Javier Romaní

I bought one of the last Itiwit EB-100 sold new in Spain for 40€ from Decathlon which, in my opinion, is an absolute steal. It cost about a quarter of the price of the incumbent Itiwit 1-person inflatable kayak, but does almost anything the larger boat can do (maybe, that’s the reason why Decathlon discontinued it). I use it with a Decathlon 4-piece aluminium paddle. For 75€ I got a kayak (with a carrying bag), a paddle, and a foot pump.

It’s a small boat, about 215cm long and 95cm wide. Decathlon declares a weight of less than 3kg but, on my scales, it was about 4kg. It has the same construction as other Itiwit kayaks: two side air bladders with a removable outer nylon cover and a PVC floor. I find it robust enough: mine had close encounters with rocks, concrete and gravel and came away intact. If Decathlon had tried a little more seriously, they could have created a very nice budget packraft. The air valves are mini-Boston and are robust and leak proof, but require a specific nozzle in the pump that’s difficult to find. I had to cut and customize one of the adaptors of my foot pump to fit.

• 

• 

• 

I use mine in the sea, both off the coasts of Galicia (northwest Spain) and Catalonia (Med). It’s not very fast as it’s short and wide, but it’s very stable and holds its own at sea with some waves. I’ve found I could paddle easily against a Force 3 wind and a tidal current, and have paddled with one-metre waves without a problem.

There are some negative points: the worst in my opinion is the paddling position: you sit high with legs in a 110º angle and no back support. It’s comfortable for about an hour but after that, your back begins to hurt and your legs feel cramped. On the other side, you can easily take a 10-year old child between your legs.
Another negative point is the looooong time it takes to dry, even in August in the Mediterranean it can easily be more than an hour.
Overall, I think it’s a great beginner’s kayak for the price. It’s a pity Decathlon doesn’t make it any more.