A birthday kayak!

When dithering about what product to buy, look to a PBO gear test for recommendations

- Marsali Taylor sails an Offshore 8M, Karima S. She's a dinghy instructor and author of The Shetland Sailing Mysteries starring liveaboard sleuth, Cass Lynch.

Joan, my big sister, was due to be 70 last summer, and I had A Plan for her present. She's a regular swimmer in their nearby loch, Loch Brora (57 miles north of Inverness), and after each of our West Highland holidays messing about on sit-on kayaks, she'd been wistful about the fun she could have with one at home.

She and her husband, Steve, have a campervan, so I imagined her paddling out on adventures while Steve read Classic Motorcycle. Also, the holiday cottage we were booked into only had two kayaks, and our cousin Lita would be joining us next time, so a third would be ideal. In short, an inflatable kayak would be an excellent Big Birthday present.

Amazon had a selection at under £100, but the reviews weren't promising: 'Fine to get a summer out of.' I wanted Joan's to last longer than that. PBO had run several articles on inflatable kayaks, and I found the one online I remembered, by Ali Wood, and sourced the kayak they'd used-£200, but without paddle or pump. However, Decathalon was having a sale, and end-of-line one or two person kayak from the same range, the Laxo 320, with pump and paddles included, was at half price, £249.99-the same cost.