Glide Aquavate Duo
Summary
Price At Time Of Writing | $239.00
Our Overall Rating | 62 out of 100
Pros - Cheap and light
Cons - Difficult to paddle, squishy
Overall - A simple kayak for children
Technical Specifications
Open Size - 328x92cm
Weight - 9kg
Load Capacity - 180kg
Packed Size - 72x22x35cm
Our Analysis & Ratings
To put it bluntly, the Glide Aquavate Duo doesn't have much going for it. It's unfortunate because Glide makes decent hard-shell kayaks, and even its Sport one-person inflatable kayak has a few advantages over competitors. As a two-person kayak, it's rather small, so be prepared to sit with your knees bent close to you. Its extremely low weight, unfortunately, can't even help its rating. Since there aren't many inflatable 2-person kayak options in Australia, it made our list.
Performance (speed, tracking, manoeuvrability, stability, load handling): 1/10
Speed: The kayak's bow is rather blunt and spongy, which reduces its ability to pierce the water, making it very difficult to paddle efficiently.
Tracking: Its skeg isn't really long enough to offer any traction on its otherwise very smooth underbelly.
Manoeuvrability: It has less manoeuvrability than the similarly priced Intex Challenger K2, despite being the more expensive of the two.
Load Handling: It carries a listed capacity of 180kg, but in practice it's best suited to two children, or at most an adult and a child, rather than two adults.
The Glide Aquavate Duo has a serious flaw here. It's basically just an expensive pool toy that you're trying to manoeuvre with a pair of paddles.
Construction (materials, seams, valve quality, durability and fittings): 2/10
The Glide Aquavate Duo comes fully equipped with everything you need, including decent paddles and a hand pump, so you just need life jackets. It's similar to the Intex Challenger in that it is made of single-layer vinyl and falls under the category of pool toys.
However, it is more expensive and has less manoeuvrability than the Challenger, which makes it a harder sell overall.
Setup/Pack Down (inflation time, valves, folding, and drying): 5/10
The kayak has seven inflation points, since the seat bottoms and backs must be inflated independently. As a result, inflation takes some time and can be irksome.
The vinyl of the Glide Aquavate Duo does, however, dry quite fast, so you can pack it back up right away and not have to worry about it growing mouldy after sitting it in the sun, or towelling it off when you're done. It also packs down quite compactly.
Portability (weight, packed size, ease of carrying): 3/10
Weighing only 9kg, it's very easy to transport, however, this is at the cost of durability and longevity. Unfortunately, the mesh storage bag it comes with is not well suited for carrying, and it's actually easier to inflate the kayak first and carry it down to the water while the other person carries the paddles.
Comfort (seat support, legroom, fatigue over distance): 1/10
The Glide Aquavate Duo, like many of the less expensive ones on our list, is quite small and is best designed for two children or, at most, an adult and child, even at a carrying capacity of 180kg. With its inflatable seats' extremely low backs and absence of footrests, it offers very little support.
Value for money:
Even at its lower price point, the Glide Aquavate Duo struggles to justify itself. Its poor paddling performance, basic pool-toy construction and minimal comfort mean it falls short of what most paddlers would expect, even from a budget option.
Best for:
Children playing on flat water close to shore
An adult and a child sharing the kayak, rather than two adults
Very short, casual outings
Buyers prioritising low weight over durability or comfort
Overall:
The Glide Aquavate Duo has a role as an inexpensive leisure kayak that youngsters may play in on flat water close to shore. Other than that, we'd advise against it.
