Whitewater Raft

The whitewater raft NO THWARTS AIRE Super Puma 13' self bailing river 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 whitewater raft 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 uncomfortable 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 whitewater raft 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. If you need a thwarts please go to our Raft Accessories section or phone your order in. NOTE: you get free UPS shipping, plus you can get 5% off by paying with cashiers check or bank transfer. AIRE supplies only images to us of whitewater rafts only with thwarts

Whitewater Raft Performance

If you want top performance from your Super puma, you shouldn't overload it. AIRE gives 1050 pounds as the load capacity for this model This is not entirely unreasonable, but if you really have five guys that average 210 pounds per in the Super puma whitewater 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 as a more realistic figure. With even less, this whitewater raft really moves.

Are you a fly fisherman or fisherlady? If you want a firmer, pancake flat floor to stand on while fishing, 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. For information on Sealed Floor Pockets for Super Pumas, see our separate page for that option.

Puma Whitewater Raft Description by Manufacturer - AIRE

The 11'6" Puma combines the agility of an inflatable kayak with the cargo capacity of a raft to create the ultimate play boat. It makes an awesome whitewater paddleboat for 2-4 people or a nifty rowing rig for two people and lightweight gear. The Puma’s continuous smooth bottom makes it handle like a kayak or a slick hulled drift boat. It’s equally adept at surfing or holding still above a monster fishing hole, and the narrow beam allows the rafts to descend smaller rivers and creeks than our more conventional sized rafts. High rockers provide an exhilarating ride on whitewater. So whether you're fishing or paddling big rapids, the Puma puts the fun meter in the red zone. The Puma is for you if: - You want a little boat for R2-R4 - You prefer small technical rivers - You need an 11'6" fishing boat

Whitewater Raft, PUMA, Specs from Manufacturer

Length: 11'6" Load Capacity: 872 lbs. Width: 5'6" Weight: 89 lbs. Tube Diameter: 18" Air Chambers: 5 Bow/Stern Rise: 12" Base Fabric: 1670 Waterline: 87" Material Weight Oz/Yd: 35/43