[ Return to Contents | Post a Reply | Post a new message ]

As you know, I greatly wish many happy returns… meaning an informed boat purchase or rental regardless of the brands and so on.

When your compiling info is addressing these independent Canoes tests to base on performance with regards to rafting or Kayak/Canoe exploits.  In other words - are we looking for a barge or a skipping stone?  And are we talking paddling on water performance like we’d rate how the new Subaru WRX drives or material durability issues?

--- I’ll skip manufacture/retail satisfaction issue ‘cause once your out in the wilderness of Alaska – You brought what you brought!

For example: the AIRE Traveler is a faraway superior canoe for running technical boulder gardens than an Incept or whatever thing out there literally by intended purpose (therefore enhanced performance on whitewater rivers).  However, the Incept will blow the doors off the Traveler if you are looking for down river speed or momentum for hydraulic, hole punching.  

So are we emphasizing taking a big rig to outhaul, a sports car for quick handling, or a dragster down the straightaway?


I suppose most on this part of forum (hunting) are looking for float hunting as an exclusive use…  Well – ya establish this kind of attribute, and you get a modified skinny raft.  Then you must decide what you’ll be paddling this emaciated looking raft down -various rivers or maybe only class I or II streams.

Interestingly even the Traveler and the Pro Pioneer or the Dragonfly share more family ties to rafts than traditional canoes.  So all will be represented as “float hunter canoes” with a higher performance athletic edge (fun to paddle) going to the AIRE Traveler.  If there is going to be a cargo hauling advantage several of these boats get ever so close to being misguided for a raft and not handling at all like a canoe.

The AIRE Traveler mimics the whitewater canoe reasonably well to even very good on performance and maintains the buoyancy plus stability for float hunting utility.  I will say the seats are rubbish, and in truly rough water conditions you will fall out long before the boat actually flips completely over… there is no built in bracing for strong handed athletic moves like thigh straps on a self-bailer sit on top kayak.

A boat like the Incept will constantly act like a canoe, and to haul more while keeping its canoe distinctiveness one would need to proportionally grow longer.

Materials also play a role in paddling performance --- inflexible boats will furnish a more rigid hull and provide agile performance if the shape is designed for liveliness.  Elasticity may indicate forgiveness… a performance trait that can lend itself in other ways.

As I said before, I give a round of applause for taking on this initiative.  Knowing there is way more scope to the uses for boats like the brands tested than solely for float hunting.

Here is the link to boats I use every day of the summer and fall…  http://northernrim.com/msg6.htm

& I gotta tell ya the Lynx I is a screamer on the snow or towed behind a machine!

Message Thread:

• Last call for Inflatable Canoe Testimonials! Michael Strahan Feb 18 2005
  • A few questions and thoughts... Brian Richardson Feb 23 2005