Self-Bailing Inflatable Rafts

Whitewater rafts, catarafts, rowing frames, oars, and rafting accessories from AIRE, Rocky Mountain, Maxxon, Tributary, NRS, Incept, Sawyer, and Boat People specialty items are found in these sections of our site. Pumps, drybags, and lifejackets are listed under their individual sections. Our whitewater rafts include self bailers as well as a few "bucket" boats. Got questions? We have rowed, paddled, or sold just about every brand out there, so don't hesitate to call or come by. We love to "talk boats," and would be happy to answer your questions. Time can be tight for typing lengthy emails though, so if you have more than a couple questions please phone us.

We try to offer the highest values, which is why many of the inflatable rafts in this part of our site come from Rocky Mountain, AIRE, and Tributary, which is AIRE's import line. For us and for our customers, it's very important that the crews at AIRE and Rocky Mountain (also known as RMR) are easy to work with. It is even more important that they are impeccably honest people who always cover their products just like they say they will.

[Scroll to bottom of page to continue reading...]

[Continued from top of page...]

AIRE's coverage on their American made boats isn't just a normal ten year guarantee on defect; it even covers self inflicted damage. Most of the other boat builders claiming ten or twelve year guarantees may only cover the hull material for that period, or have exclusions that make the warranty far less impressive than at first glance. Five year warranties cover both the Rocky Mountain line and the Trinutary's.

AIRE's U.S. whitewater rafts tend to be in line with, or priced lower than, the majority of other makes, including hypalon boats that come from other countries. AIRE's line of imported Tributary's and the newer Rocky Mountain Rafts offer the very best values around. They are great performing, with no glue used in their construction (except for reinforcing chafers on the Rocky's). As of 2013 all similiarly priced Chinese and Korean pvc rafts are assembled with glue.

When you purchase a raft you are really paying for two key things: quality - specifically how long the product will last and what it will cost per year to own, and handling. A"good handling" raft or inflatable kayak will be responsive through a wide variety of river conditions. All of AIRE's models are extremely well designed from a hydrodynamic standpoint, and they self-bail as fast or faster than any other brand. The floors found on all Rocky Mountain rafts, from the 12' up to the 16' size, are also laced in for fast draining.

What about quality? In the simplest terms, quality really boils down to how long the boat will last, or how long you can maintain it in functional condition. With the internal bladder design of the Tributarys and AIREs there is nothing that can permanently disable one of their rafts. If a couple main tube bladders start developing pinholes after say, 15 or 20 years, you can replace them for fraction of the boat's value. The outer hull of an AIRE could in fact be nearly worn down to the base fabric all over and the raft will still hold air just fine. With the Rocky's there are no bladders but the seam tape, found on both the interior and exterior of the main hulls, helps ensure terrific air holding and a great lifespan for a pvc boat. The big difference between an AIRE or Trib boat, compared to a Rocky Mountain, is that the latter is much harder to roll up size for size. Most RMR buyers use trailers, but if you don't plan to do this, rolling your "Rocky" a bit loose should get you above 20 years of use, probably 25. With all these considerations we don't feel there are better whitewater rafts than AIRE or Rocky Mountain. Both handle well and both should cost no more than $150 per year over their usable life, even on the big 16' sizes.

For more information about multiple boat discounts, and discounts on accessories that are purchased with your boat, please see the F.A.Q. page of our website. This section was updated in March of 2013.