Gumotex IKs

New for 2026 is the Gumotex Caleya single seater rec kayak (below right) which seems to fill the gap between the two ten-year-old Twist models. It’s 40cm shorter than a Twist 2 solo/double (below left), but 60cm longer than a dinky Twist 1. You get a half deck which I find of dubious value (you’ll still get wet) and an optional metal brace behind the seat. On other Gumotex boats like my old Seawave, these OTT and bulky metal braces hold up a removable spray deck, but I suspect also add some tension to the hull and push the sides apart to probably make it more rigid all round, But it’s also an admission that, without dropstitch (as on the pricey Rush models), a purely inflatable hull needs some help. You wonder why Gumo don’t up the side chamber pressure rating to 0.25 bar instead, and ditch the metal brace. I did the same to my old Seawave and I bet the Calaya can take it.

Longer is faster in the water, so the Calaya will be nippier than a 9-kilo Twist 1, but a Twist 2 is a lot longer again and can of course take one or two paddlers. So right now I don’t see the value in buying a new Calaya over a used Twist 2. You do wonder if a 3.8-m Caleya 2 might be in the works.