CONTENTS

1. Introduction
2. Price
3. Dimensions
4. Accessories
5. Stability
6. Speed
7. Tracking
8. Performance in wind
9. Portability
10. Comfort
11. On board storage
12. Pros
13. Cons
14. Summary

1. INTRODUCTION

The Sandbanks Style Explorer is a high-pressure, full drop-stitch inflatable kayak.

Available in single, tandem and triple versions, the Explorer has become a popular choice amongst families, recreational paddlers, anglers, and anyone looking for a versatile inflatable capable of handling rivers, lakes, canals, and sheltered coastal waters.

The Explorer kayak was provided to Sandbanks Style to my by way of a collaboration agreement but this review is, as with all my reviews, totally objective and sets out my honest views of this kayak after prolonged use on a number of trips on the coast, estuaries, canals and rivers.

2. PRICE

At the time of my uploading this blog post in July 2026, the Explorer sits firmly in the mid-range inflatable kayak market:

• Single Seater: approximately £449
• Double Seater: approximately £565
• Triple Seater: approximately £599

The price includes a comprehensive package of accessories, making it good value when compared to many hard-shell recreational kayaks and some premium inflatable competitors. The link to the full range of the Sandbanks Style Explorer kayaks is below.

Explorer Inflatable Kayaks

3. DIMENSIONS

This review focuses on the solo version of the Explorer kayak which has the following dimensions:

• Length – 3.96 meters
• Width – 82cm
• Weight of just the kayak – 15kg
• Weight of the entire package including the accessories and carry bag – 21kg

Aswell as turquoise and grey, it also comes in orange and grey.

4. ACCESSORIES

One of the strongest selling points of the Explorer is the quantity of equipment included in the package.

Typical package contents include:

• The deluxe seat now comes standard and this includes a foam pad which is much more comfortable than many of the standard kayak seats which have very little padding. There is a pocket in the back of the seat which you can stash small items.
• The standard aluminium paddle is functional and breaks down well into 4 pieces for transport. You can upgrade to a fibre glass paddle for an extra £50.
• Footrest – the thick foam foot rest is attached to holders on the floor of the cockpit of the kayak when inflated
• The Bravo pump is reliable and efficient. It can be used both single and double action and as well as inflating the kayaking it can also be used to deflate it. This helps to suck any residual air out of the kayak and makes it easier to pack up in the bag at the end of a trip.
• Removable skeg (fin) which helps with tracking
• Wheeled carry bag/rucksack – The wheeled bag is rugged and practical. It’s been well thought out with a pocket you can stash away the shoulder straps into which ensures that when you are wheeling the bag, the shoulder straps do not droop down and get caught in the wheels. There is also a front pocket on the carry bag for stashing your skeg so that you don’t lose it.

• Repair kit in the very unlikely event of you needing to catch a leak in the kayak

5. STABILITY

The Explorer is a very stable kayak and suitable for use on a variety of waterways. 

It’s what is classed as a 3 panel drop stitch kayak. 

The hull has a flat section along the keel but sloped sections either side. 

I found the Explorer kayak to be much more stable than a previous 3 panel drop stitch kayak that I’d used called the Story Division 1 kayak. 

In fact, I was so surprised how much more stable it was that I took the opportunity to compare them side by side and the extra stability seems to be attributable to the extra width of the Explorer kayak and the wider flat bottom section of the hull. 

The result is a reassuringly stable platform that feels predictable and confidence-inspiring for beginners. 

6. SPEED

The Explorer is reasonably fast for an inflatable kayak due to the firm, high pressure drops stitch hull and the hard plastic bow and stern ribs which help to cut through the water.

I find that full drop stitch inflatables such as the Explorer are a bit faster than other types of inflatable kayak which have lower pressure side tubes.

Recreational paddlers will find it perfectly adequate for day trips and gentle journeys.

The kayak maintains cruising speed reasonably well thanks to its rigid high-pressure construction and continues to glide through the water for a while even after you stop paddling.

7. TRACKING

Tracking is a kayak’s ability to maintain a straight course.

The Sandbanks Style Explorer tracks well due to the the partially sloped hull, the hard plastic bow and stern ribs and the removable plastic skeg which fits into a slot towards the rear of the hull.

The removable skeg helps the kayak maintain a straight course and reduces the need for corrective strokes. 

For rivers, canals, lakes, and sheltered estuaries, the tracking performance is more than adequate. 

On more sheltered waterways, you may not even need to fit the skeg

8. PERFORMANCE IN WIND

Wind performance is generally good for a recreational inflatable, although there are some limitations.

The kayak sits relatively low in the water compared with some cheaper inflatable designs.

The skeg helps maintain direction in crosswinds.

The higher sides to the cockpit do though present a larger surface area to strong winds and in cross winds it does, like all inflatables, suffer from ‘weather cocking’ where the wind blows the bow of the kayak crossways.

I believe that paddlers using the solo version will suffer slightly more from weathercocking in exposed coastal locations compared to persons paddling the two person or the three person model. This is because when there are two or three persons paddling, the front paddlers will help to keep the bow running straighter when there are strong cross winds. 

For sheltered coastal paddling, estuaries, lakes and slow-moving rivers, wind performance is perfectly acceptable. 

In stronger coastal winds, some corrective paddling will be required. 

9. PORTABILITY

Portability is one of the Explorer’s biggest advantages.

Despite being a large kayak on the water, it folds into a wheeled transport bag and can be carried in a car boot, campervan, caravan, motorhome or cupboard at home

The ability to avoid roof racks and kayak trailers is a major benefit. 

The solo version of the Explorer is manageable for solo transport since the backpack should be manageable for most people to carry over relatively short distances of a few hundred metres or more.

If you are going to be looking to transport it more than a few hundred metres then you probably will want to wheel it in the backpack. The wheels on the backpack are sturdy and I’ve even been able to wheel the backpack over hundreds of metres of beach where the sand is damp and relatively firm.

Out of the backpack, the inflated kayak can be carried fairly comfortably on your shoulder. 

There are side carry handles which enable to you carry it on your shoulder quite easily. 

There are also carry handles on the bow and stern and when there are 2 or more of us out paddling, we will often carry the 2 inflated kayaks easily end to end between us.

While the double and triple versions will be significantly heavier, the wheeled bag makes transport manageable. 

10. COMFORT

The Explorer’s open layout provides generous legroom and easy movement. 

The upgraded deluxe seats are more comfortable than many budget inflatable kayak seats, and the footrests help create a more efficient paddling position.

Since the seat pad has a zipper pocket, you can squeeze in a thin gel waffle pad on top of the foam if you wanted to improve the padding even further for very long trips.

For recreational paddling sessions of several hours, the kayak is comfortable and spacious. 

The wide beam also reduces the cramped feeling found in some narrower inflatables. 

Being able to push your feet against the footrest enables you to use your full core strength when paddling.

The sides to the cockpit are quite high and this helps to reduce the amount of water which splashes into the cockpit.

11. ON BOARD STORAGE

The Explorer offers excellent storage capacity.

You can fit a lot of stuff inside of the very roomy cockpit, including storage space underneath the front and rear decks. 

You can also even stash items down on top front and rear decks using the built in bungees. 

There is plenty of room for dry bags, cameras, fishing equipment and camping gear.

For day trips and overnight adventures there is more usable storage than many sit-inside inflatable kayaks.

12. Pros

• Stability
• Excellent for beginners
• Comfortable open cockpit 
• Tracks well
• Plenty of storage space

• Full drop-stitch construction provides a rigid feel
• Comprehensive accessory package
• Easy to transport and store

• Available in single, double and triple versions
• Five-year warranty from Sandbanks Style 

13. Cons

• While it’s very stable, it’s does not feel quite as stable as clamshell shaped 2 panel inflatable such as the Sandbanks Style Optimal. 
• Can be affected by strong crosswinds
• Tracking is good rather than exceptional

• Heavier than some modern TPU-based inflatables
• Recreational rather than performance-oriented design

14. summary

The Sandbanks Style Explorer is an excellent choice for paddlers who prioritise stability, comfort, storage capacity and ease of use. 

It is particularly well suited to families, casual paddlers, anglers and those exploring sheltered coastal waters, flat water rivers and canals.

For all-round recreational paddling, the Explorer offers an attractive blend of stability, practicality and value, making it one of the better family-oriented inflatable kayaks currently available in the UK market. 

If you are interested in buying a Sandbanks Style kayak then consider using my affiliate link below which will entitle you to a 10% discount and will also help to support my website and Youtube channel. You need to use the discount code KAYAKCREW10 at checkout to claim your discount. 

https://www.sandbanksstyle.com/?sca_ref=11566844.JXPyAt8z9Ub