# Help picking a raft



## codycleve (Mar 26, 2012)

spend just a little bit more money and get a rocky mountain raft.


----------



## slavigne (May 2, 2018)

Thanks. I am new to this....looking at RMR SB140 and SBDS 140...not sure what the difference is because the SB says it has a drop stitch floor? At least that’s how it looks on their website. Let me know if I have that wrong.


----------



## Nubie Jon (Dec 19, 2017)

I have the RMR 14 Drop Stitch and it is great. The drop stitch floor is a lot more stable, kinda like standing on a paddle board.


----------



## quinoa (Jul 5, 2009)

So the difference would be a drop stitch floor or an I-beam floor. I've always rowed an I-beam floored boat. I've heard people say that an I-beam floor tracks better, and that makes sense to me because of the shape of a I-beam floor. Drop stitch is smooth on both sides. Another thing to consider is the material the boat is made of. PVC or Hypalon. I would recommend hypalon. Cost is higher than PVC, but worth the extra $ in my opinion. Do a little research, you will most likely have your boat for a long time. Get what you think is best for you. Good luck finding your new boat.


----------



## slavigne (May 2, 2018)

Thanks! What about an NRS outlaw? That’s closer to my price range but I was wondering if it would be ok for a multi day trip on the middle fork? I would primarily be using it on smaller rivers for day trips but might take a few bigger trips over the years. Thoughts....


----------



## quinoa (Jul 5, 2009)

NRS makes good quality boats. I have an NRS e-140 and it is a great boat. Don't know much about the outlaws. I do believe that they are made of PVC, and I believe they are built with the same dimensions as their Hypalon boats. 14 foot is a versatile sized boat that is good for day trips or multi day trips.


----------



## slavigne (May 2, 2018)

I know that pvc is not ideal for bigger raft trips but want to make sure that it’s not going to totally fail on the occasional whitewater multi day trip? I am pretty interested in the NRS...just trying to do my homework.


----------



## pkemp (Jul 6, 2017)

Get an Aire Tributary 13'er or 14'er. much more resilient than a glued or budget welded pvc boat due to the inner bladder system.


----------



## quinoa (Jul 5, 2009)

Do a search here for the NRS outlaws. I seem to remember a thread about the outlaws. Also do one for Rocky Mountain rafts. There is a lot of great info in the threads on this page. Search any questions you have. Tons of first hand info.


----------



## Cgilbane (Mar 11, 2018)

Drop stitch in the RMR will actually track better than the I-beam. The drop stitch sits higher in the water than the I-beam, si there is less crap against the water. It sits about an inch and a half higher. Get the 14 ft RMR you will love it. Both I-beam and drop stitch are great. But with drop stitch it’s easier to stand on, fish from


----------



## markhusbands (Aug 17, 2015)

slavigne said:


> I know that pvc is not ideal for bigger raft trips but want to make sure that it’s not going to totally fail on the occasional whitewater multi day trip? I am pretty interested in the NRS...just trying to do my homework.


I have an Outlaw 140 and have used it on a number of multi day trips with no sign of injury. Ran it on a bony Chama last summer. No sign of injury. I do plan to run the floor a little softer on my next low water trip. I'm taking it on a couple Green sections this summer. I can't say I've had it for years and years but it seems to me to be just fine for private use. If I was going to have it out in the sun day after day like an outfitter, that's when I would worry more about PVC.


----------



## Rick A (Apr 15, 2016)

I won't try to claim my Outlaw will last as long as a hypalon boat or that the materials are equal but it has been from Lee's Ferry to Pearce Ferry and many other multi-day trips. It was what I could afford and it gets me on the water.


----------



## elkhaven (Sep 11, 2013)

All the boats your looking at will be fine on what ever trip you take them on... it's not like comparing a Huffy to a Cannondale. The boat won't fall apart in extreme situations. The difference is handling on the water to a small degree and long term durability. In the long run, cheaper boats will degrade faster and get slow leaks but they are no not significantly more likely to catastrophically fail then a spendy boat... with the rare exception of quality control issues you might find in a boat being built as cheaply as possible. Even on that line, it's just not something you hear about very often...it's usually little things like d-rings starting to separate and such. Get what fits your budget. 

In general I'd say a saturn is bottom of the barrel, then odyssey and outlaw closely behind. It's a big step up in quality (longevity) with RMR - If I were going to start over I'd probably just get a Tributary, they row nice, are very durable and fit a nice price point - kind of the perfect balance. That's my 2cents


----------



## lncoop (Sep 10, 2010)

slavigne said:


> Thanks! What about an NRS outlaw? That’s closer to my price range but I was wondering if it would be ok for a multi day trip on the middle fork? I would primarily be using it on smaller rivers for day trips but might take a few bigger trips over the years. Thoughts....


I'm not qualified to weigh in on whether an RM or Tributary is "better" than an Outlaw, but I will say the price difference will be less than you might think. Lee at The Boat People can probably get you a Trib or RMR (I beam version) for not much more than an Outlaw. Or, I'm sure he'll sell you an Outlaw if that's what you decide you want. I have no affiliation with TBP. I just really like Lee because he's answered lots of my (probably) dumb questions and has made my friends and me great boat deals when the time has come to pull the trigger. 

As for drop stich versus I beam, the 14' Trib I bought from TBP has an I beam floor and I find it to be plenty stiff and stable for standing. YMMV. A Trib or RM will last you a long time. 

I guess what I'm saying is, if you decide an Outlaw (or for that matter a Saturn or Odyssey) is what you want go for it. But don't base your decision on price alone because you probably have more options than you think. Happy hunting!


----------



## mikepart (Jul 7, 2009)

Both the Saturn and the outlaw have floor designs where the drop stitch chamber sits on top of a bucket type floor with drain holes in it. I personally wouldn't buy a boat like that if I had an alternative at a similar price. The Rocky Mountain drop stitch is a standard lace-in type floor that is more legit IMO.

AIRE bladder type rafts are super popular and are probably a good value, but require more maintenance and cleaning of the zippers and in between the tubes and bladders, especially in silty rivers. I personally don't like them, but I don't want to argue with all of the people who love them. They must be doing something right and they certainly do have great air retention. If you look at these, I would recommend a sealed pocket type floor.


----------



## lncoop (Sep 10, 2010)

Another good thing about an Aire is if you're a shitty rower like I am you can bounce the bow off a sharp rock face and cut all the way through the PVC without developing a leak, then when you get home you can unzip the boat and apply an interior preventive patch. I mean, that's what I hear anyway............


----------



## markhusbands (Aug 17, 2015)

Owning an Outlaw, I will say that the floor is odd, but I don't think it is a problem as long as you understand what you're in for. 

First, you can't let small stuff, say, a can, roll around on the floor. It will eventually find its way under the floor and you won't see it again until your trip is done. I keep a recycling bucket handy for all cans. You could certainly damage the drop stitch insert if you let something sharp go down there. 

Second, you will be removing your floor to clean the boat if you run a silty river. Removing it is not hard or time consuming once you figure out the method (you'll curse until then), but it's the only way to really clean it. The floor folds up easily when deflated and removed. I ran the San Juan, and there was a thin layer of silt on one end when we took out. Took the floor out, threw some buckets of river water in there...good to go until a complete home cleaning. It is a little harder to put it in than take it out, so I always try to replace the floor when full cleaning is done so I don't have to deal with it at a put in. The whole boat needs to be deflated in my experience to replace the floor, but I can get the floor out with the main tubes up. For people that use trailers this would probably get very irritating, and may be the tipping point for looking at a stitch in floor. 

Third, like other drop stitch floors, it's stiff, which means it is very nice to stand on but also seems to make the boat stickier on the rocks. Solution: run it soft on bony runs. 

I think that is it, really. It is obviously a way to keep the costs down for NRS, although you do get something people are willing to pay extra for in other boats. The fixed floor is thick and non-air holding and is protective in that way both on the river and rolled. Water bails right out, no problem. Boat floats. Seams are welded. A person can use it to go rafting on rivers.


----------



## scoop (Oct 11, 2014)

There seems to be a lot of good boats for sale in the classifies. I'd pick-up a higher quality used boat or cat if it were me.


----------



## smhoeher (Jun 14, 2015)

A friend of mine borrowed the bought my old Odyssey bucket boat and used it a few times. He decided to go all hog into rafting. Here's my educated estimate of what he bought, all new. He bought almost everything at Whitewater West in Grand Junction:

- NRS 15' Otter, $4500
- NRS frame, including the mounts for a motor, $1725
- 3 Cataract oars, $825 
- Cooler, dry box, drop bag, etc. $1100
-Bimini, $500
- 6 hp Mercury motor, $2500
- Trailer, $3000
-Misc. straps, ropes, gear, etc. - $800

Total - $15450!!!!


----------

