Retrospec Mainstay 3.5 lbs Folding Grapnel Anchor Kit with 26FT Rope, PP Buoy, Water Resistant Travel Bag and Rust Resistant Snap Hook & Anchor for Inflatable Paddle Boards, Docks & Kayaks

The media could not be loaded.  I gotta be honest. Sometimes I don’t want to actually paddle. I want to go sit on the water and read my book. Fortunately, this anchor keeps my paddleboard from floating away on wind and waves and tide in the bay.Nice solid anchor quality. Easy to use and clip onto my D rings. Comes in a carrying bag. A bit heavy— but of course, it is an anchor. Quite convenient to throw on a SUP!

This anchor is nice and solid. The length of the rope is sufficiently long that you can toss this out of your kayak and anchor in place. The string is made of nylon and hasn't been a problem when using. The colors are bright so you will easily find the anchor line as well.

This is a nice, compact grapnel anchor with a 26-foot (7.9-m) anchor line (or rode) with a diameter of 0.3 inches (7 mm) (photos). While I have not had the opportunity to use it with our inflatable kayak, I suspect it will work well. The “instructions” are more of a discussion on water safety in general; however, I did find the comment “Your anchor is intended for use in calm water at least 8' [2.4 m] deep” rather peculiar. Normally, in calm water, the scope (ratio of the anchor line length to water depth) should be about 5:1 which means you probably should not anchor in calm water deeper than about 5 feet (1.5 m); in rough water, the scope should be 10:1. In deeper or rougher water the anchor might drag. The stainless-steel hook is an easy way to attach the anchor line to a D-ring if your kayak has D-rings. Also, the anchor has an eye where the flukes join, i.e., at the end opposite the crown (or top) of the anchor. This is a convenient place to attach a stainless steel quick- or rapid-link (photo), a polypropylene (floating) lightweight trip or retrieval line, and a small float to support and mark the retrieval line. The trip line should be long enough to account for waves and tides. This trip line, provided it is strong enough, can be useful for retrieving the anchor should it become stuck and as a bonus, this second smaller float indicates to boaters the location of your anchor. Finally, this anchor comes in a tough, padded carry bag that neatly holds the anchor, line, and buoy.PROS• This is a nicely designed, compact grapnel anchor for small inflatable boats, paddleboards, etc.• The end of the anchor line is equipped with a buoy and a stainless-steel snap hook.• There is an eye where the flukes join that could be used to attach a trip or retrieval line.• The anchor, line (rode), and buoy all stow in a padded, heavy duty drawstring bag.CONS• The “instructions” primarily cover general water safety and not the anchor or anchoring.• The instructions suggest that the anchor should only be used in calm water greater than 8 feet (2.4 m) which is odd given that typically the scope should be 5:1 meaning, water depths less than 5 feet (1.5 m).

This anchor is perfect for a kayak, but it also works great with my paddleboard and large floats as well! When you want to just float and relax and not end up stuck in some low hanging trees on the shoreline, just drop anchor. I love that it comes with a carrying pouch so I don't have to worry about it damaging my board and that it comes ready to use. The yellow color helps with knowing where the rope is located in the water. I definitely recommend this anchor to anyone who likes to be out on the water!

Heavy duty anchor for the kayak that is easy to install and put it back in the bag. Has a decent amount of rope and extra floaty. A very solid clip and the anchor is very heavy duty.

This is good, lightweight anchor for kayaking. It is probably best for keeping you from drifting in calm lake waters, as it weighs in at only 3.5 lbs. This set is decently made although it really isn’t premium. The rope is better than some I have seen with similar sets but it isn’t super thick. The float works fine. It is a compact system, and fits into a small bag, making it very convenient. I am tucking this into my kayaking gear so I can have the option of hanging out in my kayak without drifting all over my local lake while trying to birdwatch or otherwise take a break.

This is a nice quality anchor, but do read the description--it's only 3.5 pounds, and isn't meant to be used in anything beyond calm waters. In a current or with wavy conditions, this anchor really won't help much. It is a good size for use with a kayak, but you won't find much use for it aside from fishing or taking breaks from paddling. For a larger craft you might use an anchor to keep you onshore, but a kayak is easily dragged on land... so an anchor is completely useless for this purpose. Very limited use case here, unlike a larger pwc anchor.Usefulness aside, this is a very nice quality anchor. The metal is cast well, without any sharp bits or serious imperfections. The paint is nice and thick with no bare spots--which will prevent rusting when used in salty waters. The rope isn't thick, but is good enough for the weight, and the floaty does float. It's a very colorful setup, which should help in preventing it from getting lost. It's also incredibly compact when bagged, and while that is nice... it might be better to go with a bigger/heavier anchor so it can be used in more varied conditions.

This appears to be a sturdy anchor. It is painted metal, and quite heavy (for a small anchor). The paint is a little uneven in places (scratched), but this should not be a big issue. The rope looks sturdy, and there is a buoy attached. There is also a nice, sturdy carabiner to attach it to the boat. Our kayaks, while not inflatable, are light, so it should work perfectly! There is still spotty ice on the lakes, so no water sports for a bit, but hubby will put it to use this summer. It will be a nice way to hold in one place for pictures or to hold the kayak while retrieving items from the shore/car.