The Tobin Sport Wavebreak Inflatable Kayak is back in stock at my local Costco and is another product that has grabbed my serious interest!
I spent a few days researching the kayak to figure out if it was any good or not and ended up gathering a lot of information. I figured that I might as well share what I found with you to save you some time!
Is the Kayak Good?
The quick answer is that, for most people, the kayak is great.
This is a wonderful kayak who don’t want to load a traditional kayak into a pickup truck or don’t have room to store a regular kayak.
The kayak is not easily ripped or punctured. The most vulnerable part of the kayak is the removable plastic stabilizing fin on the bottom that could get damaged on rocks.
The kayak is a little over ten feet long and holds two people comfortably. The stated maximum weight is 440 pounds but I read a review from one person who said that it handled three people at over 700 pounds just fine although they were pretty cramped for space!
The kayak only weighs about 40 pounds so a small or regular size person can load the deflated kayak into a car trunk by themselves.
My son got a regular 12 foot fishing kayak for Christmas a few years ago and I wish Santa had brought him this one instead. He wouldn’t use either of them but at least this one wouldn’t take up so much space in my garage.
I never use my son’s kayak because it is so heavy and I hate loading it into my truck. Also, because it is 12 feet long, it sticks out of my 10 foot truck bed and I have to tie it down.
I can really appreciate the convenience of the inflatable product.
How to Assemble and Inflate
Assembly is pretty straightforward and will take you 15-20 minutes to complete.
Some quick notes on inflating the kayak are:
- There are three air chambers that are marked with the order in which they should be inflated.
- The inlet ports also indicate the correct air pressure to which they should be filled.
- The kayak comes with a digital air pump that lets you see the air pressure so you do not over/under inflate each chamber.
Adding the chair backs, tow lines and storage bag is pretty easy but are the type of things that you can learn better by watching than reading. The video below will give you a great idea of how to put everything together.
Be warned though, the little girl is ADORABLE!
Problems with the Kayak
There are two issues with the inflatable kayak. One has to do with comfort while the other has to do with physics.
The Kayak Isn’t That Comfortable
A small problem with this kayak is that the seats are not great.
The seats hard to adjust, they slip during use and they are just mildly uncomfortable the whole time.
The seats are not a deal killer by any means but make these kayaks better for short paddles rather than long trips.
The Kayak “Deflates” in Cold Water
There is one massive problem with these kayaks that is almost funny.
When you put the inflated kayak into a cold body of water the cold water makes the air in the kayak compress. The compression of the air makes the kayak deflate.
When you paddle the deflated kayak back to shore and take it out of the water the air in the chambers warms back up and the kayak is completely inflated again.
Bottom Line: If you plan on using a kayak in cold water you probably shouldn’t buy an inflatable kayak!
Is the Inflatable Kayak Worth It?
This is the big question and, in general, the answer is yes.
The main reason that I do not use the traditional kayak sitting in my garage is that it is heavy and a pain in the neck to transport. The fact that this kayak is light and easy to transport is the exact reason that I love it.
This is also also a great starter kayak. You can buy this kayak for a lot less than a regular kayak and use it to decide if you actually enjoy kayaking or not. If you decide to “upgrade” to a different style of kayak later on then you could easily sell this used on Facebook Marketplace for $100-$150.
Great info! It’s helped me decide to get it! I was on the fence. Thanks!
Thanks! Super useful review!
My wife and I have Eddyline kayaks and bought this for the grandkids to come with us.
What’s the air fill port underneath for? Pump doesn’t come with an attachment for it. Thanks.
I believe you are referring to the drain port
I just bought it at Cosco and used it yesterday. I am 6’4″ and 180lbs and paddled with my 12 year old son and found it to be comfortable. I agree with the above review it is a great Kayak for the price. My only complaint is that it does not come with a carrying case/bag like my Hand Glove inflatable paddle boards, which I also recommend from Cosco. I will look for one online and post the link if I find one that works.
We are in our late sixties and love to canoe but want a tandem inflatable kyak. Just saw the Tobin at Costco, fully inflated on display. My concern is that the passenger compartment appears narrow.
Does anyone know if this presents a problem for either the hips or legs?
My husband is 6’7″ and 220 lbs. and I am 5’6″ and 150 lbs. We bought the Bestway Wave Break Kayak at Costco and used it a few days ago. We both fit just fine.
It appears narrow in the store as the plastic strap Costco has secured it with definitely makes it appear “squished” ..bought it and are currently assembling and checking it out.
Do you know if you can leave the kayak inflated for a period of time if you wanted to use it 3 to 4 times a week.
We’ve used it twice now and both times inflated to the recommended PSI. When we got out it felt like it’d lost almost all of the air. The second use, before deflating, checked the PSI and it was 0.1. the water we were in was cold but not that cold to compress it from 0.8 to 0.1 and had no leaks that we were aware of. Has anyone else had issues with it holding to PSI?
I lost the keels! Where can I buy them?
Did you lose them while on the water with the kayak, or transporting and storing it?
I have been using this kayak for several months now. I went and bought the Rio stadium seat at Walmart. It fits in and has an adjustable back and is cushioned with no exposed metal. I go down our local river I have scraped the rocks several times and it never left a mark on the bottom of my kayak. It flexes with the rapids which is nice. The paddles were okay good for the price.
Does anyone know where you can purchase replacement fins?
Now is the time to buy I was just in Costco they’re down to $149.97.
2622029
TOBIN SPORTS
WAVEBREAK KAYAK
• 3 Air Chamber Contruction
• Removable Storage Bag
• 440 lbs. Weight Capacity
• Removable Fin
• Two Aluminum Paddles
• Premium Nylon Hull
149.97
We have tried this twice and both times the back rest won’t hold my husband up, it just collapses and he is laying down. Not sure if we should return or find another seat to fit in. Seems like the new seat would have to work with the velcro? Any thoughts.
Hi. Do you know if the pockets that are located on the back seats are waterproof?
Just bought the Wavebreak Kayak at Costco last night for $99.97!!!! Thanks for the review and great info!!
Anyone have any trouble fitting the pump into the air chambers? Our pump is too big and will not go in and I’m wondering if we possibly received the wrong pump. Any advice would be greatly appreciated, thanks!
How cold is too cold of water?
I got the chance to test these kayaks before buying through a friend whom bought 2 during a sale. I used it on a glacial fed lake (ie 33-40 F degrees cold water) and the deflating didn’t concern me at all. I paddled around for hours. The tubes felt squishy but I never felt unsafe in the kayakat at any point.
I bought one from Costco at first didn’t like it because how low you sit in it but after removing seats and use it as canoe I loved it, lots of space for up to 3 people but if one person you can bring lots of stuff with you for camping. Feels really durable and stable, because it’s soft and comfortable like a bed I use it yesterday to take a nap in it while on the water, can’t explain how enjoyable it was.
It seems to me that a tactic for cold water — and I live in a cold water area — would be to inflate the boat, rest it awhile in cold water while making other preparations getting ready to paddle (or enjoy a beverage break), and then “top off” the inflation.
Alternatively, one might put in and paddle around nearby in cold water before going back ashore to reinflate before setting out for one’s destination or fishing spot.
I noticed the inflation hose is the ‘screw-lock’ kind. I have the costco paddle board with the electric pump. Is the connector the same? Does this kayak come with a standard inflator hose? I want to use the electric pump and it’s hose instead of the manual one. Thanks!
Compre un Kayak en mi pais🇨🇷
Por 200 dólares
Aún no lo he probado
En tierra se siente con poco espacio pero veremos la reacción desempeñó en el agua.
I bought and enjoyed this kayak from Costco last Summer. I deflated and rolled it up to store in the garage for this summer. When I unrolled it and inflated it, a middle section of the right side stayed pinched down as if the side was made of two separate chambers… it inflated ahead and behind the pinched area. No amount of squishing and mushing the side made any difference. I suspect the bladder inside has stuck to itself. I will inflate to 0.8 psi and let it sit. Hopefully it will pop free over the next few days. But be warned, if it doesn’t pop back to normal, it may be unusable, unstable or even …. If it recovers, I will never roll it up again and just let air out to 0.4 psi and put it in the rafters. One other issue; it exceeds the length set by the MN DNR thus requiring it be a licensed watercraft. Buy the license good for two years and good luck getting numbers and stickers applied to it.
You have a 10′ truck bed?