Originally Posted by
flymoron
I weigh about 350 and this would be just for me, fishing ponds/creeks. Could yall suggestion something?
thanks
flymoron
The Aire boats that bfish mentioned are definitely good options, looked at them myself before I bought my first Inflatable kayak (IK). here are my two inflatables at the moment:
The one on the left is my Sea Eagle 380x......the one on the right is an Intex mariner 4.
I would urge you to look into the Sea Eagle line of products before you buy.....they are a great value compared to any other IK out there, and they have a large selection of kayaks, canoes, rafts, catamarans etc.....
IMO Sea Eagle, Aire and NRS make the best/toughest inflatables around. As far as IK's I would suggest the Sea Eagle 380x or the Fastrack 385.
A quick breakdown of what I consider the main things to consider in an IK (I'll inlcude my Intex since I know most the specs):
*I think it is important to note that you can save $100 by getting a "used" hull with the same warranty AND the Sea Eagles come with paddles and pump, where the aires/ NRSs don't as far as I know
I also don't know if you can close the self bailing valves in these aires...In my experience they were always open (but mine were always from a Whitewater outfitter).......you can close them in the sea eagles
I got a used hull, so for me the extra $600-$1200 for the Aire was not worth the money considering the only real benefit was the 10 year warranty...although that is a great warranty. Inflatables can be fixed easily and cheaply. If I was going to spend more on something other than a Sea Eagle....I would look into NRS......They are tougher than aires and typically cost a little less. I must say that From all of the Duckies I've used though, I havent been in one that improved on the 380x yet for my needs (2 people, cargo capacity (camping), whitewater ability, comfort)
I've even built a fishfinder mount and pole mount for my IK which you might be able to see in the pic.
The intex I picked up unused from a yard sale for $100, coudn't pass it up as it has a hard slatted floor to stand on and really is a great value for the money (even at $350) and now I've mounted a trolling motor. Great drift Boat for fishing, but a bear to paddle on flat water/wind.
You could also go with a catamaran, but they can be a little cumbersome on land and in still water/wind.
I have fallen in love with inflatables, in fact, I am about to get my third inflatable this week! I am getting a 16 foot NRS witewater raft from a guide buddy of mine and am going to start training to guide on the New River Gorge and Gauley Rivers here in WV!
Learn to not run from your problems....except when your problems are giant boars.