I will admit that I'm somewhat of a performance freak, but the Tomcat
is not what I would recommend to paddle fla****er. I haven't tried the
new model River X, but I'm completely unimpressed with the original. It
didn't blow up even as tight as the Tomcat and the floor didn't self
bail worth a damn.

Hull shape and hull stiffness make a hell of a lot of difference in
performance. That may not mean much if you just want to putter around
on the local pond, but at the end of the day and you are fighting a
head wind, having a stiff and effiencent hull makes the difference
between a good and a bad day.

The Super Lynx handles about like a plastic touring SOT, and I would
think that the Solar II would paddle just about as easy. Paddling a WW
IK on flat water gets to be no fun pretty quick, but so does paddling
flat water in a hardshell whitewater kayak. the inflatables that are
designed to handle fla****er paddle as well as everything except true
sea kayaks.

You get what you pay for when you buy IK's.

deadlizard wrote:
On 11 Sep 2006 17:40:32 -0700, "Bilbo" wrote:

I think anything over $300 would eliminate the junk label. At that
stage, except for I believe Star and their glued boats, essentially
everything is going to be welded PVC or encapusulated urethane.
The AIRE Tomcats will be sewn but if you take the precaution of
coating the seams with aquaseal, it would be a tough boat
to beat.

I have an NRS Bandit II, an AIRE Tomcat II, and both the tandem
and solo Sevylor SVX models.

The Bandit II has no payload to speak of. 350 lbs if I remember
correctly and that might be pushing it. My wife and I are awash
when using it. It's a decent, very lightweight whitewater boat which
is not your goal.

Had absolutely no trouble with either the Tomcat and Sevylor.
Some people speak of pinhole leaks in the AIRE vinyl bladder, but
I've not experienced it. Obviously urethane bladders would be the
choice here. The Sevylor comes with the world's worst
and cheapest valves. But buy a couple of the spare boston valves
for 5 bucks, and you're good to go.

I wouldn't spend $800 for what you have speced out, must less
$1200.

Go to eBay and buy a Tomcat or SVX200 lightly used for $400.
If you don't like it or outgrow it, sell it there again for $350.

Before that go to http://www.theboatpeople.com/faqs.html .
He puts forth some frank opinions on IK's that I tend to agree with
although I don't like Innova.

Be aware that a few years ago I thought the same as you about
taking the IK a few times a year to the local lake. After a
hardshell, an IK on flat water is painful. But put them on moving
water, and it's a different ballgame.

I use the Bandit for serious whitewater and anything that requires
flying in with the boat. The AIRE on multiday river trips where I
carry a bunch of gear in comfort. The SVX200 gets loaned out
a lot. Most people like the look of it better than the AIRE and
I agree. They say it also handles better but I don't think there
is much difference. The AIRE is a lot drier ride than either of the
other two.

Gene




Hi all,
I am looking for an inflatable kayak, and would like recommendations as
to size, material, brand, etc.
I am looking for a basic inflatable that I can use as a family
recreation type boat and:

1. Can carry 2 people
2. Will handle reasonably well in calm water or maybe a little bit of
chop. Bottom line: no whitewater action contemplated. Just maybe
some kayaking on the bay or lake / river.
3. Is better than a pool toy
4. Can be stored compactly

Frankly I'm looking to spend as little as I can, but not buy junk.
Granted, I don't want to spend much because my demands on this kayak
will be pretty low, but I don't want something that will leak and fall
apart in two uses, either.