advice on which inflatable kayak to buy

[cstork]

There's some good info at http://www.theboatpeople.com/faqs.html .

Aire Lynx is top of the line. Incredibly stable, comfortable seats, durable, easy to maneauver, well laid out, etc. I know they've made lots of improvements over the last 10 years. Great boat, but it's probably overkill for casual, occaisional use.

For casual use by my 130lbs. son, I've actually had good luck with the Sevylor SVX-1. It's not as well built, but it works fine in class III with quite a few rocks. It's not big enough for 200lbs. The main advantage is that it is cheap. I wouldn't use it in class IV.

[slickhorn]

Originally Posted by Eddy Groover

I too have been searching for an IK! On another forum I ran across some enthusiasts that just rant and rave about the Stilleto by Star. Does anyone know anything about these boats? It looks like a great single person boat but it is extremely long at 12'6". Check it out-

http://www.starinflatables.com/StarM...t&Dir=3&Cat=88

That boat is NOT the Stiletto boat ANYONE raves about. Star makes cheap shitty boats with inferior material. In addition to that, they renamed their IK the Stiletto to take advantage of the reputation the real Stiletto has earned.

The real Stiletto was designed and built by Jim Sheflo of Watershed in Redmond, WA in the late 90's. It is most similar to a thrillseeker, though in my opinion it is a better boat.

This boat is the best balance of performance and stability you'll find in any boat. the things that make it such a good boat: flat hull for effective edge carving and responsive pivoting, foam floor for rigidity and low center of gravity, rocker suitable for big water and ideal for steep technical creeks.

IMO, there isn't a better designed or built IK available anywhere. If you're looking for one, hit with a PM and I can help with that. They are tough to find!

Whatever you do, think carefully about a tandem, and don't buy a Star!

SYOTR,

--Brian
http://www.wwik.org/

[tomrefried]

Thanks for letting everyone know about the Star Stiletto Brian, I'm sure it confuses a lot of peolple.
I have a Lynx II and it's a big boat, real long waterline, and fairly wide, It can hold a ton of gear if paddled solo.
I also have a Sotar solo boat that I highly reccomend if your looking for a solo boat, It's not mch shorter than a Lynx II, but the waterlne is much shorter, with lots of rocker. It's not as much of a playboat as the Stiletto due to the inflatable floor that sits lower than the tubes, but the Quality is just as high, and the price is about $500 less.

[yetigonecrazy]

Originally Posted by El Flaco

Here's the ultimate inflatable:

http://westpacmarine.com/winslow/oceanrescue.asp

ha ha ha ha ha ha i can just imagine seeing someone floating down Ruby Horsethief in one of those....oh man. thats a good laugh there