[chesapeake4]

Hi all, due to to the size of vehicle, and because of lack of storage, I am leaning toward buying an inflatable kayak. I believe that Advanced Elements has the best made kayaks based on what I have read, but I would like to see what everyone else thinks are good options. Right now, this is the one that I am leaning towards, so could anyone give me an opinion on what they think works best if I am going to go the inflatable route?

-thanks in advance

 

[bystander]

That does not look like a whitewater kayak. Notice the hull shape at the front. The write up on it does not point towards whitewater either.

I'm sure there will be more help to follow, but don't buy that.

 

[slickhorn]

Their whitewater line is rated up to class III. It is not a whitewater boat.

If you want a whitewater inflatable, get a real boat made with stronger fabric, seams, and valves. There are tons of great boats, they are all capable, and which you like best will come with experience more than performance differences.

Look at AIRE, Sotar, or NRS. Avoid the bathtub boats like a Hyside Padillac.

Personally I think the AIRE Lynx 1 is the best all around option, it can haul overnight gear or run the steeps.

 

[chesapeake4]

Their whitewater line is rated up to class III. It is not a whitewater boat.

If you want a whitewater inflatable, get a real boat made with stronger fabric, seams, and valves. There are tons of great boats, they are all capable, and which you like best will come with experience more than performance differences.

Look at AIRE, Sotar, or NRS. Avoid the bathtub boats like a Hyside Padillac.

Personally I think the AIRE Lynx 1 is the best all around option, it can haul overnight gear or run the steeps.

Thank you, I will definitely look more into AIRE, Sotar, And NRS

 

[okieboater]

Lots of good IK's out there.

I have an Aire and think it is about as bombproof as it gets. Owned two Aire rafts for many years and never a bit of wear issues.

The first IK I purchased is a Thrillseeker. Mainly because Jimmi Snyder does steep West VA creeks in them. I will go out on a limb here and say it is the most responsive IK I know of. Close to the hardshell kayaks I paddled for decades. I think the difference is the hard shells have sharp edges to carve on while the IK's of course are soft. Attila stands behind his boats and I have not heard of wear issues. The Thrillseekers are single thickness of PVC and I like the bladder system used by Aire. But that is just my opinion.
There will be lots of feedback on this. My bet is any nationally advertised white water qualified IK is gonna work. Just be careful with the cheaper pool toys advertised as WW craft.

 

[thaGoat]

What kind of kayaking are you looking to do?
3+ whitewater?
Booze cruise with friend on the Upper C?
Do you want to camp on it?

Might be worth checking out Pack Rafts too...

 

[johnovice]

Chesapeake, what is your background? And what are your plans? If you are an experienced hardshell WW kayaker looking to run Class IV and V, you might want something different (Aire Force possibly) than a more casual boater. Are you wanting a day boat or a multi-day self-support boat? Want to take a passenger? Looking for best WW performance or good performance at a good price? I have an Aire Lynx I that I love; when my wife comes along, she likes the stability of the tandem Hyside Padillac -- largely because she has had successful experience in big water with that boat and so is comfortable with it..
I agree with the Aire, $otar, NRS suggestions, but there are differences among and within brands (don't forget Aire's Tributary brand -- that's the good buy).


EDIT: I was writing my post before I saw thaGoat's -- similar questions...

 

[chesapeake4]

What kind of kayaking are you looking to do?
3+ whitewater?
Booze cruise with friend on the Upper C?
Do you want to camp on it?

Might be worth checking out Pack Rafts too...

I am just looking for one for myself. I have gone on rafting trip before, but would like to just get something for myself. I looked around based on all of your suggestions and found this one and this one. Thanks again for all of your suggestions! It is definitely a little overwhelming since so many are out there!

 

[JIMM]

IK choice

I would lean towards the Tributary Strike. Its Aire's subsidiary brand with a shorter warranty, but lacks nothing in performance or quality for that matter. I feel its more agile than the Lynx. The other good one is the old Force XL for speed , agility and very good stability. Its only con is the lack of real rocker, with the resulting problem of big drop resurfacing if you are planning on that sort of thing.After paddling both of those quite a bit, I am paddling a Sevylor sk100ds, which is very good for upto 3+, but I think it would be a problem in anything above that unless you are quite skilled or very familiar with that section of water.
Its quality of build may also be inferior to Aire but its light, has a drop stitch floor and fits in my SUV fully inflated.

 

[johnovice]

Based on your two latest choices:
Hard to go wrong with the Aire Lynx I.
If you are on more of a budget, Aire's Tributary Tomcat solo has a very good reputation -- also the Strike, but I have no experience with that one.
I know nothing about Advanced Elements, so will say nothing -- except to notice that no one here pointed you toward that brand (not so far anyway).
You told us it is just for you (not passenger) but nothing else about planned use.


This site has been useful in the past for an overview of some (have not been there lately):
http://www.theboatpeople.com/solo-whitewater-inflatable-kayaks

 

[laterwagged]

Stay away from Advanced Elements kayaks. I've never paddled one, because I value my life. I HAVE seen two of them shredded on a local Class II run (different days).

I currently have a Lynx 1, NRS Bandit 1, and a Tributary Tomcat in my fleet.

1. The Bandit (Which isnt' made anymore) and the NRS Outlaw are similar in design, and I was a bit too heavy for them at 210 lbs. They are rocker heavy and will tend to ride "over" waves rather than crash through them. This is good and bad, depending on the water you are paddling. I haven't paddled the Outlaw, but have heard reviews to back up the fact that its similar to the bandit. I would be interested in trying one out just to see how the drop stitch floor feels. It should add some nice rigidity. The outlaw is pretty affordable at $695.

2. The Aire Lynx is the best all around IK on the market IMO. It is stable and performs well in class IV water. They have run almost anything that a hard boat has run at this point. It handles my weight with no issue, I can even pack gear for a 2 day trip on class III water. Getting a used Lynx is a good bet unless you have $1400 to spend.

3. Tributary Tomcat - this was my first IK and it served me very well on class III water for a couple of years. I blew out a zipper on it in a hole and Aire repaired it and didn't even charge me shipping (under warranty). For a first time IK owner that is budget conscious - this is probably the boat to choose. It does perform anywhere close to the Lynx, but it is a solid boat in class III water and it costs less than half as much as a new lynx at $599

Other Options.

I have heard people speak well of the tributary Strike boats before, but they are considerably more than the tomcat - enough so that I personally would consider buying a used Lynx before a new Strike.

I also have paddled an Aire Outfitter, and I really like this boat for big water or multiday trips due to the larger tubes.

 

[InflatableSteve]

Another vote for Aire! Though hard to go wrong with any high end whitewater inflatable.

 

[carvedog]

Their whitewater line is rated up to class III. It is not a whitewater boat.

If you want a whitewater inflatable, get a real boat made with stronger fabric, seams, and valves. There are tons of great boats, they are all capable, and which you like best will come with experience more than performance differences.

Look at AIRE, Sotar, or NRS. Avoid the bathtub boats like a Hyside Padillac.

Personally I think the AIRE Lynx 1 is the best all around option, it can haul overnight gear or run the steeps.

+1

I have paddled the Aire quite a bit and they are great, low maintenance boats. Never had to repair one, so don't know about that. Stiffer and easier to turn than the NRS and Hysides I paddles, then I got a hardshell.

 

[stuntmansteve]

I recommend one of the Jack's Yacks models by JPW (Jack's Plastic Welding), i.e., 1 or 2-man. We have an older 1-man and a newer 2-man (they've been reintroduced lately after ceasing production of them for a few years) and like them both. They have more rocker than most of the competition which makes them better in rapids. They have larger diameter tubes than the Aire Lynx series (12" vs. 11"). They also come with the option of a built-in inflatable floor or one that's removable if you prefer. Both of my boats are of the built-in version which is what we recommend.

 

[mervo]

I've been cruising the Poudre in an NRS Bandit (up to, and including class IV) for the last month. It's close to 10 years old and I've never done anything to it other than 404 a few times a summer.

 

[Gremlin]

I've been cruising the Poudre in an NRS Bandit (up to, and including class IV) for the last month. It's close to 10 years old and I've never done anything to it other than 404 a few times a summer.

404 is next level!

 

[Learch]

+1 for the Lynx I, you can find them used. I got a used one for $350 with an older style foam floor (not produced anymore) and it is great. I am 300 lbs and I just took it down 14 miles of class III with a class IV in the mix. It did great, even with a fat guy on board. They are really stable, very reliable boats. Read about how Aire builds their boats. They have a great history with little quality control issues and the best warranty in the business. I've had two Aire IK's now and have been very impressed with both of them.
Sotars are also great boats, but they are the high end of IK's as far as price and options. Sotar will build you pretty much whatever you want, in any color, any length, custom tube diameter, etc. That last run I did had 4 Sotar SL kayaks on it, and every one had different lengths, tube sizes, and colors. One even had a custom logo that said "Sotard" (A common name for us Sotar owners)

 

[mervo]

404 is next level!

This is what happens when my kid wants my attention while trying to think about boating! 303!!!!

 

[johnovice]

...That last run I did had 4 Sotar SL kayaks on it...

Did you notice any performance differences between your Lynx and the Sotars? -- difficult comparison I guess given that the Sotars were not identical and the paddlers were also different.

 

[okieboater]

After reading all of this thread, the bottom line seems to me is:

if you can find a good deal on a used Aire Lynx, buy it
otherwise
bite the bullet and buy a new Aire Lynx.

Get on the water and have fun. Get experience on the water and then determine if you want to keep the Lynx or sell it for another model or stay with the Lynx.

I bet you stay with the Lynx! If not the resale value is good and I do not see used Lynx staying on the market very long.