Sevylor Charleston NEW 2024

The Sevylor Charleston 2024 is Sevylor's newest release.  The headlines are an amazingly rigid, drop-stitched inflatable floor and the instant-drying, super-thick PVC armoured skin.  But there's much more to this kayak so keep reading and we'll walk you through several genius innovations and features to this model.

Before we get into the nitty gritty it's worth pointing out first and foremost that the Charleston weighs in at just 13kg - this is staggeringly light for a premium-end model.  It's even more impressive once you realise just how strong and armoured the Charleston is - the touch and feel of this kayak is similar to that of a rib and once inflated it becomes immediately apparent that this kayak will handle years, potentially decades, of rough treatment. 

Now let's take a little walk around the Charleston and explore it's features.

Instant-drying

Typically, most inflatable kayaks have an outer skin made of nylon canvas covering the top half of the kayak that sits above the water.  This skin is designed to protect the inflatable tubes that lie beneath.  Whilst this design has been successful and is still very popular, the nylon canvas on the top half of the kayak can take a little longer to dry out compared to the PVC-finished skin on the underneath of the kayak.  For this reason Sevylor wanted to create something that is instantly dry the moment you pull it out of the water, offering paddlers a truly fuss-free excursion.  The Charleston is constructed using a super-strong PCV skin, which is composed of several defensive layers and does not require a protective canvas skin - not only does this make the kayak lighter and stronger, it also means there are no materials that can be saturated by water.  We've tested this out and it works wonderfully well, with the water simply beading off of the surface of the kayak.  Any small drips that remain can simply be towelled down with a small flannel from the boot of the car and you'll be left with a bone-dry kayak to store away in the bag.  This saves the need for airing out the kayak and eliminates the chances of mould.  

The seats

The Charleston comes with 'thermo-molded' seats.  Essentially they are curved, which makes you feel nicely 'cupped' by the seat as it wraps around your lower back.  The backrests themselves are also twice the height of a standard backrest, which, it turns out, makes a meaningful difference.   Our whole team (including those with dodgy backs) agreed that this change makes for a deeply comfortable chair.  The padding is extra-thick in all the right areas, and with the backrest being pulled forwards AND backwards by four nylon belts, they are supportive for all weights and won't fold on you when you lean back into them.  The bi-directional straps also prevent the backrest from flopping forward when not in use, which is very handy as anyone who's paddled before will know.   Padded footrests are a welcomed addition and are easily removable for those who prefer not to use them.

As with most two-seaters from Sevylor, the Charleston can be configured as a single-seater for solo paddling. 

Construction & materials

As mentioned above the 'feel' of this kayak is similar to that of a rib, and is constructed using thick, armoured PVC that's flexible but feels totally rigid once inflated.  The Charleston takes more pressure than all other kayaks in the Sevylor range, contribution to its super-solid feel.  The floor is a drop-stitched inflatable base and, much like a paddleboard, you can stand up on it without it bending.  Because of this you can climb into the Charleston with confidence and the Charleston will also cut through the water and waves more efficiently, just like a solid/fibreglass kayak would.  Pictured below:

The front of the kayak is furnished with a hard nose which will protect the kayak in the event of a head on collision with quay walls and the like, but will also punch through waves in rough/white water conditions.  Pictured below:

Useful features

The Charleston comes with four handles for ease of transport.  Two of the handles at the centre-point of the kayak double up as a Paddle Grip, enabling you to rest without your paddles drifting off!  We also find paddle grips helpful to hold your paddles whilst you're launching the kayak or carrying it down to the water.  Pictured below:

The front and rear of the Charleston features a spray deck to give your belongings some shelter from the elements.  Both spray decks are fashioned with a lattice of bungee cord to fasten down anything from dry bags, picnics, tents, fishing gear or similar.  

The fin (officially known as a 'skeg') is there to keep a kayak in a straight line and prevent it from fishtailing as you paddle.  Sevylor have re-shaped the skeg for the Charleston, making it more effective at its job. Needless to say it paddles beautifully straight.  The way in which the keg is attached to the kayak has also been improved, speeding up attachment/removal and reducing the chances of losing your skeg.

In the image below you will also spot a small drainage plug.  The Charleston has four of these for self-bailing in the event of taking any water onboard.  Each drainage hole come with a plug so that they can be sealed shut if preferable. 

The Charleston also comes with an upgraded bag, which can now be zipped completely open down one side of the bag, making it effortless to insert the kayak back into the bag once deflated and rolled up.  The back straps are nice and padded for comfort too.  Pictured below:

Overall we are very impressed with this latest addition from Sevylor and the Charleston takes its place a firm favourite amongst our team.  

📝 What's included

⚙️ Specifications:

Size: 352cm | Weight: 13.3kg | Max. load: 200kg
Configure as: Solo or tandem
Inflate time: 3 minutes
Deflate time: Instant

✉️ Want more information?  Talk to our Sevylor expert:  sevylor@aquascene.co.uk