Fishing Raft

AIRE Super Puma Fishing Raft for angling and whitewater trips. NOTE: our photo shows three thwarts, but the pricing is for a two-thwart Super Puma Fishing Raft. Extra thwarts are $325, should you want a third one for paddling, are listed under "Raft Accessories". No-Thwart Super Pumas are are also available.

Of all AIRE's raft line, which includes a total of no less than 22 different models, no boat is more popular with anglers than the SuperPuma. This was the original "inflatable driftboat", a model now copied by several other manufacturers. The usual fishing set up for this raft consists of a frame with a oar module in the center, and casting platforms with lean bars in the bow and stern. The price shown is for the basic raft; the full fishing frame runs about $2,149, and you'll still need oars, oar hardware, and straps to hold it all down to the hull. The SuperPuma is very responsive as a three person rig, able to slide in and out of eddies with ease, and not difficult at all to hold in the current of low & medium flow rivers while your two buddies cast. The SuperDuper Puma, which is on our main SelfBailing Raft page, is the big brother to this boat - a foot longer and 3 to 4" wider.

Super Puma - Dual Use - Fishing Raft and Whitewater Raft

The AIRE Super Puma 13' self bailing Fishing Raft is a fast, narrow (5'8" wide) raft ideal for paddle crews, or as an angler's driftboat, albeit without the need of a trailer that a normal dory mandates. As a paddle boat the Super Puma is most at home on tight, steep, low volume streams. The tubes taper at the ends of the hull from 18.5" to 13.5", making for a small surface area to punch waves with ease. It's also a bit hard on the tush to paddle captain from the very stern with the small pointy end shape. Super Puma's are stretched out 18" in length over the regular Puma, are 2" wider (5'8" instead of 5'6") and comfortably hold one extra person (five paddlers instead of four). There are three main tube chambers on the Super Puma. Another difference between the two models is that Super Pumas has 2" more rocker at the bow & stern than the Puma, and it tapers a bit more radically at the ends too, giving it that "elves shoe" look.

Fishing Raft Super Puma Colors

These come in yellow, orange, red, blue, and dark green. Purple, lime, and two-tone grey's are also available by special order but sometimes take a month or two to get. Super Pumas weigh 96 pounds with two thwarts. An extra thwart adds about four pounds.

If you want top performance from your Super Puma Fishing Raft , you shouldn't overload it. AIRE gives 986 pounds as the load capacity for this model. This is not entirely unreasonable, but if you really have five guys that average 200 pounds per in the Super puma river raft, it does bog down a bit. On the other hand, with five guys that are more in the 170 pound range, it works quite nicely. So we suggest 850 for top performance. With even less, this thing really moves.

Are you a fly fisherman or fisherlady? If you want a firmer, pancake flat floor to stand on while fishing in your Super Puma Fishing Raft, consider cutting out half-circle shaped plywood pieces for the bow & stern of your boat. Sand them, route the edges, and brush the wood with about 12 coats (we're kidding, but you can never have too much) of varnish. On the last coat on the top surface, you can sprinkle clean sand or rock polisher grit on the varnish as it dries to improve traction. Hardware stores also sell an adhesive-backed sandpaper type material by the foot that you can stick down to the wood. We know many of you will end up buying an expensive fishing frame for this boat, and our way does not provide a lean bar, but using the simple wood decks does allow you to stick with a much smaller, cheaper, lighter oar frame - one designed for whitewater.

For information on Sealed Floor Pockets for Super Puma Fishing Raft, see our separate page for that option.

Price includes free lower-48 ground UPS. The shopping cart will try to charge UPS but we will deduct that before grabbing the funds.

This is a different model/color. Frame NOT included. Fishing Poles NOT included, LOL!