“Hi Emily
Last time I forgot to congratulate you on your very instructive videos on YouTube.
Thank you so much for taking the time to explain everything.
Since October I purchased and used the AdvancedFrame Kayak and I adore it.
The AdvancedFrame Convertible Elite Kayak was on sale 30% off here in NZ just before Christmas so we got that for myself and husband (not a regular paddler).
We went on our first outing yesterday and had a great time.
I started with a cheap paddle and soon realised a good quality one would make a difference so I got the PackLite 4-Part Kayak Paddle (the only paddle available here) but I think I like a larger blade.
So, I went back to your videos and found the one on paddles.
Thanks for all the good explanations.
I might just wait for my next trip to Oz and order the Touring 4-Part Kayak Paddle from you.
Here are a few photos from our double kayaking outing on 31 Dec (Waiwera River, 35 km NE Auckland).”
“Dear Emily, love the AdvancedFrame Convertible Elite Kayak!
It is awesome.
Opened it on Xmas and used it for the first time on Boxing Day.
We parked out the front of the Woollahra boat club and then inflated the kayak and put it in on their boat ramp.
A very quiet Sunday morning and I got a park around 10m from the boat ramp!
Great spot and no sand! The water was calm and glassy.
It was a magical morning.
Thanks for your tips on estimating pressure within the kayak chambers.
I probably under filled the main chamber a bit, but the drop stitch floor was spot on.”
“We’ve had rigid kayaks before and they were good. I can’t bag them because they did the job but the whole chucking them on the roof, taking them off the roof was starting to get painful.
I spoke to a friend who recommended I looked at an inflatable kayak and at first I was sceptical so I researched, researched and researched some more. Eventually we landed on the Advanced Elements Convertible Elite tandem kayak. Delivery was ridiculously quick from over east to the west. Communications with Emily was pure efficiency.
But what about the kayak itself ? I could go on and get all artistic but that would eat into my time in the thing. It’s wonderful. Best kayak I’ve ever owned, it’s that simple.
It unpacks in no no time at all , goes up in 10 minutes, holds a stack of gear, keeps a grin on my face for as long as I’m sat in in and when the time eventually comes it deflated in the same time as it takes to set up. It even fits back into its bag without too much pushing and pulling ;-)
The oars I bought were the 4 part pack paddle and again, these are simplicity themselves and do an admirable job.
Bottom line - buy yourself one, you won’t be disappointed .”
“Having recently moved to Sydney I was keen to get out on the water and looked at various options for doing so. The information Emily gave on the merits of the Advanced Elements range and making a special video that addressed all of the questions I had helped making that decision really easy and once we went ahead then the kayak arrived within 2 days. Great service. As for the kayak itself then it is quick and easy to inflate and get "launch ready", having the trolley does make it easier to transport to the waters edge when it is inflated although it is also relatively easy to put on my shoulder and carry. It all fits easily in the back of the car and the attraction is for us to explore different water while we are in Australia. On the water she is fast and easy to paddle and very stable even with two of us in it and the seats and dropstitch floor make it a comfortable ride as well. All in all the buying experience with Oz Inflatable Kayaks and the Advanced Elements kayak have been a pleasure and would highly recommend both”
“I have long argued in my books and blog that the AE double kayak is the near-perfect yacht tender and a fantastic alternative to the traditional dinghy/outboard combo.
Easy to rig up, easy to drag on to the side deck at night, huge carrying capacity (we had two advocado trees in it once) and actually a lot drier than the inflatable dinghy whose chubby love handles send spray flying in all directions.
The fact that the tubes are wrapped in UV resistant yacht canvas adds to their toughness and longevity.
The ease with which they cut through the water means that we have long ago sold the outboard as there is no need for it.
Not only has this released some funds and the need for constant vigilance (outboards are the number one theft item) but it allows us to crawl up creeks (without disturbing the wildlife with the noise of an outboard) and take on surf landings that would have hitherto been impossible.
Over the years we have been very impressed with our Advanced Elements kayak and could not imagine cruising without one.
Having said all that, there has always been one part of the kayak that was not up to the (admittedly outrageous) abuse we subjected it to, and that was the floor.
With the new drop-stitch floor on the Elite model, AE have not only solved this, but stiffened the entire kayak as a bonus.
In my opinion, the AdvancedFrame Convertible Elite tandem kayak is now unreservedly the best yacht tender you can buy and costs a fraction of the price (not to mention environmental impact) of the traditional dinghy/outboard combo. Forget the dinghies and get paddling!”
“I bought this earlier this year while recovering from broken ribs thinking it would be weeks before I could use it. As it turned out, I soon realised it was easy to load and unload from my Subaru Forester and I could manage it even with sore ribs so, as we live in Brisbane, we launched it in the Noosa River for an easy paddle in the beautiful surroundings. A bit of a lull when I broke my leg snow skiing but almost healed and ready for the Tweed river next week and then a road trip through NSW and Victoria in November. I could never have managed a rigid kayak with the injuries so this has been a fantastic purchase.”
“Recently purchased 2 advanced element double kayaks from Emily. This was after months of research considering how to balance convenience, performance and stability. We live on Sydney northern beaches and have access to a range of waterways from rivers and lakes to the ocean. I have experience in paddling, less so my wife and we have a daughter with physical limitations so we needed to somehow keep everyone happy.
The versatility and convenience that we achieved through our purchase is perfect. I can take a trip by myself and reach satisfying speeds, and we can aIso have a family day with no challenges in the water with two of us in one kayak and no issues with entry or exit for my daughter, which is with many times the price we paid.
The kayaks are awesome and have fantastic stability but can still get to a great speed with much less effort than I expected.
An additional and unexpected surprise was the customer service we received from Emily. Responsive, friendly and very willing to spend time after purchase answering questions to assist. A level of customer service above and beyond.
Very very happy.”
