Having single skin tubes instead of stitched and zipped fabric with bladder means it's really easy to wash out sand and dry it, it's longer than the Colorado yet the construction method means it is so much lighter, especially when wet. It comes with a neat repair kit similar to our Mercury/Quicksilver 420 RIB and I measured each PVC sample with a micrometer and they were identical thickness. Should be at least as tough as a RIB then but I do believe the Sevylor nylon fabric has the edge on abrasion and scratch resistance.
The floor is where the Aquatec blows away the Sevylor. The former is far more rigid, like a paddle board - in fact if it were a little wider you could use it as one. It distributes the weight of an occupant more evenly which means it cuts through chop and boat wake more like a rigid kayak and this coupled with a bigger fin and lower profile tubes makes paddling easy work. On the subject of the fin, it is inserted when fully inflated and held in with a clip, on the Sevylor you must remember to insert it before inflation. When used solo, the Sevylor would skew badly from side to side, but not so with the Aquatec. All your effort goes into moving forward, not sideways. Straight and true.
I like the foam seat design, no need to inflate them and the backrest feels secure and can actually be used. They are held in place with adjustable straps and this is better than the Sevylor's hook and loop Velcro which holds sand and looks dirty. Attention to detail lets the Aquatec down though. Shoddy design graphics. The seat straps have clips with some kind of gold coloured plating which was badly discoloured by salt water and started corroding after just one use. I am considering buying stainless ones but these need to be stitched into place. Also carry handles (and D rings for towing) can be purchased and glued on so I'll probably do that as well. They can be purchased here:
https://www.polymarineshop.com
https://www.ibsparts.co.uk
Another let-down was that the paddle clips are too small to accept the paddle tube. See official photo above lol. The Sevylor uses Velcro straps and this is definitely the better idea. These can also be purchased and I'm considering changing them - although this would void the warranty I think it would be worth it. The paddles are much better quality than supplied as standard by Sevylor which were so bad we purchased the expensive Sevylor paddles as extras. The Aquatec paddles are really nice and separate into three so can be stored in the Aquatec carry bag. The bag is actually a generous size and robust, no struggling to fold it perfectly and remove every last bit of air in the tubes.
The inflation valves are another feature of the Aquatec that I like. Based on RIB/SIB construction, I think they are called Halkey Roberts valves, identical as used on our Mercury boat and incorporate pressure relief valves which open at 18psi. The Sevylor has Boston valves as used on our Airhead towable toy, I don't think Boston valves are as good. We were able to use our Sevylor electric pump, program it to the correct pressure (12psi floor, 10psi tubes), walk away and let it do it's thing. We never tried the Aquatec pump, it looks well made but too much effort for me, especially with such high pressures. Our RIB tubes are just 0.25 bar/3.6psi by comparison, and the Sevylor even lower at 1.5psi. To deflate you remove the cap, press the centre and twist it either way through 90deg. Don't forget to turn it back again before inflation.
To sum up a great kayak, let down by finishing touches but it's really good value at this price - we paid less than £400, compare Gumotex, compare Sevylor, so set correct expectations and enjoy the fine performance.
