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The Itiwit touring kayak is meant for solo or tandem beginner kayakers looking to enjoy half-day trips. The kayak’s stability and ease of assembly and dismantling make it very user-friendly for beginners. It is also lightweight and easily portable since it comes with a backpack. You can also opt to buy this kayak if you are looking for a vessel with excellent maneuverability. The kayak tracks well to access spots that would otherwise be hard to reach.
Who Is Itiwit Touring Kayak For?
Itiwit is a touring kayak by decathlon that is quite popular among inflatable kayaks for beginners. If you’ve been looking for an excellent quality inflatable kayak, chances are you’ve come across the Itiwit kayak as a recommendation. In this article, we take you through this kayak, its features, and its performance. Please stick around until the end for a detailed review of the Itiwit touring kayak by decathlon.
How Much Does The Itiwit Inflatable Recreational Kayak Cost?
The Itiwit touring kayak costs around $300, depending on where you buy it. This is such an excellent price for the quality of this kayak, considering you can spend even $1000 for an average inflatable kayak.
Features Of The Itiwit Touring Kayak
The itiwit touring kayak has such great features for its price:
1. It comes with a large enough backpack to fit the kayak and accessories such as an air pump. The bag is ideal for carrying the kayak to and from the water before you inflate.
2. The kayak has three separate air chambers that work well to ensure you safely get to the shore, even in case of a puncture. These air chambers have Boston valves that prevent air from flowing out of the chambers.
3. Fast and easy to set up. Inflating this Itiwit kayak takes less than 5 minutes; set up the seats is also easy. All you need is to attach them to the bottom of the kayak with Velcro, tie the straps on the sides to adjust the backrest
4. It can be used for solo or tandem kayaking since the seats are adjustable to different configurations.
5. Equipped with carrying handles at the front, back, and sides for easier transporting
6. It has a large deck at the rear that is large and comes with a luggage net, making it ideal for your dry bags and other luggage
7. It comes with three directional skegs for shallow water that provide better tracking and stability
Specifications
Brand | Itiwit by Decathlon |
Material | PVC tarpaulin with polyester cover |
Weight | 19.8 lbs |
Max weight capacity | 331 lbs |
No of persons | one or two |
Length | 340 cm |
Width | 103 cm |
Pressure | 1.5 PSI or 0.1 bar |
How To Set Up The Itiwit Inflatable Touring Kayak
Setting up this kayak is effortless; it comes with a backpack that makes it great for transporting. This backpack can also fit an air pump and opens wide with the surrounding zipper.
Unpack the kayak from your backpack, ready to inflate it; inflating this itiwit kayak takes less than five minutes.
Inflating The Kayak
To inflate the kayak, unscrew the upper cap of the valve and start inflating the floor, then the side chambers to 0.1 bar. You can use a pump with an integrated pressure gauge to measure the amount of pressure. If your pump doesn’t have an air pressure gauge, an excellent guideline to inflate the kayak is to inflate it until there are no more wrinkles on the polyester.
Attaching The Seats
After inflating the kayak, inflate the seats with the pump until they feel comfortable enough for you. Some people love the seat cushions hard, while others prefer them soft. Attach the seats to the bottom of the kayak using Velcro, where the kayak is marked for placing seats and attach the backrest to the side of the kayak with the provided straps. These straps allow you to adjust the position of the backrest for a comfortable ride.
If you want to paddle alone, place the seat in the middle of the kayak and use the buckles on the side panels to secure the backrest. The seat will be secured using the velcro strip to keep it from slipping as you paddle.

Attaching The Skegs
Before you set out to the water, ensure you attach the skegs to the vessels. The kayak comes with three directional skegs that provide excellent tracking. The skegs are ideal for shallow water since they are smaller in size. Their small size makes the skegs quite good since they don’t cause unwanted grounding near the shore.
Take The Kayak To The Water
Now that your kayak is inflated and ready for the water, it is time to test and experience it. This kayak comes with carrying handles at the side that works well if you are carrying it by yourself. It also has handles at the bow and stern to make it easier for two persons to move the kayak. If you have a dry bag or any extra luggage you wish to carry, you can use the spray deck with the luggage net to attach your luggage.
How Does The Itiwit Touring Kayak Perform On The Water
The performance of this kayak on the water is quite impressive. It is stable enough to withstand jerky movements as you get into the kayak. The stability is thanks to its voluminous chambers and broad base. When you get into the kayak, the first thing that gets your attention is how comfortable the seats feel. Most inflatable kayaks do not provide the needed seating comfort, but this kayak is an exception. The high seat cushion of the kayak allows a good paddling position and ensures you stay dry even if water gets into your kayak. The backrest also ensures you maintain an upright posture since it stays put without bending backward.
On the water, you will notice that the kayak has a smooth entry attributed to its V-shaped front. Thanks to its patented bow shape, it also has a good glide performance that allows it to cover a small distance even when you are not paddling. We, however, noticed that the kayak works better with two paddlers since when used by a single paddler, it is prone to changing direction due to the wind. We recommend using the 1-person configuration in fair weather for a smooth ride. Having the skegs installed will also help in maintaining excellent tracking even at straight-line speed.
When the kayak is used in a two-person configuration by tall paddlers, the space is too small. You can adjust the seats as you want for a comfortable feel, but still, the space for your legs is limited. The front paddler enjoys more legroom, but the side tubes make the area feel too tight for trips that will last several hours. You can use the space behind your seat to store the backpack with your gear.
The kayak dries quite fast when it’s sunny, making it ideal for those splashy trips. It also has a drain valve at the bottom to allow you to drain the water that might get into your kayak from a wave. The kayak is also easy to wipe dry, and this ensures you stay comfortable throughout your trip.
We took the kayak to a nearby river that is easy to paddle, and the performance was exceptional. The river’s currents add to the kayak driving characteristics, making it possible to take a half-day trip comfortably. The kayak offers better protection against grounding compared to other inflatable kayaks.
Overall, we would say the kayak performs exceptionally well on the water but is only comfortable enough for a few hours on the water, preferably on half-day trips.
How To Dismantle The Itiwit Touring Inflatable Kayak
Dismantling this kayak is relatively straightforward: first, deflate the kayak and remove the skegs. Ensure the skeg holders are well-positioned and not bent. Start folding the kayak from the side opposite the valves to ensure you get any trapped air out. Pack the kayak into the transport backpack and carry I home. If the kayak is still wet, we recommend putting it outside at home to dry and prevent mold.
Strengths Of The Itiwit Kayak
1. Great Price– undoubtedly, the price-performance ratio of this kayak is quite impressive; you get a high-quality inflatable kayak at a very affordable price.
2. Excellent stability and maneuverability
3. Comfortable seats that provide sufficient support
4. Has a functional luggage net
5. It comes with a transport backpack
6. It has enough handles to make it easy to carry the kayak to and from the water
Weaknesses Of The Itiwit Kayak
1. Low-weight capacity
2. Compact space that is too small for two tall paddlers
3. Wide chambers make it impossible to use a short paddle
The Takeaway
The itiwit touring kayak is excellent for beginners and experts looking to enjoy short trips on the water. For its price, you get outstanding performance and a comfortable paddling experience. The kayak has some downsides, but minor issues can be overlooked, especially for short trips.
If you are on the lookout for a great quality budget kayak, we highly recommend this Itiwit kayak. Get yours and let us know how you like it.
References:
- https://www.paddleventure.com/itiwit-touring-kayak-review/
- https://in4adventure.com/decathlon-itiwit-inflatable-kayak-review-walmart-kayak/