Advanced Elements Advancedframe Convertible Tandem Inflatable Kayak Review
Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame Convertible Tandem Review
Rather heavy but a not bad performance for a two-person model that tin as well exist used solo
Cost: $980 Listing | $899.00 at Amazon
Compare prices at 2 resellers
Pros: Handles and tracks well, very durable, helpful features, option for single or tandem paddling
Cons: Heavy, no paddles or pump included, expensive
Manufacturer: Advanced Elements
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Our Verdict
The Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame Convertible Tandem is a loftier-performing and versatile vessel. This craft stands above the crowd for its ability to be paddled by 2 or completely solo. It brings a surprising level of condolement and immovability to the table and handles well on the water. Our testers were very impressed with how effortlessly this yak cuts through the water. Nosotros were less in love with how heavy it is or how long it takes to dry out. With that being said, it has some great features, including paddle holders and pockets backside each seat. If yous're willing to pony up the cash, this is the best two-person inflatable kayak we've paddled.
Compare to Like Products
| This Product | Oru Embankment LT | Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame | Intex Circuit Pro K2 | Avant-garde Elements PackLite | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Awards |  |  |  | | |
| Price | $899.00 at Amazon Compare at two sellers | $i,199 List $1,199 at Amazon | $599.00 at Amazon Compare at 2 sellers | $370 List $281.91 at Amazon | $349.00 at REI Compare at 2 sellers |
Overall Score | |||||
| Star Rating | |||||
| Pros | Handles and tracks well, very durable, helpful features, choice for single or tandem paddling | No inflation required, lightweight, very durable, stable, fast, tracks well, easy set up and clean up | Handles well, high durability, fast, stable, fabric is water resistant | Complete package, doesn't soak up water, spacious, tin can paddle solo also | Extremely portable, maneuverable, stable, piece of cake set up |
| Cons | Heavy, no paddles or pump included, expensive | Expensive, seat cushion thin, rigid pack makes for an awkward acquit | Heavy, flooring hard to inflate, hard to drain | Small-scale paddle blades, unimpressive attachments, materials less durable | Low durability, poor tracking, weight doesn't include pump or paddle |
| Lesser Line | Rather heavy but a swell operation for a two-person model that tin also be used solo | This lightweight and foldable kayak has performance closer to that of a hardshell and is a joy to paddle | With excellent handling, a long lifespan, and nifty condolement, this kayak volition become the distance | Everything y'all demand to get out on the h2o with a friend or by yourself for a great cost | Getting on the water miles from any roads has never been easier than with this extremely portable kayak |
| Rating Categories | Avant-garde Elements A... | Oru Beach LT | Avant-garde Elements A... | Intex Circuit Pro K2 | Advanced Elements P... |
| Treatment (25%) | |||||
| Condolement (25%) | |||||
| Ease Of Set Up (20%) | |||||
| Portability (twenty%) | |||||
| Durability (10%) | |||||
| Specs | Advanced Elements A... | Oru Embankment LT | Advanced Elements A... | Intex Excursion Pro K2 | Advanced Elements P... |
| Measured Weight (boat and storage purse only) | 55.2 lb | 26.i lb | 33.25 lb | 34.6 lb | v.25 lb |
| Capacity | Tandem; 550 lbs | Single; 300 lbs | Unmarried; 300 lbs | Tandem; 400 lbs | Single; 250 lbs |
| Kayak Size (length x width) | fifteen' x two' 8" | 12' 3" x ii' six" | 10' 3" x ii' nine" | 12' six" 10 2' 8" | seven' 6" x 2' 11" |
| Packed Size (length x width ten height) | 35" x 21" x 12" | 32" x 28.5" ten 11" | 33" x 16" x 15" | 26" x 19" x 19" | fourteen" x 12" ten 7" |
| Included Accessories | Repair kit | Repair pieces | Repair kit | Paddles, pump, repair kit, GoPro/phone mount, fishing rod holders, and pressure gauge | Repair kit |
| Cloth/Structure | Aluminum ribs in bow & stern, PVC tarpaulin, 3 layers rip-terminate material | Double-layered polypropelene | Aluminum ribs in bow & stern, PVC-coated polyester | iii-ply PVC vinyl laminate with polyester core | Polyurethane-coated ripstop polyester |
| Features | Paddle keepers, seatback pockets, bungee straps, D-ring attachment points, converts to solo boat | Adjustable pes brace and backrest, bulkheads, carry handles | Adjustable backrest, bungees, pressure relief valve in floor, skeg | Adaptable backrest, drainage pigsty, foot braces, acquit handles, line-fishing rod holders, phone/GoPro mount, skeg, tracking fin, converts to solo boat | Rubber-molded handle, mesh carry bag doubles as onboard storage, accessory D-rings |
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Our Analysis and Examination Results
The AdvancedFrame Convertible Tandem is a convertible tandem-to-solo kayak with a 550-pound capacity. It's fabricated of PVC tarpaulin with an aluminum frame bow and stern and triple layers of ripstop material. It features paddle holders, pockets, bungees, carrying handles, and necktie-down points.
Functioning Comparison
We dearest adventures with friends and dogs in this big tandem from Avant-garde Elements.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Treatment
The AE Convertible Tandem handles uncommonly well for a vessel made of fabric and filled with air. Its xv-pes length has multiple 2-4 inch tracking fins and 1 small skeg that help it stay true to course as you savor the sights along your road. The 32-inch width gives it stability over turbid waters without impairing your power to paddle. Nosotros continue to be impressed by the narrow cut of the bow, which hides an internal aluminum frame to ameliorate slice through the wind and waves. This level of maneuverability continues correct into turning, which is easier than we expected, even with a lone kayaker at the helm. The boat also features a tarpaulin bottom with a plastic feel that glides through the water with minimal drag.
Equally with almost tandem boats, paddling in rhythm with your partner is key to fugitive an all-out paddle war, though this watercraft has plenty of space to prevent clashing paddles. It lacks whatever official human foot braces, though the rear paddler may be able to use the middle spacer if their seat is far enough forward. It does feel extra big when paddling solo, but our testers still did information technology on multiple occasions without any real problems. Our least favorite aspect of this boat is that it lacks a self-bailer or bleed of whatsoever kind. It does a pretty practiced task of keeping any water from pooling around your bum, though, and merely becomes an issue when you go to pack up.
A subconscious aluminum rib in the bow helps this boat cut swiftly through the h2o.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Comfort
We like how comfortable this cushy tandem is. It has relatively high seatbacks that are cracking for lounging and enjoying your day on the lake. Compared to many other inflatable vessels, this one rides lower, keeping your middle of gravity close to the water. This makes it more stable, easier to paddle, and reduces current of air resistance. Information technology'due south also a proficient width (2'viii") that is wide plenty to provide stability for even a novice paddler without being so wide it interferes drastically with your stroke. The AE Convertible Tandem has some helpful features that make your ride that much more pleasant, like mesh pockets on the seatbacks, bungees, tie-downs, and even handy paddle keeper loops for both passengers.
Depending on what life jacket y'all habiliment, you may have a challenging time with the height of this craft'south seats. Their taller profiles are more conducive to a full-back PFD than some of the paddler-specific half-back versions out there that aren't quite tall enough to be out of the mode. We also found there to be a modest learning curve with the seats, as they anchor but to the sides and tin can sideslip forward and backward along the lesser of the boat. While this is not bad for finding the perfect paddle angle, it also takes a bit of getting used to before achieving the best angle. This boat is also quite heavy for a solo paddler, giving yous a more intense conditioning with your take chances. Those small-scale complaints aside, we bask the comfy ride this model provides.
Squeamish and alpine for relaxing and easy to install, the AE seats are pretty comfortable.
Credit: Maggie Brandenburg
E of Set
Like almost inflatable kayaks, this ane has a learning process associated with getting information technology out of the automobile and paddle-gear up. Avant-garde Elements includes an extremely thorough set of directions, and though you may be and so excited to paddle that you don't desire to sit downward and read them all, you lot'll greatly benefit from doing and so. There are many details that you may or may non demand to know, just that knowledge will surely come up in handy as your human relationship with your kayak goes on. In one case you're familiar with how this gunkhole sets upward, it'southward relatively like shooting fish in a barrel to get it water ready in nether 10 minutes.
With six chambers to inflate, this boat isn't messing around during setup. Merely when you consider that simply three are for the gunkhole'due south structural integrity and the others are optional (just helpful), information technology's on par with most other inflatable vessels. Avant-garde Elements doesn't send this watercraft with any of the accessories you'll need for a complete experience (like a pump, paddles, and life jackets), but they do have those items available for purchase on their website. Or you can sub in components from other toys you may already own — we used a pump from a SUP with dual chambers to make filling this monster fifty-fifty easier. It'southward important to note that you lot'll demand 2 adapters to make full all the chambers in this giant craft: ane threaded and one to fit over the small hoses. Only like all AE boats, this one has specific pressure requirements for different chambers but no judge to tell you lot how close or far you are from that PSI. Later on a few practice runs, we felt confident we could achieve that pressure by feeling the boat during aggrandizement, but without a gauge at first, it's easy to over or underfill.
It takes some work, only in one case we knew the drill, nosotros were water ready in under 10 minutes.
Credit: Maggie Brandenburg
Our least favorite part of this process is putting the boat away. Yous're directed to permit it dry out completely before doing then. Unfortunately, with no drainage pigsty and several layers packed together to make this boat so sturdy, this takes more hours than you're likely going to wait. To truly dry out it out, you need to remove the gunkhole's floor and let it sit for hours in the hot dominicus. In the real world, it gets packed up with some h2o and sand still in it to marinate before the side by side expedition.
No Fourth dimension To Dry out?
Nosotros become it. We often pack up in a bustle, too, without properly drying our boats - regardless of what the directions say. However, we've inverse our stance on this strategy when it comes to the AE Tandem. After being packed up nevertheless clammy, this boat sat in our garage in the high desert for 10 months. Upon opening information technology once more, we discovered the floor of the boat was STILL moisture - and had caused an accompanying funky smell and colorful patches of mold. Information technology seems completely undamaged, but now we take the fourth dimension to dry out information technology with a towel before packing it away.
During the folding process, we plant information technology impossible not to crease the long narrow tracking fins along the bottom of the hull. This large gunkhole also becomes increasingly difficult to fit dorsum into the relatively small-scale duffel information technology comes in. We often institute ourselves sweating and swearing while sitting on the package, trying to zip it back closed.
Portability
Weighing in at 55.ii pounds, this is one of the heaviest kayaks we tested, even for a tandem. Information technology's non surprising because how large the boat is, and also non outrageous considering its durability. With a two-person (plus gear and a dog), 550-pound chapters, that weight isn't unreasonable. However, jammed into a behemothic duffel pocketbook for send, it is no small undertaking for 1 person. We enjoyed this kayak more when nosotros parked shut to the water.
This boat is much more manageable to portage once information technology's inflated if you have two people. Comfy handles on the front and back ends make carrying information technology a simpler task with a friend, fifty-fifty though it tends to sag in the middle. Combined with the convenient paddle-holding straps on either side, we plant ourselves more consistently inflating this beast at our cars and carrying it downwards to the beach water-ready. Carrying this kayak solo, though, is a bit much.
Weighing over 50 pounds, this isn't a boat you'll desire to acquit far.
Credit: Maggie Brandenburg
Durability
This is nonetheless another category where the AdvancedFrame Convertible shines brightly. The hull's bottom is PVC tarpaulin, a puncture-resistant, slick, plastic-feeling fabric that charges through submerged branches and over hidden rocks with relative ease. Different near kayaks with a left and right air chamber making up the boat'south trunk, this one has inner and outer chambers that get around the entire watercraft. That way, if you practice happen to popular it, the inner layer remains unpunctured, allowing y'all to paddle dorsum to shore. Internal aluminum ribs provide even more durability and construction to this impressive watercraft. It as well boasts a drop-sew together flooring and three layers of ripstop material to keep you floating above the waves. The seams are stiff and reinforced, and the durability of this boat is not something we had many worries about. Just in case, though, AE includes a repair kit (and copious instructions on how best to utilize it).
We aren't the biggest fans of how the interior tubes can easily become misaligned with the outer hull over time, but once y'all know what you're looking at, it's elementary to straighten them out before y'all inflate the boat. We also experience weird nigh folding the tracking fins to fit everything back in its storage bag, though we could see no actual impairment from doing then. The duffel itself isn't the most impressive of materials and zipper, merely it too seems to do the fob without failing — though we wish it were a little larger.
The PVC tarpaulin bottom of the hull is puncture resistant and pretty glide-tastic.
Credit: Jenna Ammerman
Value
This isn't the cheapest pick available. If you're a kayaker who has a passion for the correct performing boat and you dear the versatility of single or tandem paddle options, we think this boat will chop-chop become your new favorite water toy. Hardshell, traditional kayaks are pretty huge, and this inflatable offers strong performance without taking upward so much storage space. However, if y'all're looking for a tandem boat to bladder more paddle, yous might consider some of the lower-priced options, especially if yous're shopping for kids.
Be enlightened that this kayak does not include any paddles, a pump, or PFDs with its buy. Only a few models we tested come with more the kayak.
For the pick to paddle lone or with friends, we beloved this convertible arts and crafts!
Credit: Maggie Brandenburg
Determination
The Advanced Elements AdvancedFrame Convertible Tandem is an impressive inflatable kayak. With some of the best handling and united nations-cramped condolement we could inquire for, useful features, and acme-notch immovability, this gunkhole is the all-time tandem kayak we tested. It'll toll you a pretty penny, but nosotros think that for what it offers, it's worth it for the years of adventures it will bring you.
There are many adventures to be had in this big, beefy touring kayak!
Credit: Maggie Brandenburg
— Maggie Brandenburg
Source: https://www.outdoorgearlab.com/reviews/paddling/inflatable-kayak/advanced-elements-advancedframe-convertible-tandem
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