Whitewater Rafts - Play Boats

Kayakers have play boats and so do rafters. If you want to make the local back yard run and make it a little more spicy this is the class of raft for you. These rafts have seen a surge in popularity in the last 5 years as they are compact, lightweight, low cost, and super fun to r2. Price points are generally under $2000 and an economical choice for a couple buying their first raft together. In this article we will be evaluating what you should be looking for in one of these whitewater rafts. If you are trying to understand what is out on the market we have a helpful buyer’s guide at the bottom of the page otherwise you can find more info about play boats below.

Play Boat Design

Play boats are typically 9.5 – 11 feet in length and super narrow. Tube diameter is typically in the 17-19 inch range. Many of these rafts have diminishing tubes and are a 2 thwart design. The width (or beam) of the raft is often less than 6 feet. You can also expect a limited number of tubes with most manufacturers making 2 external tube configurations. Some of the top reasons to get a play boat are:

• You want to have more fun on your backyard classic run

• You want something more aggressive for steep creeks

• You want to R2 more and you want a lighter raft

• You are on a budget and want a less expensive raft to start with

These are all good reasons to get a play boat and if any of the above statements apply to you then you are probably looking at getting a play boat.

This class of rafts in general is super easy to move and fun to paddle. Typically R2 setups are best, but you could put 3 paddlers in a raft in a pinch. In reality with more than 2 people you end up really pushing the weight limit of the raft causing too deep of a draught. Diminishing tube designs make these boats super agile and easy to surf. Diminishing tube designs lowers the drag profile of the floor optimizing flow across the tubes. The end result is a sporty boat that moves well and slices into eddies.

How much should a good play boat weigh?

Manufacturers have been keen to pick up on the popularity of this type of raft. They have also been making strides as an industry to develop play boat design as much as possible. The average play boat today weighs in between 60 – 80 lbs (27 – 36 kg). This light weight range has been essential for boaters to take things to the next level as well as develop the sport further. Light weight rafts are especially helpful when you consider carrying a raft into run a remote section of river in rugged mountainous areas.

This range with its 80 lbs limit is particularly important when you are evaluating how much a paddler has to carry. Let’s evaluate the weight on a per person basis, if we assume each paddler on a day trip has 10 lbs (conservative estimate) and they have 6 people in a raft.

• A 13’ Aire E-series weighs in at 100 lbs + 60 lbs (personal gear) = 27 lbs per person.

If we look at the weight of a play boat at a good industry average of 70 lbs for the boat and 10 lbs of personal gear. Play boats being mainly 2 person boats put the weight per person at 45 lbs. On average it is very hard for 2 people to carry that much weight of raft for very far.

These weight limits are also important when you are looking at how much weight each paddler has to pull. In the 2 previous examples if we use an average weight per paddler of 185 lbs, the R6 team is paddling 211 lbs / person whereas the R2 team has to pull 230 lbs per person. This makes every pound of weight the team can save particularly important.

All of these weight factors culminate into the total agility of the boat. The R2 team may be pulling more weight per person/ but their total weight for the boat is 1/3 the weight of the R6 team. Essentially the same theory that applies to ultralight backpacking applies to the play boat, less is more. Lower weight means more agility, better acceleration, and a sportier feel.

What should you expect when buying a play boat style raft?

Before you go charging off to get a new play boat it is important that you take some time and understand what you should expect from this type of raft. First let’s talk about what a play boat is: a Play boat is a high performance raft designed to operate at very high performance level. If you are used to a classic 14 foot river boat you are going to be in for a shock. To use a car analogy, this is like going from a van to a supercar. It is a completely different experience with the style and design of the boat built for the higher end of the skill spectrum. An experienced boater can do a lot with this boat while a newer boater may feel very unstable in this boat after the initial shock wears off.

The other particularity of play boats is that although they can boof extremely well with a good crew, they are often too short to properly bridge a larger drop. Many paddlers often complain that boats this short will flip roll or turn sideways easily on drops over 10 feet in height. To get the most out of it you should have a solid understanding of both reading water and weight management in a raft.

The downside to this is that play boats are by their very nature super flippy. The narrow width makes them go right over when they get surfed, turn sideways in a big wave, or when you move quickly to the other side of the boat. Their ease of surfing can be a drawback if there are a lot of holes in rapid succession. They can also flip on a strong eddy fence quickly if you don’t know how to handle the boat properly.

A play boat is not a van or a bus like more commonly encountered rafts are. It is also so important to understand what this boat is not. It is not a big boat to haul a bunch of friends down the river. It also has nearly 0 room for any overnight gear. While you can throw a couple of dry bags in this class of boat, you won’t have a lot of rooms for much of anything other than an ultralight set up. This boat is also not a big water boat since any hole bigger than this boat (which is easy to find on a big water run) will absolutely go to work on you with a vengeance.

All that being said this class of boat is great for obscure creeks, steep low volume runs, controlled surfs, and high performance maneuvers. If you are looking for a boat with ultra-high end features then this class of boat will fit the bill nicely. This is not a do anything multi tool it is a scalpel which does one thing and does it well.

What to look for in a play boat class of raft?

Ok so we know that we want a small light boat when we’re looking at getting a play boat, but what other features are important. Well the focus on weight savings creates an interesting scenario in terms of options. Options are greatly reduced on play boats as a necessity. D-rings are smaller and there are less of them, handles are non-existent, and extra features are often removed. Many of these boat designs have chafers, floor lacing protectors, and foot cups removed as well.

The typical design of a play boat is not only aggressively stripped down, but also aggressively cut to match the sporty feel of the boat. Many boats have an aggressive rise and rocker looking somewhat like a banana from the side. Diminishing tubes are also quite popular on these boats since the tube design tens to make the boat feel more slicey. These rafts can cut into currents and eddy fences very well.

Ultimately you want to look for a boat that is lightweight, well built, and fits your body, so you may need to size up a little bit if you are a bigger person. Diminishing tubes are probably the most fun on this class of boat since larger tubes will commonly plow water and reduce both top speed and acceleration. Diminishing tubes will allow you to surf glassy waves and small holes with ease.

One of the other key points here is that the boat should be well built with a lot fo thought put into the design of how the raft is constructed. Something important to consider is that play boats often only have 2 outer tubes so if you rip it, the raft is going to take some patching to keep going down the river. You want to get a boat that will hold up to some serious abuse.

The last important consideration when you are getting a play boat is that the boat will likely be uncomfortable. The small size and compact space in the raft will make it feel really cramped if you are a larger person. The key here is to try as many play boats out as you can before you buy one. Just make sure that you actually fit in the boat, or at least it is tolerable to paddle the whole day. 

You can check out the buyer’s guide below to get some of our recommendations for play boats.

Cub - AIRE

MSRP $2999.00

New for 2020, the Cub was built to be the ultimate river playboat. At 10’5” this is a sporty, and nimble raft. Accommodating a 2-3 person paddle team for high-adrenaline technical water, this rowdy little raft is sure to be an exciting ride.

• Length: 10'7”

• Exterior Width: 5’2"

• Tube Diameter: 18"

• Thwarts: 2 (Not Included in Base MSRP)

• Valve Type: Leafeald

• D-Rings: 8

• Handles: 0

• Air Chambers: 3

• Bow & Stern Rise: 7"

• Capacity Persons: 2-3

• Weight: 61 lbs.

Lil’ Wave - Maravia

MSRP $4195

If you're looking for an in-between size of raft the New Waves are for you. Built with the same strong base material and coated with the same tough urethane as all Maravias, these rafts are 12'6" lengths.With construction identical to Williwaws, except that they have 3 main air chambers instead.  

• Length:  10'6"

• Width:  5’8”

• Tube Size:  19"

• Thwart Size:  12"

• Bow/Stern Rise:  12"

• Weight:  80 lbs.

• # of Chambers:  5

• # of D-Rings:  6

• # of Knuckles:  2 pairs

• # of Thwarts:  2

• Handles:  2

SL 10’ Liquid - Sotar

MSRP $4810.00

The SOTAR SL “Liquid” 10’ is one sweet raft. If you need a small raft for that technical steep creek or fishing on a small volume river, this raft will exceed your expectations. With its Small pivot point and Long water line, this raft is fast (to keep you on your line) and maneuverable (to get you out of trouble). The 21”-16” diminishing tubes give you that extra leg and gear room to make for an organized adventure.

Specifications:

• Length: 10'

• Exterior Width: 66"

• Tube Diameter: 21"-16"

• Straight Section: 60.5"

• Interior Width: 24"

• Thwarts: 2

• Thwart Diameter: 13"

• Floor Drop: 12"

• Floor Thickness: 6"

• Floor I-Beams: 4

• Valve Orientation: I (Inline with Floor I-Beams)

• D-Rings: 10

• Handles: 6

• Air Chambers: 7

• Bow & Stern Rise: 10"

• Bow & Stern Rake: 15"

• Capacity Persons: 2-4

• Weight: 72 lbs.