Please note that due to the high weight of this raft, it must be shipped motor freight. These are not available on the shelf; AIRE needs to build each one and it takes about five to six weeks, and a non-refundable deposit is required.
The price shown for AIRE's 183R expedition raft is with NO Thwarts (the picture shows three). A price break of 5% is available for orders paid via cashier's check / bank transfer
AIRE 183R - Largest Self Bailing Whitewater Raft
The AIRE 183R is the largest self-bailing raft on our site, and is definitely only for big waterways like the Colorado, Frazier, the Yampa, etc. How does it handle? Across the board AIRE's big boats handle very well, but we have never rowed one of these and there is zero chance that we ever will. Someone at AIRE probably has though so they are a better bet than us for specific questions.
These are only available sporadically and you generally don't get much color choice. AIRE makes blue and yellow, that's it. The orange one shown here and on AIRE's website is in fact just a 156R, and if the photo were a 183 it would show the valves in a different place and there would be one more lift handle per side. The 183R has six main hull air chambers rather than four, for maximum safety. You can easily put five thwarts in the 183R but few people would rig one of these as a paddle raft.
AIRE 183R Raft Specifications
The dimensions of the 183 are 18'4" long by a very fat 8'6" wide, making it far less able to handle moderate size rivers than it's "little" brother, the 176R. The inside width is roughly 57", or a bit less if no thwarts are installed. You will need three men and a boy scout to lift this raft because even with no thwarts, it weighs in at well over 200 pounds. This model is generally trailered, and most outfitters or private boaters using rafts of this payload use a come-along to get it on the trailer bed. You do need to be careful in choosing the trailer for a 183R though because many of them will not accommodate an 8'6" wide raft.
