AIRE, Hyside, Tributary,
Innova, NRS, and other
whitewater one person
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.
The additional benefit of
inflatables is that you can
get in and out of them quickly
in the event of a swim (no
entrapment, no roll required,
and super easy self-rescue).
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 XL from AIRE
are very zippy, and the Safari
even has a removable tracking
fin.
Depending on the model,
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 in this section
for the qualities you're
looking for: size, weight,
performance, and price.
There are a total of seven
solo river kayaks from AIRE &
Tributary in this section if
you include the 2009 Force
series. Some people still ask
about the foam floor Aire
models, but they have not been
made on AIRE's assembly line
for quite some time. They are
available one-up by special
order at the same price as air
floor models (although your
UPS bill will be higher due to
the huge box size), but 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.
Our AIRE and Tributary
pricing is at retail because
that's what AIRE insists on,
however we do give you back 5%
toward UPS fees or any
accessories you may get with
the boat now or later. If you
need no accessories and your
UPS is less than 5% of the
boat's cost - which is often
the case with the more pricey
U.S.-made AIRE's - we will
work something out for you
that's agreeable.
Additionally, if you want to
pay with a cashier's check,
you will save even more. This
can be substantial on rafts in
particular, though less
significant on something like
an import kayak. Email us for
a quote. There is no
obligation, and we will not
spam you with follow-up emails
beyond the initial quote.
The Lynx and Force series
AIREs 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 Chinese made
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 really as
thick or thicker than any of
AIRE's more expensive kayaks.
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.
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 or better yet,
call us. Revised March 2010
