Considering AIRE Lynx II

[jeepguy_1980]

I'm sure you get 100 posts like this a week and are tired of them....So I want to appologize up front.

I am new to the sport, in-fact, I've only rented a few times but I really love the experience. I want to get a decent inflatable tandem boat, so I can take a buddy. I don't want to spend an insane amount of $$$ but I don't want a boat that's going to pop as soon as it I get it.

I've been looking and the Lynx II seems pretty decent. Would you guys recomend this boat or another? Also, who has the best prices?

[Dave Frank]

I don't know alot about inflatables, but Aire is a good company. I have an aire raft that performs and has held up well.

Shop around, but I bet NRS would be one of the cheapest places to buy.

Many local retailers can match NRS without incurring shipping fees. You might call Boulder outdoor center. 303-444-8420, they wont stock it but could probably get it pretty quick.

Careful you might get hooked and realize you need a hard shell.

Do you post as JEEPGUY on the TDR?

[jeepguy_1980]

I'm not even sure what TDR is, so no I don't post as Jeepguy on it.

What are the advantages of a hardshell to an inflatable? I know an inflatable is smaller and easier to carry. Since I have a full size truck with only a 5.5" bed, I would have to get a trailer to carry a hard kayak.

[cstork]

I have an AIRE Lynx II. It is amazing how stable and fun they are. I got my son into the sport by taking him on rivers. Now my wife uses it to take the dog on rivers while my son and I have our own boats.

Ditto all above. The Lynx II is rock solid, high quality, and pricey. I couldn't find it discounted. The air floor is the way to go. The foam floor is for commercial outfitters that use trailers and keep their boats inflated.

I rented a Tomcat II, also by AIRE, last summer. It's a new cheaper boat the same size as the Lynx II, but I didn't see any significant difference between the $600 Tomcat II and my $1200 Lynx II.

I've seen the NRS, Sevylor boats and some others. I think the AIRE is definitely better and probably worth the extra money if you stay with it. You can rent the Lynx II and the Tomcat II from Alpenglow Sports in Golden to try them out. Other places will have the cheaper ones.

The easy, smooth runs these boats are great on are Chutes, Pumphouse, Shoshone, probably Westwater, and a bunch of others.

One suggestion: take safety and gear seriously when you get started. Do some easy test runs. You'll need gear to keep your legs warm since they get splashed a lot.

I found this small mail order store to have good equipment and good information: http://www.theboatpeople.com/index.html

[Dave Frank]

Hardshells simply perform better on harder whitewater, whether surfing, ferrying or making any kind of move, they are much more agile. An inflatable will be much more forgiving and easier to get started in. Depending on your needs or goals it could be all you need.

You don't need a trailer to carry a kayak. most of us put them on roof racks, but even with a shortbed you can just let it hang over the tailgate, open or closed. kind of a drag if you have a topper you want to lock though.

[bkp77]

With Aire IK's... don't save money with the foam floor. They are a bulky pain in the butt. I enjoy my Aire L1 IK for when the water is too low for my raft and they are pretty bombproof. NRS,Maravia,Hyside,Riken all make solid, bombproof IK's too and most probably run a bit less brand new. Buying used can save $ but you need to be patient to find what you are looking for.

[smitty8]

I've been looking at the 'Advanced Elements' Dragonfly2 inflatable. It looks pretty good to me, for an inflatable. I could toss it into the trunk of my car or even take it (I think) as carry-on luggage when flying. I like the semi-rigid bow and stern. I've seen it around for $299 with carrying sack.
REI carries an Advanced Elements double (I forget what it's called) a bit bigger for couple hundred $ more, and they make some singles as well. Opinions about all inflatables seem to vary widely - I wish I could find someone who had tried a number of them and wasn't selling any of them.
AA is in Concord, California, but I think they only wholesale.