12 ft SB rafts

[T Yamashita]

Wow, the soar canoes are pretty fantastic! I've heard grant and orville paddled one on the grant and have seen grant take his down the 'tot. They looked like a load of fun!!! I'm still looking for a raft, and honing in on a puma, i think....

thanks,ty

[okieboater]

I totally agree on just how interesting the 16 ft SOAR boat looks. .

I have gotten into kayak self support multi day trips and a big problem is how to carry a decent groover.

The Aire IK's look good, as well as the Puma but the 16 SOAR looks like it could carry a decent load and still paddle ok with one person.

The 16 SOAR looks like the answer, in that a solo paddler could handle both low water and hi water runs in this boat.

Grant, how do you think a 16 SOAR loaded with a rocket box groover, 5 gallon water jug and a Bills Bag Gear bag would handle low water runs out west like Middle Fork, Selway etc

[grant]

Dave, i would think the 16' one might be a little long for solo, just as a 16' hard canoe is a little harder to manuever than a 14'. i loaded a 14' with enough stuff to self support on the MF and it did just fine. i haven't paddled a 16' solo, just the 14'. it might handle the same.
a large dry bag, groover and water jug would work and would be a good boat to have in a kayak self support trip. i would be more than happy to do a demo

[Crane]

(In a grand show of ignoring the true meaning of the above post) Well, then... just haul it along to the raft class to demo at Rendezvous so folks can see what you're talking about...

[grant]

sorry larry, i have already agreed to set safety at the beer tent for the winner of the Mulberry Mtn ticket auction.

where do i send the ACA waivers?

[Butch Crain]

So what can you do with a small raft that you can't do with a cataraft.

I can't get enough time in the RPM Max to feel comfortable, but I still want to do whitewater.

Is a raft the ticket?

[okieboater]

Butch,

Try one of the Aire IK's

A good bud of mine has some knee problems that forced him out of a hard shell kayak.

He ended up getting one of the Aire Hi performance IK's and now runs anything the rest of us do up to and including class 4 rapids.

Not as fast or can make all the moves a hard shell kayak can but pretty dog gone close. He cannot roll it and once and awhile takes a swim, but he runs everything in his IK that I do in my hard shell.

Not saying you will instantly become a class 4 boater, but the right IK makes class 3 easier than a hard shell at least for most folks.

I would rather see you get that RPM pony broke to the saddle but if it takes a IK to get you on more runs -- go for it!!

[Crane]

As discussed on the other thread, an IK may be the way to go. Pat surely loves her Strike. But, since you mentioned a cat, let me complicate your life a little more... I have a 9' Outcast solo cat with a fishing frame (it will take a small motor) that I bought to see if Pat could row it... But, she really had her heart set on an IK... so we got her one. Thus, I have a nifty little cat I'd be happy to let you try before you finalize anything, if you'd care to. It has a stainless stell frame & 7' oars. I would, of course, make you a pretty good deal... Let me know if you're interested in trying it out. Crane

[Butch Crain]

Looks like I won't have to bring any boat with me to Rendevous at all. You may need tandem trailers to haul all your rigs though.

I'd like to give it a try. Thanks Larry.

And thanks Rob & Dave.

I'm sure I'm not the only one that notes the sense of community among the people in this club and on this forum.

Way cool.

[epolloc]

I think that we need to sort of define surfing. I think that hanging on to the high side putting in multiple spins and filling a boat is surfing. Sitting in a small hole with a bit of water getting in to the boat is not raft surfing. It is pretty hard to find reliable surf holes in AR. Every time we go out it is different. There are a couple consistent ones, about a mile down the Hailstone and about a mile and half down richland. A good raft hole should take a bit of skill to get into and with luck more skill to get out of. But raft really surf holes not waves. The ability to move in a hole becomes a big issue if you want to surf. You must be able to change direction move about the raft and still be able to anticipate how the raft will react. Always one should want to maintain the surf. The ability to do this comes from having a boat which will react according, it should side surf as well as nose in. Dramatic difference in boat profile mean that totally different holes are required to maintain a surf. In this the best surfing boats are old bucket boats; they fill with water and just sit in hole. The trouble is I am too lazy to bail anymore. For bailing speed glued in floor are much faster, NRS, Riken, Star, than sewn in ones, Aire, maravia. If you want a play boat for 3-4 people Maravia makes a 9'6 Potato chip which is a riot. You can not not have fun in this boat. Yes in a small boat you do need to have your game face on; things you can get a away with in a 14' will school you in a small boat. Once you develop a feel a small boat you will love it.

[T Yamashita]

I want to hear more about a 9' maravia potato chip. Where do you get one? ANy dealers? Or, is it a special order? I found a 11.5 maravia seal at river connection in OR. I talked to them today, and they recommended a 13' spider. I'm about 90% sure about going with a aire puma.

ty

[Mike B]

T,

I've got a 9 ft. Star Ultra Bug self bailing raft that you are welcome to borrow this weekend. I'm flying out to Colorado this weekend and won't be using it.

It is similar to a Hyside Mini only heavier (75 lbs. compared to 45lbs.). My wife and I have R-2ed it sitting side by side and it is a lot of fun. 18" tubes, inflateable self-bailing floor.

I'm not recomending this raft but you may want to give it a try. I think a shredder or Hyside Mini would be great, or even a puma if you need that much boat. The 9 ft. SB would be pushing it with three adults in III+ water. We bought it on close-out at a good price and I think it's a special order item now. It's great for quick family floats or maybe some hairball creeking. The self bailing-floor seems to be "wet" in the front and back but we usually have it loaded with a lot of stuff.

2 - 4 adults as a paddle raft depending on water. I think I'm going to build a small frame and set it up with oars just to play around with.

Let me know by Thursday evening, would have to be picked up in Conway or arrange transport.

[robkanraft]

I’m not badmouthing Aire’s, however, I have had heard some folks say the Aire bladder system can be a pain if you wish to roll up your boat after every use, plastic boats can be harder to roll, and because of water trapped between the outside and inside layers can get smelly. That said, I do like the lines of the Super Puma. Really like the looks of the Spider also.

[scott yarbrough]

epolloc,
Indian Ledge on the Big Piney above 5'.(just right of center) It will hold a raft pretty good. So good you may need a tow to get out.

[Zach]

Has anyone tried this? Obviously not for lots of gear, but sounds like it would work to get 4 people down the river. I saw it on a site that sells boats, so who knows.

"And here is a novel idea -
Let's say you have a family of four, and are torn between buying a raft and buying a couple tandem inflatable kayak's. With two small additions to your inflatable kayak order, you can essentially have both. Here's how: When you order your new boats, get three extra 6' camlock straps, and two sets of handle adaptors with your Carlisle or Cannon two-piece kayak paddles. Or, just buy some inexpensive 3-1/2' or 4' canoe paddles.
When the river starts looking too intimidating and you want more stability than a single kayak alone provides, strap the two boats together side-by-side by running cam straps down & out the bail holes of one inflatable kayak and back up through the matching bail holes on the other inflatable kayak. Then convert two of your double blade kayak paddles into four single blade canoe paddles with the handle adaptor kits you purchased.
Now, you have a four-person paddle raft! At 6' wide and 12' or more long, two tandem kayaks strapped together have the hole punching ability of an inflatable kayak. matched to the safety of a 13 foot raft's footprint. Because you are sitting very low compared to a raft, the decreased center of gravity actually provides a far more flip-proof rig than even much larger rafts. We know a lot of you may think this is a goofy concept, but we know it works and we know it can solve a difficult decision for a very small amount of money. Just note that on occasion, in certain hydraulics, one boat's left tube can end up sitting partially on top of the other boat's right tube after you come through the rapid."