Aire Hot Potato Inflatable Kayak

AIRE's new Hot Potato Inflatable Kayak is an American-made version of the popular imported Tributary Spud. The dimensions - 3' wide by 7'2", with 11.5" side tubes - are the same as the Spud. We haven't weighed one yet, but AIRE is showing it at 20 pounds on the nose, a tad lighter than the Spud. The outer hull material is actually a bit thicker on the Hot Potato, but the urethane tube bladder (still a single chamber for the main hull, like the Spud) weighs less than the Spud's vinyl bladder.

The inflatable backrest is the same on both models, and the Hot Potato has cargo loops running full-length, so you can mount that backrest anywhere you wish. Or swap it out for a drybag on overnight trips. The warranty is ten years, like all AIRE's U.S. boats, and the valves on the Hot Potato are Leafield, rather than the Summits used on the Spud.

Spuds have been extremely popular, and whether the Hot Potato is worth nearly triple the price may depend on your intended usage. Urethane tube bladders, as used with this new AIRE model, tend to last the life of the boat or very close to it. With a little luck, the one in the Hot Potato may never need swapping out over its lifespan, and these American models tend to go about 30 years in the hands of most private boaters.