Optimal Double Seater Inflatable Kayak

I run an adventure travel company that has kayaking on calm waters as one of its mainstay activities, and have to say that these kayaks have moved things on considerably from the inflatable boats we used to use. Brilliant quality, superb tracking, speed through the water every bit as good as a rigid, comfort and space far in excess of a sit-on-top, way better for beginners than a sit-inside. They take 10 minutes to inflate by hand and just two to pack up, and the fact that they look stylish too is just a bonus.

Quibbles are few: the seat squabs and drop stitch floor combo can be tough on the bum after a few hours, and at 4.3m they’re not the easiest boat to turn. Otherwise, I can’t think of a better purchase for the money for what we do.

This really is an excellent kayak, which works well either as a one- or two-person boat. It's easy to carry either in its bag or fully inflated, quick to set up, and simple to pack away. Once it's deflated (which is very fast) and dried off, it folds to fit in the bag easily and with plenty of room to spare. I had no trouble with any part of this as a solo user.

On the water, the boat is much more stable than one might expect, and it makes a decent speed if required. I found that the skeg makes a huge difference in achieving directional stability: without it, the boat was surprisingly susceptible to currents and wind. With the skeg fitted, it kept nice and straight, yet I had no difficulty turning tightly when required, even solo.

With two on board, there's room to take enough kit for a comfortable day trip if one makes use of the bungee cords on the decks. With only one person though, deck space is plentiful, and the boat still handles with ease: this is probably how I'll use it most often. I'm glad I chose the two-person Optimal over the one-or two-person Explorer.

Build quality seems excellent. I've found a small amount of wear on the bottom of the bag after a few trips and a D-ring on one of the packing-away straps snapped, but I count these as pretty inconsequential. I think the seats are comfortable and I've no complaints with the paddles, though I can see that they'll start to move as usage wears the fittings. I've made a footrest for single paddling: basically a length of hose inside a foam pool noodle. One of the straps will hold it in place through existing D-rings on the boat.

While the pump that's been supplied works pretty well, it's slow, hard work to inflate the boat fully. An electric pump makes a big difference - but it might be difficult to find one with a big enough battery to inflate two decks to 10-12PSI.

Overall, this is a first class boat and I'm very pleased with it indeed. Buy one and enjoy the freedom of paddling when and where you like without being restricted to hiring!

We brought our double Sandbanks Style kayak in the January sale, picked it up from the shop on 02nd Jan and with the hour we’re on the water! So far we have used it in Poole Harbour and on the river Arun and have had great fun doing so! As the photos show we take our dog Scout with us, and my husband, I and Scout fit in the kayak easily with enough space for additional gear too. It is lovely and roomy! The kayak is also very stable on the water and when getting in and out of. It tracks well and moves through the water smoothly. Even where I am solo paddling the kayak I can get a decent speed and it doesn’t feel cumbersome. It’s so much sleeker and faster than the other inflatable kayaks we’ve had.
If there is anything I would improve it would be to do with the carry bag and to put the wheels on the other side. I’m only 5ft so when I was wheeling it I didn’t realise the accessory pocket was catching on the floor and has worn a hole. So it needs lifting high to wheel it along which is a bit tricky being so short! Also some handles on the side of the kayak itself might help with lifting it on your own.
We’re very excited about all our future adventures together on this lovely kayak!

After my review I was contacted by Sandbanks.
With a resolution to my issue, this was then resolved. I have bought products online for over thirty years and never had this kind of service.
100% percent recommend Sandbanks! Great Job Guy’s. 👏

Although we have only used the kayak once due to the weather. We were very pleased with the quality, stability and ease of inflation / deflation.

The staff at Sandbanks Style were great, when we met them at the Southampton boat show, they were very helpful and took time to explain all the features of the kayak.

As a bonus for us, we were able to try the kayak at the show.

Well done Sandbanks Style