal for recreational users testing the waters with kayaking. It’s an affordable way to get out on the water and find out if kayaking is for you and if you feel like devoting more time to it. You get to try out the sport before committing to purchasing an expensive hardshell model.
Stats
- Length: 9-feet.
- Dry Weight: 28.4-lbs.
- Max Load Capacity: 220-lbs.
- Packed Size: 16.25” x 23.13” x 8.50”
- SUPER-STRONG – SuperStrong enhanced molecular formulation PVC provides superior strength and durability, ensuring high impact and abrasion resistance
- LOW PROFILE DESIGN – The Challenger K1 has a streamlined low-profile design that is perfect for easy paddling in lakes and mild rivers
- COCKPIT SEATS – Built with removable and adjustable seats, the cockpit design is spacious and comfortable, providing plenty of room for your legs and gear
- REMOVABLE SKEG – Attached to the underside of the kayak, the removable skeg provides directional stability, making it easier to maintain a straight and steady course while paddling
- 1-PERSON CAPACITY – Inflated size is 9 feet x 2.6 feet x 1.1 feet with a weight capacity of 220 pounds and easily foldable to be put in the carry bag that allows for easy transportation
Whats in The Box?
Inside the neatly packed box you get the Kayak itself, plastic skeg, the seat, a hand pump, repair kit, aluminum paddle and instructions pack.
Setup
The Intex Challenger K1 comes with an easy setup. Unfold the kayak, and you’ll see that Intex uses a tri-chamber design for the boat pontoons and the floor. That means that the boat doesn’t rely on one floatation chamber. If you happen to pop one of the chambers, you have a low sinking risk.
The flotation chambers feature Boston valves for easy deflation and rapid filling. The 2-way valves combined with the 2-way handpump action mean that you never have to worry about air escaping from the valves while inflating the boat.
While you get a handpump included with your purchase of the K1, we would prefer to receive an electric 12-volt air pump for faster, effortless inflation. That said, pumping the boat using the hand pump is a great way to warm up for paddling.
The handpump allows fast inflation of the kayak, thanks to it expelling air on the upward and downward stroke of the pump. You’ll know when to stop pumping thanks to the inflation indicators on the pontoons preventing overinflation or underinflation of the K1.
You should have the boat inflated and ready for the water in less than 5-minutes. Blow up the seat and set it up using the strap adjustments. After inflating the seat and kayak, assemble the paddles and set your grip to the preferred length.
Load the boat with your gear and carry it to the shoreline for launch. The Challenger K1 gives you a fast and easy setup, and it’s just as easy to deflate it and pack it away.
Design and Comfort
The Intex Explorer K1 features eye-pleasing styling and design. The boat’s looks are fantastic, with an aerodynamic shape that looks like it slices through the water. There’s a spray deck on the bow and stern in a highlighted blue color allowing for rapid water drainage down the boat’s sides and away from the cockpit.
The K1 comes with a design that sits low in the water, allowing for easy boat entry from the dock or shore. If you take a swim off the boat when you’re on the lake, the low sidewalls allow easy re-entry to the kayak from the water.
The cockpit’s interior is spacious, thanks to the innovative side pontoon design, opening up space for your hips. The cockpit comes with a thick coaming rail, allowing for the attachment of a spray skirt. Set up your ride position using the inflatable chair with a backrest and adjustable straps with quick-release buckles and Velcro attachment.
You get a collapsible paddle and dual-way handpump included with your purchase of the K1. The K1 comes in a green and grey color on the pontoon, offsetting the blue accents on the spray deck for a stylish finish.
The bow comes with a mesh net for your gear, providing easy access to it from your seat. The bow and stern also feature drag handles to take the boat from the car to the water or pull it to the dock or shoreline.
Performance and User Experience
The K1 is suitable for use in calm, flat water. Taking this model into the rapids or whitewater is a mistake and could damage the kayak.
The performance of the K1 is better than you expect. However, it’s not a hardshell design with a fixed hull. So, you can expect it to move like one. The K1 has a sleek design that looks like it cuts through the water. However, the reality is that it does have a substantial amount of drag compared to hard hull designs.
So, the K1 isn’t the best choice for eight to ten-hour kayaking trips. The additional drag of the boat in the water will tire out your arms. However, the K1 is a great choice for recreational use. The kayak is ideal for people who get out onto the lake or river a few times each season or for users who go to the lake house a few times during the summer.
The K1 is the perfect entry-level boat for the inexperienced beginner kayaker. You get to learn the ropes of kayaking without splurging on a new hardshell fiberglass model. The K1 comes with a 220-lbs loan capacity rating, making it suitable for one passenger.
You get a removable skeg to fit the hull, providing better tracking in the current. The collapsing paddles feature lightweight aluminum and ABS plastic materials with grips and splash rings. However, the handles don’t adjust for a custom paddling setup.
The plastic blades are also somewhat flimsy, and they lack confidence when pushing off from the shore. However, the paddling experience is great, and you get a lightweight feel of the paddle in your hands. Adjust the grips to your preference and start touring with your K1.
Handling and Maneuverability
The Challenger K1 comes with an overall length of 9-feet. Thanks to the low ride height, it’s a highly maneuverable boat, and it feels stable on the water. However, you can’t expect the K1 to perform as well as a fiberglass hull model. While the design and styling of the boat appear aggressive and hydrodynamic, the reality is that it creates more drag in the water than a fiberglass hull.
So, you will get more paddling resistance, leading to paddling fatigue on longer trips. So, we would take this out for an eight-hour tour. It’s more suited to a few hours on the lake, having some fun paddling around while enjoying the outdoors.
While you would expect an inflatable to have plenty of sag in the floor, the K1 has a remarkably supportive and stable floor that doesn’t sag much, provided you inflate it to the correct pressure. The stable floor adds to paddling confidence, giving newcomers to kayaking a stable platform for learning paddling techniques.
The kayak’s maneuverability in the water makes up for the lack of speed and performance in the K1. The kayak is easy to turn, and the skeg in the hull makes a surprising difference in the kayak’s tracking in water with currents. There’s less drift and a true line to your destination.
The seat position in the kayak is great, giving you excellent control and a good center pivot point when turning the K1. Whether you’re back paddling, carving, or powering ahead, the K1 stays on track and rides well.
Portability
The Explorer K1 offers you a compact, lightweight kayak that’s easy to take to any vacation destination.
After you finish your day on the water:
- Remove the kayak from the lake and let it dry in the sun.
- Open the drain valve in the rear of the cockpit and allow excess moisture to drain from the cockpit.
- Give it a quick wipe with a towel and deflate it.
The Boston valves allow for fast deflation of the K1.
Deflate the seat and fold the boat. Pack away the K1 in the handy carry bag included with your purchase. Collapse the paddles and add them to the bag. Toss everything in the trunk of your car and head home – there’s no need for roof racks or tie-downs with the Intex Challenger K1.
When you get home, store the kayak out of the way in a cupboard in your home or in the garage. There’s no reason to have dedicated storage space as you would need for a fiberglass kayak.
An inflatable is ideal for people who don’t have much storage space at home or a garage to store the kayak offseason. With the K1, there’s no need for roof racks or J-carriers. Just deflate the K1 and pack it away.
Durability
The Intex Explorer K1 features design and construction with 300-gauge PVC vinyl. It’s not the toughest choice, and we feel a 600-gauge would be the better choice for rip resistance. Still, the thinner gauge reduces the boat’s weight and makes it easier to fold and store away in the carry bag.
However, don’t expect the plastic to hold up to puncture risks from sharp submerged objects. Fortunately, the tri-chamber design of the K1 means that you won’t endure a sinking risk as each chamber inflates separately. The chance of you popping all three chambers in one event is highly unlikely.
The Explorer K1 includes a puncture repair kit, allowing for small shoreline repairs. However, since it’s an inflatable model, it’s best to avoid taking the K1 to areas that present a puncture risk.
The K1 does come with hot-welded seams, meaning you get a durable boat that’s resistant to splitting and air leaks. If you take care of your K1 kayak, maintain it, and store it properly, it will last for years.
Make sure you don’t pack the K1 away into the carry bag when it’s wet. The moisture will result in mold growing on the boat while in storage. Make sure it’s dry before packing it away.
Value for Money
The Intex Explorer K1 offers the ideal entry-level kayak for newcomers to the sport. The K1 features everything you need in a kayak. You get the classic kayak shape and many of the features found in top kayak models.
The comfortable adjustable seating provides a good paddling position and control over the boat. You get spray decks, raised coaming, onboard storage, and a complete accessory kit. The K1 is ready for the water from the moment you receive it.
You can’t beat the price tag of the K1. It’s less than a quarter of the price of fiberglass kayaks and the most affordable way to get out on the water. Sure, it might not have the durability of a hardshell model, but you get many of the same features and adequate performance and handling.
The Verdict
Overall, we have to say that the Intex Challenger K1 makes a great entry-level kayak for newcomers to the sport. There’s no need to go out and drop hundreds of dollars on a fiberglass hull if you’re not sure if kayaking is for you.
We tested this model out for a couple of weeks to film our video review (coming soon!) and had lots of fun with it. We tested it out in our pool to get a feel for it and then took out on a local lake and it performed admirably for such a cheap kayak. The price is so reasonable it compares to just the cost of some kayak paddles on their own!
Buying an inflatable like the K1 gives you the chance to try out the sport and see what you want to do with it. If you decide that it’s fun, but you only want to get out onto the lake a few times a year, the K1 is all you need.
As far as inflatable kayaks go, the K1 gives you everything you need in a kayak as a beginner. You get a low riding height in the water, good handling and maneuverability, comfortable adjustable seating, and an affordable price tag.
Pros
- Inexpensive.
- 1-passenger capacity.
- Comfortable ride.
- Easy setup.
- Portable and Compact.
- Paddle, pump and carry bag included.
Cons
- Not as durable as a hardshell kayak.
- Slow and lacking performance compared to hardshell models.
- Manual handpump included.
- SUPER-STRONG – SuperStrong enhanced molecular formulation PVC provides superior strength and durability, ensuring high impact and abrasion resistance
- LOW PROFILE DESIGN – The Challenger K1 has a streamlined low-profile design that is perfect for easy paddling in lakes and mild rivers
- COCKPIT SEATS – Built with removable and adjustable seats, the cockpit design is spacious and comfortable, providing plenty of room for your legs and gear
- REMOVABLE SKEG – Attached to the underside of the kayak, the removable skeg provides directional stability, making it easier to maintain a straight and steady course while paddling
- 1-PERSON CAPACITY – Inflated size is 9 feet x 2.6 feet x 1.1 feet with a weight capacity of 220 pounds and easily foldable to be put in the carry bag that allows for easy transportation
Intex Challenger K1
As far as inflatable kayaks go, the K1 gives you everything you need in a kayak as a beginner. You get a low riding height in the water, good handling and maneuverability, comfortable adjustable seating, and an affordable price tag.
- Value for Money10
- Quality8
- Handling9
