Rave Sea Rebel 2011 Inflatable Kayak Review

The budget-priced Sea Rebel 2011 Inflatable Kayak from Rave Sports was launched back in 2011. It’s an attractive, one-seat design which is within financial reach of most kayaking enthusiasts. It fits into the “under two hundred bucks” price bracket.

Designed for recreational kayaking on lazy lakes, streams and rivers, this yellow sit-on-top kayak isn’t designed for sea voyages or surging whitewater.

Ideal for beginners, the Sea Rave Rebel 2011 Inflatable Kayak comes with all of the accessories that newbies need. While it generally gets low marks for comfort, due to sub-par backrest design, it offers decent tracking and maneuverability.

Sea Rave Rebel 2011 Inflatable Kayak: The Details

The Look

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The Rave Sea Rebel 2011 model has a bold and modern look, thanks to its lemon-yellow finish and grey, black and white accents. Since it does have such a vibrant color palette, it’s very easy for other boaters to spot and this is good news from a safety perspective.

This kayak has clean lines and a reasonably low profile. While it lacks the elegance of some deluxe kayaks, and is lackluster in terms of providing a comfortable ride (even when compared to other inflatable kayaks with the same price point), it is a good-looking inflatable kayak.

This one-person kayak weighs in at twenty-two pounds. It’s eight feet and five inches long. It’s not the sturdiest kayak around, although it looks and feels fairly durable. Be sure to inflate it all of the way in order to get the most stability and support. If you don’t, this vessel may not function as well as it might.

The boat has a single air chamber, rather than a bunch, so a puncture is going to cause this watercraft to sink. However, its outer cover material is hardy nylon, which means that it’s strong enough to withstand a lot of regular usage without sustaining damage. 

Specs

• Weight: 22 pounds
• Dimensions: 103″ x 35″ x 8″
• Capacity: 200 pounds

Accessories

The Rave Sea Rebel 2011 Inflatable Kayak comes with a water-resistant carry bag, a water bottle holder, a paddle and a hand pump.

Rave Sports: The Company

This company has been around since September of 1996 and it now manufactures and distributes kayaks. In 1997, the company acquired an electric boat manufacturer and also bought a water trampoline manufacturer.

These new acquisitions gave the company the capacity to produce a range of recreational inflatables and boats, including pool toys, kayaks, wakeboards, stand-up paddleboards and water trampolines. Rave Sports is located in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA.

The Warranty

This model comes with a limited one year warranty.

Features

The Sea Rave Rebel 2011 is crafted with a vinyl Tarpaulin bottom and equipped with a tough and rugged nylon cover. The Tarpaulin base ensures easy and slick gliding, while the heavy-duty cover is designed to promote long product life.

This model also features four handles that are filled with foam. These handles make it easy to lift the kayak in order to move it from place to place. You may also use the handles to grab onto the kayak while you’re in the water.

When you use the hand pump that comes with this kayak, you should be able to inflate it fully in about ten minutes. While some other kayaks may be inflated faster, such as in two or three minutes, the inflation time of the Rebel is pretty good. It’s important to keep pumping manually until the boat is fully inflated. If you don’t, the boat may take on water while you are using it. Ten minutes of pumping should be enough to complete the job effectively.

This model has a recumbent-style “sling seat” which features an adjustable backrest. The backrest has gotten plenty of complaints. It’s not stable enough to support the back as it should. While the backrest is adjustable, its design is flawed. It’s attached to the kayak’s inflatable elements, which are crafted from from flexible material, so the backrest tends to move around when it shouldn’t, in sync with the movements of the kayak.

This model is equipped with a trio of fins which are attached to its bottom side. These fins assist with straight tracking. If you’re new to kayaking, you should know that tracking means trekking straight within the water.

Sea Rave Rebel 2011 Inflatable Kayak Review

The Positives

The Rebel is not expensive. It’s an entry-level inflatable kayak which is geared at newbies or recreational users with more experience.

As well, it has a tough cover which shields it from damage, in addition to a Tarpaulin base which helps the kayak to glide smoothly through the water. It also comes with practical accessories. This kayak is easy to assemble and easy to inflate.

The sit-on-top design of this kayak means that getting on and off of the kayak will be very easy. Sit-on-top styles are best for gentle water conditions. They work well for families who take turns using one-person kayaks. The Sea Rave Rebel 2011 will be a good choice for a cabin or a trip to a local beach. Even when it’s inflated, getting it from place to place is easy, because it weighs only twenty-two pounds.

The Negatives

The backrest in this design is not optimal. The team at Rave Sports need to go back to the drawing board and come up with a backrest design which is more supportive. It’s just not very comfortable and a lot of people have commented on how much they dislike it.

Also, this boat has a tendency to take on water if it’s not inflated fully. It’s sometimes hard to know if a kayak is fully-inflated. It may appear to be so, but really isn’t! Obviously, a kayak that takes on water is not a sensible choice. Keep this in mind as you shop around for a budget inflatable kayak. There are very affordable styles that don’t have the same drawbacks.

Overall Verdict

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Unfortunately, we can’t fully get behind this Sea Rebel inflatable.

It has some flaws which are fairly serious. Since we know that there are comparable models which don’t have the same drawbacks — and offer much greater comfort — it’s hard for us to point you towards this particular model.