Optimal Single Seater Inflatable Kayak
Pickup currently unavailable at Sandbanks Style Shop
Description
The Optimal is an inflatable, crossover kayak that truly excels in any water and is designed to feel just like a solid kayak and not compromise on performance. The Optimal will help inspire confidence in with a balanced rocker profile for speed on the flat and maneuverability in whitewater. The V-shaped hull is designed for stability and also helps the Optimal cut through the water effortlessly making it ideal for ocean, river and lake paddling. The rounded stern sheds water easily, making it forgiving in moving water. There are luggage straps at the front and rear so it has plenty of room for dry bags and gear for your day on the water.
The Optimal kayak comes with one removable deluxe kayak seats with a more back support, a 4-piece paddle & a new, improved wheel bag as well as a removable skeg to add speed and stability.
The optimal is available as a single or double seater.
NEW UPGRADE AVAILABLE: Upgrade to a 4 piece fibreglass paddle for just £50.00 per paddle
If you aren't sure how to put the kayak together then the full manual can be found on our website
What's in the box
Special Features
Full Specification
5 year warranty
EXCEPTIONAL GLIDE & DURABILITY
JUST LIKE PADDLING A RIGID KAYAK
BUILT FOR MAX STABILITY
What makes our full dropstitch kayaks different to traditional inflatable kayaks?
Inflatable kayaks have come a long way since the traditional models with low pressure chambers & large tubular sides made from weak materials. Our full dropstitch inflatable kayaks are so rigid that you won't believe that they are inflatable!
Rigid like a solid: The drop stitch materials which we build our kayaks with allow the boats to pump up to 12PSI making the them rock solid.
Extremely Durable: The materials are so strong you will struggle to puncture our kayaks. You no longer have to worry about rocks, abrasions or pet claws. We have so much confidence in them that they now come with a 5 year warranty!
Glides Effortlessly: Our kayaks are so rigid that they glide through the water like a solid kayak. No more drag caused by the kayak bending when you sit in it
Easy to inflate & Deflate: All the benefits of rigid kayak on the water but no need for roof racks or storage at home. Inflate and deflate in less than 10 minutes. What's more once you are finished paddling everything will fit back into it's wheeled rucksack bag.
The full package
Comes with all the best accessories to make paddling, pumping and transporting you kayak as easy as possible.
4-piece aluminium paddle
Durable, lightweight 4-piece paddle that
packs down into bag. Can be feathered
for a better paddling experience.
Deluxe kayak seat
Comfortable and supportive seat that
easily attaches to the kayak with
non-corrosive clips.
Detachable fin - slide and clip
Simple fin, easy to take in & out
with plastic clip to secure it.
.
Compact wheel bag (improved)
Durable padded rucksack bag with
wheels to comfortably transport and store
your kayak and all its kit
Hand pump
Double action hand pump for a simple
inflation and deflation
.
4-piece aluminium paddle
Durable, lightweight 4-piece paddle that
packs down into bag. Can be feathered
for a better paddling experience.
Deluxe kayak seat
Comfortable and supportive seat that
easily attaches to the kayak with
non-corrosive clips.
Detachable fin - slide and clip
Simple fin, easy to take in & out
with plastic clip to secure it.
.
Compact wheel bag (improved)
Durable padded rucksack bag with
wheels to comfortably transport and store
your kayak and all its kit
Hand pump
Double action hand pump for a simple
inflation and deflation
.
Really good Kayak, great quality, easy and quick to setup. Effortless to paddle and tracks nicely.
Purchased one 2 years ago and used it extensively for sea kayaking. So impressed I purchased another for the wife. Premium quality, super rigid and tracks wonderfully even in choppy waters. Fabulous purchase 👍🏻
Kayak rides well and is extremely stable.
Easy to transport once inflated and seems durable. Very happy with it
I sold my hard shell kayak and purchased the Optimal kayak. It is so much easier to store and transport, and manually inflates and deflates very quickly. The orange livery looks great. The boat is very stable and easy to paddle, and I hope to get many years service from it.
Only used the kayak once on a lake but it seems like a very robust, well-made all-rounder. We tried it first with the skeg in place and found it tracks very well into the wind and with it but it took some force from a poor paddler to get it to change direction sometimes. We therefore took the skeg off and went back out. This made a big difference - the kayak changed direction really easily and transformed it from a longer distance to a fun boat.
This was a first experience with a drop stitch kayak and is recommended. The boat is very rigid - there's some flex over waves (but we had it on a slightly lower than recommended pressure) but it has all the benefits of an inflatable with nearly the rigidity of a plastic boat. It does take a bit of puff to blow it up and it isn't the lightest but looks long-lasting and robust. Excellent!
Let customers speak for us
Very simply - can’t fault it. We wanted a double kayak with shallow draft, good tracking and powerful glide to push against the ebbing tide in Poole harbour, that can travel in or in my Jimny. After its first trip out we are thrilled. It tracks very well without the fin attached if required, is very stable which is important as we are well past middle age. It is also very comfortable allowing us to paddle on longer journeys without becoming too fatigued. Plenty of room to take kit in canoe bags and I like the idea of being able to put water bottles in the seat pockets. We are totally confident to take the kayak out on any water (in suitable conditions for kayaks). Delivery was super reliable and service first class. Absolutely recommend.
Very happy with my explore. Great quality and excellent price. Quick dispatch too.
I bought this as a package just over two weeks ago and I must say I’m really impressed with the quality. It ticks all my requirements and the paperboard has a 7 year warranty on its welds.
Really good Kayak, great quality, easy and quick to setup. Effortless to paddle and tracks nicely.
Purchased one 2 years ago and used it extensively for sea kayaking. So impressed I purchased another for the wife. Premium quality, super rigid and tracks wonderfully even in choppy waters. Fabulous purchase 👍🏻
We are thrilled with our new inflatable kayak - the service was great and the product exceeds our expectations. I rang the day before Prue's birthday to discuss availability and the shop got one out and ready for my son-in-law to collect later that same day, so it was presented to Prue on the day itself and went into active service later that afternoon.
I was really impressed by how rigid the kayak is once it's pumped up - didn't take too long to inflate and we were on the water very quickly. We were both delighted with the speed and manoeuvrability of the kayak in the water, felt remarkably like the rigid ones we had been using in Greece a week before, but so good that it can be deflated and easily stored and carried around. The grand-children also loved it straightaway and it is now in high demand.
All-in-all a great experience and a super product.
Great board for the beginner, it feels very stable in the water and is pretty light to carry compared to other boards I’ve used. Very happy with it 😊
Kayak rides well and is extremely stable.
Easy to transport once inflated and seems durable. Very happy with it
I'm about as likely to write a review as I am to buy a kayak without doing a buttload of research first. Either way, here we are.
After realising inflatable kayaks were a thing these days, and then realising I didn't have to invest in a roof rack, chiropractor and psychiatric appointments to get my daughter involved in a passion I've had since I was younger, I started the hunt. Took me a while to hear of drop stitch tech, but as soon as I did, and weighed up the pros and cons, I realised that was the perfect balance between hardshell ambitions and realistic logistics - the unicorn of all paddlers.
After annoying the team at Sandbanks with many questions... on an actual phone call (numerous times in a single day - talk about the good old halcyon days of customer service) I went for the Optimal double. One word: amazing.
Pros:
As stable as they all say.
Performs as well, if not better than a lot of hardshells I've been lumbered with over the years.
Tracks like a dream.
Looks very cool - we all know that's important.
Exceptionally rugged (I was led down a path with nettles and protruding branches that gave me a heart attack - not a puncture to be seen, despite several glancing blows).
Gives a satisfying thud when slapped.
More spacious than you'd think, especially if you're not planning multi-days or don't require an air mattress and 40-inch TV to enjoy a night on the banks. I had easily enough space to stow two 20l dry bags between our legs and still have the bungees free for bigger fare.
The paddles are a decent step up from most beginner sets.
The seats are a lot more comfortable than my ageing back expected.
Great amount of glide.
Also, a lot faster than my mate's Itiwit X100: 'it looks like you aren't even trying' - smug!
The one con:
It's not as light as you'd imagine for something that's inflatable... but a second paddler, who isn't my five year old daughter, or a pair of wheels, and that isn't a huge problem at all - I still managed two lock portages on the hottest day of the year. And, remember, the extra weight is where the increased durability is... mad not to take the trade-off.
The verdict?
It changed my perception of what's possible with some PVC and a hand pump - a total game changer. From exceptional customer service to hearing my five year old daughter say 'daddy, I love kayaking', this isn't just a great purchase... it's responsible for the proudest dad moment I've had so far.
As a paddle leader, I’ve bought and tested many Sandbankstyle SUP boards over the years, and they’ve consistently impressed me with their sturdiness, manoeuvrability, and lightweight design. They’re incredibly easy to manage both on and off the water. This time, I was specifically looking for a board that could accommodate a kayak seat, and this one delivered perfectly. The bag is strong and roomy with rucksack straps and wheels ,
The whole package was excellent value for money. I’d absolutely recommend Sandbankstyle boards to anyone looking for a reliable and versatile SUP.
Ann Berrett
Instagram - @boundariesbeyond
I snapped my standard paddle and contacted Sandbanks to order a replacement. I wasn’t after a freeby as it was over a year old but was offered a replacement at no cost or an upgrade at a reduced price as an existing customer. I went for the hybrid with a really great deal and I don’t doubt it will be great (hasn’t arrived yet) but this review is more about the fantastic customer service, speedy response and I’m really happy and don’t hesitate in recommending sandbanks if you want to buy any paddle boarding equipment-thanks guys
Awesome. Really good and great value
A superb inflatable kayak. It's very stable on the water, easy to clean, and inflates in 10 minutes. It comfortably accommodates two people and a dog. We were so pleased with the quality, we have since purchased another model from Sandbanks.
Absolutely love the board I’ve come from a decathlon board and it is so different. I went out on Bala lake it was a really choppy day but after a bit of getting used to how much lighter and quicker it is to turn it was brilliant so much easier to handle. The one thing and only a very slight thing I find the rings for the seat attachment a bit of a pain because of the position either side of the handle, I wish they weren’t there as I’ll not use my board with a seat. Other than that though I find it’s brilliant and the colour is really cool as well 👍
