Gumotex Thaya Review
Rating
Performance: 8
Size/Weight: 8
Durability: 9
Setup: 10
Value: 10
OVERALL: 9.0
A well-considered, versatile drop-stitch floor kayak.
Not sure whether you want to paddle on your own or with a friend? Maybe you even want to go as a family and jam a small child in the middle? Not a problem in the Gumotex Thaya - the hull is easily converted to house one, two or a squishy three occupants on the nicely firm drop-stitch floor, and the wide side tubes of the kayak mean it’s stable enough to handle all levels of paddlers.
Comparison
Rank: N/A
Open Size: Wide and spacious
Packed Size: Portable
Weight: Light
Capacity: Mid-range
Perfect For: Touring, recreation - better on calm water.
Pros: Sturdy construction, convertible, easy setup and packdown.
Cons: We know the Nitrilon material is billed as tough, but we’re not 100% convinced.
Verdict: A high-end kayak that offers top quality materials and a great user experience.
Skip ahead to First Impressions, Setup/Packdown, Paddling Experience, or the Final Verdict, check out how the Gumotex Thaya compares to others in our list of the Top Ten 2 Person Inflatable Kayaks or see how we choose the best inflatable kayak.
Specs:
Open Size: 410 x 89cm
Packed Size: 63 x 40 x 26cm
Weight: 17.5kg
Capacity: 230kg
Approx Price: £1,249
First Impressions
The Thaya comes in a very swish-looking dry bag, excellent for keeping the boot of your car dry on the way home (just watch out once you get home though that you take it out and let it breathe). It’s also really nice and packable - it rolls up like a sausage and has a little strap to keep it all together. On the whole, it’s one of the smaller packed 2-person kayaks we tried, which is great considering that the seats and footrests are also wrapped up within that sausage. The only item that sits separately is the fin (and of course, your own paddles, pump and life jackets).
The first thing that really struck us when we took the kayak out of the bag was the shinyness of the Nitrilon material. It’s very different from the matte, rugged-looking PVC most higher-end kayaks use, and to be honest was a little disconcerting in its similarity to cheaper vinyl. Gumotex uses this proprietary material in most of their kayaks and their marketing materials assure us it’s super-tough. We have no reason or experience not to believe them…
Setup/Packdown
There are two ways to look at the setup of the Thaya. One is that it’s pretty convenient given you can leave the inflatable seats and footrests right where they are and simply roll up the hull in one piece, ready for next time. No strapping in seats or footrests for you! But the other, which is pretty annoying, is that of course you have to inflate the seats and footrests each and every time. If you’re using the three-seat setup, that means a whopping EIGHT inflation points, which is a few too many for our liking.
However, the inflatable seats are also drop-stitch, which makes them a lot more comfortable than your standard bouncy inflatable seats, so they get points there (though we have to deduct some points for the seam finish on the seats which leaves an ugly overhang of fabric around the edges - a small thing but something you’d think you wouldn’t have to deal with at this price point).
Being smooth, shiny Nitrilon, it’s easy to dry and roll up, so no complaints there.
Paddling Experience
The Thaya handles pretty nicely for something with not much hull shape. We found it to be fairly comparable to the Razor Kayaks R2 Ultra, though it probably could have benefitted from a slightly longer skeg and reinforced plastic bow and stern like the R2 has, as it wasn’t quite as convincing in a straight line. Nevertheless, with its drop-stitch floor and smooth Nitrilon hull, it glided through the water well and was able to handle a reasonable amount of oncoming chop.
We found the seats and footrests comfortable over the few hours we were paddling, and the side tubes not unduly difficult to reach over. All in all, a pretty nice paddling experience.
Final Verdict
There are a few innovations in the Gumotex Thaya that set it apart from other kayaks in our review. It’s extremely high quality, easy to use (if you don’t mind a bit more inflation than normal) and a pleasure to paddle. It’s also the most expensive kayak we reviewed. At the end of the day, its main selling points are its great packability in that easy-to-carry dry bag, and its drop-stitch floor.
Want to see how the Gumotex Thaya compares to other kayaks we tested? Head over to our 2 Person Inflatable Kayak Review.
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