# IK recommendation



## DuckyNM (Jun 2, 2020)

Hello all. I started in an IK a little over a year ago l, and freakin love it! I’m in New Mexico. I bought an Aire Lynx 2 for a couple of reasons. I bring my children out for easy runs and they fit with me in there. Also, because I’m a big guy, 6’3”, 270 lbs. I love the Lynx, but I want to invest in a boat for when it’s just me and I’m going on harder runs. I want something with a little more maneuverability, and something I can just have fun in, maybe eventually getting up into bigger water. 

I’m pretty much down to 3 options, but if you have more, fee free to add. 

1. Large Ugly Ducky by Cronin inflatables. 
Haven’t paddled one, but people seem to love them. I think I could handle bigger water, but might still feel like I’m driving a school bus. 

2. Custom Inflatables Thrillseeker. 
Haven’t paddled one of these either, but the concept seems pretty awesome. Send measurements to Attila, the owner, and tell him what you want, and he builds a new boat. Maybe a little more tippy, but could probably handle everything still, might just swim more. 

3. Aire Lynx 1. Just get the smaller version of what I’m used to. 

What do you all think?


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## cayo 2 (Apr 20, 2007)

A list of the ducks generally considered the sportiest would be something like;


Aire Force
Thrillseeker
Sotar*
Lynx
Stiletto*

Tibutary Strike is a more economical duck with an aggressive design and an offshoot of Aire, so quality.

Just going from a 13 ft. Lynx to a 10 ft. Lynx will be a big improvement control wise .Outfitting it really well with he best footbraces-seat-thigh straps can also be a huge benefit.



* don't know if the Stiletto is a Sotar but they both have good reputations


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## okieboater (Oct 19, 2004)

My first IK was a ThrillSeeker. My advice is to talk to Attila tell him your measurements and see what he thinks. Long time hard shell kayaker now in IK due to back injury. The ThrillSeeker Attila built for me is the closest IK to a hard shell that I have seen.

I recently purchased an Aire Outfitter. Love that boat. Plenty of floatation in these tubes for me at 200 lbs. Easy to paddle in WW water and very comfortable.

If you want a sporty ride see what size Thrillseeker Attila thinks will work for you.

If you want comfort and stability talk with Aire about the proper size Outfitter. I have the solo and the tandem Outfitter. You might want to paddle the tandem Outfitter solo. I have not done that but the tandem Outfitter is a lot of fun with two paddlers.


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## DuckyNM (Jun 2, 2020)

Awesome. Thanks guys.


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## formerflatlander (Aug 8, 2013)

Aire force recommends weight at about 185. Paddling an older one at about 220. So probably nix the force. I just paddle it because i have it.. NRS now has a design similar to the force in a bigger size. Migjt be worth a look.


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## Bennyboy (Jun 18, 2020)

Really can't go wrong with the Lynx, especially if you plan on never doing any super gnarly white water.

My vote is Lynx or Tomcat, whatever you can find a great local deal for.


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## shappattack (Jul 17, 2008)

My brother in law is a big guy and 6'4" and in the 250-300 pound range and finds that the outfitter 1 handles his height and weight a lot better than a lynx. I don't know what "super gnarly" means, probably varies by person, but paddling solid Class IV is very attainable in a lynx or outfitter 1 for regular mortals such as myself.


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## JIMM (Nov 3, 2009)

RMR has just come out with the IK 126. I got mine 2 days back but have not yet tried it. It looks super sporty, REALLY rockered, dropstitch floor and costs less than half of the AIRE boats. Its very similar in appearance to the Thrillseeker. The only issue may be your weight. I am 210 and not expecting any problem at all. Maybe call RMR and check with them.


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## shappattack (Jul 17, 2008)

JIMM said:


> RMR has just come out with the IK 126. I got mine 2 days back but have not yet tried it. It looks super sporty, REALLY rockered, dropstitch floor and costs less than half of the AIRE boats. Its very similar in appearance to the Thrillseeker. The only issue may be your weight. I am 210 and not expecting any problem at all. Maybe call RMR and check with them.


If you have't tried it, how can you honestly even respond to this thread.


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## JIMM (Nov 3, 2009)

shappattack said:


> If you have't tried it, how can you honestly even respond to this thread.


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## JIMM (Nov 3, 2009)

I am just suggesting that there is a new boat on the market now from a reputable company. I have paddled almost all the boats from the AIRE lineup at sometime or the other and this just looks like it would outperform them all. Just BTW I saw your pointless post just as I was about to drive to the river so I will be giving first impressions shortly.


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## Reisen3 (Aug 6, 2020)

JIMM, I’ll be eager to hear your experience. I have been looking at the 126, but don’t strictly love our Star Outlaw 2. Even with just me at 205 lbs, there is still water underneath the drop stitched floor. It is also a pain to clean, as you have to remove the floor to clean under it.


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## JIMM (Nov 3, 2009)

Hi, I can give you some first impressions only having spent about 2hrs in it on cl2 water as that's all there is.

Firstly, the proper adapter for the valve is just come in to RMR and so future batches would have it in the package but mine did not and so I have to jury rig a summit 1 adapter to blow it up. But it did blow up pretty tight and stayed so over the last 24 hrs. RMR is mailing me one so inflating should be much easier.

The boat for its size is incredibly light. Once you have it on your shoulder it feels like nothing at all. With thigh straps its 29 lbs. The inflatable thwart seat is very comfortable. Wont give any backaches for sure. It is very turny due to the immense rocker so that may be good or bad depending on your style but I love it. Its not very fast due to its short waterline but then which IK is?It surfs small waves like an old school long boat, both front and back. Eddy catching is a blast and you can also do eddyline spins easily. I did feel some tube suck once or twice on swirly eddy lines but the thigh straps allow you to lean easily. Its very wide, more so than my Tomcat [sold ], so it may need alonger paddle. I was using a 210 but will have to move to a 220 for sure. That's about it for now.A buddy of mine also has one and he felt that maybe there should be more than the 8 drain holes it comes with. I did not notice any problem yet.

Hope this helps.


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## jreising326 (Oct 22, 2019)

Hi Jimm,
If you don't mind how much to you weigh? I was looking at this boat to share with the kids, but I'm 6'4" 270lbs and pretty sure I'd be too heavy. I've been in a Star Viper 1 on a lake, similar to the NRS Outlaw 2 mentioned by Reisen and I was sitting in inches of water. My wife is like 140 and also was wet. Just wondering if this boat would be similar... Sounds like you buddy thinks it drains a little slow. I would think the original poster here who is around my size also would like to hear your comments.

I currently have a Tomcat myself and have no such issues.

Thanks!

Joe


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## Reisen3 (Aug 6, 2020)

Joe, I suspect this IK won’t be a good fit for you at that weight, based off the floor. At your size, a Tomcat is a great choice. You want something with a substantial floor to keep you dry in a self bailing IK. The drop stitch floors tend to be thin.


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## JIMM (Nov 3, 2009)

205-210 geared up, depending on the temps. I think you would be pushing it at 270, unless they come up with a tandem 126.


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## jreising326 (Oct 22, 2019)

Thanks Reisen3 [I wonder if we might be related, similar last name -) ] 
I'm fairly certain your absolutely correct, and if I bought one it would be more for one of my kids, but I'd prefer to add something we can rotate/share on some runs. My kids are 11 and 15 and around 125 lbs. I'm leaning more towards looking for something with big tubes and I have another thread about this (Stable IK vs "Performance" for Family) so I don't want to over-post or hijack this one. Based on price alone I was curious about this IK as it would fit the budget.


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## jreising326 (Oct 22, 2019)

Thanks Jimm as well, I think you were replying same time as I was. Enjoy that RMR IK, it looks great and hence my interest in general.


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## okieboater (Oct 19, 2004)

I have an Aire Outfitter Tandem IK.

You big guys might want to test one out paddling just solo. 

Mine is a blast for two people and one person can paddle solo with a lot of gear for self support

I weight around 210 geared up.

You might also look at the SOAR 12 or 14 units


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## Reisen3 (Aug 6, 2020)

As someone who paddles my Star Outlaw 2 solo, I can say I don’t really love the experience. At over 12’, it feels a little like driving and turning a bus in a European city.

If I were 270, and was looking for the perfect IK, I’d concentrate on getting large side tubes, lots of rocker, a thick floor, and look for something about 10’.


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## jreising326 (Oct 22, 2019)

I've been compiling a list of specs for the various IK's I'm interested in. Not sure if this thread is the proper place to share it and isn't yet done but here's a sample for reference. I'm mostly doing this because most manufacturers don't/won't/can't publish a weight capacity spec:


Manufacturer​Model​Floor​Length​Width​Inner Width​Tube Dia​BowKick​SternKick​PVC​Weight​Valves​D-Rings​Handles​warranty​star​outlaw​DS​9’10”​38”​17”​10.5”​16.5”​16.5”​35/1000​30lbs​Leafield C7​6​2​3​star​raven​DS​9’10”​38”​17”​10.5”​16.5”​16.5”​44/1000​37lbs​Leafield C7​10​2​3​star​seminole​DS​9’6”​39”​17”​11”​18”​18”​38/1000​36lbs​Leafield C7​4​2​3​Aire​Tomcat​SB​10’3”​36”​13”​11.5”​15”​15”​23/1000​32lb​Summitt II​2​2​1​Aire​Outfitter I​SB​9’8”​40”​​12.5”​17”​17”​24/27oz 1100​36lbs​Leafield C7​​2​10​Aire​Spud​SB​7’2”​35.5”​​11.5”​7.5”​7.5”​23/1000​21.5lbs​Summitt II​​2​1​Aire​Caracal 2​SB​13’4”​34”​​10.5”​15”​15”​22/1300​33lbs​​​​​Aire​Lynx​SB​10’2”​37”​16”​11”​15”​15”​24/1100​32lb​Leafiled C7​1​2​10​RMR​Animas IK-123​SB​10’3”​40”​18”​11”​12”​12”​44/2000​35lb​Leafield C7​10​2​5​RMR​IK-126​DS​10’6”​36”​​11”​​​​​Summitt II​8​2​5​JPW​YAK​SB​9.5​38”​​12​17.5​17.5​​​​​​​Hyside​Padilac​SB​9’9”​40”​​13”​15”​​​​​​​​Cronin​Ugly Ducky Large​DS​9’9”​39”​15”​12”​​​​40lb​​​​1​


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## dpwater (Aug 2, 2011)

Check out the Vanguard. It's shorter (about a foot less solo and tandem) than a tomcat and recovers rapidly after submersion. The bow and stern are stiff and it punches through instead of deflecting.


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## jreising326 (Oct 22, 2019)

Thanks, that's the kind of feedback I'm looking for and although I looked at Vanguard in the past I don't think I paid close enough attention to that characteristic of the bow and stern. The deflection your talking about and possibly what I think is called "Tube Grab" are my only "complaints" on the Tomcat, and I should accused of whining for even using the word "complaint". The Tomcat is really great for the price.

I've added Vanguard to the Spreadsheet and can repost at a later date as I will add some more if anyone makes additional suggestions. What I do like about the Vanguard is it is very close in terms of specs to our Jack's Yak, which is Bomber. My 15 year old loves it and doesn't want Thigh Straps because he's never come close to swimming. I have swam in my Tomcat while following him and added Thighstraps to my boat since. My 11 year old has also swam out of his Spud on the same run.

One other idea I've had that may be flawed is I was leaning towards a DS floor thinking it would lower our Center of Gravity and be more stable. I'm starting to believe those boats also probably don't drain as well as my Tomcat and based on my size maybe I just need to avoid DS. This thought is probably because the first IK I ever paddled was an Aire Force XL, while my wife rented the Lynx. I thought we'd swap them but that never happened because I think I literally swam every rapid! Bad rookie mistake there, it was too flippy for a novice and my CG at my size didn't help.

I am thinking if I can find a used Outfitter, Lynx, Hyside Padillac or possibly another Tomcat I'd buy it. If I ever saw another Jack's Yak for $200 like the one I have, done deal as well but I won't hold my breath for that.

I am not sure I can find other brands used as easily, but I'm sure they may pop up. I also like the Ugly Ducky but am worried about losing visibility and control, certainly for my kids it's probably overkill and potentially problematic for them because of that rocker. I was thinking about adding the Star Seminole to the list but am now leaning away from it because of the DS floor.

Vanguard is on my shortlist now as well. Anyone know what the Kick is on those?

Any other comments on DS vs "standard" SB floors in an IK?

Thanks so far to everyone, and hopefully this research/discussion is useful to others too....


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## repstein (Aug 1, 2020)

I am actually in the market for a new IK. I have a NRS Maverik with straps and footpegs. It spins well. I find it tends to get stuck in holes when moving to bigger whitewater. I am looking for something to do class IV. I am giving up on hardshell. I have nerve issues due to a bad back injury. I weigh 175lbs. I was thinking a Stiletto, Lynx or maybe a Sotar Stealth. There is also the Wing Jimbo or a Sotar ATV.


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## Jamesjt3411 (Aug 13, 2020)

@repstein Are you looking to sell the Maverik? I’ve been looking to buy a used one for a while now.


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## repstein (Aug 1, 2020)

Jamesjt3411 said:


> @repstein Are you looking to sell the Maverik? I’ve been looking to buy a used one for a while now.


No, I plan to hold onto it for friends and gf.


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## JIMM (Nov 3, 2009)

repstein said:


> I am actually in the market for a new IK. I have a NRS Maverik with straps and footpegs. It spins well. I find it tends to get stuck in holes when moving to bigger whitewater. I am looking for something to do class IV. I am giving up on hardshell. I have nerve issues due to a bad back injury. I weigh 175lbs. I was thinking a Stiletto, Lynx or maybe a Sotar Stealth. There is also the Wing Jimbo or a Sotar ATV.


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## JIMM (Nov 3, 2009)

just referring to what the OP has mentioned in his IK features listing wrt to the different IK valves. The RMR 126 has Bravo valves, not Summits. The Summit 1 adapter does sort of work, but they have a Bravo specific adapter now that's much much better.
Just FYI.


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## NikonFotoMatt (Oct 4, 2010)

Agree with Okieboater on the Soar 12.

That and the Innova are the two closest I've found to the IK I had. I loved the one I had - especially the seat set up.

Soar 12











Innova Orrinoco









Grabner









Me in a knock off of a Grabner. The Grabner is a great design but I really question putting a black boat on a desert river...though you could fry eggs n' bacon while you're paddling.

This thing was the bomb. Super stable, carried gear (it's a tandem set up as a solo) though hell in the wind. These versions above have less upsweep on bow/stern.










Somewhere on Colorado's Continental Divide...

fotomatt


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## Deagol (Jun 16, 2017)

Bennyboy said:


> Really can't go wrong with the *Lynx, especially if you plan on never doing any super gnarly white water*.
> 
> My vote is Lynx or Tomcat, whatever you can find a great local deal for.


Hello, I know I am super late to the game here, but is there any way you could expand on this statement? Particularly about the Lynx and if it has limitations in whitewater compared to other IK's ?
I am a former whitewater canoe paddler (Dagger Ovation) who discovered IK's (Tomcat solo and Tandem) and fell in love with not swamping in big holes like I did with my canoe. I love IK's and have no interest in hard-shell kayaks for me personally. I upgraded to a Lynx so wife could use the Tomcat Solo (we paddle the Tomcat Tandem together) but I bought the Lynx on a whim without ever having tried it due to the testimonial of a guy who had one, so it was a bit of a leap of faith. I have it now and it's sitting in the garage waiting for spring for it's maiden voyage. I have the deluxe seat, thigh straps, and an inflatable footrest. Hoping I made the right decision...

Also, I saw mention of the Wing Jimbo above and was very interested in it. I never did contact the company to find out how much $$ it cost, though. I saw some vids of people paddling it and kind of changed my mind a bit about it because a good amount of them showed people kneeling on it to presumably see over the not insubstantial bow it has. Kneeling is one reason I got away from the canoe, so I went towards the more known quantity of the Lynx vs the Jimbo. I would have loved to actually try one out though. They are light, but not as durable as the Lynx from what I have been able to surmise.


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## wifarmgirl (May 28, 2014)

Deagol said:


> Hello, I know I am super late to the game here, but is there any way you could expand on this statement? Particularly about the Lynx and if it has limitations in whitewater compared to other IK's ?
> I am a former whitewater canoe paddler (Dagger Ovation) who discovered IK's (Tomcat solo and Tandem) and fell in love with not swamping in big holes like I did with my canoe. I love IK's and have no interest in hard-shell kayaks for me personally. I upgraded to a Lynx so wife could use the Tomcat Solo (we paddle the Tomcat Tandem together) but I bought the Lynx on a whim without ever having tried it due to the testimonial of a guy who had one, so it was a bit of a leap of faith. I have it now and it's sitting in the garage waiting for spring for it's maiden voyage. I have the deluxe seat, thigh straps, and an inflatable footrest. Hoping I made the right decision...
> 
> Also, I saw mention of the Wing Jimbo above and was very interested in it. I never did contact the company to find out how much $$ it cost, though. I saw some vids of people paddling it and kind of changed my mind a bit about it because a good amount of them showed people kneeling on it to presumably see over the not insubstantial bow it has. Kneeling is one reason I got away from the canoe, so I went towards the more known quantity of the Lynx vs the Jimbo. I would have loved to actually try one out though. They are light, but not as durable as the Lynx from what I have been able to surmise.


I've looked at the Wing Jimbo too, though I think it's too much boat for me. Our raft is a Wing Wetdream (not made anymore). At nearly 20 years old it looks brand new! My partner guided for Bill Wing when he had Electric Rafting so buying a new boat of any other kind would have been traitorous.


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