SOLO Inflatable Kayaks

CALL - 925.820.2628 Hyside Padillac Innova Safari Safari VersaCat Package NRS Bandit I AIRE inflatable kayaks AIRE Lynx I New! AIRE Outfitter Solo AIRE Tomcat I AIRE Force AIRE Force Expedition AIRE ForceXL AIRE Strike I

AIRE, Hyside, Innova, NRS, and other whitewater inflatable kayaks are appropriate for rivers, fly fishing, hikers, or kayakers who normally use hardshells but want portability for air travel. They are great for beginning river paddlers who want to get close to the water with an easy-to-learn craft that they can get in and out of quickly in the event of a swim (no entrapment, no roll required). These models will generally not track well or go very fast on flatwater since that is not what they are intended for, though some like the Innova Safari and Force from AIRE are very zippy, and the Safari even has a removable tracking fin.

Depending on the manufacturer, some solo inflatable kayaks have nearly as much cargo space as a tandem, making them a nice choice for multi-day trips where it is mandatory to pack all your camp gear, food, drink, and clothing into the boat. Check out the boat descriptions below for the qualities you're looking for: size, weight, performance, price.

Please note the changes in the way we've priced out the kayaks from AIRE, discussed in the header to that section below.
For information about multiple boat discounts, and discounts on accessories that are purchased with your boat, please see the F.A.Q. page of our website.
Revised March 2009

Hyside Padillac

The Hyside Padillac is one of the most stable whitewater inflatable kayaks and is often a choice for rental livery operations with its tough double-sided hypalon and excellent workmanship. This is a good example of a forgiving inflatable kayak, though with its bulk and wide profile it's the slowest of the lot. The 3/4" bail holes run along both sides of the inflatable floor, so you can install the lace-down thwart backrest or optional thighstraps anywhere via hoopi thru these holes. On one hand Hyside Padillacs are a good choice for novice river runners or anyone else looking for a low maintenance craft that can handle a lot of abuse. However, the underside is deeply grooved between the two tubes and the inflatable floor, giving it a trimaran look. This gives the Padillac kayaks some odd handling traits that can be unpredictable in cross currents and violent eddies. It was fairly rare in fact, for our rental customers to want to use one a second time; they usually opted for something sportier. That being said, if someone forced us to go down the Grand Canyon (with it's huge hydraulics) in an inflatable kayak, this or the new AIRE Outfitter would be our first choices. In blue with Leafield valves and a full coverage five-year warranty.

Innova Safari

Innova has not yet put the 2009 pricing into place due to the fact that a) they still have quite a bit of 2008 inventory, and b) not only is the Eurodollar fluctuating wildly against our dollar, but the Czech monetary unit is also unstable. These boats are made in the Czech Republic, so the rise or fall of their money will determine what Innova must price the boats at. We can only guarantee the $839 price as long as Innovas current inventory, left from last season, lasts.

Are you a hardshell kayaker looking for something packable? Perhaps a person with a good whitewater brace and no fear of swimming rapids? Looking for a fast ocean boat? If so the Safari from Innova may be your ticket. It is a solo inflatable kayak similar to the Solar found in our Touring inflatable kayak section, with two differences. First, the floor thickness has been increased from 3.5" to 6", allowing this boat to have bail holes. Second, the side tubes have an I-beam in their center section creating a partial double-tube and an even more rounded bottom than the Solar. The Safari is much narrower than any other solo river model at only 28" and quite tippy too in whitewater (it's fine for ocean and touring use), so it wouldn't be a great beginner's boat if you insist on starting with class III or IV rivers. Skip down a paragraph for more detail on this subject.
Along with the AIRE Force, this is one of two inflatable kayaks that can be rolled if you possess this skill and equip it with float bags front and rear. If you are willing to work your way up the difficulty scale slowly the Safari will yield hardshell performance without hardshell entrapment hazards. It comes standard with factory thighstraps and an adjustable inflatable footbrace. Although the AIRE Force's also have high hull speeds, the Safari is superior on flat water since it is far less zig-zaggy with the tracking fin attached.
On the subject of stability, or lack thereof, as mentioned above the Safari's are pretty bad in the rapids. A question we get asked time and again is "just exactly how tippy are they?". The answer is that since you are sitting much higher than in a hardshell river kayak, and because the bottom is quite rounded, a Safari will be too unstable for many paddlers to handle in whitewater. If you plan to use yours for lakes, bays, ocean, and on mild rivers you shouldn't have to worry much though. Safari's also surf well on ocean waves, and most surfers should be comfortable with the idea of dumping from time to time, so again the tippiness will not be an issue for this usage.
The seat is a blend of the old Solar and Sunny seats (on the Touring inflatable kayak page) with a pillow backrest and a thin inflatable butrest section. The total weight is a very hikeable 24.5 lbs and the rolled size is the smallest of any solo whitewater inflatable kayak. It comes with an Innova shoulder strap drybag, repair kit, and the tracking fin. The nitrylon fabric is extremely strong and stiff. The exterior nitryl coating may not have quite the UV resistance of hypalon it's still very durable and will last 20 to 25 years with a little care. Specifically, care means you wash it off after salt water use and that you do not store it in direct sunlight, or in a location where teething rodents can use it for a chew toy. This exact same weight of nitryl fabric is also used for large river rafts at the Czech Republic factory where Innovas are made. At $839 the Safari is one of the least expensive quality i.k.'s made. Recommended for paddlers under 220 pounds, expect a small amount of water around your butt (you can tape over the bail holes for flatwater use) if you are above 190 pounds. Two-year warranty on air-holding seams and material (does not cover I-beams blown due to over-inflation).

VersaCat & VersaCat Frame

The VersaCat frame is available separately or with a package that includes two Innova Safari's, paddles, and a cam strap set. Though designed around the Innova Safaris, but it can also be used with solo AIRE Tomcat and Lynx models, and a few other solo whitewater models. The more rectangular a kayak is the better it works. A very elliptical boat like the Force, Strike, Bandit, or Force XL will not really conform to the frame, and all tandem models are simply too long. The VersaCat frame is made with super strong 1-3/4", 1/8" wall aluminum square stock.
Our frame is a four-piece unit that joins two Safaris together as a stable whitewater platform, magically transforming what is otherwise arguably the world's tippiest river inflatable into something very different. As mentioned in the first paragraph, we really designed this tiem for the Safaris but it can be used with a few other models that have either tie-down loops running full length, or bail holes running down each side of the inflatable floor. If you order it thinking that you will be able to utilize it with your existing i.k's against our advice, and find out it does not mate up to them, you need to pay UPS both ways, as well as a restocking fee of 15%.
We chose the Innova Safari for our project for several reasons. First is the value that Innova inlfatables represent, compared to other rubber kayaks. Second is the Safari's compact rolled size and reasonable 24 pound-per-kayak weight. The third reason is that the Safaris are one of the fastest inflatables made. About the only other solo river inflatable that moves as fast is the AIRE Force, but it does not have the Safari's tracking fin and tends to zig zag on flat water like a hardshell whitewater i.k. Last is that other than the Force, there is really no other solo or tandem river model that slices through back-curlers like a Safari.
The one downside of the Safari is that it has fairly low payload capacity, and even under the 220 limit, a person who is in the high 100's will find these bail slower than they would with a lighter pilot aboard. And that is why it makes sense for some paddlers to think about using them with a different pair of kayaks. The thing is the frame will not straddle all the way across to the "outer" tubes on any other model, but it still works.

A VersaCat Package includes two Safaris, two four foot single blade paddles, the frame, and the eight straps you need to join them to the frame. These straps are sheathed with an extra section of tubular nylon webbing to keep them from wearing out and to prevent chafing around the bail holes.
A VersaCat is an incredibly stable river craft due to it's 6' beam (about the same as a 12' raft) and super low center of gravity. The VersaCat emulates the virtues of the highly capable Russian style river paddle cats. It is intended to be paddled from a seated postion with single blade paddles, but you could also kneel. We have not worked out a saddle yet for this boat though. And of course, with a VersaCat package, you also get two Safaris, which can be used on their own without the frame.
It also provides a stable human powered ocean craft for diving, fishing, sightseeing, surfing, and outrigger racing. Easily reboarded and nearly impossible to tip over in waves, you just paddle it with 3-1/2' or 4' single blade paddles.
We have not played with a sail mast base yet, and though many people have asked about it, please understand that it wouldn't work without a rudder anyway - and we intended this mainly as a rivercraft, not a sailboat.

How it works: four straps hold each boat to the frame. The two pairs of straps near the center go around the lengthwise frame members, and through bail holes. The rearmost straps on each side come off the ends of the rear crossmember and again through a bail hole behind the seat. The front outside straps go through an extra bail hole that we (or you, if you already have the boats) punch in your boats just forward of the inflatable footrest. In the photo above, this is not the way that strap is running, because we did not have the extra bail holes punched in the pair of Safaris photographed. Please note that some older Safaris do not have enough bail holes to strap the frame securely to the hulls nor do they have the right shape of bail hole - generally those made before 2002. .
With the AIRE Lynx's and Tomcats mentioned above, four of the straps connect to tie down loops inside the boat, and again, the other four go through bail holes just as with the Safari rigging. The four pieces of the frame are held together with four bolts & wingnuts. Assembly is about two minutes on the frame. The two longest pieces are 6'4". The frame is constructed of very beefy tempered square tube stock, with water pipe insulation where it will have contact with the boats (to prevent black staining from the aluminum). The frame member ends are all open so water simply drains out. Aluminum does corrode to some degree in salt water and should therefore be rinsed after ocean use. On the river, just let it dry out.
In most cases, due to the box size used for the frame & paddles, you may get nailed for a 70 pound rate by UPS. We will try to mitigate that by either shipping the two Safaris in one box, or by using a box that will fit the frame and one Safari. If you only need the frame your UPS cost will be for 30 pounds. We never mark up UPS fees, and we alwasy try to minimize box sizes on shipments as much as possible.

VersaCat Pricing

When you buy the package, you get an extra 5% off on each boat (and our website price on the Safari is already 5% off the list to start with), and 10% off on the frame. If you already have one current model Safari, you can buy a "single boat" package but you receive only 5% off on the frame and no additional discount on the boat. The numbers are as follows:

VersaCat Package with straps & paddles: $2,034

VersaCat Package with one Safari only, including straps: $1,299

VersaCat Frame only, no straps: $399.

Sheathed Strap Set (reinforced with hoopi) only: $49

Again, please note that Safari inflatable kayaks are recommended for paddlers under 220 pounds.

Bandit I

This imported model from NRS is built with European 840 denier nylon coated on both sides with highly abrasion resistant urethane, and welded together with radio frequency equipment. About 18 or 19 years ago, we were having a discussion with John Mills, the original plant manager at Maravia before they moved out of California. At that time Hyside was making us a little boat that was a copy of the current Innova Junior, which was unavailable in the States back then. Although it only weighed 15 pounds, John was telling us how you could make a little boat the same size with urethane pack cloth and get it down under 10 pounds. Foolishly, we never did anything with the idea, but now all these years later someone finally has.
If you've always wanted a whitewater boat that was packable without undue back strain, here's your answer. The Bandit I weighs a bit over 20 pounds, (up four pounds from the original weight of 17 pounds - still listed in some NRS literature - due to a beefier bottom) and measures 36" wide by 9'11" long. The 2009 specs give the width as 34", but every one we've measured is three feet plus or minus a half inch.
The Bandit has 7" of rise at the ends, a sport seat (like what is in most AIRE kayaks), Leafield valves, lots of big bail holes, and one towing D-ring. And as with the AIRE kayak chairs, you can access the interior of the Bandit's seats via a little rear zipper. This is handy since you may want to add one extra piece of closed cell foam to the backrest portion to increase rigidity.
The color is orange with black trim, very attractive in a halloweenish sort of way. Occasionally we may be able to get these in a blue-black two tone as well.
The material may not have near the rip resistance of say, a Hyside Padillac, but urethane coated fabric does tend to slip over sharp rocks rather than being caught on them. Just in case though, there is one accessory item we would strongly recommend with this boat: a two-part Aquaseal kit, found on our repair page. It is difficult to repair this material with the glue provided, especially in the field since it takes a long time to cure up. Two part Aquaseal will set up in less than an hour, and requires no technical expertise to use - only a mixing cup, brushes, and the patch material provided - or any rubber fabric. You would also use Aquaseal to glue on rubber or urethane D-ring patches to the Bandit. Gluing with Aquaseal is rather sloppy because it smooshes out from under the patch edges as it drys. Masking off the area with tape is helpful.
Along with a low total weight, this kayak also rolls up quite small and has a high payload capacity for multiday trips due to a very thick 7" inflatable floor. Space for gear is not so great though, but if you aren't too tall or don't pack too many bulky items you should be fine. There are two rear inside D-rings plus a rear grab loop, so if you added a couple more D's that should be enough to tie down one or two drybags.
About the only drawbacks to the Bandits so far seem to be a) that the super-thick floor pokes down below the boat a bit, making for a high wear area and a potential rock catcher, and b) the rather floppy integration between the floor and side tubes. A Bandit will not spin circles around something more sporty like the AIRE Strike, but overall it seems like a winner.
Even though the good boys and girls at NRS have been recommending against this model for class IV and V rivers, the geology has more to do with it than the actual difficulty of the run. If a class III river has a lot of jagged shale, the thinner material of the Bandit may not be up to the challenge. Or if you are running waterfalls on a steep creek and landing hard on rocks, again, another model may be better suited. But if a low flow class V river has mostly smooth granite, there is no reason you couldn't use a Bandit.
There have been some on and off reliability issues with the floor I-beams coming unwelded, but in most cases it seems like the Bandit owners had put too much faith in the pressure relief valve on the floor. We have seen a lot of floor I-beam failures over the years since we rented gear for 21 years. In almost every case the effected floor had a pressure relief valve. What happens is that these relief valves either leak after a time, or worse, they get grit caught up inside in such a way as to prevent the valve from opening when it should. That, or the valve is set at too high of a blow-off pressure to begin with.
Dark colored floors (the Bandits are black on the underside) can jump up in pressure during a hot lunch break faster than even a fully functioning relief can compensate for. Most boaters rely far too heavily on pressure valves, and the results can be costly. And forgetting the repair bill, it is also becomming difficult to find repair shops that even want to fix blown I-beams.

We also have a two-person Bandit which only weighs seven pounds more in our Tandem section.
Note: The solo NRS MaverIK is also available by special order for $1,389, though availability until this Summer will be tight.

The rest of the inflatable kayaksin this section are from AIRE, though some are made in Idaho and some are built at AIRE's Chinese factory. U.S. made models include the Lynx, Outfitter, Force, and Force XL in this section, as well as the Lynx II, Sea Tiger, Traveler canoe, and SuperLynx which are in the Tandem and Touring kayak sections. The Asian models include the Tomcat and Strikes below, and well as their tandem equivalents and the Sawtooth in the Touring kayak area.
Foam floor kayaks are no longer being made on AIRE's assembly line. They will only be available by special order at the same price as air floor models (although your UPS bill will be higher due to the huge box size), and only on the domestically produced models - not the Tomcat or Strike line. The Strikes were a new addition to the AIRE models in 2005 and have been a big hit. They fall in between the Tomcats & the U.S.-made kayaks in terms of quality, material, and pricing.
All AIRE and Tributary kayaks on our site include a 5% UPS and/or accessory allowance in lieu of the five percent off pricing we used to show. AIRE requested we make this change to, as they say, level the playing field. Sadly there are plenty of non-stocking virtual businesses that still seem to find loopholes around AIRE's policies, but we will work with you as best we can. You can save a bit more by paying with cashier's checks, so if you wish to go that way send us your goodies list and your zip code and we will get you a quote. All shipping on kayaks is UPS ground unless you tell us otherwise, or unless you live in Alaska ot Hawaii.

The Lynx and Force series are all built of strong 24 oz. (per square yard) PVC with 1100 denier pre-stretched polyester base fabric on top and 1300 denier below. They come with ten year warranties that even cover damage you do to the boat. The Tomcat and Strikes are a blend of 900 denier (the red or blue portion) and 1200 denier (the grey underside) material with a coating that is as thick as the American kayaks on top and actually a bit thicker on the undersides. Tomcats come with a more basic one-year warranty. The Strikes have a five year warranty. The Tomcat and Strike warranties, unlike those on the American made boats, do not cover damage you do to the kayak.

There is no glue used in the production of any AIRE product. Tomcats come in red or dark blue, Strikes in light blue, and the new Outfitter, Lynx, & Force's come in purple, blue, yellow, red, and dark "fisherman's" green. All the American AIRE boats - rafts and inflatable kayaks - use reliable British made Leafield valves and the Strikes & Tomcats use a Summit valve.

AIRE Lynx I

* Pricing includes a $64 allowance toward UPS and/or accessories. See above AIRE information in italics.
The Lynx I and its 2-person brother are still some of our best selling inflatable kayaks. This boat has great weight capacity and last year the front end was rockered up about 3" more, and the tube taper now starts further back making for a sleeker nose. Lynx I's are one of the very best class V kayaks due to this front-end design; on huge verticle drops they won't plow into the hole as deeply as many other models, including the Forces and Tomcat. They also don't take in as much water in wave trains since they tend to ride up over them. There are a number of folks out there who actually do not like the newer incarnations of the Lynx I and Lynx II as much as some of the older models, but there are as many opinions on this as there are inflatable kayakers. It's best to chat about your choice with a paddling buddy that has some experience, or solicit the advice of online paddling groups like Yahoo, boatertalk.com, etc. If most of your boating consists of moderate class III and IV runs, the Strike below is well worth looking into.

The 20 webbing loops sewn in along the inside between the tubes and floor are perfect for gear tie-down and installing thighstraps, or for repositioning the super comfy chair-style seat anywhere you want it. The Lynx weighs 32 pounds and utilizes highly reliable Leafield valves. This model is made to spin quickly between rocks so don't look for great flatwater tracking. A Lynx will surf pretty well compared to most of the boats above, but with the 36" beam, it's also fairly stable.

New! AIRE Outfitter I

This model is a seriously odd looking craft. It's specs are about the same as Hyside's Padillac, yet the Hyside is nowhere near as bizarre in appearance. It looks like a very deep Lynx I on steroids, and the picture does not do it justice.
Odd looking or not, AIRE's target audience for this boat and it's tandem brother was primarily commercial outfitters (thus the name) who want an ultra-stable boat for their customers. Many commercial tour companies take i.k's along on their rivers, or in some cases do follow-the-leader trips exclusively in inflatables with no raft support at all.
The other two groups of paddlers who might lean toward the Outfitter are those doing high flow runs with or without camp gear, where swims might be very unpleasant, or rank beginners who also find the thought of any swim to be frightening. Due to the extra width and low seating position, this model is at least as stable as the Padillac, yet less likely to hang up on sub-surface rocks. The flatter bottom (compared to the Hyside) also catches less current, which means the river won't push you around as much as you might experience with the Hyside's grooved underside.
We have had one of the first solo Outfitters here since October, and the following specs are based on it's measurements, not on AIRE's published numbers. There are some variations. We think the one we have is, in fact, the exact one in the photo here. The Outfitter is supposed to be available in all five kayak colors, but AIRE has only been producing small numbers of these so far this year so it is best not to get too picky over the color. Try to have a second choice.
The weight is 36 pounds, the length maybe an inch shorter at 9'10", and the tubes are closer to 12" than 12-1/2. The width on the one we have here is quite a bit less than what AIRE gives - about 38.5" instead of 40.
We cannot say with certainty that the beast will hold 400 pounds as AIRE says (some of these numbers come from what AIRE's computer software predicts), but even if it maxxed at 350, that is a very high number of any one person model.
The price is the same as the solo Lynx: $1,269. The Outfitter features beefy, comfortable lift handles front & rear, a big towing D-ring, and large bras that have "bail holes" around their edges so any water that loads up in front on a steep drop will quickly run out. This might also be helpful if you were drying out the kayak standing against a tree at the take out.
A specification block will be posted soon. Materials, warranty, & colors are the same as the Lynx I.

AIRE Tomcat I

* Pricing includes a $33 allowance toward UPS and/or accessories. See above AIRE information in italics.
This imported boat weighs in at 38 pounds with it's thick 1200 denier 24 ounce underside material, a bit heavy for a solo boat. The standard seat is now the same one used for the Lynx, SuperLynx, Strike, and Sea Tiger. The width is over 37", so don't plan on using a short (like 220 or 225cm) paddle with this 'yak because you won't be able to move it effectively.
Tomcats pretty well negate the need to look at the wetter, slower bailing Sevylor RiverX series kayaks, the squishy and wet Stearns self bailers, or the slow, piggy Sea Eagle 340.
These are an excellent choice for folks who want to do self supported multi-day trips because they have a ton of tie-down loops and lots of room behind the seat (and in front, depending on seat position) for gear, and plenty of weight capacity. Usually you have to go to a tandem model to get this much space and weight capacity. AIRE's specs actually rate the carrying capacity of this boat at 25 pounds less than the Lynx I, which is absurd. The 350 pound rating on the Lynx I is way too high. 275 to 300 is a more reasonable maximum. The Tomcat I on the other hand will carry close to 400 pounds without swamping.
Tomcats don't inflate quite as rock-hard as the American models because the 900 denier Chinese fabric on the upper tube is a bit more stretchy. The bottom seams on the Tomcat are stitched rather than welded. If you happen to fall into that 1/10 of 1% of paddlers who run rivers with unusually abrasive or sharp geology, you might consider covering this stitching with either some glued on seam tape or a very fine layer of Aquaseal. That, or pass entirely on the Tomcat. We also have to say that as of this update to our site, the oldest Tomcats are hitting six years of age now. And we are starting to get reports of the underside stitching coming loose. In fact we had a customer bring a torn one for us to look at and forward to AIRE for repairs just last week. He had used it very heavily for four seasons and was not unhappy, but the damage to the thread on the bottom was fairly extensive. We've also begun to hear from a few Tomcat buyers that have had some trouble with pinholes in their tube bladders recently, and that is an expected shortcoming of the vinyl bladders over the proven and very durable urethane ones used in all the other AIRE models. Overall, those who use their Tomcat half a dozen times each year should have little problems with the stitiching on the bottom, or at least not for a very long time.
All the other info on the Tomcats, including details on the differences between these and the U.S-made kaysk, is available under our Tandem (whitewater) inflatable kayak section. The solo Tomcat is only $649, and as always any accessories you may need with your kayak will be priced at 10% off.

Tomcat Package Deal:

The Tomcat package includes the solo tomcat with seat & basic patch kit, a 90" symetric blade taks-apart paddle (Carlisle or Caviness, your choice), a Bravo II foot pump with valve adaptor, and a pair of AIRE's padded thighstraps. The price is $709 plus UPS; please note that package deals do not include the 5% shipping allowance.
For an extra $20 you can upgrade to a fiberglass shaft take-apart paddle that weighs quite a bit less than the Caviness and Carlisle paddles, and has a better blade design.

AIRE Force

* Pricing includes a $73 allowance toward UPS and/or accessories. See above AIRE information in italics.
The standard Force and Force XL (Xtra-Large) are AIRE's high performance models. They are meant to compete with some of the high performance "eastern" models (Renegades, Thrillseekers, Blades, Stillettos, Pythons, etc.) while still offering the benefits of AIRE's killer warranty & service. A Force is more rollable than most of the competitors mentioned above, a tad more rigid and better at surfing and pop-ups, but also more flippy. One of the Thrillseeker's big claims to fame is it's prowess in ultra low flow headwater creeks, but the foam floor Thrillseekers draft deeper than any of the Forces, and the shallower drafting air suspension floor Thrillseeker is longer than the Force series boats (at least in the "standard" length ranges of 10'6" to 13') and therefore won't be able to pivot through as tight of a gap as the AIREs. Any of the three models of Force will also beat a Thrillseeker in a race even though the Thrillseekers are reasonably fast themslves. High hull speed can get you out of trouble on a river, and this characteristic makes the Force a strong contender for flat water boaters too. Well, if you can make the little sucker go straight. It should be said that a Thrillseeker is far superior if you like huge vertical drops, and it and the Force are not an apple to apple comparison.
The standard Force is definitely not a boat for beginners though it is more stable than the Innova Safari or most hardshells. It handles much like a hardshell river kayak which is exactly what it is supposed to emulate, with it's continuous curve and super smooth bottom.
In keeping with "honesty is the best policy", we think it is only right to let prospective Force buyers know that about 50% of the ones we've sold (and we haven't sold all that many) ended up on Ebay or whitewater bulletin boards for sale after a couple months, or a couple years. The reason, invariably, is that the boats were sending their pilots for too many swims. If you don't like swimming, or are not at least at the upper end of the intermediate scale, forget about this boat. Too many paddlers have been talked into buying a Force by their know-it-all hardsheller friends only to find it was a long way from suitable.
Both the front inflatable foot rest and rear inflatable backrest can be adjusted in and out to accommodate various sized people up to about 6'2". Thighstraps are standard and there are a few attachments for cargo tie-down, but this is not a boat meant to hold overnight gear.
Unlike any other inflatable kayaks including the larger Force XL, the standard Force uses only one air chamber for the entire main tube, because when it was being developed the AIRE people found this was the best way to make it absolutely rigid - with two separate bladders in the main tubes, it could bend a teensy bit in extreme hydraulics, but with one bladder it won't. This single bladder is a pain in the ass if you ever need to change it though.
The standard Force weighs just 28 pounds, making it comparable to most Eastern high-performance inflatables. If you find the Force/Force XL backrest too minimal - and it is almost as bad as a hardshell backrest - you can add a Cheetah/Lynx seat ($45, see Accessories page). Color choices include yellow, red, blue, dark green, and dark purple. Recommended for paddlers under 220 lbs, and anyone over 150 should expect a little water around their butt.

AIRE Force XL

* Pricing includes a $77 allowance toward UPS and/or accessories. See above AIRE information in italics.
The longer, wider Force XL (which looks exactly like the red Force shown above) can theoretically be eskimo rolled like the standard Force but few people actually pull it off. The extra 2" of width and 1" tube diameter does make it far more forgiving than it's little brother though. In rentals we found that intermediate and even novice inflatable kayakers had little trouble keeping this model upright because it is harder for the current to suck the larger diameter XL tubes under, and you feel like you are sitting in a deeper boat than with the shallow standard Force. The larger tubes and extra length let this boat handle people close to 300 lbs, though on both Force models some water gathers around your butt at far lower weights. The XL is best suited for people who aren't much above 250 or 260 pounds. The extra room inside also means you can leave the rear deck deflated and drop in a big drybag for overnight trips (there are tie-down D-rings not visible in the photos).
The XL model comes in the standard five colors- blue, red, yellow, purple, and dark green. Both the XL and the standard Force have only one main air chamber, not two. This is done to keep the whole length of the hull as rigid as possible. The joints where a dual bladder system would meet are softs spots that can bend more readily, and on the Force's, SuperLynx model, and Strikes these joints are near the center of the boat, not a left-side right-side arrangement.
Both kayaks in the Force series do take some getting used to, in that their flat bows (no rocker) get knocked around even by small diagonal waves, and they will not pivot with the same zip that a Lynx will. The benefits of the high hull speed make it worth getting to know these boats, however, and once people become comfortable with the handling of the XL or it's smaller brother they rarely want to trade down to another model.

AIRE Tributary Strike

* Pricing includes a $45 allowance toward UPS and/or accessories. See above AIRE information in italics.
For 2009, the only color on the Strike series will be light blue.
So far the only unfavorable feedback on the solo Strike has been from a couple of larger fellows that were in the 250 to 275 pounds range, and everyone else including us has felt this is a top contender among AIRE's line with it's quick predictable handling, even if it is an import.
It falls in between the less expensive Tomcat and the American made Lynx in several ways. It has a five year warranty that does not cover owner damage like the U.S. boats. This is much better than the one year coverage that Tomcats have, only half as long as the Lynx, but the same as most other high end whitewater models. The outer material is the same Chinese pvc used for the Tomcats - 900 denier on the top blue part of the body, and 1200 denier pvc on the grey underside. However, a major difference is that the tube bladders are the same urethane as AIRE's U.S. boats, not the heavier, less stretchy vinyl used on the Tomcats. This improves the long term reliability tremendously. Rather than replacing bladders after 8 to 10 years you should be looking at more like 20+ years for the urethane. We say "should be" since many 1989 and 1990 AIRE boats are still running around with the original bladders. We honestly don't know what to give for a lifespan on them since AIRE has not been around long enough to say.
In hull design, the Strike retains the width and high stability of the Tomcat, but it has rocker on the ends (15") closer to what you find on the Lynx, with a zippy eliptical shape like a widened out Force XL. All in all, for most middle of the road class III and IV paddlers, this might be the very best choice of all. For an extra $250 it does seem to offer a lot more value than the Tomcat.
It has excellent performance, arguably better than the Lynx, as long as the pilot is under 200 pounds. With paddlers between about 190 and 225 pounds, it has about the same hull speed as the Lynx. For larger paddlers above 230 pounds it will actually get slower, which is why we previously mentioned the larger paddlers not being as enthused. The smaller footprint of the Strike combined with a floor that inflates thinner than the Lynx I means big paddlers will bog it down more than a Tomcat or Lynx model. However the thinner floor also keeps your center of gravity lower and makes the Strike very stable. Strike I's and Lynx's both track very poorly, so you need a bit of patience to get used to them.
This boat uses Summit valves like the Tomcats, which haven't been bad, but the valve cap strings can tear off if you don't turn the cap fully clockwise. This is one valve you must use a valve adaptor with, and it is included in the little patch kit. A Carlson pump hose tip works marginally with no adaptor, but only if you have a second person to sit there & hold the hose in tight.

See our F.A.Q. page for information on Stearns, Sea Eagle, and Sevylor brand inflatable kayaks.