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AIRE vs SOTAR

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18K views 35 replies 22 participants last post by  rafterman 
#1 ·
Came to an epiphany this weekend. I have been a total aire head for some time now and realized, after some carnage of course, that these two boats are not so similar. While my ocelot tracks well, is very durable and easy to repair, has a killer warranty and is a very versatile design, it is definitely skinnier, heavier, and while some say this means better tracking and less flipping, I see it as less buoyant and less maneuverable. Don't get me wrong, it's a great boat that I will have for 30 years. But when hitting lines and making moves may be the most important thing during rapids, being able to break out and cover some water is crucial. In terms of being lighter, fatter, more buoyant and more maneuverable, I will have to say advantage SOTAR. My aire tubes were half the cost no doubt, but before I hit any length of continuous class V, I will be leaning heavily toward the design that started it all...the legend.
 
#6 ·
Didn't you put a monster pig-weight frame on that thing? Didn't we tell you to get a WD?

Anyways, just did a Class V multiday with a bunch of cats, all Aire's and Sotars. Some older aires (minimal tip rise), even an ocelot (although I think it is slightly custom with more tip rise), and they all do great. I still think the Legend is THE boat, but if you think you went wrong with an Aire....
 
#7 ·
both are good boats. Both manufacturers put a lot of research and development into whitewater. Lets save our boat bashing for the marketers who sell the products that they select from flea markets in asia ...
 
#10 ·
I recently got to row a 14' WD with the same frame, load, oars, etc.. as my 12.5 legend. I found the WD was faster in the flats and tracked better, but seemed to get a tad bit more surfed/pulled back in big holes. Even those differences were minor. I did like how the WD seemed to a lot quicker in the current, but for a class V boat, flat water speed isn't really a concern to me.

I'm no catboating expert, but to me they are very similar boats, the only reason I like the Legend better is because it is shorter yet has the same carry capacity; it makes it nice on super tight techy stuff, but for more open rivers I would be happy with either one....
 
#11 ·
That's a weird experience from what I've heard. Usually the Legends are accused of "getting" more surfed, partially because they surf better. I had a WD developer describe to me this past weekend how the WD is supposed to perform. I'll never put it through that type of boating. Imagine if you pencil off a huge drop into foamy frothy hydraulics and you boat goes straight down so deep your body is submerged. The WD is supposed to stay straight as it comes up, because it is more pencil-ly, and the Legend would (theoretically) "porpoise" up including a sideways move. It all sounds too much like theory to me. If you don't like either the WD or Legend, something else is going on.
 
#12 ·
If you don't like either the WD or Legend, something else is going on.
Agreed.

My point was that both seemed very comparable. The WD did seem to pencil in more ie, submerge. My Legend often seems like it is going to flip, then suddenly right's itself (often sideways) and goes on. I'd like to think this is due to my cat-like high siding..... I think maybe a Legend may perform very slightly better in big hydraulics because it has the same buoyancy, same water line, yet less surface area to get pushed around?

At this point it is splitting hairs, I'm no engineer, I like any boat that enables me to swim less....... If my biggest problem in life was choosing between a WD and a Legend I would consider myself extremely lucky.
 
#14 ·
Sometimes on the river I feel like i'm cheating in my Legend. And often-times my girlfriend feels like i'm cheating on her,with my legend...weird.

My SDPuma is a fun boat too. Handles great,built great,and it doesn't take a small army to move it. But I always reach for my Legend nowadays.
 
#16 ·
Been a "Aire Head" since '98. Got a Bob, a Wild, And a Jag. But it's time to buy new tubes. been looking hard at the legend, but like Aire's no fault warranty. I'm watching your opinions of those who have tested both.
 
#19 ·
Sl tubes look neat but are not symmetrical, they will act completely different when run backwards or surfed facing forward. There is a reason the wd and legend share the same shape. They both will surf in either direction without digging in resulting in an endo. The sl will not perform this way. I prefer the wd, but would be perfectly happy with a legend.
 
#20 ·
If you feel like you are cheating on your Legend you're ready to boat harder water or surf more. They aren't made for Class III, they're made for Class IV-V

I know exactly ONE guy who like the SL's, and he's been rowing them for years. There's a reason why they sell TONS of Legends and very few SL's. They are a niche market and don't carry gear well (imbalance). The SL actually front surfs like crazy.
 
#21 ·
One reason I bought an Ocelot this spring, besides the money(brand new 07) was that I was not ready to decide between a WD and a legend. Though I feel like the Sotar is lighter and more buoyant, i.e. more maneuverable, the WD looks like a great boat. I will probably run it for a long time, because it will last forever, and it will also take me forever to decide on my next set of tubes. I am definitely getting a madcatr frame this fall...

I have been doing a lot of class IV and want to get ready to try some IV+ IMO, maneuverability is key, and I feel SOTARs are lighter and more buoyant. To those who think AIRE is the better boat, please explain. Also, keep in mind the WD 12 and 13 should be ready soon...
 
#22 ·
12 and 13 are ready! I've run both, and spoke to Alan Hamilton of AIRE in person a couple of weeks ago, and he said you can order one, and they will make it for you. They're not stock boats, so it will take a few weeks, compared to immediate shipment with the stock models. The 13 is almost an exactly scaled down version of the 14, with the good tracking, hull speed and slice involved in that design. The 12 is a whole different animal, because it has 22" tubes. First, it only has one (double layered) air chamber, which reduces weight. Second, it's a surfing machine, and once I got used to moving my boat around differently, I loved it. Because of the reduced hull speed and fatter tubes, I had to use the waves more to move me where I wanted to go (instead of just ferrying under my own power), and had to push over the crests of waves more. Once I adjusted, it was a ton on fun for playing on the Lochsa at 8.5 feet! This is very similar to how the SOTARs I have run responded. This furthers my opinion that the choice of boat is about personal taste, because when I adjust my style, either design works well. Although I prefer AIREs, I recognize that SOTARs are good boats too. Anyone who tells you that one or the other is the ONLY option hasn't spent enough time forming their opinion.

When you ask about maneuverability, do you mean its ability to turn, or its ability to make big moves across a rapid? As described above, the fat tubes run differently than the regular diameter tubes. I have described this many times before on this forum, but I like the way that the WD 14 and 13 slice through the wave without getting penciled in. I have done a lot of things with WDs, and they do not pencil in except in truly vertical drops. Husum Falls on the White Salmon is the only time my WD has penciled in. The WD also has better hull speed, which allows me to make moves all the way across the river if I need to. There is a very slight difference in the turning speed. SOTARs have a little bit of an advantage here. If you're concerned about your ability to turn fast enough to face a wave, the SOTAR will get you there a split second faster. This has never been a problem for me.

Finally, there's the things that aren't debatable: AIRE's warranty, quality control, durability and repairability are superior. Performance is where there is room of debate. And unless you get the single chamber SOTAR tubes, AIREs aren't that much heavier. I choose a couple of pounds of boat weight for peace of mind. Just ask lhowe about how she always asks to have her Sotar padded when she puts her boat on our trailer.
 
#26 ·
I wonder when these new boats will make it onto AIRE's website. I really like the legend design but continue to learn more about how SOTAR boats just aren't as tough. One of my friends punctured a tube at a takeout not too long ago...we heard it happen but don't really know how. I have also had people I know experience some delam and whatnot, and a boat explosion on the driveway when it heated up a bit. The SOTAR performance is there but I will have to take a look at these new wd designs for sure
 
#28 ·
My only gripe about Sotar, mind you i have never owned one but, if you have a warranty issue you have to send it back to Sotar for repairs vs. other manufacturers that farm out their warranty work to local repair shops here in Co. I did tons of research before purchasing my boat "Maravia Typhoon" Last fall and it came down to durability and ability to get any warranty issues taken care of fast as possible. The Maravia is a heavy bitch weighing in at 160 pounds dry. But I love the way she handles on the water.
 
#29 ·
I am swaying back to the thought that both boats have their pros and cons, as opposed to one being better than the other. The WD14 with the longer waterline would track, punch, ferry and haul better. The 12.5 legend would turn faster and with the absence of weenie tubes, be substantially lighter. I like the SOTAResque size of the WD12, but the 21 inch tubes on the WD13 are not so appealing.
 
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