Inflatable Rafts & Catarafts

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Many potential buyers tend to get a bit confused and stressed trying to decipher and decide between various boat brands. The good news for all of you is that almost any name brand river infatable will last a very long time, so it's hard to go wrong in choosing. Not all brands & models handle the same though, and the relative cost per year to own different makes may vary a bit.

We try to offer the highest values, which is why many of the inflatable rafts in this part of our website are from Rocky Mountain, AIRE, or AIRE's import Tributary line. We were the first AIRE dealer in California and we knew AIRE's owners long before the company existed. With Rocky Mountain, we came on board the first full year they were in business, and their economical rafts and cat tubes continue to delete with their unbelievable value. Our customers have been very pleased with the Rocky's as have we. For us and for our customers, it's important that the crew at AIRE & Rocky Mountain are easy to work with, and impeccably honest in covering their products just as they say they will. Both companies deal with end users with respect, and do everything they can to keep those who own their products happy.

AIRE remains the only inflatable builder out there offering a warranty with coverage for damage you do to your boat, not just defects that are the fault of the manufacturer. Most of the other boat builders claiming ten or twelve year guarantees may only cover the hull material for that period, or have exclusions that make the warranty far less impressive than at first glance. Why cover your damage too? If you've managed to incur a large tear or other major damage, AIRE would rather fix the boat properly with their welders & sewing equipment, as opposed to having one of their products looking rough due to a home repair, where the boat owner may not be equipped or experienced enough for the job at hand.

Both AIRE/Tributary and Rocky Mountain Rafts build rafts without glue (with the exception of chafers on the Rocky's). In the case of the Trib's and RMR's, this makes them different from almost all other import pvc rafts. You can learn a lot more about boat materials by reading our "PVC vs. Rubber" the Great Debate" section.

Now days, almost every brand of boat - even some of the cheap glued Asian brands - are plenty tough enough to the degree that few modern boats owners ever really need their patch kit. So when you purchase a raft you are really paying for two key things: lifespan - or what it will cost per year to own, and handling. A "good handling" raft or inflatable kayak will be responsive through a wide variety of river conditions. This is not true of a great many hypalon brands and models, which most often tend to be more mediocre in their handling traits. But what about lifespan? Aren't pvc inflatable pre-disposed to less usable years than a quality hypalon model? If the boat is pvc and assembled with glue, yes, that is most often true. Using welders for assembly, especially if done in combination with urethane bladders as AIRE does, ensure very lengthy lifespans. In fact, with the AIRE's it is almost unlimited. The outer hull of an AIRE could be nearly worn down to the base fabric all over and the raft will still retain air just fine. For the same reason that an AIRE can be made to last almost forever, it is also the most easily serviced in the field if something should go wrong. With all these considerations we feel that Rocky Mountain, AIRE, and AIRE's Tributary line offer the lowest costs per year to own, with products that perform at a high level even in class V water.

AIRE has an optional upgrade on all American made rafts to a Sealed Floor Pocket; more about that in the boat descriptions. Another new option that was added a few years ago is urethane fabric for any AIRE raft or Cataraft. Pricing is given for this under the indivdual raft & cat sizes near the bottom of the descriptions.

For more 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 at 925-820-BOAT. In brief, all accessories except rowing frames and aluminum dryboxes receive a 10% discount. These two exceptions are due to low margins and high incoming shipping costs. This section was updated in March of 2013.