On the lower cost end, some people like the Stearns inflatable kayaks.
Not as sturdy as the other options, but less money. The Stearns is not
the lightest option, but not unreasonable either. For light use,
should be OK.

However, to the weight of the boat you need to add the weight of a
paddle and a life jacket, no matter what boat you use. It adds up.

If you are traveling with other people, you might be able to get by with
one boat, using a line to haul the boat back empty, on smaller rivers.

Richard


Richard wrote:
I am thinking of getting a small inflatable boat of some kind to ferry
myself across smaller western rivers (e.g. Gunnison in CO) during high water
when they become too deep to wade across. I just want something that would
be manageable to cross fairly fast current (not white water) with a small
amount of fishing gear. What would be the best kind of design for this
purpose? Shore lines can sometimes be shallow and rocky.

Richard wrote:
I am thinking of getting a small inflatable boat of some kind to ferry
myself across smaller western rivers (e.g. Gunnison in CO) during high water
when they become too deep to wade across. I just want something that would
be manageable to cross fairly fast current (not white water) with a small
amount of fishing gear. What would be the best kind of design for this
purpose? Shore lines can sometimes be shallow and rocky.


If that's all you want it for I'd suggest an inexpensive inflatable vinyl
"rubber" dingy from the local discount store. I had one for a season to
get out to a moored sailboat. Not fast but it'll get you accross if the
river current isn't too strong.

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Richard Ferguson wrote:
On the lower cost end, some people like the Stearns inflatable kayaks.
Not as sturdy as the other options, but less money. The Stearns is not
the lightest option, but not unreasonable either. OK for light use.

Trouble with these is that they cost almost as much as the NRS Bandit
or AIRE Strike, but have PVC instead of vinyl bladders internally.
PVC outgasses and gets brittle after 5 years, so you could not park
such a boat in your garage and expect it to last forever.

William R. Watt wrote:
If that's all you want it for I'd suggest an inexpensive inflatable vinyl
"rubber" dingy from the local discount store. I had one for a season to
get out to a moored sailboat. Not fast but it'll get you accross if the
river current isn't too strong.

Trouble with the vinyl boats is the same (vinyl = PVC) but even worse,
because they're so easy to rip on barbed wire fences and even sticks
along the shoreline. They cost only $99 but if you use them frequently,
you'll buy far more than 7 of them over the lifespan of a good boat.