Advanced Elements is the largest manufacturer of inflatable kayaks in Northern California. Starting more than 15 years ago, Advanced Elements was launched by two inventors with the desire to bring to market a new type of inflatable kayak. During this time, they have developed over 100 products distributed worldwide. They are always thinking outside the box with their designs and have now announced a new kayak with high-pressure drop stitching technology called the Advanced Elements AirVolution2 Inflatable Kayak.
The entire kayak is innovatively built using a PVC tarpaulin which offers a smoother finish, increased rigidity, and a sculpted contour for greater rowing performance. The V-shaped body design and the removable deepwater fins increase the tracking performance, allowing AirVolution to easily cut through the water.
AirVolution2 inflatable kayak is a simplified, high-performance kayak with rowing performance that rivals that of a hard-shell kayak. It has an open deck design for ease of entry and it uses many state-of-the-art components, such as a comfortable high-back seat, gear laces, and heavy-duty grips. Airvolution specifications ™ Solo AE3029; Length: 13 ’Width: 32 ″ Product weight: 39 LBS. Maximum weight capacity: 300 LBS.
How to get started with AirVolution2
The box as received from the manufacturer weighs 68 lbs, measuring 45 x 23 x 15 inches. Inside the box, you will find a super-sized, backpack-style carrying case (7 lbs), kayak body (47 lbs), 2 EVA seats (2.2 lbs each), a pressure gauge pump (3.25 lbs) ), tracking wing (0.45 lbs), cinch belts, repair kit (0.8 lbs) and of course instructions. The entire kayak with backpack and parts weighs 62 lbs, while the body of the kayak with seats is 52 lbs. The size of this kayak when folded is approximately 44 x 18 x 10 inches.
We started by reading the manual which includes pump setup, inflation, deflation, folding, repairs, and troubleshooting. And here we come to the conclusion number one of the AirVolution2 inflatable Kayak: no matter how excited you are, take a good look at how the kayak folds before putting the kayak up so you can bring it back to your bag.
The first step, unfold the kayak. Advanced Elements AirVolution2 uses two main military valves for inflation, similar to those found on many standup paddleboards. They are very simple to use and have an inflation mode (spring piston is up) and a deflation mode (spring piston is down). Using your finger to gently push the piston, it can be moved into inflation mode (air enters and does not return) and deflation mode (air enters and returns outside). Before making any effort to inflate the kayak, please make sure that the piston is in the inflated position then set the pump. AirVolution2 comes with a very smart, foldable double-acting pump with a built-in pressure gauge. The first step is to attach the legs.
The bottom of the pump barrel has tabs that match the slots on the legs; if you look closely, you will see that two of the slots are longer than the third – which means that the leg will only go one way. Align the tabs, push the pipe into the leg, and then twist it to lock it in place. Attach the hose to the side that says “Swelling” (there is also a Deflate side). There are two pieces of plastic tubes in the plastic packaging – these are screws on the handles. Pump parts can be stored in the side pocket of the carrying bag, but you may want to buy a mesh laundry bag to keep everything together.
The pump has a double mode of action, operated by a button on the side of the pump. The instructions are printed on the pump, but by pressing the button, you will see the words that change from Double to Single. In double-acting mode, the air is pumped up and down the stroke, while in single-action, the air is pumped only on the downward stroke, which makes it easier to reach high pressures.
We started in double-action mode. and attached the hose to the military valve by twisting and start pumping.
The instructions clearly say to pump both chambers both upper and lower 10-12 PSI, starting with the upper chamber. As the devices operate in backpressure, in dual action mode, it took about 50 strokes before the measuring needle began to register. At 75 pumps I was at 4 PSI and it was getting hard. We took the simple action – another 45 shots took us to 10 HP.
We then moved on to the second room, the floor, and because the floor room is larger, it took 100 strokes in double-action mode before the gauge started to move. At 120 pumps I was at 3 PSI and switched to simple action mode. Another 25 shots took us to 5 PSI.
At this point, we will mention a smart Advanced Elements product that will significantly reduce your inflation time – the 12-volt AE2003 Advanced Elements car pump that connects to the car’s powerpoint. We connected 12 volts and then – without using an adapter – we simply held the pump over the valve while it was in the up / closed position. In this way, the pump nozzle opens the piston, allowing air to enter. It took about a minute for the floor room to fill up – you can tell when the maximum was reached as the engine sound changed. Then, when the nozzle does not press on the piston, it returns to the closed position without losing air. Then we continued the inflation using the double action pump.
Screw on the wing covers to keep the valves protected then attach the chairs. Each of the seat backrests is equipped with two accessories for the upper and two lower straps, consisting of two stair locks (for a total of 8) – it is designed to provide maximum support. As a starting point, we recommend you start by shortening each of the two lower clips on each seat to the shortest position. Then extend each of the upper straps to about 13 inches, measured from the top of the clip to the stair lock.
Attach the lower straps to each of the four upper D-rings and the upper straps to each of the D-rings on the floor. Check each fit of the seats and adjust beforehand if necessary.
If you plan to paddle solo, position the chair just behind the center. Attach the upper straps to the first set of upper d-rings, and the lower straps to the rear set of lower d-rings. Tighten the straps so that the back is fairly straight, with a slight curve. If you have belts around, you can tie them to keep them out of the way.
The last step, install the wing. Turn the kayak and point the fin backward. Slide the fin into the fin box. If aligned correctly, the small thread can be pushed back into position by locking the fin. Pull up to make sure it’s really in the locked position and you’re done!
The bottom line of Advanced Elements AirVolusion2 kayak review:
The Advanced Elements AirVolution series is undoubtedly the next generation of inflatable kayaks. The sculpted profile, elegant lines, and bold graphics are visually exciting.
The material with high-pressure seam feels incredibly robust, rigid, and solid. It is also stable. And – forgetting inflation – with only two cameras, AirVolution is very simple to set up. While the double-acting pump is quite ingenious, it would be an excellent candidate for one of those high-pressure electric pumps used in the SUP industry.
The smooth two-chamber surface is easy to clean/wipe, without many areas to hide the water. And there are no twisting issues sometimes encountered with the design of the covered bladder.
As a low-profile kayak, open cabin, seated indoors, AirVolution is best suited for recreational paddles, fairly flat, and for day use. It is able to handle lakes, fast I-II courses, quieter inlets, and bays. It is also very easy to enter. As a tandem, it is spacious, paddles easily, and is a zipper. However, it is versatile enough to be used as a mega-camera solo for equipment.
