# Found a bunch of money...have a potential boat purchase question



## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

Checked a old account I forgot about today and Kaching...New boat time lol. So this is really irresponsible but...I wanna get a small boat that I can row and have my wife and daughter up front on a thwart or on the floor so I can splash them in easy water. My daughter's seven and we don't take her on whitewater but I just wanna show her a little bit and slowly more ect so someday she'll just think it's normal everyday fun. So I thought about a 10.5 and a sabertooth but wondering if I should think 12 footer too? Dad's not a expert and he misses lines and so I can't have to tippy. I dunno. I wish a sabertooth wasn't so spendy and I should say too I dream about r1 ING someday....but that may be another account I find lol. I picture her either standing up holding on to my pfd behind me or croched down holding a perimeter line. This is easy class2 or maybe a easy 3- thanks!


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## nervouswater (Jun 3, 2008)

The 12 footer will be better for the family and will be a slightly safer and more comfortable ride. The bigger tubes are more stable and offer better splash protection when the temps are lower too. However, if you really want to R1, the smaller boat would be better for that for sure.


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## jamesthomas (Sep 12, 2010)

Cats are way splashier than rafts. Just say’en. I’m thinking a Legend 12’6” or even 13’6”. R-1, not so much.


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## dirtbagkayaker (Oct 29, 2008)

Sweet, now that you found the cash, good luck finding the boat. Does anyone even have a sabertooth in stock?? New boats are hard to come by this summer. You might not have many options if you want to buy now. You will need to take what you can get.


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## FatmanZ (Sep 15, 2004)

I'd recommend a 12' over a 10' raft. I've used a 10' raft for years and it's a hoot and super versatile, but the one real downside is having an adult up front with a frame on - just not much room for a 2nd adult unless the raft is being paddled. With the frame and one or two of my kids up front it worked great, but anytime I'd take my wife or another adult it always felt real crammed.


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## jwburdge (Apr 9, 2014)

Super Puma
'nuff said


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## NoCo (Jul 21, 2009)

Finding money is unfamiliar to me. But hell yeah, I'd buy a boat too! My next one is either going to be a mini max or a paddle cat. Maybe bidens kid money will buy that for me.


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

So you guys think a mini-max/storm is to small for a small row frame with mom and kid in front or mom dad r2 , kid loose in front? Your right I found money but can't find any boats really. Hmmm...I do this all the time. Which boat, that boat? This boat? I put the girls on my little cat and it kinda sucked. 156 is to dsmn big but great for camping. I picture myself rowing with girls basically r2 in front??


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## okieboater (Oct 19, 2004)

plus one for the super puma

it may well become you most favorite fun raft


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## Idaho_ski_bum (Jun 22, 2018)

I need one of those old accounts I forgot about!


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

My wife closed those accounts but I had a secret one I hid. That's why I lost it cause it was hidden! Should buy her a new car but you can't go boating in a car. I found a sabertooth and a 13 ft rmr. No super puma till 2022 or I can get a storm in a couple weeks from mike.


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## SherpaDave (Dec 28, 2017)

Plus 2 for the Super Puma or Maravia Spider. The Maravia is a few inches wider. Aire rolls much smaller if that is needed.


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## IDriverRunner (Aug 18, 2015)

Count me in as another vote for a Super Puma.


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## Electric-Mayhem (Jan 19, 2004)

There is a Super Puma in the classified section....









SOLD AIRE Super Puma Raft


FOR SALE New AIRE Super Puma Raft (Never Used) 2021 Two Thwarts Laced floor Color - gray Brand new - never used Includes 10 year warrantee Out of stock with manufacturer Repair kit Boulder CO I paid $4,350 all in, would like to recoup cost. I also have 2 oar-shafts NEW Sawer Polecat with rope...




www.mountainbuzz.com





12' Hyside or NRS boat would work too. I do think that the Storm or other 10' boats might be a bit small for 3 people in a rowing and oar rig configuration. I had some friends that had one and doubled up sometimes in it...but it was JUST big enough for them.

I mean.... doesn't look like much more room to me...









You can definitely do it as a paddle raft day trip kinda thing though. I do like the Sabertooth as well. Maybe try to find a NRS Star Slice XL as well.


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

12 foot Hyside 3 thwart, works with an oarframe, works as a R2, small enough to be nimble but large enough to actually carry some gear for an overnight. Sorta like the swiss army knife of boats one could say. The commercial company I worked for had a couple of them, and the boatmen were always fighting over them.


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

Yeah that's a beautiful little boat!! Can't believe I actually have money and can't find a boat lol! How many years I drolled over them in shops and couldn't afford them !! First world problems...


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

Pinchecharlie said:


> Yeah that's a beautiful little boat!! Can't believe I actually have money and can't find a boat lol! How many years I drolled over them in shops and couldn't afford them !! First world problems...


You can find them, there aren't a lot of boats in general out there these days. Craigslist is always an option, as is contacting raft repair shops that do commercial repairs, they often have used commercial boats that are being replaced by new boats for sale. The Classifieds here too are a great resource.


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## blueridge (Jun 13, 2017)

I bought a minimax and would not recommend it for what you are describing. If I were in your position I would buy a Max 12.

You won’t find a new one this year though…


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

Outfitter 12.0 - Hyside


The Outfitter 12.0 "big tube, little boat" design offers the perfect blend of big water stability and capacity for your Hyside adventures.




hyside.com





You might call Brandon at Hyside and ask if he knows of any retailers that have one laying around, while possible, from everything I'm hearing, not probable but ya never know if you don't ask.


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

Ok so I found a max 12! And I found a sabertooth! Both new and both cool colors lol. So....now let's talk a little about it. Needs to be easy for me and wife to carry. Only short distance but take out is unimproved. Needs to be easy for me to have wife and Amelia (7yr old) snug and secure up front. I want to bury them in a good way. Don't really care about big frame and gear but that would be a bonus. Bonus two would be to r2 it with friends or wife if she nuts up lol. Didn't ask how much max 12 was but I think their a few hundred of each other. I have nrs pipe , fittings and seat but ill have to buy oars maybe. I have 9footers but dunno if they'd fit? So yeah....any other pros and cons? I'll definitely be buying a tiny boat someday to r1 but that's a ways out skill level wise lll!!! I didn't look for outfitter 12 either? Is that worth considering over max12. It has larger tubes.


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## Electric-Mayhem (Jan 19, 2004)

Max 12 is about the same width as the Mini-Max...just a foot and a half longer. More room for sure...but may or may not be able to sit passengers side by side. Outfitter 12 is definitely wider and will have more interior room for ya. It looks like Hyside sells both boats for the same price.

It just occured to me that you might be the perfect use case for an Aire 126DD. I really like my bigger DD series boats because they have a ton of interior room due to the diminished tubes. I know lead time is a ways out for everyone...but at least Aire's are made in the US so you won't have to deal with all the shipping issues that import boats have. It'll have about $1000 premium over the Hysides and the Sabertooth but its a neat little boat.

Maybe a Tributary 12' boat if you can find one? NRS makes a really nice 12' boat similar to the Hyside one. Last I knew...Good Vibes River gear in Craig, CO had one of those available.

Oh...and 9 foot oars will do fine for most of these boats. They are a bit on the long side...but still within the recommended length.


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

Damnit....lol. 126dd is awesome but it has 14 inch tubes bow and stern...? Seen one on belt creek and it was really nice. Obviously that would be a order for next year. So I'll grab the sabertooth or ? And order a 126dd ? Or buy every boat known to man and just try them lol. Sucks I don't have any experience with biats other than the ones I have!! They are all super close really but the 126dd would make a great one guy multi day .say low water m.f. or selway at 2 feet? I wanna do those is why I ask lol


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## dirtbagkayaker (Oct 29, 2008)

Pinchecharlie said:


> Damnit....lol. 126dd is awesome but it has 14 inch tubes bow and stern...? Seen one on belt creek and it was really nice. Obviously that would be a order for next year. So I'll grab the sabertooth or ? And order a 126dd ? Or buy every boat known to man and just try them lol. Sucks I don't have any experience with biats other than the ones I have!! They are all super close really but the 126dd would make a great one guy multi day .say low water m.f. or selway at 2 feet? I wanna do those is why I ask lol


Diminishing tubes are nice for flipping a boat. Also they give a small bit more room in the boat. Plus the stern and bow are mostly out of the water anyway and a 14" tube will punch a crashing wave better than an 18" bow tube. It is so easy to get on an up side down 126DD. Supper fun boat for sure.

You can push a 16' down the MFS. Its just 20 miles of pain on the top. Selway IDK.


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## Electric-Mayhem (Jan 19, 2004)

yeah...thats what diminished tubes mean... start at one size and they diminish as they get towards the nose. It makes it a bit lower in the wind, makes for more room inside at the expense of a wetter ride. My buddy Jesse calls his 160DD "The Submarine".

I'm sure the 126DD would do fine with a low water idaho trip.

You have definitely found one of the downsides of rafting... its kinda hard to try stuff without buying it first. Maybe borrow from a friend or maybe a shop has one or you can sometimes find a company rep that has something...but sometimes you gotta just pull the trigger and get what you think is gonna work for ya. Luckily, I've found that even boats that seem very different will be more similar then they are different especially within the same size class.


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

Loookie here








12' Hyside FOR SALE - $2000


actually 11'10" but who cares about the extra 2" (ladies please refrain your comments) 2000 model, old Echo Canyon boat. In circulation for about 7 years when I purchased. In really good shape compared to what I've seen online here. I've used it maybe once or twice a year since then. It has been...




www.mountainbuzz.com




Looks to be in really good shape overall, and the price isn't bad..


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

Saw that ! I'd check it out but it's awfully far from us! I've never really been to Colorado even though I was born there! So maybe a family holiday someday. The real problem is there are boats for every taste and most I've looked at are only a few inches different even though the opinions on the differences are sometimes pretty profound. The only boats that I've actually found are
Sabertooth- would be a blast to r2 or row but may not be quite big enough for kid and mom and rowing. Reason I say that is mom has never paddled. I'd like to r2 with Amelia loose in front but I don't wanna scare her just yet or hit her with a paddle. That said my inner kid "wants" the Sabertooth!
Hyside max 12- seems like it would work with oars and passengers but maybe not as good as a outfitter 12. They look awesome and if I wasn't trying so hard probably wouldn't know any better. Only thing that makes me a bit reserved is it's narrowness. Iam not a pro and have been known to go sideways. I might not have the skills to hyside it on time lol. 
I called aire about 126dd and if I give them 30% now I "may" get it in spring. Iam happy they are making money so won't complain. I may buy the Sabertooth just "cause" and make mom paddle. I've heard them call paddle cats divorce boats! I may order 126dd for next year as a family day tripper and a weekender on smaller stuff. Same old story over thinking everything! Almost bought a aire cub this morning just because it was in stock lol. Definitely need to dial in though so the family can have fun. I've run without them all spring and they are starting to be cranky!


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## NativeDiver (Jun 7, 2017)

Check to see if Bi-Mart has any rafts. They will be 'splashy' for sure!


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

we'll see....could be a bit small lol. Craigslist for good price so not to big an experiment. But...yeah super puma lol. Never listen!


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## jberg421 (Jul 19, 2020)

Charlie I have nothing to add except I've been r1ing the mile and the phatcat is a hoot. I realize that boat wouldn't satisfy your wife and kid passenger needs


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

Take me too!


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## Village Lightsmith (Jul 14, 2021)

Buy 'em 'n' try 'em! Eventually, somebody else is gonna buy the boat you want. If you're patient and can enjoy the one you've got, that other person with your desired boat will eventually get antsy and sell the thing. If he wants too much for it, buy a different boat. There's a lot of them out there.
It isn't just the boat after a while, it's the river. And the good company. _Get out there while you can_. My last 2 years have been spent in cardio units. What ... a ... waste! 
Be sure your chosen river is always a little milder, less frequent more comfortable and a little shorter run than your significant other wants. That way, she'll be wanting more, More, MORE! (It's worked for me!) Now entering my dotage, the necks have been ripped out of my collars from _her_ dragging _me_ out there! _(Big toothy grin!)
Remember that boats ... any boats ... are a disease, but they are less expensive and altogether better than an inpatient psych ward where many of us would be without 'em. Diagnosis can be confirmed by recording simple biometrics as the patient walks among the boats tied up at any dock. One will catch his eye, his imagination will follow ... All it takes is an agreeable salesperson to "set the hook." "Got 'im!" 
B-ring O-ut A-nother T-hou$and!"_


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## Utah78 (Apr 28, 2018)

Well Pinchecharlie, what did you get? 

Since we all can't find extra cash any ol' day and a relatively snowless winter is dragging on, we have to live vicariously through your boat purchase. Just excited to hear what you ended out getting and pics to cheer us up on a dreary day. I just bought a Tributary Tater IK to cheer me up, and I think I've maxed out our boat number. 2 rafts, 1 Cat, 2 IKs = enough for every man, woman and child in my fam, but so worth it!

Interested to hear what you ended up getting.


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

I just found another 20k!!!!


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

I ended up getting a sabertooth. Love it! For 3 or 4 ....not so good. Rowing it is awesome. R-2 awesome. So my goal was a small boat for me my wife and 8yr old daughter to do our easy class 2/3 stretch. So not best choice. Great choice for class4 rowing or r-2 but not so much family thing. So...I think now that I've bought every boat there is I realize I need a 12 foot round boat or a super puma size. At least to get the girls on more. Will try r-2 with kid loose in bow and see how that goes but I need to be careful with her and my wife cause they are a bit nervous lol. A max-12 or super puma I could row, they sit cozy and secure and we go...maybe? That's the next try anyway!!! It finally snowed here and promptly feel to double digits below zero.


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## MNichols (Nov 20, 2015)

Pinchecharlie said:


> I just found another 20k!!!!


You go Charlie !!! That's being positive about the snow outlook


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## Utah78 (Apr 28, 2018)

Congrats on the sabertooth! They look really fun and I was recently at Utahwhitewater and the owner showed me their run of Rainie Falls on the Rogue in a sabertooth - the way it came blasting up out of the bottom of the falls was was breathtaking (I think he said it was a Facebook or Instagram if you can find it). Love how the sabertooth has the awesome rocker on the tubes and the front and back - I bought a 14' Wave Destroyer last year for my wife and I took it down Westwater in November and the rise on those tubes really brings the boat up and over big holes. Would love to try it in a sabertooth someday! 

Anyway, sounds like you are still in the hunt for a small round boat. I was in that search a few years back and wanted to get the Aire 126DD. But then out of the blue a local outfitter was selling a Super Puma for $1000 on ksl.com still in great shape. I called that outfitter, immediately left work, drove to bank, and drove straight there and bought it (all in less than an hour of the posting). Love the Super Puma, but I'm sure the hyside 12s and others are all great! The thing I love about the Super Puma is how fast it is. The Aire website is not lying when it talks about how its narrow beam contributes to a fast ride and if you square up right for big waves it shoots through. But the only problem is if you hit big waves/holes somewhat sideways it is not the most stable boat, again because it is narrow (so both a strength and weakness). My wife rowed the Super Puma on the Salmon and almost flipped on Black Creek - her friend saved the boat with a true bucking bronco style hyside. Later on the same trip that friend rowed it on Vinegar and flipped. All good fun, but after the trip we decided something a little more stable for my wife for big water - hence the Wave Destroyer purchase (considered her boat but she lets me take it out for a spin too). But we still love the Super Puma. My wife says of all our boats, it is the funnest in big wave trains because it really dips and rolls high up and over waves. 

I think I'm like you. If I kept finding new pots of cash, I would keep finding new cool boats to buy.


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## tBatt (May 18, 2020)

MNichols said:


> You go Charlie !!! That's being positive about the snow outlook


With our current situation, I'm sure he's planning on this.


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## Pinchecharlie (Jul 27, 2017)

Omg!!! Wth??? Lol!!!


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## Conundrum (Aug 23, 2004)

Finding money is awesome. I bought a raft trailer for a buddy when he was out of town. He gave me an envelope with $1,100 on pickup and I threw in my desk drawer and forgot to deposit it. Fast forward a couple years to Covid lockdown when we all cleaned stuff up out of boredom and Bingo!


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