There are a lot of great brands, and a lot of good enough brands. How you use it, transport it, and store it will be a bigger factor on it's longevity and performance.

FWIW, I have an AIRE raft that is used for commercial purposes. It's 13 years old and is used every day during the summer. It sits out in the sun when not being used, and gets dragged around the river bank. It gets used and abused and stuffed in the shed at the end of the season without cleaning or treatments. Over this time period, it's required two patches, and one new aire cell. It holds air exceptionally well. It does show numerous signs of significant wear and tear, but still gets the job done. I wouldn't hesitate to buy another.

 

There are a lot of great brands, and a lot of good enough brands. How you use it, transport it, and store it will be a bigger factor on it's longevity and performance.

This. It really comes down to how much cash you have and are willing to spend. The "best" is only a little better than much cheaper. I came to rafting in my mid 40s and was already well established financially. So I bought the best of everything.. It's all very nice and I have no regrets. But if I'd started at 25 I would have done it all very, very differently. All in I think I was around $14K initially and I've certainly bought more stuff every year. It's still cheaper than many sports. Look at wakesurfing for instance. But it's definitely not disc golf.

I'll bet the best value is finding someone like me getting out of it after 10 years. All great gear, but 10 years old and still in great shape and you get the whole shebang in one whack.

 

If you're starting from zero I would keep an eye out for a turn-key used package and pull the trigger on whatever comes up that's in good shape. There are lots of good raft companies out there, but what kills you on a new purchase is the death by a thousand cuts. Oars, locks, blades, frame, a million straps... And a lot of people buy rafts and then do less rafting than they expect. Unless you have very specific tastes and know exactly what you want (and this question suggests that's not the case) you'll be well-served by any solid setup in good condition.

 

Unless you have very specific tastes and know exactly what you want (and this question suggests that's not the case) you'll be well-served by any solid setup in good condition.

Typical advice is whatever gets you on the water this season even if you'll upgrade next. I concur with the above, unless you have about $15K sitting around to drop on the setup and all the gear and little accessories. However, the "Ready, set, go!!! " thing does come off as a little entitled, so maybe that's the case...

 

You may have a different experience, but I haven’t seen many good deals on used equipment since Covid really. Everyone has been paying inflated prices with no discounts for the last several years, and that appears to be negatively impacting the prospect of lower used prices.

If you can find a decent deal on a used NRS, Hyside, Aire, etc then I would do that versus a new RMR or Star. However, if you can’t find a deal on a used boat and decide to go with a new PVC boat, I’d give a look to RioCraft. They’re lighter and (appear) to be a little better built than RMR. It’s actually one of the founders of RMR that’s breaking off to do his own thing now.

 

thanks good advice, Ill look into RioCraft, they are in Durango?

 

I agree it's a little harder to find a screaming deal these days, but something like this would get OP close to being on the water for waaaay less than new: 16 foot Star self bailing raft, 4 thwarts, frame, 2 oars, pump and gear.

Or: NRS 16 ft Raft with Frame, Cooler and Dry Boxes

I'm not vouching for either boat, but they go to show there are cheaper entries than walking into DRE with a credit card.

 

You don't say where you are or intend to use, both of which will affect options...

 

If you want free advice-start typing stuff into the search bar. If you want better free advice, ask better, narrower questions.

 

...And maybe also appreciate the effort that real human beings, with a shitload more experience than you've got, are putting into giving you those answers. Rather than treating the community here like we're an army of answer bots eagerly waiting to help you out.

I'll gladly answer the same old question that's been asked here over and over again through the decades if the OP seems like they appreciate folks here, but that "Ready, set, go!!!" bullshit attitude sure rubs me the wrong way...

-AH

 

OK, narrow, more specific.....If I had 9K just burning a hole in my pocket I would go get that customized Sotar Liquid 16 footer, but if I was looking for a true classic with modern conveniences I might want to look at a Rouge with the retro-fitted self bailing floor. Of course if I see a Maravia for a steal I would pick that up, bet then again they roll up to this size of a Geo Metro. That Hyside looks nice, I bet it rolls up real pretty, but then again I can't let it sit in the sun all day, that hypalon, well what used to be called hypalon, thanks dupont, or wait, Hyside is still calling it hypalon?, will rot away in the blazing sun. Then I see my buddies running RMR and they look to hold up fine. Is that Star raft that NRS is slinging a good boat that is comparable to RMR, NRS wouldn't sell me a piece of junk, and put their guarantee on it, would they?-(any Tommy Boy fans out there?)

So I am looking for a 16 ft, self bailing raft. I do day floats, canyon floats, forest floats, desert floats. 1-20 days and all in between. I feel like there are many options out there, and I am not attached to any brand in particular. I have owned Maravia, Pro Advantage-Legacy, NRS, and a Rouge. I have space to roll up rafts for the winter. I am not concerned about frame, straps, gear, etc., I will build that stuff, but if its a good deal, like that NRS that is posted in Junction, I could pull the trigger. I am just looking for good technical advice and opinions on which raft you would buy and why, for all things considered, (price, materials, personal experience, all the above) I know that it is not very specific, but kind of the point, just wanted to see what folks opinions are. Shoot! do I buy a brand new RMR or a used Hyside for a little more?

Instead of "ready. set, go" I'll just say, "on your marks.."

 

JPW has a good run-down of materials that you might find useful. This overview from Northwest Rafting is also good.

My personal preference is for a hypalon boat (NRS, Hyside) over urethane (SOTAR, Maravia) or PVC (Star, RMR). Hypalon are durable, easy to roll/store, and reliable when patched which make them the best tradeoff in my book. PVC boats are fine for casual boating, but have well-documented issues like cracking when rolled and being less resistant to UV degradation. Urethane boats are excellent (much love for SOTAR and Maravia), but can be difficult to repair and don't roll/compress well (more of an issue if you transport in a truck or have any desire to boat in AK). If you only see yourself boating occasionally, I think PVC is fine. If it's going to see a lot of mileage across many years, I recommend looking for a hypalon or urethane boat depending on your needs.

 

awesome, thank much appreciated.

 

If you are going to roll: go Hyside or NRS hypalon type. And definitely don't roll a Maravia.

 

thanks, I am leaning toward hyside, nrs hypalon. While not ideal rolling a Maravia, it is doable. I have for years, I have not had any creases so to speak, but they are difficult to roll, and take a lot of room.

 

"hypalon, well what used to be called hypalon, thanks dupont, or wait, Hyside is still calling it hypalon?, will rot away in the blazing sun."

As will anything, from car paint to rafts and kayaks.

Serial number xxxx95 NRS hypalon raft going strong. Stored inside. Used outside. Lots of days on the river.

 

Hey, I used to say ready set go as a kid. You getting ready to have a foot race with your buddy down the street that how you start. Dudes excited, he’s getting new rubber.

 

not knowing where you're located, from the post, but seeing Lander in your bio, I don't know of anything close, but reaching out to outfitters all the way down to Laramie could be good.
I saw these options on my local facebook and they seem like decent deals to be ready to go out on the river tomorrow. I'm not saying these are perfect, and I am not the seller or related to any of these sellers...

AIRE 156 D ready to go

NRS 16 ft Raft with Frame, Cooler and Dry Boxes

 

PVC is known to not last as long as other materials, although there are of course exceptions. Personally owned a STAR, it was a nice beginner boat, but they don't roll well at all, also heavy. My 10ft star is the same weight as my 13ft Hyside. I watched a 16 foot STAR take a large gash on Deso which I had to repair and PVC is def harder to patch than hypalon.

A well cared for hypalon boat can last 25+ years, as noted above by someones 1995 serial number, and the countless old Avon's that people post on MB. My Hyside has been awesome, and super tough. Those top of the line brands I'm sure are awesome as well.

At the end of the day, its what fits your needs best, you can afford, find, and outfit! Happy boating!

 

NRS boats are extremely well built with very reliable quality. I think they have the best customer service in the business too if you have any problems.

There have been quite a few threads here about quality problems with Maravia.

 

My rolled 22 year old Maravia does have a problem rolling as small as an NRS or Hyside.

 

Aire 156R.