Andes Two Person Kayak

Is the Andes Two Person Kayak worth buying?

Yes, the Andes Two Person Kayak is worth buying at £49.99 if two people simply want to get out on a calm lake for as little money as possible, because it floats 160 kg and costs less than a third of the next two-person boat in this ranking. Nothing else at this price comes with a paddle, a pump and a repair kit in the same box.

It suits a pair who paddle a few times a summer on flat water and store the boat in a shed. It does not suit anyone who paddles alone, anyone who wants a third seat, or anyone who needs more than 160 kg of capacity. Buyers should know what they are getting: 947 of them rate it 3.9, which is a real average rather than a handful of opinions.

What does 31p per kilo of load mean for the Andes Two Person Kayak?

£49.99 divided by the 160 kg it floats comes to 31p for every kilo of load, and that is the cheapest figure of any kayak in the ranking by a clear margin. The next two-person boat at 160 kg, the Bestway Hydro-Force Lite-Rapid, works out at 79p a kilo, and the Intex Challenger K2 costs 89p a kilo. On this one measure the Andes is 48p a kilo cheaper than the Bestway and 58p cheaper than the Challenger.

The same 160 kg also equals 353 lb, which is the weight of two adults at 80 kg each with nothing left over. Load a pair of 80 kg paddlers and a 10 kg bag and the hull is already 10 kg over its ceiling. Treat 160 kg as a two-person limit, not a two-person-plus-kit limit.

What comes in the box with the Andes Two Person Kayak?

The box holds the kayak, one double paddle, an air band, a foot pump and a repair kit, so a first trip needs no extra purchase. The hull is built from heavy duty PVC with five air chambers and two inflatable seats, and the colour is yellow and black, which is easy to spot from a bank. The boat is CE approved.

Inflated, it measures 320 cm long, 70 cm wide and 40 cm deep, which is 3.2 m by 0.7 m by 0.4 m in the metric sizing of the product page. The foot pump inflates it while both hands stay free, which is quicker than kneeling over a hand pump on a cold morning. A storage bag is not included; the manufacturer sells one separately.

Where does the Andes Two Person Kayak fall short?

The 70 cm beam is the narrowest of the two-person boats in the ranking, and narrow means lively. A passenger shifting weight or a boat wake will roll the hull further than it would a 88 cm or 100 cm boat, so it rewards a settled pair and punishes fidgeting. That narrow shape is also what keeps it paddling quickly for the money.

Two more things to plan around. The 160 kg limit leaves no room for luggage once two adults are seated, and no storage bag comes with the kayak, so the folded boat needs a bag or a crate of its own for the car. Finally, the 3.9 average from 947 buyers sits below the 4.3 and 4.6 of the Intex tandems, which is the honest price of buying at the bottom of the market.

Andes Two Person Kayak versus the Bestway and the Intex tandems

Against the Bestway Hydro-Force Lite-Rapid at £125.99, the Andes saves £76 and carries exactly the same 160 kg. The Bestway answers with a 18 cm wider beam at 88 cm and a packed weight of 8.3 kg, which is a boat one person can move alone. Choose the Andes if the £76 stays in your pocket; choose the Bestway if you carry the kayak yourself and want the stability of a wider hull.

Against the Intex Challenger K2 at £159.95, the Andes saves £109.96 but gives up 20 kg of load and 31 cm of length. The Challenger K2 runs 351 cm long with a 76 cm beam and 14.8 kg packed, and its 180 kg of capacity covers two adults with a small bag each. Pick the Challenger K2 if you paddle as a pair with gear; pick the Andes if the boat is a cheap second craft for the family. The same 160 kg limit is also what the £128.69 Intex Wyoming C2 carries, so capacity alone will not tell these boats apart.