Intex Explorer K2 Inflatable Kayak vs Class IV Rapids (Poudre River, Colorado) 

The crux of this run is Mishiwaka Falls at 7:45 To anyone impressed with the performance and durability of this inflatable kayak: I feel I need to warn you that Intex's new model of Explorer K2 is not as sturdy as the old Intex Explorer K2 I used for these videos. When the design changed over the life span on the IK dropped from 2 years to 2 months (ofcourse this is with heavy use, clearly going outside of what this boat is meant for). Price did drop to about 50% of what I payed for the old model, making it more affordable. The Explorer K2 should still work well for lakes and Class II/III rivers but I would be weary about attempting the heavy use and class IV rapids seen in this video.

I've shown the video to friends who impressed by your skills and the Intex Explorer K2. Intex should send you folks a commission check. The video convinced a bunch of folks to buy the Explorer K2. Good job.

I bought mine a month ago and have at least 8 times on the water already. You guys really make me feel like I made a good purchase. It's killer watching it go through these rapids! Well done

This is awesome! We used to run rivers in cheap inflatables. It is fun! Brought back many crazy memories of good times. Thanks for posting.

I was skeptical on getting one of these for lake/calm river fishing, but after seeing it nail these rapids I’m sold. I can’t wait to try it out.

Thanks for posting this, I just bought one of these for fishing in some much calmer waters and was worried about their stability, but they look like they handled this very well, so I'm sure they'll handle calm lakes and rivers just fine for fishing.

This video convinced me to buy this kayak. Now I have two of the doubles. Thanks for posting!!!

Wow! I bought one to drift on Florida’s lazy spring fed rivers and wifey is all worried about how tough it is. I’m gonna show her this. Thanks for posting.

Nice video.. great footage and music... Can't imagine river running in my Intex explorer.. but sure was fun to watch.. makes me much more confident in its everyday use.. and I think your river skills is what made up for floating an inflatable down a decently moving river...

Thanks for sharing, I was thinking of getting one for my kids to screw around on local lakes but good to know they can handle some rapids!

jesus christ lol, that was epic. next up should be one of those yellow ducky float rings!

Just got the K2 and used past weekend. Honestly can’t beat it. Less then 10 min in water. Don’t know about class 4’s for me but very impressed. Great video!

Saw your review on Amazon. I'm impressed. I might actually buy this. Thing is, I'm not even trying to use it for something like this; just a calm river that's a bit too slow to tube. Figured a cheap kayak was the next best thing. Thanks for sharing!

Just bought one. Thanks for video

Gotta love this.great video and music ... I take my K 2 in the ocean and it's really a great boat. For the price. 80 bucks online about A year and half ago. W paddle. Pump and seats

I've read that the Intex Explorer K2 is a great little starter IK for the $$$. But if you can afford an extra $120 (or so), it's beefier brother is even better - the Intex Excursion Pro K2. It's an overall great "starter plus" IK for the $$$ too. You can't go wrong with either of these babies if you're just going for a weekend of little adventures a few times a year. Nice vid =)

I've been renting a tandem for years for the Colorado when I had this at home thinking it wasn't good enough!

Aawesome video which shows that the Explorer is up to the task! Thanks!!

Thanks for the video, I am taking mine out today for its first use, wont be anything this rough, calm lake :p - but it is nice to know it can handle this - awesome job, though i think it would have been cool if we could hear you guys reacting :P

Hey, excellent .. greetings from Colombia

just purchased our intex, taking it out today for the maiden voyage!

Guess I need to get my k2 out of calm waters...this video is awesomely reassuring of this kayak's ability

Thanks for the video! I've got the Intex Challenger K1 and was unsure if it could handle white water

After watching this video, I’m surely taking my k2 explorer deer hunting !!!

lol didn't realize how capable my K2 really is

Nice line fella! 👏 I’m looking to grab one of the new models and will be using it to paddle about my local bay and river on high tide. I take it it should be fine? I’m not looking to drag over rocks or put it through it’s paces or anything mainly chilled use such as lazy paddling and sunny days on the bay.

yeah, great video. seems like this is your thing. any thoughts on the intex excursion pro being better suited for class 4 rapids? i'd imagine doing it only on occasion? thanks.

Excellent, thanks for sharing

Class 3 and 4? Holy crap! That's impressive for cheap inflatable kayaks. I generally paddle a 17' handbuilt mahogany and fiberglass greenland style sea kayak, but I wanted to drag my wife out on the water and thinking about a cheap tandem inflatable from Amazon. I was trying to decide between the Explorer K2 or Challenger K2 for mostly calm lakes and maybe class 2 /3. The Challenger is slightly longer and narrower, so probably better for tracking /cruising speed, but the shape of the Explorer looks better for waves and rapids. Do you need the skeg for tracking in calm water?

Great video!!! 👍🏻👍🏻👍🏻

Looks really fun

Now that looks like fun!!!

Bought mine today ...first time out in the waters.....hopefully I enjoy it like everyone being in water and nature

Nice video!! Thank you!

Probably good enough for upper colorado from pumphouse to state bridge, right?

Very nice video.

Awesome skills!

I hope Intex makes this right by you :) On perhaps an average day for you- you showed these kayaks are not a joke and in the right hands- are actually rockstars. Looked like a helluva ride! Cheers.

Awesome video

Спасибо за видео 👍

Sweet, I know what I'll be doing this summer lol with my new k2

Hi great video if you get water inside kayak are there drain holes thanks Dave

That was really cool. I guess I know what kayak I am getting. At least I know what company. Thanks

tumbs up to do such river with such cheap kayak..and this girl alone in kayak ..awesome :)

You've sold me on the Intex... 😁

did you guys have your rudders in, Im thinking the rocks would knock it off? I just bought the k2 challenger cant wait to do this, i better get a helmet haha

Would you recommend this for someone out of practice? I want one for both light rapids (mid july and later on the poudre) and lakes.

Howdy - great video thanks ! Q: are you using tge detachable Skeg (bottom fin, newbies) in these rapids ? I was wondering how sturdy is the Skeg & its attachment point to boat - is there danger to rip it off & create hole in boat ? Love to hear input from anyone with experience !

Do you install the seat at all? I tried whitewater kayaking with my k2 and put the seat strap in the forward position but use the rear velcro. It's okay but after flipping the seat bounces around...

Is this kayak more durable than the excursion pro?

Great Kayak For small price, thanks

Completely off topic but damn I love that song. 😎 Ooh and I got the Explorer K2 as well since a few weeks ago, only used it on still water here in my hometown in Lokeren, Belgium

I am wanting to get this for a lake. Thanks for posting the video! Do you have a picture of the box you can send me? I am confused on what you mean by newer model vs older model? If you have a picture or can link me to a picture I’d love to see if maybe I can find the older model anywhere

Have you add issues with the hand pump coming apart when using? Mine constantly pulls out and can't figure out a fix.

I use the INTEX K1 in up to class II rapids and am not at all worried about it. Not the most manuverable kayak (wants to scoot out from under you if you have to turn 90 degrees to a really fast flow), but it's much better made than I ever expected and two of them fit in the very small trunk of my car. This month we're taking them through the Etowah Mine tunnel. It will the first time I'll be able to use some of my caving gear (helment/camera/light) and kayak class two rapids in the dark lol....

The new one doesn’t last three days; the old one lasted two years! That says it all! I have two of the new ones and one got a puncture just from transporting it ten miles in the van. I have no idea how it happened but I wouldn’t trust these further than I could swim to land. I always, always carry the air pump and wear my PFD every moment. I am always worried about poking it on a rock or branch. Does anyone know how to spot the better quality older ones? Might be a good used kayak purchase.

I've been on the fence about this but I think you just convinced me to buy one.

Any issues with with punctures? I was thinking about picking one up. Im and doing a 30 mile paddle trip down a class 2 stream with a friend. I have a Zoik Big Ego. Was going to let me friend use this but I am a little worried about punctures. The section of river we are running is a low runnable level listed by americanwhitewater.org

I was just trying to find videos on RU-vid because I’m planning a river trip soon. Both myself and my two sons on a K2 each. I’m going to be upgrading to a C eagle soon to tackle some more serious Whitewater but I’ve easily gone over class one and class two rapids in this inflatable kayak. It’s a little bit federally to have to take out an in-flight but it’s a hell of a lot easier than having to put the kayak on a rack and carry it everywhere. I like my inflatable kayak for a lot of reasons. I’ll keep a patch kit and a portable pump And it anytime I go kayaking and I get my kids and myself to practice flipping over and crawling back in out of the water. It’s pretty good because it takes a lot of kit if you want to go camping or fishing etc. I wouldn’t dare take it over class for rapid but my hats go off to you for having balls to do this. Great video. Keep on paddling. :-)

Thank you so much for posting this. I love my explorer for fishing but wasn't sure if it would handle any whitewater. You really put it to the test! I'm assuming you didn't have the skeg on. It looks as though it responded well though. LOVE THIS VID!!!!

That pool toy will last about one day on some sharp rocks.

Very good

I love mine had for two seasons.. need a new one

awesome

Tough thing yeah? I got Explorer K2 and Excursion Pro K1. it seems like a lovely family activity

subscribed.. great videos

Did you go over the falls backwards on purpose?

Hello sir, i had a question. I want to buy an inflatable kayak to ise it on a rapid class 2 for one person what can i buy there are stones And the water is not that deep. But want a good inflatable kayak thats not that expensive

Was curious if you run the skegg in these conditions? Has it broke off if you are running it

What is the name of the soundtrack? Love the video btw mate!

Nice video. Thanks. BTW... these boats are now (08/2022) $160+ on Amazon! ...Just sayin'. I've paddled five or six of my local class II-III(IV) whitewater rivers in rafts and inflatable kayaks (IK's) for over 30 years, and have literally owned a score or more of them. They have ranged in price from $50 to over $4,000 each. I currently own six IK's - two inexpensive "department store" vinyl ones that are older but very similar in size, design, construction and materials to the Intex Explorer K2, and I have four, $500 self-bailing, whitewater ones made of thick, fabric-enforced PVC. I picked the latter ones up about 7 years ago for a tremendous discount during a spectacular and rare clearance event. (I also have a couple of hard plastic kayaks, but that is for another video.) In whitewater I like to paddle the inexpensive vinyl kayaks as well as any. They usually don't self bail, but they do ride high and dry and therefore will usually only need to be dumped a few times on an average trip. I also like the way the vinyl ones handle. They are light, quick to accelerate or spin, and are very forgiving. They rarely ever pitch anybody into the river, even in the teeth of the worst rapids. This isn't as cut and dried with every IK. Even some of the most brutally expensive, purpose-built, Hypalon and PVC whitewater self-bailers I've owned or used over the years weren't nearly as nice and confidence-inspiring to paddle as some of the cheapest ones, and some will ceremoniously hurl you into the drink at the slightest mistake. The finest single inflatable boat-related accessory I ever purchased was a small, cordless Makita blower, Model DUB182 and a set of cheap, plastic valve nozzles that happen to fit over the rubber tube. It inflates them on the river bank in mere seconds each, and it gets them plenty firm enough to just jump in and shove off (it also clears the driveway of grass clippings and does lots of other things). I have filled six or more boats at a time with it and have never run out of battery. It also completely deflates them for quick, compact and easy packing when you're done. It doesn't like the tiny "mouth-type" valves on cheap pool floats and some kayak seats, but any other type of valve is pure cake. I take a small hand pump on the river in a dry bag just in case, along with a repair kit and duct tape, but have only had to use these things a time or two across 3 decades and well over a thousand individual boat-miles. With inflatables, you just have to be aware of the fact that it can be punctured, and treat them accordingly. They can take the usual knocks and scrapes on the river, but do try to be careful in the shallows and don't scrape them against things any more than you have to. Don't stand in them when gravel or rocks are under you, whether in the shallows or on the bank. And I NEVER drag my IK's on the ground - anywhere - nor do I allow friends and guests to do so. Always pick your boats up and carry them. This is especially true at put-ins and take-outs where sticks, thorns, sharp rocks, broken glass etc is a possibility. Whether or not I can actually see any of these hazards has nothing at all to do with it. This is a chance you simply don't have to take, so don't. And NEVER EVER over-inflate them. If in doubt about this, err on the side of caution and leave them a little soft. Believe me, you'll still be fine. You might even get used to the feel of it and learn to think nothing of it. Okay, If you haven't picked up on it yet, I am a bit anal about taking care of my boats. This is why one of my IK's is still going strong after 20 years and hundreds of river miles, though it cost me only $75 at the time of purchase! And every day some careless bonehead is online complaining about getting a hole in the side and blaming the boat! Somehow I just can't sympathize with most of them. In 30 years I've had one cheap boat fail because of a factory defect, and it went straight back to the place of purchase for a cheerful and complete refund. Anyway, sorry to go on and on. I just got completely into the video. Thanks again, and paddle on!

Innanzitutto complimenti per il video...ho appena acquistato l' Intex explorer k2 per 124€ su Amazon..avevo fatto un po' di ricerche e mi era sembrato un buon prodotto in rapporto qualità-prezzo, sempre considerato il prezzo base e lo sconto.. pensavo che fosse giusto un giocattolo con il quale sperare di farlo durare per una vacanza..voi avete mostrato invece che con 124€ ho effettuato l'acquisto del secolo mettendolo a dura prova sulle rapide..ed un giocattolo non resiste a tali sollecitazioni..quindi se già prima ero convinto immaginate adesso..grazie ed un saluto dall' Italia 🇮🇹

Whats your opinion I bought this kayak for river with small rocks is good choose or I broke it on my first time ?

What year was the model in the vid?

So I saw you mentiomed the new model isnt as sturdy. We just got one for lake and pond use. Think it's still ok for that kind of stuff,m

would this be suitable for exploring sea caves

Hello, maybe you can help me in a question. I've bought an Explorer K2, and the internal valve of the chamber of the floor is leaking. The superior cover stops the leaking, but I feel this is not right, is it?

Did you have the skeg in for that trip? Any issues with it coming out?

What model do you have? Number please

Is intex challenger k2 able to do the same job as the explorer in this vid?

May I ask, are you still using that kayak? If not, how long did it lasted?

this video just helped me make my decisione on wich kayak to get.thanks and realy great music.

any rips or tears? I have the same boat just afraid to take into river rapids.

did the kayak survive ?

The INTEX EXPLORER 2 ain't no pool toy! It is a very durable and well made craft! I haven't taken mine on rapids like this but I would take my Intex anywhere on the planet (except deep ocean water) in an instant without any fear of gear failure.

These boats are virtually unsinkable. They might be more prone to puncturing than others, though. What did you replace yours with?

How were they stored poorly to cause leaks? I have one ordered coming soon and just figure you fold it up and store it away...

but do you recommend the intex?

Awesome video! Did you use the 96 inch or 84 inch paddle for the rapids in this kayak?

I had one of these things and it wouldn’t even stay up right with me in it granted I weigh 230ibs but gave it to a kid and it barely worked for him guess I got a bad one

This is class 4??

greath trio!! we Will buy a Explorer K2 from Italy!!

keel installed?

Красивая река .класный сплав.и снято красиво. спасибо.

Would you recommend the K2?

I could use something tough like this

👍💯👍💯👍👏😜

Any one in bc looking for paddling mates I'm dieing to get on a river

Song please lol

you kayak in your pool?!? damn i want to see the size of that pool