Body Gloves Glide 11′ Kayak | Built for adventure and portability

My son and I, while planning a 2 week Overland route through Colorado and Utah, decided to add a wrinkle to our packing list. A boat. Or something suitable to get out on a lake, river or whatever body of water we may come across on this adventure. Owning a pair of fast sea kayaks I scratched my head trying to figure out how to strap an 18′ kevlar boat to our roof top tent. Aside from the obvious aerodynamic burden, mounting it to the roof would mean dismounting it every time we made camp. Body Glove, better known for their wetsuits, might have just the solution we’re looking for. The Glide 11′ inflatable kayak/SUP board that can be reduced to a backpack for easy transport.

Amazed at how this feat could be achieved, we jumped at the chance to test one of these inflatable kayaks. Weighing about 31 pounds, the Glide 11′ kayak rolls up like a burrito and fits into a nylon pack. Along with a high volume pump, adjustable paddle and some other odds and ends, this boat is legitimately portable. And could easily fit into the truck of most passenger cars. Check out the video below demonstrating the quick and effortless set-up

Glide 11′ Kayak demonstration video:

Body Glove Glide 11′ Inflatable Kayak features:

• Adjustable high-back seat
• Ergonomic foot braces
• Superior welded drop-stitch construction
• Triple-layer stringer rigidity
• Heavy-duty poly vinyl fabric material
• 11 feet long, 32 inches wide, 31-lb. weight
• 325-lb. weight capacity
• Includes high-pressure dual-action hand pump with gauge, adjustable four-piece kayak paddle, optional stand-up paddle handle attachment, durable double-layer backpack, dry pouch, and coil leash
• MSRP $999

---

Although we did not find a safe opportunity to use the kayak while traveling through the high mountain passes of Colorado, we did enjoy having it in the 106F dessert of Utah. Colorado received a record level of snowfall this past winter and the rivers were flowing at rates we didn’t want to mess with. However, it was a blessing to have a boat in the desert furnace of Moab, Utah in August. The high temperature each day was over 100F making rivers, lakes and creeks a high priority on our daily routine.

Setting up the Glide 11′

Set-up from start to finish takes less than 5 minutes. A simple twist valve secures the hose to the kayak and the high volume pump pushes air with both up and down strokes. Making short work of the inflation duties. The manual calls for 15psi and a pump mounted pressure gauge displays the pressure in an easy to read dial. Our gauge seemed to be defective as it never registered any pressure but we figured out what the boat should feel like fully inflated.

Body Glove includes a paddle that can be configured as a dual bladed kayak paddle as well as a single blade SUP board paddle. Further increasing the flexibility of this recreational product. A rigid kayak seat back can be clipped into place and offers some adjustability for different height paddlers. In addition to two sets of plastic foot braces permanently mounted to the front of the kayak. The paddler should feel pretty stable on this 32″ wide kayak. Finally, a pair of permanently mounted fins add to the stability and tracking of this kayak / SUP board.

Final thoughts:

We had a blast utilizing the Glide 11′ kayak / SUP board while on our trip. Its portability was the key to adding a boat to the packing list. The Glide will easily fit into the trunk of most passenger cars. Inflating and deflating are easy with an included robust pump and valve. The paddle is a bit heavy but that’s to be expected of a unit that has several joints for adjustability. The kayak seat is comfortable but I could take or leave the plastic foot braces. They really didn’t seem to be in the right locations for my height nor were they very effective. For something recreational like the Glide 11′, you probably don’t need to brace yourself at all. Straight line tracking was decent in kayak mode and pretty good in SUP mode. Finally, with a weight capacity of 325 pounds, and a price of under $1000, the Glide 11′ Inflatable kayak would make a great addition to anyones packing list.