Video · Inflatables & Skiffs
Vibe Uptown LT and Cubera LT: Inflatable Pedal Kayak Test
I unbox and test Vibe's new inflatable Uptown LT pedal kayak and Cubera LT with my family to see how they handle, track and compare.
What’s in this video
My father-in-law Mark helped me unbox Vibe’s new inflatables: the 10 ft Uptown LT with a pedal drive, and the 12.5 ft Cubera LT. Riot Kayaks bought out Vibe, so the drive will look familiar. It’s the Impulse drive, which has been very reliable. You pump the hull to 2 to 3 PSI, drop in the center drive pod, and run the rudder cables from a track mount by the seat to the stern. Both are pretty lightweight.
My wife and daughter came out to test too. The Uptown is about 39 in wide and it is incredibly stable. I could lean way over the side and even stand on the edge. The seat was a hit, my daughter said it was her favorite part. The drive goes forward and reverse, adjusts for leg length in seconds, and pops out with one pull. It’s water lubricated with few moving parts, and a brush seal keeps splash down while making it easy to line up the prop.
One tip: I left the fin off when pedaling. The fin fights the rudder and is really for paddling. The rudder is about 3 to 3.5 in wide, and a 4.9 in aftermarket rudder for around $30 would tighten up turns. It’s a similar footprint to the Hobie iTrek 9, which turns tighter and does better in shallow water with its flipper fins. But at around $1,500 at the time of the video, I think the Uptown is the better buy for a lot of people.
Key moments
- 0:00 Unboxing and assembly
- 1:06 Inflation process
- 1:47 Rudder installation
- 2:55 Pre-launch preparations
- 3:42 Stability testing
- 4:37 Comfort and paddling
- 5:54 Pedal drive performance
- 8:13 Kayak specifications
- 9:11 Adjusting the drive system
- 11:27 Price comparison
- 12:40 Packing the kayak
- 13:53 Final thoughts
Quick takeaways
- Leave the fin out when you use the pedal drive because it fights the rudder. Put it in when you paddle longer distances.
- The drop pin rudder is about 3 to 3.5 in wide, and a 4.9 in aftermarket rudder for around $30 would tighten the turning radius.
- Capacity is 400 lb on the 10 ft Uptown and about 420 to 425 lb on the 12.5 ft Cubera.
- The drive flips up to adjust for leg length and pops out with one pull.
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