# AIRE, Hyside, or NRS



## SpeyCatr

Which ones are made on shore? I know the AIRE is, what about the NRS and hyside?


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## Electric-Mayhem

SpeyCatr said:


> Which ones are made on shore? I know the AIRE is, what about the NRS and hyside?
> 
> 
> Sent from my iPhone using Mountain Buzzy


Aire yes, Hyside is made in South Korea, not sure on the NRS.

Not any help, but they are all good boats and will probably do you just fine. If you ask me, its a toss up between Aire and Hyside quality wise with NRS a bit behind. Its still a good boat, but I'd get one of the other two first.

Aire has a pretty legendary warranty. Its too bad you didn't post this last week, as they just had a 15% off sale. They are a little heavier but are great boats. For a big boat, I really like the 160DD. If I was buying new it would be on my short list. I just bought its little brother the 136DD and am looking forward to it getting here and out on the water.

Hysides are great and seem to hold up well. I like the Hypalon since its lighter and rolls up. Nothing special with the design, but its a tried and true one that does well in many applications.

Experienced some NRS boats on my Grand trip and a Lodore trip lately. They seem to be built well, if a big heavy. I like the diminishing tubes on the Nez Pierce version too. More space and less wind resistance but still carries a load well.

Like I said, you really can't go too wrong with any of them. Slight differences between them that you'll have to decide on, but in the long run probably won't make a huge difference.


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## cataraftgirl

I currently own a Sotar SL with diminishing tubes and I like that design. My raft is a 14 footer, and it gives me a little more cargo space. It's a wetter ride for passengers.

I owned a Hyside 12 footer and only sold it to get the bigger raft. I wish I still had it. Well made, lighter, and easier to roll up. No bells & whistles, just a sturdy raft.

My mini-cat has tubes made by Aire and I've not had an issue with them. However, the rafting club I belong to bought & quickly sold an Aire raft because of the silt/zipper thing. I helped clean that raft at the end of a season and it was a nightmare. Aire is quite popular, and well made. Just requires more effort to maintain if you run desert rivers.


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## mattman

Basically what electric mayhem said, only I was raised on NRS, so am partial to them, they do track particularly well, so is a trait I grew accustomed with.
Aire is the only one of those brands that is American made, NRS is built in Mexico.


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## Skyman

My hyside 14ner is 16 years old and still look like new. Either of these boats will be fine. NRS makes a bomber boat. I wouldn't be at all concerned about the Aire's bladder system and silt. These can be easily cleaned out after a couple of seasons boating. I will say my Aire is a lot stiffer and punches the waves without much tube movement.


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## HPMG

If you plan on using a motor on those desert floats, you might want to consider sticking with hypalon for it's better resistance to chemicals (Gasoline) than PVC.


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## kevinusa

Maravia, Made in the USA


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## tanderson

Just got my Hyside 16xt. Really happy.


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## Parrothead

*For rafts NRS, for cats AIRE. Seems to be the case in my area!*

...


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## noneuclidean

kevinusa said:


> Maravia, Made in the USA


I do love Maravia, as well as SOTAR (also made in the USA, and in my home state of Oregon), I'm just not convinced that they justify the extra expense (particularly over the AIRE DD).


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## Cascade River Gear

We love them all and sell them all! You have plenty of great feedback about the boats you chose so I thought I would just throw it out there that if you purchase a boat through us we offer a 10% discount on all other accessories you purchase for 90 days. 

We currently have a Zephyr that was used one season, great shape with no patches. Royal Blue, 15' Long, 7' Wide, 21" tubes diminishing to 16" it is 20% off and is priced at $5275. Just to throw another boat in the mix, we don't currently have any 16' demos/seconds boats. Let me know if I can help you with anything. 

Keep it Right Side Up,

Renee


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## noneuclidean

Cascade River Gear said:


> We love them all and sell them all! You have plenty of great feedback about the boats you chose so I thought I would just throw it out there that if you purchase a boat through us we offer a 10% discount on all other accessories you purchase for 90 days.
> 
> We currently have a Zephyr that was used one season, great shape with no patches. Royal Blue, 15' Long, 7' Wide, 21" tubes diminishing to 16" it is 20% off and is priced at $5275. Just to throw another boat in the mix, we don't currently have any 16' demos/seconds boats. Let me know if I can help you with anything.
> 
> Keep it Right Side Up,
> 
> Renee


Thanks! I love the Zephyr model, but it doesn't quite have the hauling capacity I'm looking for.


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## TLaf

Haven't owned an Aire but I am almost sure you can get a sealed floor version which would solve any silty river concerns. 

Durability wise Hyside has always had pretty good feedback. Personally Between NRS and Hyside(consider them to be close in their rafts) I have had more interaction with NRS and like their service so would go with them. 

The DD is to new for me to have kicked the tires so would need to demo first. As a gear boat it is interesting for sure. 


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## readNrun

Yes, you can get a floor for Aires that are sealed pocket. I believe there was a previous discussion about the tracking of a sealed pocket floor vs. their standard floor. I don't recall what the overall consensus was of that discussion.


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## Electric-Mayhem

The consensus I got from reading up and actually talking to Aire is that it makes a bigger difference in stability and speed then anything else. Since the floor is filled with water in the normal Floors, they tend to have a lower center of gravity. I've talked to people that swear up and down that the ballast floor has kept them from flipping on numerous occasions.

I would expect it to effect acceleration of the boat since you are lugging more mass, but it is probably more likely to stay in motion as well. I'd expect the sealed floor to be faster and turn faster, and float a bit higher. 

At the end of the day, its probably not a huge difference, but it seems to be a noticeable one. I ordered mine with a sealed floor and I don't regret it. I'll take a bit more speed over a bit more stability and I like that it won't fill up with sediment and get the inner bladder all gross.


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## Skyman

Electric-Mayhem said:


> The consensus I got from reading up and actually talking to Aire is that it makes a bigger difference in stability and speed then anything else. Since the floor is filled with water in the normal Floors, they tend to have a lower center of gravity. I've talked to people that swear up and down that the ballast floor has kept them from flipping on numerous occasions.
> 
> I would expect it to effect acceleration of the boat since you are lugging more mass, but it is probably more likely to stay in motion as well. I'd expect the sealed floor to be faster and turn faster, and float a bit higher.
> 
> At the end of the day, its probably not a huge difference, but it seems to be a noticeable one. I ordered mine with a sealed floor and I don't regret it. I'll take a bit more speed over a bit more stability and I like that it won't fill up with sediment and get the inner bladder all gross.


I prefer the standard floor. It tracks much better. If you have your floor properly inflated the amount of water in the floor is not that significant. It does help the boat "stick" to the water a bit better. Also cleaning out the little sediment that gets in the floor is pretty easy. You'll get sand in the floor on the clear Idaho rivers as well. Just not as much.


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## jamesg

Aire 156 R with sealed floor IMO.
Just got one and couldn't be happier. Hauls tons of gear, rides high in the water, and is pretty nimble for a boat that size. 

Also can't really beat the Aire warranty.


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## garystrome

*Domestic and stocked*

The Aire is a domestic. They also take the effort to reduce lead time to something realistic. There is also Wing, JPW and SoTAR. The remainder of the group would rather you wait for their container to move across the pacific at their leisure......lest they be burdened with stateside manufacturing.


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## superpuma

Aire x3 156D sealed floor,143D standard floor, superpuma standard floor.
The 156 vs 143- not a lot of difference as far as speed or tracking.
I like not having to zip open and clean the floor after a San Juan trip with the 156. The 143 is older pre seealed floor. Super Puma is like a sports car, fast and quick on the turns but not a lot of cargo space.


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## Patrick Lynch

I really like my Aire 156D. I've had it two seasons now, and I got the sealed floor option, figuring it would be easier to turn and get moving. When I got my raft, the sealed floor was only a $500 upgrade. I can pack up this raft with more gear than is warranted, and it still does super. Currently I have a three bay setup, with two dry boxes and one cooler slot. I use a Pacific Bag in the back for a lot of the gear, and made a plywood hexagonal floor for extra durability that fits in the footprint of the bag. Use 10' counterbalanced Cataract oars. Aire service is super. I had a pressure relief valve leaking, and they sent me out a replacement immediately. They literally call you back the same day if you contact them. Good luck searching! My buddy has a 16' Sotar that is a really sweet raft and holds way too much gear.


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## garystrome

*Fereign Boats*



SpeyCatr said:


> Which ones are made on shore? I know the AIRE is, what about the NRS and hyside?
> Sent from my iPhone using Mountain Buzzy


*
The Airs are much better at dodging high speed projectiles; probably cause they're made in the USA. Ever seen one with an arrow lodged in it?
*
On the flip side of that argument, the creek bottoms are riddled with the remains of fereign boats, the result of countless encounters with sharp objectiles.


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## smhoeher

My first boat was an Odyssey and my duckie is a Hyside. Both are hypalon. My current boat is a Sotar, PVC. I like the hypalon boats better. I'm not sure why other than I just think it feels better. PVC boats are stiffer. I do love my Sotar though. 

If I were buying a new boat right now it would probably be an NRS Otter 14.2. I think the E series NRS boats are overkill for private boaters. They are tough and great for commercial operations because they get use a lot. They're heavier and there's a big price difference.

I know boaters with Hysides and are very happy. A Hyside would probably be my second choice. My Hyside duckie had been great other than it has old fashioned military valves. New Hysides have Leafield valves

I have no real hands on experience with Aires. I saw some people repairing one and it looked like a big pain. I've heard of the zippers blowing apart, which would be a disaster if your miles from your take out. I've heard that they are really hard to zip or unzip, especially with the sand and silt you expect to be boating in. 

Have fun buying and rigging your boat


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## Brotorboat

AIRE

Don't listen to people that "have heard" or "had a buddy who was a lazy POS boat owner" talk to the owners. I've never met an AIRE owner who said they wouldn't buy another one...unless they were a lazy POS. 

In the past 7 years, almost all of my friends have switched to AIRE.


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## jerseyjeff

*another vote for aire and Jpw*

I have a super puma that is pushing 20 years now, and love the boat, it is handles incredibly well, fast, and rowing it solo, it is like a big ducky. It did get a hole in it, and in my mind, this is all the more reason to get an AIRE.

My ex-brother inlaw was "guiding" the raft full of his friends down the mighty lehigh river, and on the lower section there is a rapid called Bridal Veil. Above Bridal Veil there is an eddy that traditionally you stop in to gather up the trip, and then proceed downstream. In said eddy is a large chunk of concrete with some really nasty 3/4 inch steel sticking off the end. If you can imagine the German defenses against a landing at Normandy, you are getting the picture. 

Prior to hitting the eddy, I describe the location of the fang, told him to avoid it at all costs, and that since he has been here before it should be all good. 

Well, he powered into the eddy, through the boat sideways and nailed it. Hard.

So hard he and a few others got ejected. and he punched a hole big enough to put a fist through. 

I said a few things inappropriate to family audiences, and got everyone back in the boat, and headed downstream. 

The bladder held great, and then later that week, the boat was sent out to repair. It was fixed extremely well, and although there is a scar, there is no performance loss, and the inner bladder held. The customer service experience was great, and the boat has had zero issues since. 303 every season, give a really good bath and dried at the end of season as well. 

Even though it took a pretty extreme situation to get holed, this was not the first holed raft I have been around, and with this one, we did not have to roll up the blown 1/4 and limp down the river. 

The boat does not have a sealed pocket floor so it is not fun until the floor drains, but, I love it. 

I also have a JPW culebra as a light r-2 with my little guy, and that boat is phenomenal as well, light fast and hyper maneuverable, I had been abusing a paco pad for a good long while, and I figured if Jack's boats were half as good as his pads, then I would be happy, and they are better. I do think he is rounding the weight up, but that is not a big thing to complain about!

good luck with your choice


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## Dr.AndyDVM

smhoeher said:


> I have no real hands on experience with Aires. I saw some people repairing one and it looked like a big pain. I've heard of the zippers blowing apart, which would be a disaster if your miles from your take out. I've heard that they are really hard to zip or unzip, especially with the sand and silt you expect to be boating in.


My 2 cents you can quit worrying about Aire. I like Aire and Maravia. I've got a 16' diminished tube Maravia and I love it. I've got 2 other Maravia rafts too. I own an Aire kayak and their couch too. I've toured both their factories here in the Boise area where they make their rafts and I like them both. 

Ryder, the head of Aire's repairs department gave a demo to our Idaho Whitewater Club on how to repair an Aire boat, and it is the easiest repair of any of the rafts. Easy repairs is the whole reason behind the bladder system. No glue needed to repair them, just a needle and thread and some repair tape. You can tear a 6" gash in the boat and be repaired and back in the water in minutes instead of waiting for several hours for glue to dry. When you get back home you can have Aire weld a patch over the hole with their awesome warranty. The repair will look great and be stronger than before. 

Get the sealed floor and start enjoying your new raft now not in August. 

Also plus one for Cascade. I don't know if you have a local store in New Mexico, but I live near Boise, and I have bought all of my boats but the first one from Cascade River Gear and took advantage of the 10% off to outfit my rafts and save some money. 


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## Domar Dave

Brotorboat said:


> AIRE
> 
> Don't listen to people that "have heard" or "had a buddy who was a lazy POS boat owner" talk to the owners. I've never met an AIRE owner who said they wouldn't buy another one...unless they were a lazy POS.
> 
> In the past 7 years, almost all of my friends have switched to AIRE.


I guess I am one of the lazy POS Aire owners who wouldn't buy another one. In my 35+ years of boating I have done Hypalon, PVC/Urethane, and one great Aire cat raft. I used the Aire cat on very remote expeditions in Alaska for about 8 years. Some of those rivers were full of glacial silt which really clogged up those zippers. That silt also has some grit to it which wore some pinholes in the bladders. These issues were manageable, but required extra time and effort that I would have preferred not having to do. A couple times I finished trips with slow leaks and dealt with the sticky zippers when I got home. Otherwise, have to agree that Aire makes tough, durable boats in the USA and customer service is exceptional. But I fully confess to being a lazy POS who would rather not deal with maintaining zippers and bladders in harsh conditions. A few years back I borrowed a 14' Aire raft from my brother-in-law for an Upper Salt trip. The boat performed flawlessly and never needed pumping in five days. Maybe my negative experiences with zippers has tainted my opinion about Aire. I have had epic zipper failures on tents in life and death conditions, so just don't want them on my rafts.


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## elkhaven

I've not owned an aire but a number of my boating buddies do. One is anal and his 15 year old boat looks new. The others are all lazy like myself and they all (3 boats) have replaced disintegrating Aires with new aires in the last 3 years. All 4 of these boats were purchased by the crew within a few years of Y2K. In contrast, the rest of us (5 boats) have run hypalon boats from about the same time. I started with a 5 year old hyside (1996 manufacture) in 2001, I up sized 3 years ago with a Sotar, sold the hyside for $1200 and it's still going strong in the hands of another friend. The rest group all bought NRS boats, 2 E-140's and 2 Otters. All 4 are still going strong and looking good. One lives outside and definitely shows it and the other 3 live outside under covers and are in great shape. All of these boats have 300 to 500 days on them, some many more, over the past dozen and a half years or so. I'd say the harder lived Otter is up for replacement, the others have many years left. Oh yeah, there was a stream tec (maravia) in the late 90's that was sold off after a few years of chasing pin holes... That boat was a POS; not that I think all maravias are, but that one sure was. That guy replaced it with a super puma in the list above in 2000 or 2001, it came apart 2 years ago. 

I find it interesting that 3 of 4 aires are in the landfill and all 5 hypalon boats are still on the water. Yes Aires warranty kicks ass. All three above mentioned boats went in for warranty repair at some point and Aire took great care of them. I'd guess that's why my buddies replaced worn out Aire's with new Aires. It just seems to me they are good boats, they aren't quite all that many folks make them out to be.

I have nothing against Aire and would love a super puma but to me they have a kickass warranty because they need it. They are by far the most complicated boats in the rafting industry with more places for failure then their competitors. Couple that with PVC outer fabric that definitely gets nuked by the sun and I feel they fall apart faster than any other brand. Just look at how many testimonials there are for fast and awesome repairs there are on this forum. Many for problems that wouldn't exist on any other brand...

I just look at which to own as a balance of various needs to some degree. All the companies and materials have pros and cons, it's really a matter of balancing those with an individuals situation and going with what's best. In my experience Aires MUST be shielded from the sun. Store them under a good cover or better yet inside a building and they'll last decades. Leave them out all summer or worse yet all year and they'll last a few years over warranty. Still not horrible longevity but well under the life span of similarly cared for hypalon (or what ever brand name the formula goes under) boats.


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## UriahJones

To me its all about the care you put into the boat. Any boat will be trashed if you leave it exposed all year long. Any of the above brands will be just fine if you take care of it. 

I run Aire's and have a 156E that is about 10-years old and looks like new, and at Aire Super-Duper Puma that is 8 years old and shows a little use, but still has lots more years in her. I've never had a leak or puncture yet, and I think that even the PVC is pretty hard to get through. I really like the bladder design for the easy repairs, and extra durability. 

The biggest downside to Aire (besides the price) is that they are a little heavier, and if you roll your boats, they don't roll down small. Though I do also have an Aire Lynx IK that rolls to the size of a 5-gal bucket so its still really packable. Go with whatever your fancy is and just clean it each season and 303 it.


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## Treswright3

You can't go wrong, All are good boats. My buddy just got a new NRS boat and it is super nice, I think its nicer than my other buddies Hyside, but both are fine. I honestly think the PVC boats are just fine too. People seriously other think boat purchases.

I have a Sotar so obviously I choose purely on color and the fact that when you have a Sotar you can look down at everybody else in their 2nd class poverty rigs.


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## Dr.AndyDVM

Treswright3 said:


> I have a Sotar so obviously I choose purely on color and the fact that when you have a Sotar you can look down at everybody else in their 2nd class poverty rigs.


That is funny!


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## Roguelawyer

Which raft can be summed up in five words . . . State Of The Art Raft. ?


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## mkashzg

Roguelawyer said:


> Which raft can be summed up in five words . . . State Of The Art Raft. ?


Or... Sunk On The Arkansas River.


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## kevinusa

Maravia


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## Liquido

kevinusa said:


> Maravia


Word


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## semievolved

or Swim Over to Another Raft


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## Crazy Beaver

Just had to throw in the towel on my 91' hyside because the floor is blown. Got a brand new Achilles 14ft recently which is a brand not many people know of anymore since the majority of the boats they make now are for the military. However, possibly the best hypalon quality of any boat on the market. Just throwing this option in. All the boats listed are great . 


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## smhoeher

I love seeing all the different comments. Every boater has their opinions about the best or worst boat to buy. I just took a casual float through Grand Junction and Fruita and took out at the Loma ramp. Several groups were launching for Ruby/Horsethief and beyond and others were pulling out like us. Here's what I saw:
1 SOTAR (mine), 1 Odyssey, 2 NRS (each a different models), 1 Hyside raft, 1 Hyside duckie (two person), 1 Jack's Plastic cat, 1 Rocky Mountain, 1 Aire cat, and Mad River canoe. Every boat was different and I'm sure every opinion was different. All the boats were pretty good. Of course, my SOTAR was by far the finest boat at the ramp!


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## AKPostal

My Aire Jag has held its air without needing much maintenance over the last 20 years. Its been stored outside and inflated in Alaska. Ive never had to deal with the zippers so that may be an issue at some point but its been a solid boat.

I run silty rivers, the Big Su, Matanuska, Little Su, and Portage Creek. AK Raft and Kayak stores there rental boats inflated outside year round. They recommend rinsing the zippers after each run, something I havent done.

My Outcast PAC 9 has been on those rivers and also lakes without an issue, my understanding is the pontoons come from Aire, its also 20 years old with little issues. Its frame may need to be updated and new straps, but its been a solid craft.

I just got my Fish Cat Panther, I believe the toons are still from Aire.

Ive got 20+ years with Aire.

Sorry for necromancing a 2 week old thread.


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## shappattack

After having boated a particularly "dirty" river in southern Utah this winter, I would highly recommend a sealed floor pocket if you buy an Aire. The non-sealed floor was a biotch to clean up afterward and was full of silt, several cups full in an aire outfitter II kayak.


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