Farewell to Our Inflatable Kayak Emma

Our dream of owning a kayak came true in August 2020, when we bought a tandem inflatable kayak and named her Emma. With Emma, we could explore lakes and rivers whenever we wanted, without having to depend on rental services.

The brand new kayak Emma, 2020

There were so many lakes and rivers in North Texas and southern Oklahoma waiting to be explored. Between August 2020 and June 2021, we paddled on seven lakes—Lake Lavon (four times), Lake Texoma (three times), Lake Worth, Lake Murray in Oklahoma (twice), Cooper Lake, Lake Bob Sandlin, and White Rock Lake—and two rivers: White Rock Creek and the Mountain Fork River in Oklahoma.

Those trips were everything we had imagined.

Many of the lakes were in remote areas, where few people ventured. Even at more popular destinations such as White Rock Lake, Lake Murray State Park, and Beavers Bend, we often found ourselves almost alone once we were on the water. Away from the crowds and noise on shore, tranquility prevailed. We were immersed in nature.

Lake Murray Moonrise

Kayaking brought us close to wildlife, especially waterbirds, as we paddled along shorelines and ventured into secluded coves. We saw egrets, herons, ducks, geese, turkey vultures, American coots, double-crested cormorants, and white pelicans. There were also killdeer, belted kingfishers, eastern phoebes, red-tailed hawks, and even a sandpiper.

Egrets and Ducks at Lake Texoma

A corner of Lake Murray

The views from a kayak were beautiful and unique. Sunrise, sunset, and moonrise over the open water of a large lake looked different from the same scenes viewed from land. Water, sky, and trees dressed in the colors of the changing seasons came together in magnificent tapestries. Our bright yellow Emma added another splash of color to the scene!

Morning Hue, Mountain Fork River, Beavers Bend, OK

Many of our trips were adventures in their own right. Some of the places we visited were largely undeveloped, with no clearly marked paddling routes. We studied maps, scouted shorelines, and ventured into unfamiliar waters, never quite knowing what we might find around the next bend. Emma made these explorations possible.

Bright Yellow Emma in Green Mountain Fork River

Our kayaking adventures in Texas and Oklahoma came to a halt when I took up an international assignment in Singapore. We resumed kayaking in Singapore in October 2021, and the experience brought back the same pleasures we had enjoyed in America: tranquility, wildlife, beautiful scenery, and the excitement of exploring unfamiliar waters.

There was one important difference, however. Most inland lakes in Singapore are reservoirs supplying drinking water, where private recreational kayaking is not permitted. Instead, we took to the sea, paddling in the Singapore Strait and Johor Strait, as well as in the tidal rivers and estuaries around Singapore's main island and Pulau Ubin.

The tropical environment proved much harsher for Emma than the lakes and rivers of North America. Near the equator, intense ultraviolet radiation and constant exposure to seawater took their toll on the kayak's composite materials, particularly the adhesive bonds.

Paddling to Khatib Bongsu 

White Bellied Fish eagle over mangroves

We did our best to take good care of Emma. After every trip, we washed her thoroughly. Once she had dried quickly under the sun, we brought her indoors to finish drying slowly in our air-conditioned living room. We also stored her indoors, protected from the elements.

Over five years, with roughly three trips a year, Emma continued to look almost new. There were only minor signs of wear and tear, especially along the fold lines. Like most inflatable kayaks, she had to be deflated and folded into a storage bag after each trip, and those repeated folds inevitably left their marks.

inflated Emma on the beach of Pasir Ris, 15th paddling trip

Courting Great Billed Herons

Then came May 24, 2026, our fifteenth kayaking trip with Emma in Singapore. We inflated her on Pasir Ris Beach. She looked as beautiful as ever, and anyone who did not look closely would have thought she was still new.

We paddled along the Api Api River on the main island before crossing the Johor Strait to Sungai Puaka. The highlight of the trip was witnessing the courtship behavior of great-billed herons. We spent nearly four hours on the water, covering 11.7 kilometers.

As we approached Pasir Ris Beach, about 300 meters from shore, I noticed something unusual. The right-side air chamber near me, at the stern, had developed wrinkles. It was leaking!

Our subsequent inspection revealed the underlying damage. A section of the air chamber had ballooned locally, causing the material's matrix to crack and form a small hole. We also found delamination at several locations, where layers that should have remained bonded together had separated.

We patched the hole and repaired the delaminated areas using water-based adhesive. After the repairs, Emma looked good again, although the locally ballooned section remained visible despite reinforcement.

Emma after repair - local ballooning area was reinforced 

We were not ready to give up on her just yet.

We took Emma to Sentosa for another outing and enjoyed a wonderful 9-kilometer paddle from Tanjong Beach to Labrador Nature Park and back, lasting two hours and forty minutes. Emma performed well throughout the trip. But after washing and drying her, we discovered more small patches of delamination here and there. We applied a few more Band-Aids.

It was becoming clear that Emma's aging had accelerated in Singapore's tropical environment. The combination of intense UV radiation and seawater had taken a toll, and we knew that her remaining useful life might be limited. We decided to take her out a couple more times before retirement.

Paddling to Pulau Palawan

Our seventeenth trip with Emma took place on September 27, 2026, a cloudy Sunday. We launched from Sembawang and headed for Sungai Simpang, the destination of our very first kayaking trip in Singapore. The estuary lay about two kilometers away, across the open waters of the Johor Strait.

As Lily paddled, I noticed that the main air chamber—the one we sat on—was flexing quite noticeably. We had deliberately inflated the kayak to a pressure below its rated level, and the chamber still appeared reasonably full, so we did not pay much attention to it.

Sungai Simpang was clean and calm. The loud calls of collared kingfishers occasionally broke the tranquility, and we spotted a pair of great herons. It was a lovely place to be, and we were looking forward to exploring the smaller branches of the estuary.

But as we reached the end of the main branch, turning around facing the Johor Strait, the weather began to change. The wind stirred ripples across the water, and scattered, oversized raindrops began to fall. I looked down at the main air chamber again. It had developed pronounced wrinkles.

This time, there was no mistaking the warning sign. The chamber was underinflated, and it was leaking.

We decided to abandon our exploration and return to Sembawang immediately.

As we left the sheltered waters of Sungai Simpang and entered the Johor Strait, the wind strengthened and the rain grew heavier.

The storm had arrived.

Heavy rain lashed us, strong winds swept across the water, and thunder rumbled in the distance. Fortunately, the thunderstorm appeared to be some distance away to the southwest. But we still had a difficult journey ahead of us.

We were paddling directly into the wind and waves. With each passing wave, Emma's flexible body bent and straightened repeatedly. At one point, the wind was so strong that we made no forward progress despite paddling as hard as we could.

The final kilometer to the launch point would normally take us about fifteen minutes. That day, it took nearly an hour.

When we finally reached Sembawang and dragged Emma ashore, we found water inside her stern. The cap on the main chamber's inflation valve had been blown off. A closer inspection revealed extensive delamination on the underside of the main air chamber, with more damage along the side chambers.

The damage was catastrophic. Emma was no longer safe to use.

We had to let her go.

After six years and 31 paddling trips—17 of them in Singapore—we said farewell to Emma. Her retirement had come much sooner than I had expected.

We were not entirely unprepared for the ending, though. Her first serious accident, four months earlier, had alerted us to the damage accumulating beneath her seemingly pristine exterior. We had hoped to squeeze in a few more outings, but the storm on September 27 brought our adventures with Emma to an abrupt end.

Still, there was so much to be grateful for.

Together, Emma and we explored seven lakes and two rivers in Texas and Oklahoma, seven estuaries in Singapore, and the Singapore Strait and Johor Strait. She carried us into quiet coves, along mangrove-lined shores, and across open water to places we might never otherwise have visited.

We encountered mangroves, egrets, herons, kingfishers, and plovers along the water's edge. Grey-headed fish eagles, white-bellied sea eagles, and storks soared overhead. Beneath us were fish, monitor lizards, crocodiles, and smooth-coated otters. We felt the sunshine and moonlight on our faces and the breeze on the water.

From the water, we experienced nature in all its richness.

Emma had given us far more than the freedom to paddle whenever we wished. She had given us six years of exploration, discovery, and shared adventures. She had taken us to beautiful places, brought us closer to wildlife, and helped us create memories that will last long after the kayak itself is gone.

So long, Emma!

We will see you in your next incarnation.

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Notes

1. Kayaking with Emma/kayaking history

Sunday, August 16, 2020 

Kayak on Lavon Lake at its SW Corner 1

Tuesday, September 8, 2020

Sunset at Lake Texoma 2

Sunday, September 20, 2020

Lavon Lake near Brockdale Park - a photo journal 3

https://explore-nature-have-fun.blogspot.com/2020/09/3rd-trip-to-lavon-lake-tickey-creek-park.html

Saturday, September 26, 2020

3rd Trip to Lavon Lake - Tickey Creek Park 4

Saturday, October 10, 2020

Hagerman National Wildlife Refuge - bird watching and kayaking 5

Oct 18, 2020 - lake worth ...6

Sunday, October 25, 2020

White Rock Creek - paddling and sightseeing 7

Saturday, November 7, 2020  Camping + Kayaking

Birds, Sunset, Moonrise at Lake Murray 8

Saturday, November 14, 2020  Camping + Kayaking

Lake Murray - A Sequel to Empty Nester Camping Trip  Camping + Kayaking  9

Saturday, December 12, 2020

Clear Lake Park at Lavon Lake  10

Sunday, March 28, 2021

Camping at Cooper Lake State Park  11

Friday, April 30, 2021

Wildlife at Lake Bob Sandlin State Park along its Shoreline  12

Saturday, May 15, 2021

Explore Lake Texoma  13

Saturday, June 5, 2021

Adventures at Beavers Bend 14  last time before moving to Singapore 

Tuesday, October 5, 2021

Kayaking at Sungei Simpang  first time in Singapore s1

Saturday, November 27, 2021

Kayak at Sungai Jelutong  s2

Saturday, March 26, 2022

Kayaking Sentosa s3

Sunday, April 17, 2022

Adventure to Frog Island   18  s4

Saturday, July 23, 2022

Kayaking to Mandai River  19 s5

Sunday, March 19, 2023

Sea Kayaking at Sentosa  20/21 - with Nick s6, s7

Sunday, April 16, 2023  Commercial kayak  22  Malaysia 

Idyllic Rimba Resort

Sunday, April 23, 2023

Riding the Tide into Sungai Mamam   23 s8

Monday, July 3, 2023

Kayak to Sungai Puaka  24 s9

Friday, July 28, 2023

Kayaking to Sungei Khatib Bongsu at Low Tide   25 s10

Saturday, February 3, 2024

Kayaking on Lake Mapourika  26 commercial  New Zealand 

Friday, March 29, 2024

Explore Mangrove Forest of Sungei Khatib Bongsu at High Tide    27 s11

Wednesday, December 11, 2024

Kayaking on Sungai Teris   28  s12

Saturday, August 23, 2025

Paddle into Sangai Changi  29 s13

Saturday, January 10, 2026

Api Api River Kayaking   30 s14

Saturday, September 12, 2026

Illusion On the Water by Sentosa  31  s16

Saturday, September 26, 2026 (May 24) s15

Spotted Wood Owl, Big Billed Herons' Courtship, and Mishaps during Camping and Kayaking at North Shore of Singapore   32

Sunday September 27, 2926  - Sangai Simpang  - last outing with Emma  s17

The last action of Emma     33

33-2 commercial kayak  = 31 Emma trip

2. Kayak leaking root cause

a. Rated inflating pressure (north America standard) is overinflation for Singapore whether

b. Significant Repeated bending occurred at the location of leak - a tiny hole)

c. Sea water

d. UV

They led to accelerated wear and tear of the kayak which led to local thinning of the air chamber, which led to the formation of a tiny hole for the first leak, and massive delamination from the last trip.