WHO: Nyce Kayaks, on Instagram here
WHAT: Inflatable Kayaks and other river toys
WHERE: Golden, Colorado, USA
Of all the wild experiences I’ve gotten to enjoy, there’s little that brought me more intense joy than taking an inflatable kayak, also known as a duckie, down some whitewater rapids. The maneuverability and intimate, close connection with the water is exhilarating. You feel every bump, every curve, the river dancing its course underneath you. The best way to chase that sensation? With a Nyce Kayak. Read about the team putting the best inflatable kayaks front and center with Gareth and Mark, cofounders of Nyce Kayaks and brothers-in-law. Based in Golden, the story of how Nyce Kayaks started is similar to the feeling you get on the river – just go for it.
How did Nyce Kayaks get started?
Gareth: We started during Covid. We wanted something that wasn’t out there yet. Something that we needed. We have bigger tandems and single kayaks but we just weren’t finding what we wanted. Maybe we were stir crazy from Covid but we decided “hey, you know what, let’s start our own duckie company”, and we drew up some designs and 3D-modeled them and eventually ended up where we are with our tandems and singles.
Mark: We didn’t see anything that we wanted so we said “let’s just do it ourselves”. It’s been growing steadily but started as a side project.
(Want to learn more about whitewater? Check out rafting with Nate)
Tell me about what makes Nyce Kayaks stand out.
Mark: We’ve been shopping for kayaks over the years and there was nothing on the market that met our needs. If you look out there, for the most part, the majority of inflatable kayaks are made by rafting companies. And raft companies have been dedicated to making rafts, but with kayaks just added to the lineup on the side, but they all look the same. We wanted something to have a raft profile that looked a little more aggressive. We wanted to shed some of the current designs. Others focus on speed and aerodynamics. We wanted to put that to the side to focus on something burly that can get you there, can carry a lot of gear.
Gareth: It’s for the person who wants to do a multi day trip who can’t, or doesn’t want to, invest in a five thousand dollar rig for rafting, and two: something that can punch through a class 5. We’re focused on duckies, as apposed to focusing on rafts with duckies on the side.
(Want more kayaking? The folks at Wailua Kayak Adventures can help!)
What does a typical day at Nyce Kayaks look like?
Gareth: We are treating it like we want it to grow, but there’s no pressure for us to make sales. Its cool because we try new things out and have a lot of flexibility. There’s no sales pressure. We play around and do cool stuff.
Mark: We are growing at the speed in which we want to grow. We don’t have investors, we just grow in the speed we want to. We play around, we come up with cool ideas and throw it against the wall and if it doesn’t work, we just move on. It’s been a lot of fun.
What would you tell somebody who wants to get outdoors more? Who wants to get into whitewater kayaking?
Mark: I would tell them a couple things. I would tell them to come take out one of our demos. We have a free demo program because inflatable kayaks are an investment. If it doesn’t perform the way you want it to or it’s not for you at all, you’re invested in it, so just start small. No need to go out there and look like the people in our photos. Its dangerous, like most action sports. So start in your comfort zone.
Gareth: Start small and if you get into bigger stuff, take a swift water rescue course. And don’t drown. That is important. The photos on our site are like a gateway drug into our stuff.
Mark: If you see somebody driving with an 8 foot kayak on their car that looks like its going airborne… That just shows that inflatables are a great way to start. Fold it up and put it in your Honda Civic or Subaru. You don’t need a tremendous amount of storage.
If you’re getting out on the river sometime soon, check out Nyce Kayaks. You can find them online here and on Instagram here.
Do you know a guide who deserves to be seen? Whether they raft, dive, hike, bike, boat, float, walk or talk – if they lead guided trips – they deserve a story. Send me an email to: thelivelost@gmail.com or DM me on instagram @tourguidetree.
