Inflatable Kayak Experience?

Seems like a bad idea

For your uses, I'd say to go for it.

We've got one.  I forget the brand.  It's great for little family day trips.  Get a little battery powered pump.  It usually needs more air after being on the water for about a half hour if the water is cold.  But after that second fill up it's good for the day.

problem with that inflatable kayak (besides the price and set up/take down time) is that if you tip over, you either have to know how to do an eskimo roll (where you remain sitting inside the tipped boat and vigorously flip yourself under the boat and back upright... requires a lot of practice as well a water tight 'cockpit' seal)... if you can't manage this pro level maneuver, you have to slither out and swim your now swamped kayak to shore and drain it before continuing.  It's also not the easiest type of vessel to launch, depending on the launch point

for these reason, IMO, sit-on-tops are by far the better way to go, especially for the not-too-serious/casual kayaker... since it can't fill up with water (or deflate), if you tip over, you can just climb back on and continue.  I actually like to flop overboard for a swim on hot days.  And if you have to launch or land on rocks or a concrete boat ramp, you don't have to worry about dragging a sit on top across those surfaces.

here's one that specs out almost the same as that inflatable (10' and around 40lbs), yet is around half the price ($250ish), and since they are practically indestructible, you can also have confidence buying one used (you can usually find even better ones for around $200 depending on where you live).

my wife and I own two sit on tops, both are around 16' and I have transported both of them at once all over CA (with gear in the holds) on top of a basic Yakima rack mounted to a Toyota Camry.  It was never a problem... besides strapping it to the rack, just attach straps to the front and rear bumper areas to hold the whole rack/kayak system steady.

if you google image 'nissan versa kayak rack' you'll see everything from multiple kayaks to canoes on top of that type of car

here's and example of a longer, heavier boat.

bonuses are you can easily attach an ice chest to the back, and you can take them out on the ocean if you ever decide to.

My brother has a one man inflatable kayak that he sometimes takes on trips as a checked bag.   Not sure of the brand, but weighs just under 50 lbs with paddles and takes about 10 minutes to inflate using a foot pump.   I have taken it out in Mexico, Hawaii, and the creek behind the stage at the Cuthbert for a WSP show.   Here it is in action on the Sea of Cortez off of Cabo Pulmo.  

I find it to be pretty stable, but did flip it in the surf once off of Oahu and it was a pain getting it righted and drained, so its best on flat water.  But having the option of bringing your own boat with you on the plane is awesome, especially of you are planning on spending a lot of time near the water. 

They're great in concert.

Oh, wait . . .wrong thread?

You can get a rack and carry two kayaks on that Nissan no problem. If you have the space to store the kayaks and plan on going frequently i'd invest in the rack system. I'm not big on inflatable boats either.

I researched them once and was a little concerned about wind.  Also, as far as rack cost, they make foam block kayak holders where you can strap down the front and back of the kayak, maybe around the middle too if you are concerned.  Transported our double sit-on-top and/or 14 foot canoe on my civic with these or just cut down pool noodles buncha times.  Just get the straps with the ratchet, ties down front and back to the frame under the car or something in the trunk. The biggest downside of a hard shell kayak is lifting it to car roof level, easy with 2 people, much harder with 1 (not gonna lie, no way I can do it alone).  The plastic sit on tops aren't sexy, but they get the job done. I wouldn't transport more than one boat at a time with the foam rack though.

On the other hand, for sheer portability, especially on long trips, I can totally see the plus of the inflatable. Driving with a big boat on top of the car for a long road trip would be less fun.

Not my car, but you'll get the idea.  They have actual foam blocks that will fit a kayak. For local trips we just do front and rear tie downs.

Where's Matanaska?

out fishing on his sit on top

I found one for cheap at a yard sale years ago. Took it to the put-in on a 3 day river trip and blew it up. When it held air, I thought what the heck.

Had a fun time but I would only use one if there was support, as I wouldn't want to count on it or load it with gear. I look at it like a rubber ducky. 

It was OK in the small rapids but I wouldn't row it down anything substantial. It didn't have that much control.

I'm sure the higher quality inflatables would provide a different experience and could be good for what you're doing. I'd probably prefer a hard kayak for decent rapids.

One word spelled wrong- barnicles 

We looked at a few different kayaks including the inflatable when we bought ours. We rented a couple different boats and tried out some friends as well. I really wanted to try out the foldup plastic boat that REI has but that was not a demo they offered at my local store. After a lot of research and many days on the lakes and rivers we settled with the Wilderness Systems Aspire 105. We liked this boat because it can handle a class 3 rapid and less (with a skirt of course), as well as lakes. There is a class 3 that I have yet to successfully navigate through, I will be taking a few more runs at it in april when it is just a bit warmer out. 

I ended up getting a second boat (same model) because my wife had claimed my boat as hers. We also have a tandem sit on top ocean kayak, that is what we started with. It only comes out now when we bring friends along. The tandem is a great gear hauler too. It can hold 500-600 lbs. 

I checked and ours is a Sevylor.  It's great for flat water.  Never took it open ocean or rapids.  It holds myself, wife, and 2 munchkins.  

I had a Sevylor inflatable raft that was small enough to go backpacking/hiking with (deflated) but could fit two people and a cooler.  Mainly used it on calm lakes and ponds in OR, but once took it on a stretch of the McKenzie where there were a few rapids (that was a bit hairy).

A friend had the Kayak and we used it for fishing on some of the lakes near Bend. You do have to be careful about hooks.