Hi all!
I am ready to take the plunge into purchasing my own whitewater gear. I tend to run class III/IV rivers, and have done so in a Sevylor River X IK (red) for the past few years. Reading forum posts, everyone seems to give these boats negative reviews... Despite the reputation, I have actually found my dad's little Sevylor to perform great in white water. I recently ran the Rogue in it and was never dumped (although we avoided the Class V, Rainie Falls).
Unfortunately they don't make the River X anymore, so I was hoping to get recommendations on something comparable. I'm very light (135 pounds, which might be why the Sevylor has been OK), use knee straps and foot pegs, have a cheetah-like seat, and prefer a large rocker in the tip. The high-end IK's (AIRE Lynx, for example) are so expensive, I'm wondering if I should start getting into hard-shell kayaks.
So, does anyone have a recommendation for a cheaper inflatable kayak, or should I step up to the higher price bracket, or should I make the switch to hard shell?
I am ready to take the plunge into purchasing my own whitewater gear. I tend to run class III/IV rivers, and have done so in a Sevylor River X IK (red) for the past few years. Reading forum posts, everyone seems to give these boats negative reviews... Despite the reputation, I have actually found my dad's little Sevylor to perform great in white water. I recently ran the Rogue in it and was never dumped (although we avoided the Class V, Rainie Falls).
Unfortunately they don't make the River X anymore, so I was hoping to get recommendations on something comparable. I'm very light (135 pounds, which might be why the Sevylor has been OK), use knee straps and foot pegs, have a cheetah-like seat, and prefer a large rocker in the tip. The high-end IK's (AIRE Lynx, for example) are so expensive, I'm wondering if I should start getting into hard-shell kayaks.
So, does anyone have a recommendation for a cheaper inflatable kayak, or should I step up to the higher price bracket, or should I make the switch to hard shell?