Do you feel the need? The need for SPEED? You could be zooming along with the ultra-fast, but conveniently compact Speed Demon kayak package. The basis of this package is the unique AirFusion EVO inflatable kayak plus the AirFusion Skeg, so you get the best possible performance on the water. See below for why the AirFusion EVO is awesome for speed-demon kayakers.
Paddlers who need (or want) a lightweight kayak and
Want to go fast and paddle like the wind
Want a recreational paddle and cover long distances
Want to keep up with fellow paddlers
Want to get some exercise
Here’s why this kayak is awesome for speed-demon kayakers
Nice and Long
Stretches out at 4m, which gives you good momentum. You can glide along in the water for quite a while after you stop paddling.
Narrow Beam
The AirFusion EVO Kayak from Advanced Elements is a fast kayak; you can draw your paddle very close to your body, giving you a good workout and plenty of speed from powerful strokes.
Straight Tracking
The award winning skin-on-frame design has a hull that tracks exceptionally well, so you can focus on speed rather than correction.
Low Centre of Gravity
The low centre of gravity means you are not so wind affected.
Lightweight
Extremely lightweight at only 14.5kg so you are not hauling a tanker through the water. You can get this nimble kayak up to a good speed very quickly.
AirFusion EVO Kayak Specifications
LENGTH: 13′ (4m)
WEIGHT: 32 lbs (14.5 kg)
COLOUR: Orange
BRAND: Advanced Elements
LAKED, BAYS AND INLAND WATERWAYS: Yes
COASTAL/OPEN WATER: Yes
WIDTH: 24” (61cm)
MAXIMUM CAPACITY: 235 lbs (106 kg)
DEFLATED AND PACKED DIMENSIONS: 35″ X 21″ X 9″ (89cm x 53cm x 23cm)
If you get the optional skeg, it’s easy to keep it tracking straight.
If you do not get the skeg, it’s going to depend on your technique. If you are a beginner to kayaking, I would suggest getting some lessons with the AirFusion EVO kayak (or just buy the skeg).
The seat (included) has a stiff, high back, which gives you excellent support, IF you get the angle right.
The seat includes an inflatable bum cushion, which gives you some nice lift off the floor of the kayak. I’ve found this lift takes the pressure off the hamstrings and lower back.
The front thwart acts as a foot brace, which adds to your comfort by supporting your lower back as you paddle.
The front thwart in the AirFusion EVO acts as a foot brace.
A lot of paddlers swear by foot braces for encouraging good paddling technique and for supporting the lower back.
The AirFusion EVO kayak has very good back support – the seat back is high and stiff with adjustable straps to get the angle right. It also includes an inflatable bum pad for comfort and lift.
The AirFusion EVO kayak is quite narrow, which means it is not really stable enough for an unpredictable element, like a child.
I tried to take my daughter out in it once and we got about 20 metres out when she leaned over the side to look at something and I realised we needed to go straight back to shore!
We have customers that use it as a tender, but you need to understand that it’s not our most stable kayak and it has a cockpit that you need to get yourself in and out of… so in terms of entry and exit from a boat, it’s not the easiest choice we offer.
It’s fast and comfortable enough for anything from 1 hour to a multi-day trip.
For multi-day expeditions, you don’t have as much deck space for storage of gear, compared to the AdvancedFrame Expedition Elite, which has a higher capacity and more storage space.
The AirFusion EVO kayak is fine for class 1 and 2 whitewater, however it is really designed to paddle in a straight line, and therefore not recommended for rivers above class 2.
It’s not my first choice for a beginner, because it’s not super stable and not as easy to paddle straight without the skeg.
If a beginner was interested in the AirFusion EVO kayak, I would recommend buying the skeg, and either Youtubing kayaking technique or getting some actual kayak lessons. It won’t take long to master it and it’s a wonderful kayak – well worth it!
In my experience, seniors are looking for a lightweight kayak, and at 14.5kg, the AirFusion EVO kayak is reasonably lightweight.
The other key features for seniors are stability and ease of getting in and out – the AirFusion EVO does NOT satisfy these criteria so well.
It’s a long, narrow kayak, which means it’s awesome to paddle, but less stable on the water, especially when getting in and out.
It has a fixed cockpit as well, so you need some flexibility to tuck your legs in.
The seniors I have sold it to in the past were experienced kayakers and could manage this, no problem.
So it’s really up to you! If you are not very tall, the cockpit probably won’t be an issue. If you give yourself some time and maybe lessons, the stability will come.
It’s not our easiest kayak for getting in and out of, but I don’t think I would say it was difficult.
It’s less stable than our others, so you have to be a bit more careful, and it has a fixed cockpit, so if you have very long legs, it might be a struggle to tuck them in there.
You just take off the valve covers and set the valves to deflate.
You can use the deflate function of the pump if you want to, but I have never found this to be necessary.
Once deflated, you might need to prop the ends up on something to slide the connecting pole off, so you can disassemble the pole structure (this will make more sense when you do it).
The outside of the kayak is PU tarpaulin, so you can just wipe it down with a towel.
On the inside, the seat and the thwarts have fabric, so you want to keep the inside dry if possible.
The best thing for this is to put an old towel inside the kayak when you go paddling. This prevents you bringing in a lot of water with your feet, and absorbs any drips.
The kayak comes with folding instructions and yes, it DOES go back in the bag!
Our 90-day “Try it on the Water” Guarantee means that if the kayak is not what you expected, you have 90 days after delivery to return the kayak for a FULL refund.