I've always rented kayaks/canoes, but I've been noticing inflatable kayaks in the $100-150 range. They're advertised as fitting in (and usually coming with) backpacks, and I suspect would, except for the paddles, fit in my motorcycle top box (some of them seem to come with backpacks that the paddles fit upright in, or I could rig some kind of side bracket on the bike).
So, I could have my very own boat, which I suspect would cause me to make an effort to spend more time on the water, which would probably be a good thing.
I'm a bit skeptical, though. If I had my own boat, I'd likely venture further out into the Gulf (or the Atlantic) ... and half a mile or more out in the ocean seems like a less than ideal place to have to deal with a leak in inflated vinyl. I don't think the swim to shore would be too terrible in and of itself, but the ocean (and, in Florida, the rivers) is predator-heavy.
Any readers have experience with these kinds of water vehicles? If so, how do you like them? Are they prone to leaks? Are the leaks hard to repair while afloat? Would a Zodiac-style raft be a better idea than a kayak? Should I maybe just buckle down to having a truck and "real" boat on a trailer (or perhaps small enough to strap on top of the camper and just drag that along), or even just get a fixer-upper houseboat, rent a slip, and live on the ocean part-time?
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