What is the best raft for you?
One of the biggest questions we get is what is the best raft? The answer is really simple…it’s the boat that you like. Just like anything in the outdoors there’s an ideal tool for every job and a raft is no different. If you’re taking 6 kids to school, you’re not going to take a race car. All rafts aren’t equal. Some boats are designed for high performance r2ing and some are fantastic for rowing a multiday trip with the family. A lot of folks expect me to tell them what “THE” raft is. The only one that you need to do everything you want. Well after years of trying every boat I can get my hands on in multiple countries I can confidently say…THE one boat to rule them all doesn’t exist. What I can give is an opinion based on what I have experienced from different boats so let’s look at that.
What to look for in a raft
The biggest question you should be asking is what do you want to do with the raft? Try to understand what kinds of rivers you run 80% of the time. Build your boating set up around what you do most of the time. The secret is that most rafts are able to do a lot more than they are specifically built for. I can make this really simple for y’all, the easiest way to look at this is are you creek boating low volume rivers, running rivers with a mix of tight moves and larger waves, or are you running big water with massive waves and holes and few rocks to worry about? The bigger the volume the bigger the boat is the easiest way to look at it.
Before the comments section lights up though let’s get a little more specific since most boaters reading this are going to be beginner boaters. So, let’s talk about what beginner and intermediate rafters should look for…a raft that provides stability, ease of control, and good fun. Theres a lot of characteristics of boat we should look at though:
Size and Capacity: Smaller rafts are sportier and may be more fun to paddle, but harder for beginners. The reason for this is that smaller boats will flip more easily due to lighter weight and less stability. You do want to have enough space for everyone you will typically take to sit comfortably and paddle effectively. 10 footers are great for 2 people, 12 for 4 people, 13 to 14 is good for 6, and after that you’re driving a barge that can fit a massive amount of people and gear.
Self-Bailing: It’s 2023 and for some reason we still have rafts that don’t have a self-bailing floor. Look “standard floor” rafts are an archaic design for an ancient time. Technology has come a long way and rafts should really be self-bailing in some way. For whatever reason people still call these Livery Boats, despite that term falling out of favor in American English and no one would call a raft rental or outfitter service a livery. Sorry for the rant, but we don’t use livery or those rafts anymore.
Material: There is a lot to different types of materials and if you want to know more specifics you can check out our article on raft materials. For this article you really have 2 choices rubber or plastic (PVC or urethane). Plastic has become way more popular these days due to the low cost of manufacturing and ease of repair. If you want to see an example of patching a plastic boat, check out this video
Floor Type: I-Beam, drop stitch, Aire cell there are several different types of floors to choose from. I beam an Aire cell are great for rocky rivers since a roc under one-part of those floors will compress the floor and cause the surrounding area to float higher to get over the rock. Drop stitch is great if you have a lot of people moving about the raft. Multi day life styling, family trips, and fishing all benefit from these types of floors since people can easily walk on the ridged floor especially folks with mobility issues.
Stability, Tracking, and Maneuverability: Think of these three things as a triangle where each tip is one attribute. Every raft sits somewhere in this triangle. Stability is the boats resistance to flipping, Tracking is the boat’s ability to stay on course, and maneuverability is the ease at which the boat turns. The easiest way to put it is choosing any two and your raft can be good at that. If you want a stable boat that tracks well, you’re not going to have a very maneuverable boat. Unfortunately, this is a physics problem because each attribute is going to oppose each other is some way. For beginners’ stability is an incredibly important feature because less stable boats like creek or play boats have hull designs that increase maneuverability at the expense of you staying in the raft. As you get more advanced having a more maneuverable boat will be a lot more fun.
Weight: This factor changes the dynamics of the raft dramatically. Lighter boats tend to be more maneuverable but won’t punch waves as easily. Lighter weight also means better acceleration, but at the cost of momentum and overall top speed. Again, another physics problem, but if you have young kids that can’t carry a boat you may want to opt for a lighter boat you can carry yourself. The average adult paddler can put out about .5 Kn of force or 112 lbs. if you have a 50 lb. raft vs a 100 lb. raft, you’re going to do a lot more with each stroke if the boat is lighter.
Movable Thwarts: This is one that may not seem so important to a lot of folks since they may row a frame. If you do use a frame awesome you don’t need to look at thwarts, but for the rest of us let’s talk. Thwarts used to help boats keep their shape before inflatable floors so they used to be glued in place. Boat design is so different now and thwarts do help the boat keep its shape, but the more critical role a thwart plays is to help you get good footing and set your body dynamics up for you to paddle effectively. To this end get some thwarts that lace in and move. Not every paddler is the same size so statically glued in thwarts are going to put you at a disadvantage every time.
D-ring Pattern: This is an important factor when you’re rowing a frame on your boat. You need the d-rings to match up well with your frame placement. Largely this is not a huge issue since manufacturers have a lot of experience placing d-rings around your boat so you can row. One thing that may influence your decision is when you’re paddling and you paddle to close to the boat catching your finger or fingernail on the ring.
Quality and Warranty: Ok so those cheap rafts that are randomly on amazon and someone is trying to sell you a boat with some strange name no one has ever heard of, probably no your go to. Worse yet good luck getting them worked on or flexing the warranty if there is a manufacturing issue. Major raft makers have great warranties and stand by their gear.
Raft Manufacturers
I’ll admit that there’s a lot to consider so if you can demo rafts or borrow boats from friends to see if it’s something you like for the river you run. Also, you can head to a river festival where several manufacturers might be attending and try one of their boats. So for refence here is a list of manufacturers and their contacts.
SOTAR: SOTAR is one of the top 3 premium brands. They are known for the wide variety of custom work they do and they’re willing to build a boat in any shape size or type that you can dream up. Their rafts are often used by professional outfitters and are known for their quality and durability.
AIRE: AIRE is another outfitter favorite and one of the 3 premium brands out there. They offer a range of boats to appeal to folks from beginners to top tier class V boats. Their Tributary series, is designed to be more affordable while maintaining good performance. These boats are unique for their shell and bladder system which is exceptionally easy to repair.
Maravia: Maravia produces rugged and reliable inflatable rafts and is the 3rd premium brand. Their rafts are super popular on big water rivers due to both the mass of the boats and their generous dimensions. Maravias are built with drop stitch floors and are popular because they can haul a ton of gear and are stable for fishing platforms.
Rocky Mountain Rafts (RMR): RMR by their own admission is an entry level brand designed to make a solid raft at an excellent price point. Between RMR and NRS this is often a private boater’s first boat purchase. Their goal is to build boats that can run a variety of whitewater and are accessible to folks due to excellent price points.
Jack’s Plastic Welding: Famous for their Paco Pad Sleep System, Jack’s also makes rafts. Their boats are Urethane in line with SOTAR with some great light weight designs. with a focus on durability, Jack’s boats have some cleaver design features with the longevity to back up their product.
NRS (Northwest River Supplies): NRS makes both their NRS series and Star Rafts. They produce both rubber and PVC boats. The Otter series is popular among beginners because they often come in at a good price point for a decent boat. The best part about NRS is that they offer a one stop shop for everything you might want for boating gear.
Hyside: Hyside offers a range of rubber rafts designed for various skill levels. Their rafts are known for their durability and performance as well as being a staple of commercial outfitters for decades.
Cronin Inflatables: Cronin Inflatables produces some fun and unique ducky designs as well as some interesting boats that are fun to paddle and have a very different look to them. They can stand up to a lot of challenging conditions and are popular boats with those who get in them.
Wing Inflatables: This is somewhat of a legacy brand that was extremely popular in the 80s and 90s. They focus heavily on government contract building RHIBS, jetski collars, assault craft, and various other classified military hardware for the US and NATO countries. They have some extremely advanced materials due to massive US defense funding, however one of the criticisms of their recreational boats is that their designs are dated largely remaining the same since the 1990s.
At the end of the day there is a lot to choose from when you’re looking at specific models, colors, and boat types. When you’re choosing a boat again think about what you run 80% of the time and let that rule guide your decision. Consider the typical number of people you have in your raft, the type of rivers you plan to run, and your budget. It's also a good idea to visit local dealers, if available, to see the rafts in person and get advice on selecting the best raft for your specific needs. If you got this far you probably still have questions so feel free to drop us line and we’ll see how we can help.
