Catarafts

CALL - 925.820.2628 Tributary Cat Tubes New- Wave Destroyers AIRE Wildcat AIRE Ocelot AIRE Jaguarundi AIRE Leopard AIRE Lions Maxxon Cat Tubes

For quality cataraft tubes, we recommend our bestseller: AIRE, or AIRE's import line, the Tributary's. There are more expensive brands, but no other holds air as well, handles better than AIRE's continuous curve design, or has a better lifespan. AIRE gives you eight choices of tube size and models, including the high capacity Lions, and the Tributary line comes in the popular 14' and 16' sizes.

The imported Tributary Cat Tubes have similiar designs to the pre-2007 AIRE Ocelot and Jaguarundi tubes. Last year, AIRE introduced another line in the American made tubes called the Wave Destroyers, available in two sizes as well. More about these below. All models except the Trib cat tubes now feature a thicker grey chafe pad area on the tube tops. It is not actually a separate piece of material, but it does help keep discoloration and staining from your rowing frame to a minimum. Both zinc-galvanized steel and aluminum can leave black marks, unless the material is powder coated.
We try to stock a couple sizes of the economical imported tubes from Maxxon. These offer great strength and stiffness at half or less the cost of domestic tubes, although the trade off is that the warranty coverage is very low. We say "try to stock" because availability is always tight on these. The pattern has been that Maxxon only seems to bring in tubes once each Summer on just one of their cargo containers. The 10' Maxxon tubes are geared for the fly fishermen, with the 14' and 16' sizes intended for bigger whitewater. The in-between 12' size has sold so poorly that for now we won't even be trying to stock them. If you know you want some and contact us by late June on any given year we'll special order them for you. We will be requesting a refundable (if the tubes turn out to be unavailable, but not if you change your mind after they have shipped) deposit for the 12' size of 20%. Maxxon's little 8' and 9' tubes are also shown on our now very outdated Fishing/ Marine page paired with fishing frames, but we intend to delete that page altogether soon and move the Maxxon frames to this page. .
AIRE discontinued their little 11' Bobcat tubes back in late 2006 due to poor sales. When we have them, the 10' Maxxon tubes carry the same payload as the Bobcat but have a far inferior lifespan.
This page was updated in April of 2008.

Remember that the prices and weights below are for TUBES ONLY (frames are on a separate page) and that the widths given are arbitrary and really depend on whose frame you buy.

AIRE Pricing-

Traditionally, ever since our website has been operational, we've had AIRE kayaks, rafts, and cataraft tubes priced at about 5% off the retail. AIRE had requested quite a while ago that all dealers list their products at the regular retail (with the exception of Alaska, Hawaii, and Canada, where dealers incure high incoming freight fees and must sell above U.S. retail) to "level;" the playing field - though we've been successfully resisting for a couple years now. Due to crabbing from a certain dealer the issue has been more or less forced, and being friends with the good folks at AIRE we don't want to create headaches for them.
The AIRE and Tributary pricing below is at retail, however in most cases you will not pay any more than you would have before we made the change. What we are doing is to give you 5% of the boats price, rounded up to the nearest dollar, toward UPS fees or any accessories you may get with the boat now or later. If you need no accessories and your UPS is less than 5% of the boat's cost - which is often the case with the more pricey U.S.-made AIRE's - we will work something out for you that's agreeable. Additionally, if you use a Discover card for your order, you will get another 1% off, and if you want to pay with a cashier's check, you will save even more. This can be substantial on rafts in particular, though less significant on something like an import kayak. Email us for a quote. There is no obligation, and we will not spam you with follow-up emails beyond the initial quote.
As an example for the Wildcat tubes below, you will get an $85 credit. If your UPS fee would be $50, that will be included in the $1,699 price, and you will still get another $35 toward any pump, pfd, oars, throwbag, cam straps, clothing, or frame you might want. If all you needed was the boat and one other $39 item, you would pay a grand total of $1,699 (plus tax if you are in CA) delivered. The $39 item would get a 10% accessory discount, making it $35. If the UPS was $50 and we applied the remainder ($35) of the 5% credit toward the accessory item, that would just leave the basic price of 1,699 to your door.
The last point we want to state is this: if you have a nearby dealer who has been helpful and seems the type who will take care of any problems after the sale, it may be best to make your boat purchase through them. As much as we want your business, it is not worth selling out someone who has done their best to work with you for a few dollars. We don't appreciate it when it's done to us after spending considerable amounts of time talking or composing lengthy emails, so if you buy from us we prefer it's because you want to, not due to us beating another dealer by ten or twenty dollars.

For information about multiple cataraft discounts, and discounts on accessories that are purchased with your cataraft, please see the F.A.Q. page of our website.

New - Tributary Cat Tubes

* Pricing includes a $65 allowance toward UPS and/or accessories on the model 1422, and an $80 allowance on the model 1624. See AIRE pricing information in italics above.
AIRE has been so successful with their imported Tributary rafts and kayaks that they've introduced the two most popular sizes of cat tubes from the same factory this year. The model 1422 is fourteen feet long and 22" in diameter, and the sixteen foot 1624 is 24" around, giving it a very high load capacity. They come in blue only and are shaped & sized exactly like the pre-2007 Ocelot and Jaguarundi tubes (The newer Jag and Ocelot have been rockered slightly more this year).
We would say that the price is reasonable on the 1624, if not quite the bargain some Tributary boats are, but the 1422 is a very good value. Although the Maxxon tubes down below are still a lot cheaper, the Maxxon waranty is dubious on several levels, and more often than not their cat tubes are unavailable. Tributary cats use the same valves, same urethane bladder material, and same pre-stretched shell fabric as the American made AIRE's. They are dual-chambered and have ten D-rings per tube just like the U.S. models too, so the main difference is the warranty - five years instead of ten - and the fact that the Trib warranty won't cover damage like the coverage on the American boats. Most problems, self-induced or otherwise, that arise on AIRE tubes are easily dealt with and tend to be few and far between. Consider also that most other inflatable brands have no more than a five year guarantee to start with.
The only other thing lacking on the Trib tubes compared to AIRE's Idaho-made line is that you do not get the grey frame chafer pad on top. One easy way to rpevent stains from rowing frames is to buy a little foam hot water pipe insulation from a hardware store. Wrap most of the two side bars of the frame with it - except where you run your cam straps - and problem solved.

New- AIRE Wave Destroyers

Note: The unique high rockered shapes of the Destryers have presented some minor problems with production, and AIRE does not feel they quite have the overall design where they want it yet. If you are looking for a pair, check with us to see if they are available.
We don't have a spec block posted yet for these, but both are 22" in diameter and the 14' model ($1,999) is essentially a more rockered AIRE Ocelot, with the 15'6" Destroyer ($2,099) just a stretched out version of the same. These are not beginner's catarafts; in fact, just the opposite. Wave Destroyers are made specifically for the hairiest of rivers.
The payload capacities of both sizes are lower by 10 to 15% than flatter tubes of equal length. Even so, these would rarely be used to carry heavy loads since it would defeat what they were built for, but there are certainly some multi-day class V rivers. If any of you rowers have tried these out let us know what you thought.
The Wave destroyers are shaped to deal better with large vertical drops (where these more rockered tubes won't pencil into the foam so deeply) and huge back-curling waves, which this tube will supposedly ride up over more readily than a flatter cataraft. The bow rise on the two models is 33" and 35", and the weight per pair is 68 and 78 pounds respectively. They come in red and blue only, no yellow, no green, or purple. They feature new & improved lift handles and grey frame chafers like all the other AIRE tubes below.

AIRE Wildcat

* Pricing includes a $85 allowance toward UPS and/or accessories. See AIRE pricing information in italics above.
The 13' Wildcat is as safe as any of the bigger models in terms of "flip resistance" though it may not slide across the length of a big hole as easily as a longer tube might. There is a serious misconception that smaller catarafts are not as stable but smaller tubes with lower buoyancy have less propensity to be picked up and turned over by hydraulics. You can also widen any cataraft frame for added stability.
Wildcats are great for solo use, or even as an overnight rig for two if you keep the total payload including frame & oars to around 700 pounds. We do get people wanting to put two seats and an inappropriate amount of gear on smaller cat tubes, and often it is not even a matter of payload capacity - sometimes the length of the frame is simply not going to allow what these folks have in mind. A small cat will not be more manueverable than a bigger model if it's drafting too deep because of the load. If your gear including the cooler is going to add up to much over 250 pounds and you want to use your cat as a two-seater consider either the Ocelot below or the Tributary 1422 above. Note that the 2008 Wildcats tubes have a grey frmae chafer, not shown in the pic below. Pricing is for tubes only!

AIRE Ocelot

*Pricing includes a $95 allowance toward UPS and/or accessories. See AIRE pricing information in italics above.
Next up is the revamped 14' Ocelot (22.5" tubes). The rocker was increased slightly last year, allegedly letting them ride over the type of waves you might find on high flow runs a bit better than the older model. For most rowers the difference will probably be hard to discern. The Ocelot, Leopard, and Jaguarundi also now have rowing frame chafers. These are not actually a second layer of material as you might think, but rather a section of heavier grey fabric welded in around the perimeter of the chafer.
These tubes hold a lot more weight that the "liitle brother" Wildcat's because their diameter and extra length adds up to far more buoyancy. The Ocelot holds generous loads without drafting deep, but it also gets surfed rather easily in holes when it's not loaded down. It seems to do the best with payloads of around 900 pounds in terms of behaving predictably on the river. This is based on our experience with the pre-2007 version but again there likely won't be much difference. If you mainly do day trips, even if many of them are with a second person, the Wildcat above might be a better choice. Overall the Ocelot is the two best selling cats in AIRE's line-up and it does represent the best compromise between load capacity and sportiness for low to mid-volume rivers. It won't draft deep so you will float over more rocks that smaller tubes would hang up on. So, if you like surfing or carry heavy loads, get the Ocelot. Or check out the....

AIRE Jaguarundi

*Pricing includes a $105 allowance toward UPS and/or accessories. See AIRE pricing information in italics above.
Like the Ocelot above, this one has also been reconfigured with a bit more lift on the ends and an increase of 1/2" diameter to make up for the slightly decreased waterline. If you want to carry bigger loads or will often have two or even three passengers, the 16' Jaguarundi may be the ticket. This cataraft offers the nimble handling of a single-tube cataraft combined with a 3/4 ton payload capacity, and it can utilize a two foot longer frame than the Ocelot. It can also get surfed when it's underloaded like the Ocelot, so this would be a poor choice for day trips with only a cooler if that's all you generally do. Great for longer runs with the proper frame and / or decking. We have a number of customers who use these on California rivers even though the standard raft size of choice is more like 13' to 14' here. The short waterline lets the Jag pivot easily and the very shallow draft allows it to glide over low flow rock gardens that smaller rafts or cats would grind to halt on. Again, frame chafers and new improved handles are now standard; pricing is for tubes only - no frame.

AIRE Leopard

*Pricing includes a $120 allowance toward UPS, motor freight, and/or accessories. See AIRE pricing info in italics above.
AIRE's largest single tube cataraft is the Leopard, intended for trips of a week or longer or rowers who want to take several passengers. This eighteen-foot behemoth holds a full ton of gear. Literally. How does it handle? Hard to say. We've never rowed a cataraft this big, and it is doubtful we ever will. We are not fans of huge boats but Leopards are often used on the Grand Canyon by private boaters since they seem to be so stable in big water. And it's a sure bet it will far outhandle any piggy 18' conventional raft.
All four bladders in any given single tube AIRE cat are interchangeable, so if you were heading outside the lower 48 and wanted a spare bladder as a back-up, one will work for either end of either tube. Many boaters who own this model choose to use a trailer for transport, and considering what a large cat frame can weigh that's probably a good call. This is an older picture - Leopards now come with lift handles and frame chafers.

AIRE Lion series

* Pricing includes a $105 allowance toward UPS and/or accessories on the model Lion 14, and an $115 allowance on the Lion 16. See AIRE pricing information in italics above.

In 2004 AIRE introduced three new cat tubes with extra large diameters, and waterlines that comprise a higher percentage of the total tube length. Since then the Lion 18' has been dropped due to poor sales. We know that we only ever sold one set during the period they were available, but our experience since then has been the same as with books that go out of print: as soon as AIRE was out of Lion 18's, everybody wanted one. About all we can say is to check on the various boating websites that might have a "wanted" section, but the demand for used ones seems to outstrip the supply. Unless you are doing kayak support for 20 paddlers on the Gand Canyon, it seems to us that the load capacity of the Leopard above should be more than adequate for most needs. If not, maybe it's better to leave the television and fridge at home....
The obvious purpose of the Lions is to provide the highest load capacities possible for a cataraft, as well as the shallowest draft for folks who like to fish or who find themselves suffering low snowpack years in their area.
As with any of the big diameter high buoyancy catarafts, if you only run with very light loads and you enjoy high flows or expert level runs, there will be a propensity for this type of boat to get surfed like a bobber if it's not weighted down. A big, shallow-drafting tube is faster though. This gives you both the ability to avoid monster holes with less effort, or, if you can't avoid hitting the hole, perhaps to get up a bit more speed first.

The Lion 14 would be a good choice for someone who wants to do day or overnight trips on moderate sized rivers, and who boats on low flows somewhat often. If you are not dealing with low flows where the shallow draft is important, the AIRE Ocelot or Tributary 1422 might be a better investment. The Lion 16 is big enough with it's 1800 pound capacity to easily take three people down a week-long trip, and it would be more fun to row than a 16' raft. Like the 14' Lion, it would also work well on drought conditon rivers as long as the riverbed is not riddled with boulders where the length would get you in trouble. There is one early 2008 AIRE catalog floating around that has the Lion 16 missing, but it is still in their line-up.

MAXXON

It's always tricky knowing what to tell our potential buyers about the Maxxon Cataraft tubes. While they are a beefy and economical alternative to all of the American made tubes, much of the time they are not available. We used to stock everything from 9' through 16', but as we stated up at the top of this page Maxxon only brings them in once each Summer. They comprise a small, low priority part of Maxxon's total line, which is mainly marine inflatables.
The pattern we see every year is that people call us weekly for them when everyone is out of stock, but as soon as we get some in - typically July - the calls cease completely and we end up sitting on inventory through the Fall, Winter, and sometimes the early Spring. We dumped a bunch of product at very low margins before we moved in February last year.
As of this update, all we will be trying to stock are the 16's - which are still quite a bit cheaper than the 16' Tributarys at the top of this page - the 10' size, which has been popular with the fishing crowd and is really quite a nice little tube for folks looking to rig a solo whitewater cat, and occasionally the 14 foot length. As we stated up above, the 12's have sold very poorly so we no longer stock those. In the 14' size the Tributary tubes above are pretty reasonably priced and have an almost unlimited lifespan, so we rarely have more than one set of 14' Maxxons on the shelf. If we don't have any 14's, we will be happy to order them if Maxxon has stock.
We sell fewer Maxxon tubes than many of their other dealers because we are the only store or website that lets people know about the problems associated with glued pvc inflatables. Almost every other retailer fails to educate buyers on this subject, so they tend to sell more Maxxon product. More about the pitfalls of glue & pvc in the F.A.Q. section of our site.
A recent change has been that Maxxon is using a new supplier in China, and the warranty decreased. Before the warranty cards said "five years" and Maxxon's sales crew claimed they would even back them for ten years, though that was never put in writing. Now, it's only one year. The new vendor is making the tubes a bit nicer in that they got away from circumference seams on the two ends. This made the tubes more continuously rockered like an AIRE, and more attractive too, but that is the only positive we can see.
Combining the wimpy warranty with the fact that defective tubes cannot always be replaced quickly (even during your warranty period) should give bargain hunters pause. If you want the 12' or 14' sizes we prefer to see some token refundable deposits, but we are reluctant to take people's money with dubious delivery dates. Tom, Maxxon's main sales person, is a good bloke and tries hard to take care of his customers, but he is constrained by what Maxxon's owner orders.
In the mean time, the basics are as follows: Maxxon tubes are built with bomber 2200 X 3300 denier polyester base fabric, and the sizes shown on this page have two chambers per tube. Maxxon tubes resemble a slightly more rockered Lion tube, shown above. The longer waterline of Maxxon tubes does provide higher buoyancy than equivalent length AIRE cats in most cases.
Maxxon uses a chafe patch on the bottom of their tubes like the rowing frame chafer on top. The smallest size, the P9's (9' X 15", 28 pounds per pair; $599), have 3 small D-rings on each side of each tube and aren't shown on this page because they were indended only for mild water. They are single chamber tubes, and the small D-rings could fail if you tried to secure a big river frame to them. They are special order only. The four longer sizes have four heavy duty D-rings on each side of each tube, sixteen total for a pair.
With all the negatives stated above, we should also say that for the most part the Maxxon tubes we've sold have been nearly trouble free, and the owners seem pleased with the product and lifespan so far. Many boaters feel that if these last eight or ten years, they will have gotten their investment back. This is fine, but since pvc fabric is laden with nasty chemicals, including dioxin and phthalates, we think it is better if you can buy pvc products that won't end up leaching this toxic stuff into a landfill any time soon. Just our thoughts.....
Maxxon's larger sizes include: the P10's (10' X 18.5", 40 pounds per pair) at $629, the special order P12's (12' X 20.5", 59 pounds per pair) at $729, the special order P14's (14' X 21.5", 71 pounds per pair) at $779 per pair, and the P16's (16' X 22.5", 82 pounds per pair) at $849 per pair. Theoretically Maxxon has an eighteen foot tube, but since we have yet to ever see one we aren't listing it here anymore. If you want an 18' tube you pretty much need to go with an AIRE Leopard or Jack's Plastic Welding model, which are still the two most reasonable priced American tubes and the two easiest to obtain.

The tubes shown in the photo are 10' (the blue one in front) and 12' (the grey one in back) but they are the older series with seams around the tubes on the ends. The new ones have less rocker and no seam except at the bottom. The standard Maxxon blue is also darker than what is shown.
All sizes use a molded urethane end cone for those bumper-car sessions with river rocks. Small Maxxon inflatables are on our Marine / Fishing page.