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Whitewater and fly-fishing rowing frames are available through us, and oars are
found on the "Oars & Paddles" page. We don't stock frames due to the hundreds of possible variations, but highly adjustable
aluminum take-apart frames from NRS, AIRE's steel and aluminum cat &
Puma series frames, as well as Recretec Steel Frames for cats and rafts are available with lead times varying from two weeks on Recretec to as little as a couple days on the others.
Take-apart frames are handy for portability, and having one may make the
difference between getting your frame to a fly-in destination, or having
a bush pilot sadly shake his head. Most of the aluminum frames below can
also be adjusted on oarlock, footbar, and seat positions for different size
people, and the overnighter frames can be ordered in varying sizes for different
widths of coolers and gear boxes. Most are held together with strong cast
fittings that won't slip (AIRE's frames generally use clevis pins), and come
with one padded low-back tractor seat or slant board unless otherwise noted.
High-back seats may look comfy in the
pictures, but they do not allow a natural body movement when rowing and can
actually make your back very crampy.
The steel frames are not really adjustable though you can specify any cooler
or drybox size you wish. Once you order a Recretech frame, you will essentially
need to stick with whatever front-to-back measurement you pick for the cooler
and/or drybox dimension.
There are only a few representative frame photos here and this section
of our website does not attempt to show a complete selection due to the
infinite numnber of variables on frames. Specify the size of your raft or cat and
let us know what all you want to pack. Frames for big boats over 16' are
subject to an upcharge; e-mail or call with your zip code for quotes and we will do our best. Please understand that
with large, heavy fishing and cat frames requiring multiple shipping boxes, it may take some time for us to accurately quote motor freight or UPS fees. We will not attempt to do this over the phone. And since it does take time, we would ask that you only request shipping quotes on big items like these if you are serious and ready to purchase.
Frames are generally not returnable, and Recretec brand frames never
are. In almost all cases your credit card will be charged the day
Recretec begins assembling your frame. You cannot renege on, or cancel
your order, after it is in progress. Aluminum frames for the double tube
Panther and Cougar cats are no longer available, so steel is now the only
option..
Last, although we try to give customers a 10% discount on any accessory items they purchase with a boat, some Recretec frames, and all NRS frames carry too low a margin for us to discount them.
Although NRS would give you a break on a frame, that's easy for them to do since they are the manufacturer, but they do not offer AIRE rafts at a 5% discount as we do. With a cheap raft or set of cat tubes, and a very expensive complex frame, the arithmetic may come out in their favor but you will have to calculate that out. More often, we will save you some bucks over the competition.
Updated July, 2006.
Raft Frames
Aluminum Stern Frame (four piece) from NRS: Available with either a low-back
seat or a slant board at the same price. These are popular among some
rafting groups, and then again there are other boaters who wrote these
off a long time ago. The shape of the stern on your raft has much to do
with how well or how poorly these will work. Many of the highly rockered
Maravias, AIRE SuperPumas, and other boats of similiar  shape
put the frame at a very steep angle. If the boat hits either a rock or
hydraulic big enough to stop the momentum, however briefly, the rower
gets launched through the air due to the poor bracing angle of your legs.
Launching is bad enough for a paddle captain, but with a stern frame you
run the additional risk of Heimliching your belly on the oar handles.
Think how much fun it is to hit the water after being relieved of all
your air.
Conversely, with any shape raft, a stern rower also runs the risk of
simply ramming an oar into a rock, and the same thing happens in reverse.
Instead of you flying into the oars, the oars come back at you and knock
you right off the ass end of the boat. Stern frame afficionados would
say you'd have to be a bozo for this to happen; that you must have been
dragging your oars. But anyone can take a stroke in murky water and immediately
hit the oar tip on a rock just under the surface without being at fault.
We'll let you decide. You can be knocked out of your seat with any rowing
frame, but you don't usually land in the water with a conventional one.
$359 for either slant board or seat version.
 Aluminum
NRS Day Frame (four piece, no cooler slot): This frame is simply a basic
rowing platform with no capacity to haul anything, though you could still
use one of the Cargo Nets and/or a CargoFloor (below) to haul a couple
small drybags. Better yet, build yourself a separate cooler frame with
schedule 80 (not sch.40) pipe. 50" long, in widths starting at 48"
up to 72" in 6" increments. Equipped with a low-back tractor
seat. $339
Overnight Aluminum (six piece, holds one cooler or drybox) from NRS:
With longer side bars than the Day Frame, and two extra adjustable cross
 bars
for strap-mounting a cooler or drybox (straps not included). You cannot
haul both a cooler and have a second seat mount at the same time,
but a passenger could sit on the cooler. 68" long, in widths starting
at 48" & increasing in 6" increments. $459
Overnight Recretec Steel (six piece, rower sits on cooler or drybox):
This  frame
is sized and intended mainly for smaller rafts under 13', and it has a
skidguard front passenger seat. We've had this one in rentals in years
past and it worked well. Four clevis pins hold it together; cooler/drybox
suspension straps are included. 36 pounds. $395
Multi-Day Aluminum (eight piece, holds cooler and drybox):
Standard with one low-back seat, cooler straps not included. This unit
is for longer trips and the Multi-Day can be ordered for any size raft
with varying  lengths
starting at 88". Everything on this frame adjusts so you can taylor
it to any type of boxes, coolers, or extra seats that you wish. $579
For High Back Seat on frames above, add $20
Fishing Frame (many, many variables): Call for quote
The New SuperPuma Aluminum Center Module frame (just the middle part of what you see below; call for price) from AIRE is available
in a basic configuration that will fit the regular Puma and SuperPuma,
or in a Deluxe Fly Fishing Frame version ($1,395, with all three sections shown in the picture) that will fit into the
SuperPuma but not the regular Puma. There is also an extra-long Fly Fishing Frame available for the SuperDuper Puma ($1,695) as well. The  rear
portion is a seat and a casting platform, and the front section
is a casting platform where you would normally be sitting on a front cooler
or drybox. It is possible for some extra money to put a third seat in
the front, but this seat would prevent you from being able to drop in
a drybox or cooler. The seat or seats are padded fold-down plastic bodies
chairs.
Aluminum Dryboxes
Aluminum Dryboxes from Recretec can be ordered with optional kitchen-box
conversions ($90) that include four legs, leg
sockets, and a retainer cable to hold the lid open at a 90 degree angle.
The kitchen option isn't shown in the photo, but you can make out the
small pieces of angle aluminum  that
hold the box from dropping through the bars, and negate the need for straps
under the box. Standard cross dimensions are 16" by 16", with
36", 40", and 44" widths. These are beefy, very dry, and
amazing lightweight. Please note that regardless of their modest weight
the size of these boxes puts them into what UPS calls "oversize 3",
meaning you will pay for a seventy pound parcel. And that's if Recretec
even will ship UPS; they often prefer to put them an a truck, which costs
even more.
36" box - $370; 40" box - $380; 44" box - $395. For narrower
13" X 16" cross dimension boxes, deduct $25.
Take-Apart Cat Frames
Aluminum Two-person FatCat, 107" or 120" long. $1,079
(twelve piece, two high back seats)
Aluminum Overnight AlleyCat, 88" long. $889 
(nine piece, holds one cooler, w/one high back seat)
Aluminum Multi-Day TopCat, 107" or 120" long. $1,019
(shown in photo) eleven piece, holds two coolers/boxes, w/one high back
seat)
Low Back Seat on Cat Frames, deduct $20
Extra Low Back Seat: $60
Extra High Back Seat: $90
Action Plastic Swivel Seat: $49
Aluminum Wildcat/Bobcat Frame (one padded plastic fold-down  seat)
This frame from AIRE is designed around small pontoons
ranging from 10' to 13', and 18" to 20" in diameter. 7 pieces
are held together with a dozen clevis pins. Not intended to hold gear
but you can suspend a drybag behind the seat with a couple straps. A definite
bargain at only $575
Solo Bobcat/Wildcat Fish Frame ($869, one seat only; no photo yet): One of AIRE's newer frames, this features a lean bar and a standing deck, with a area behind the seat for a cooler like the frames that come with AIRE's Outcast line. The difference is that the Outcast frames come standard with an aluminum plate to set the cooler on, and these don't - it's an option that costs extrra money. The optional ad-ons available for this frame include a Motor Mount ($66), a Foot Bar ($59), and the afforementioned Cargo Deck ($72). Were you wanting to use this frame in stronger whitewater your best bet would be to forego the front lean bar but to definitely order the Foot Bar. This configuration would be $805. The lean bar would be extremely dangerous in bigger rapids if you were thrown forward or flipped. Of course it's removable so you can leave it on for fishing easy streams and get rid of it on the harder stuff.
This frame is a good example of one that has so many confusing variations that it mandates studying AIRE's website thoroughly before you order, whether you get it through us or them. Due to these variations, the pricing could vary from as little as $675 for a stripped version with no decks or lean bars, to as much as $1,075 for a fully loaded one.
Recretec Steel Cat Frame & Cargo Module (seat not included,
but uses a tractor seat). The Steel take-apart Cat frames can be ordered
in  sizes
for 10' to 16' size cats, and they feature adjustable oarlock stands,
an adjustable footbar, and a skidguard floor. The frame runs $585 (you
may deduct $60 if you don't want the floor).
The 7-piece Cargo Module is 30" front to back and also has a skidguard
floor. It runs $245 and is available in any widths you may desire.
Cargo Nets
Last but not least are Cargo Nets and Cargo Floors. These
handy  items
always make packing much easier. String the Cargo Floors behind the frame
to set all your drybags on, and if you want, use a Cargo Net over the
top of everything to save time tying down gear. The Floors have a spider
web of webbing reinforcement. Both items require five to six D-rings on
the back end of your raft to mount. It seems like many  manufacturers
such as Maxxon and Hyside are a bit skimpy with them on their rafts, so
if you need more to glue on your boat we can give you pricing. There are
so many types it's tough to list them all on our site. We carry two sizes
each of the Nets and Floors. Pricing is as follows: 35 X 26" Cargo
Floor - $59; 40 X 34" Cargo Floor- $69; 60 X 80" Cargo Net -
$67; 80 X 90" Cargo Net - $72
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101 Brookside Place,
