CONTENTS
- Introduction
- Price & Different Models of the X100
- Dimensions & Specification
- Speed
- Stability
- Tracking
- Comfort
- Room & Storage Space
- Build Quality
- Solo Mode
- Portability
- Conclusion & which model to buy
1. INTRODUCTION
This review focuses on the 2 or 3 person model of the Itiwit X100 inflatable kayak, although we do draw some comparisons with the smaller 1 or 2 person model of the X100 and also with the Sandbanks Style Optimal full drop stitch kayak which are amongst the potential alternatives.
We bought our X100 from the Cardiff Decathlon store and this is an unbiased and objective review.
We used the X100 for almost a year on numerous trips on rivers, canals, the sea and estuaries so this is a long term review of this popular inflatable kayak.
2. PRICE & DIFFERENT MODELS OF THE X100
The Itiwit X100 2-3 person kayak that this review relates to usually retails for about £500 as of the time of this review in June 2024. It is 410cm long and is coloured light blue and grey.
There is a smaller 1-2 person version of the X100 kayak which is 365cm long, is coloured yellow and grey and that usually costs about £400. We have already done a review of that smaller version of the X100 on our Product Reviews page.
This photo shows the comparative sizes of the 2 models of the X100 kayak.
3. DIMENSIONS & SPECIFICATION
The Itiwit X100 2-3 person kayak is 410cm long.
It is 103cm wide at the widest point in the middle.
The weight of the package including the kayak together with the included carry bag and 3 seats is about 18kg.
The maximum load is 245 kg or 540 lbs which converts to 38 stones and 8 lbs.
4. SPEED
The Itiwit is similar in speed to other ‘hybrid’ inflatable kayaks we have which also have drop stitch floors but lower pressure side tubes.
The X100 does not feel as fast as some of the full drop stitch kayaks we have which have high pressure firm hulls and some of which have V shaped keels.
5. STABILITY
The Itiwit X100 is over 1 meter wide in the middle and has a flat hull with reasonably high side pontoons.
As a result, we have found it to be a very stable kayak and this stability is it’s greatest strength. The firm, high-pressure drop stitch floor helps to make the X100 a stable platform which is relatively easy to get into and out of when launching and landing.
We found the X100 to be stable on a couple of sea kayaks down Pembrokeshire when we had to kayak though some fairly choppy tidal swells when the felt like we were paddling through a washing machine.
We also found it to be stable when paddling across a wind swept and very choppy bay, also down Pembrokeshire, when we had so much spray hitting us we felt like we were in a car wash.
We only paddled Grade 1 rapids on rivers in the X100 but again found it to be stable and we never really felt like we were at risk of capsizing.
6. TRACKING
Tracking is the ability of a kayak to maintain a straight course.
The Itiwit X100 comes with 3 quite short skegs or fins, 2 of which attach to the rear of the hull and one of which attaches to the front of the hull.
We did not find that the Ititiw tracked as well as some of the other inflatables we have which have more of a V shaped hull.
We bought 3 of the longer orange fins which are supplied for the Itiwit paddle boards but which also fit the slots on the X100 kayak and found that this noticeably improved tracking
This photo shows one of the standard black fins that comes with the kayak shown on the left and one of the orange paddle board fins on the right which is also compatible with the slots on the hull of the X100 kayak.
You may find that the standard shorter black fins work ok for you but the longer orange paddle board fins provide an option to upgrade.
7. COMFORT
We have found the X100 to be comfortable when paddling even on long trips of 12 or 13 miles.
The seats have inflatable bases which is relatively unusual for kayak seats.
On the yellow 1-2 person version of the X-100 that we previously had a couple of years ago, it took us a while to get used to the inflatable seat bases .
However, we have grown to like the inflatable seat bases after our much more prolonged use of the two and three person version of the X-100 kayak that this review relates to.
When fully inflated, they are quite firm and the seat base is then about 10cm deep.
The advantage of this is that it does ensure that you are sat above any residual water which may have splashed onto the floor the kayak if you are paddling in rougher conditions.
Also, it actually makes it easier to paddle because you are sat a bit higher and hence can still comfortably paddle over the side tubes while maintaining a quite shallow paddle angle.
The seat straps do a good job of holding the seat backs firmly in place.
The drop stitch floor provides a firm and dry base to sit on.
Any water which splashes or which drips off your paddles into the cockpit tends to quickly drain off and collect underneath the floor of the kayak so you should have a pretty dry ride in the X-100.
There are no foot rests with this kayak, although in tandem mode the front person may simply find themselves pushing their feet against whatever bag or items they have stashed under the front deck.
The rear passenger can to an extent brace their feet against a bag wedged behind the base of the front passenger’s seat.
8. ROOM & STORAGE SPACE
The cockpit of the kayak is quite roomy when used in tandem mode by 2 people.
While it’s described as a 2-3 person model, you would definitely struggle to fit a third adult in the cockpit and still have room for all 3 of you to paddle.
It would seem to be large enough for 2 adults to paddle with a young child sat in between them.
The rear deck has bungee cords for securing items to carry on top of the deck, which is useful since it provides extra storage capacity.
The front deck does not have built in bungee cords, which is a bit disappointing.
However, if you use your own bungee cords, you can still tether items down onto the front deck by securing your bungees to the deck covering.
There is also a reasonable amount of storage space underneath the front and rear decks for stashing dry bags or other essential items such as bottles of cider and beer.
9. BUILD QUALITY
At the date of this review, we’d used the Itiwit X100 for almost a year and taken it out on a large number of trips on the sea, canals, estuaries and rivers.
The lower pressure side tubes do not feel as robust as the very high pressure full drop stitch inflatables we’ve used such as the Sandbanks Style Optimal.
However, we have had no punctures or other issues with the X100 and the build quality does seem to be pretty good.
The 2 or 3 person model that we have used for the past year and which this review relates to seems a bit more robust than the yellow 1 or person model that we had a couple of years ago that we managed to pick up a couple of very small pinhole-sized slow punctures with.
10. SOLO MODE
It can also be used solo by one person, in which case you position the one seat towards the middle of the kayak.
When used solo, you then have even more room in front of and behind the seat.
It would seem most suited to solo mode if you needed a lot of extra space such as if you were kayaking camping or maybe if you wanted to use it for kayak fishing and needed extra space for all your fishing gear.
If you intend to use this kayak solo then note that you will need quite a long paddle due to it’s width of >1 meter in the mid section where you would then sit.
11. portability
The X100 2 or 3 person model is surprisingly light when you consider that it’s quite a big kayak when on the water and is quite roomy even when used tandem by 2 people.
The carry bag is well made and comfortable to carry with padded shoulder straps.
There are 2 side pockets which you may be able to stash your paddles into if they break down into 4 pieces, or even if they only break down into 2 pieces.
The bag itself it pretty full when you put the deflated kayak and the seats inside of it and you will need to carry your pump and any other items in separate bags.
The kayak has carry handles either end so it can quite easily be carried by 2 people end to end, for instance if you need to portage around weirs on canals or rivers, or where you have to trek across a very wide beach when paddling on the coast.
12. CONCLUSION & WHICH MODEL TO BUY
In summary, the itiwit X100 is a good value package and we have enjoyed using the kayak a lot on numerous paddles over a range of different waterways.
The Itiwit X100s are very stable on the water, comfortable to paddle and are relatively light to carry off the water for tandem kayaks
Compared to some full drop stitch inflatables such as the Sandbanks Style Optimal, the X100 kayaks are not quite as fast, do not track as well nor feel as robust.
The Sandbanks Optimal inflates to a higher pressure of up to 12psi so the entire hull and decks are very firm.
By way of comparison, this split screen photo shows the Sandbanks Style Optimal on the left with the Itiwit on the right.
If you are also considering getting full drop stitch kayak then check out our review of the Sandbanks Style Optimal on our product reviews page.
If you are looking to get an Itiwit X100 then we’d suggest going for the blue and grey 2-3 person model if you are looking for a kayak to use predominantly as a roomy tandem but maybe with some more limited solo use. It’s also big enough to be used by 2 adults with a small child sat between them.
The smaller yellow 1 or 2 person X100 model is the one we’d suggest if you’re looking for a kayak to use mostly solo on your own with some more limited tandem use, or if you simply wanted a more compact tandem.
While the Itiwit X100 kayaks do not include some of the usual accessories like pumps and paddles that you often get with kayak packages, we prefer choosing our own paddles and some of the paddles you get included with kayak packages are often poor quality anyhow.
Below is our video review of the Itiwit 2 or 3 person X100 kayak.
Link to the Decathlon UK webpage for the Itiwit X100 2 or 3 person kayak:
If you have any comments or questions then get in touch.
Happy paddling from the Kayak Crew.
Hello!
What paddles did you use-? Does Decathlon have good shovels?
Thx
Lajos
Hi, sorry late reply. I use a Werner Camano paddle. I’ve not used any Decathlon paddles so do not know what they are like.
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