Usually, a tandem kayak is a big-ticket purchase. Fortunately, with the Intex Explorer K2, you get an entry-level kayak at an affordable price.
This inflatable might lack finesse and durability, but it makes up for it with a rock-bottom price tag and excellent performance on the water. You get a complete kit to start kayaking this weekend and a great user experience.
Watch Our Video Review
Contents
Here’s our Review of the Intex Explorer K2
The boat’s design is interesting, with clean lines, deep spray deck channels, raised cockpit coaming, and aggressive styling, with attractive colors.
The Explorer K2 sits low in the water, offering good stability and tracking with surprising maneuverability. You get a complete package with the K2, with everything you need to take it to the water and start your aquatic adventure.
Stats
- Length: 11.5-feet
- Dry Weight: 30.6-lbs.
- Max Load Capacity: 400-lbs.
- Packed Size: 16.25” x 13.50” x 23.13”
- Comfortable for anyone: Kayak includes an adjustable inflatable seat with backrest; Cockpit designed for comfort and space
- Dimensions: Inflated size 10 feet 3 x 3 feet x 1 feet 8 inch; Maximum weight capacity: 400 pounds
- Directional stability: Removable SKEG for directional stability
- Increased visibility: In case of emergency, bright yellow color helps visibility
- Made for smaller bodies of water: Explorer k2 is made for smaller bodies of water including lakes and mild rivers
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
Setting up the Explorer K2 is easy, and you don’t need any experience. The boat comes with large Boston valves for easy, fast inflation. The 2-way valves mean that air won’t escape when blowing up the kayak. You get a dual-way hand pump included with your kayak for rapid inflation, and it’s a good way to warm up for paddling.
We would prefer an electric 12-volt air pump included with the K2 package, but nothing is stopping you from buying one-off Amazon if you want to reduce the inflation time for the K2.
The pump inflates on the upward and downward stroke, and you’ll have the kayak ready for the water in less than 10-minutes. Pick it up and carry it from the car to the water using the drag handles on the bow and stern.
The K2 comes with a tri-chamber design, meaning you’ll need to inflate each chamber separately when setting up the kayak. You’ll find the side pontoon chambers come with an inflation indicator, letting you know when the boat reaches optimal inflation.
There’s less chance of over-inflating the boat and having the seams split or under-inflating it and having the kayak go soft on you in the water. The intelligent tri-chamber design improves the boat’s safety, reducing the chance of you sustaining a sinking risk on the water.
After inflating the boat, it’s time to blow up the seats. They are easy to inflate in a few minutes, and you fit them to the inside of the kayak using the buckles and Velcro.
After inflating the boat, you’ll start on the paddles. You get two paddles included with your purchase. They feature a lightweight aluminum design for easy handling and less fatigue in your arms when paddling. The paddles come with a collapsible design, allowing you to separate the paddle in the center for compact storage.
Design and Comfort
This boat isn’t the best choice if you’re planning a ten-hour trip down the river, but it’s an affordable choice for a kayak suitable for short trips. The Intex Explorer K2 brings you a comfortable ride, with the kayak sitting low in the water to make entering and exiting the boat easy from the water or the shore.
You get a two-passenger capacity for you and a family member or friend. When sitting in the cockpit, the Explorer feels like it has more room than other inflatables. The thinner sidewall construction on the K2 makes the kayak interior feel spacious, creating more space for movement in the boat.
The K2 comes with inflatable seats that attach to the kayak’s interior using buckles and Velcro to set up a custom seating position. You get plenty of support for the lower back when paddling and a lightweight, comfortable seat.
The K2 comes with paddles and a pump in the box for easy setup. We like the easy draining side channels on the spray deck and thick coaming that keep water out of the boat while allowing for the attachment of a spray skirt. Keep your gear up on the bow in the mesh net compartment for easy access.
The styling of the Intex Explorer K2 is impressive, with an aggressive look when it’s cutting through the water. We like the bright yellow color with grey accents to help you stand out in the water for easy visibility from the shore and other watercraft.
Performance and User Experience
When it comes to the performance of the Explorer K2, you can expect a boat that’s suitable for recreational use. This model isn’t something you want to take down the rapids or any environment where there’s a risk of puncturing the hull with submerged sharp objects.
The Explorer K2 comes with a 400-lbs load capacity, suitable for two adults. If you’re over 6-feet tall, you might find the cockpit a little crowded in the legroom department. However, the adjustable seats go a long way to providing a customizable setup for the kayak and user experience.
However, it’s an affordable boat that’s great for cruising the lake or river, giving you excellent handling and tracking. The hull features a large removable plastic skeg that assists with pointing and moving the kayak in your desired direction.
The hull doesn’t plane as well as hard-hull kayak models, so you can expect slower cruising speeds. You’ll also have to put more effort into paddling, and you’ll get less coasting out of the boat than you would with a hard shell model kayak.
The result is your arms tire faster, so don’t take this kayak out for a weekend paddling trip. However, if you’re looking for a kayak for a quick two hours trip, the Explorer K2 is an affordable choice. The plastic paddles are fine for paddling, and they are lightweight, reducing paddling fatigue. You get splash rings on the ends of the grips and a collapsing design for easy storage in the carry bag.
The only gripe we have with the paddles is the plastic materials in the design. They aren’t the most sturdy for pushing off from the shore when launching the boat. When launching and retrieving the kayak from the water, you have handy grab handles on the bow and stern.
Handling and Maneuverability
As an 11.5-foot inflatable, we didn’t expect much from the Intex Explorer K2 when it comes to handling and maneuvering the boat. However, it’s surprisingly better than you think. The way the boat sits low in the water increases stability when entering the boat from the dock or the shore.
When entering and exiting the boat, you’ll find plenty of space to move your hips around and adjust your seating position. Even with two people in the kayak, the floor stays relatively sturdy, with hardly any noticeable sag in the middle of the kayak.
When you get onto the lake and start paddling, you’ll find the kayak rides low in the water, allowing for a stable paddling platform that’s ideal for beginners to learn the movement of the kayak in the water. The low side walls also make it easier to get back into the kayak after having a swim in the lake.
The Intex Explorer K2 provides the user with less paddling performance and speed. However, the handling and maneuverability of the kayak are great. It’s easy to carve and turn and back paddle without any problems. It might not be the fastest kayak available, but it handles well, considering the price.
The low profile design and sleek aerodynamics of the front of the boat mean that it doesn’t catch the wind as much as other inflatable kayak models. The result is less drag on the kayak and less effort when paddling.
Portability
The Explorer K2 is highly portable and compact. After a day’s exploring, you’ll find the vinyl dries fast in the sun when you pull it from the water. You’ll love the drain valve positioned to the rear of the kayak. Open the valve and drain the water from the interior. If it’s overcast, a quick wipe with a towel is all it takes to dry the kayak and prepare for packing.
The K2 is easy to deflate and fold up into a compact size. The Boston valves allow for rapid air escape, so you don’t have to sit around waiting for half an hour for the boat to be ready for packing. You get a carry bag included with your purchase, allowing compact storage in the trunk of your car, ready for your next trip to the lake or river.
Deflate the chairs, fold them, and add them to the storage bag. The kayak weighs 27-lbs and 33-lbs with the seats, paddles, and bag when it’s fully deflated and ready for transport. There’s no need to have dedicated storage in your garage for the K2. Stash the carry bag away in a cupboard and forget about it until next season.
Durability
The Intex Explorer K2 features design and construction with 300-gauge PVC vinyl. That’s not the most durable material, and if you run this kayak into a submerged object, like an underwater tree branch, a sharp edge will likely cause a puncture. However, the triple-hull design with the K2 means that it’s unlikely you’ll experience a sinking event.
The Explorer K2 comes with a patch kit included with your purchase for convenient shoreline repairs. Still, it’s an inflatable, and you should avoid taking it into waters where there may be puncture risks.
Despite the thin vinyl materials, the K2 has an impressive design and build quality, with welded seams to prevent air leakages from the boat. With the right care and storage, you can expect this inflatable kayak to last for years.
It’s a great choice for recreational users who often don’t want to take their kayaking experience too seriously. All it needs is a quick rinse and wipe down before storage, and you’re ready to pack it away until the next adventure.
Value for Money
The Intex Explorer K2 offers the recreational kayaker a great entry-level model. If you want to get out on the water for an adventure with your partner or your kids, this boat gives you a way to enjoy some quality time together.
The affordable price tag is ideal for first-time kayak buyers looking for a practical kayak that won’t break their budget. If you catch the kayaking bug and want to spend more time on the water, you can upgrade later when the time calls for it.
While it’s not the most durable or high-performance kayak available, the Explorer K2 makes up for it with a design that’s easy to transport, simple to set up, and easy to use. If you’re looking for an affordable way to get into kayaking with family or friends, the K2 is a tandem model worth considering.
The Verdict
The Intex Explorer K2 is more than what you would expect from an inflatable model. This tandem kayak gives you a great entry-level model ready to take to the water and use right away. It’s the perfect choice for beginners that want to learn the nuances of how to kayak without going to the expense of buying a hard shell model for hundreds or thousands of dollars.
As far as inflatables go, the K2 brings you everything you need in a tandem kayak and more. Comfortable seating, a user-friendly setup, and a smooth paddling experience are parts and parcel of the K2 kayak. The K2 is responsive and a good choice for cruising the lakes.
However, we wouldn’t recommend this model to experienced kayakers. It’s a great choice to take on holiday and for occasional use. Taking it to the most demanding environments or using it as your go-to kayak for all conditions isn’t the way to go.
Pros
- Affordable
- 2-passenger capacity.
- Comfortable
- Easy to set up.
- Compact and portable.
- All accessories included.
Cons
- Not as durable as hard-shell kayaks.
- Slow compared to a traditional kayak.
- Manual handpump inflation.
- Comfortable for anyone: Kayak includes an adjustable inflatable seat with backrest; Cockpit designed for comfort and space
- Dimensions: Inflated size 10 feet 3 x 3 feet x 1 feet 8 inch; Maximum weight capacity: 400 pounds
- Directional stability: Removable SKEG for directional stability
- Increased visibility: In case of emergency, bright yellow color helps visibility
- Made for smaller bodies of water: Explorer k2 is made for smaller bodies of water including lakes and mild rivers
Intex Explorer K2
As far as inflatables go, the K2 brings you everything you need in a tandem kayak and more. Comfortable seating, a user-friendly setup, and a smooth paddling experience are parts and parcel of the K2 kayak. The K2 is responsive and a good choice for cruising the lakes.
- Value for Money9
- Quality8
- Handling8
