Sevylor Colorado inflatable kayak

Firstly, the Colorado is very easy and straightforward to inflate and only doesn’t take much more than five minutes. My kayak arrived with the supplied footpump and a pressure guage, as it’s important not to over inflate above 1.5 bar. Inflation is achieved with the help of Boston valves, which is akin to a double-barrel inflation and deflation system that worked extremely well in both cases.

A couple of tips though to make life easier at this stage is to inflate the central floor chamber first, as it’s difficult to access the valve if you inflate the walls first and secondly to insert the supplied detachable fin as its pretty difficult once inflated.

INFLATABLE SEAT

Such was my urge to get onto the river, I actually didn’t notice that the seats are inflatable too and that gave me an unfair negative impression on the Colorado on the first part of the paddle. I was too low down, chafing my knuckles on the sides and of course my backside was getting wet.

At the portage at the locks, I corrected this by inflating the seat and all was much, much better. You get a couple of inches of extra height, which helps considerably with your paddle stroke and control of the kayak, plus the bonus of a dry backside!

That extra height gained by inflating the seat is so important as the Colorado, being inflatable, is very wide and the higher you are, the more clearance you have over the side of the kayak with your stroke. The Colorado comes with a basic two-piece double blade included, which I didn’t use, however, it’s important to note that you can also use a single blade too, if that’s your preference.

I may have forgot to inflate the seat at the start but I didn’t forget to attach the fin and that is vital with such a broad, flat bottomed kayak in you want to maintain a decent tracking line. In that regard, the Colorado does well considering it’s lack of hull depth. Sevylor have welded directional strakes into the bottom hull of the Colorado, which helps too.

SPEED AND PACE

In single seat mode, the Colorado for obvious reasons in terms of speed, can be challenging. I was on the water with three fellow paddlers in a variety of roto-moulded kayaks and I struggled to keep pace and whilst they paddled and glided along, my paddle was a constant chug.

However, if I had been on my own, I honestly don’t think it would have been a problem, as I wouldn’t have needed to keep up with the group. The Colorado won’t win any races though.

One aspect of the Colorado, particularly in single-seat mode is the absence of foot and thigh braces. For me that’s a major drawback in respect of a day-ong paddle and even after our four-hour paddle, my back was doing plenty of complaining and I don’t suffer with back problems. Now there may be after market solutions to this problem, so I would look into this if your mission is longer sessions on the water.

Speaking about longer sessions on the water, you may be surprised at just how much water drips into the Colorado from the blades due to the open nature of the kayak. get yourself a couple of drip cups on the paddles to reduce this. It should also be noted that the Colorado has a very effective drainage system.

So there are a couple of negatives and so at this stage I think it’s important to note that the Colorado is obviously aimed at the family market and at a low price that introduces people into the sport without it costing a fortune. Therefore there will be sacrifices to performance, speed and sometimes comfort and those disadvantages are equally matched by the advantages of being an inflatable.

INFLATABLE ADVANTAGES

For a family kayak, it’s built to last, constructed with a sturdy material that’s both tough, durable and able to take a bump or two. The extra width also offers top-notch stability, which beginners will find reassuring straight away, it’s a craft that kids will take to in an instant and be able to have a lot of fun with. Add to that the obvious advantage of being able to fold away at the end of the paddle, without the need for roof bars and there can’t be too many grumbles. In short, families should love the Colorado.

It’s also important to note that all that I’ve written up to this point has been in single-seater mode. So on the Sunday morning I took the Colorado onto the water in our local boatyard with my son and just had a fun paddle as a two-seater.

TWO SEAT DIFFERENCES

Straight away you notice the uptake in speed, as we now have two engines paddling away and that makes a difference not just to performance but also comfort, as my big lump of a son in the front kayak provided a convenient foot brace for me as I placed my feet either side beneath his front seat. He in turn being much further forward was to brace himself into and under walls of the Colorado where it comes together at the bow.

This for me this is exactly what I would purchase a Colorado for: having a splash about for a few hours of fun with all the advantages of stability and ease of use. It also has plenty of carry handles, mesh in the back of the seats to place drink bottles and other attachment areas dotted around to make items secure.
Conclusion

The Colorado is all about uncomplicated fun at a very convenient pricing point – take the Colorado to a lake or a calm day at the beach and it will become the focal point of having a good time. It’s very easy to use as a platform in the water to jump in and out off with it’s soft rounded edges. If this is your reason for purchasing a double family kayak, then the Colorado does the job in spades. Get one for the kids and they’ll absolutely love you for it.

TECH SPECS

• Broad shape offering excellent stability.
• Boston, Mini Boston and Mini Double Lock valves for easy inflation and deflation.
• Easy Inflation Manometer: check pressure easily during inflation.
• Highly effective drainage system.
• Two fabric covered, adjustable seats with high backrests and inflatable sitting area.
• Removable seats – easily turn the kayak into a one or two-person version.
• Removable fin and welded directional strakes. for excellent manoeuvrability.
• Four ergonomic carry handles for easy transportation.
• The Colorado™ Kit also includes one paddle and pump.
• Carry bag (100% Nylon).

Price: UK £349; US $449; Europe €390