AIRE Outfitter I Whitewater Inflatable Kayak review by TBP

[Lee Arbach TBP]

AIRE Kayak Outfitter 1 Inflatable Kayak

Odd looking or not, the AIRE Kayak Outfitter I Inflatable Kayak, both the one person and two person Outfitter’s have been well liked by the customers we’ve sold them to. AIRE’s intended audience for the Outfitter’s was primarily commercial outfitters (thus the name) who want an ultra-stable boat for their customers, but the hull speeds are as good as the Lynx line so there is really little reason for private boaters not to look at the Outfitter. They are more stable, and draft less water than any other inflatable kayak line. This means you can go over very shallow passages without hanging up
AIRE Kayak Outfitter I Stability

Paddlers who might lean toward the Outfitter include those doing high flow runs with or without camp gear, where swims might be very unpleasant, or rank beginners who also find the thought of any swim to be frightening. With the extra width and low seating position, this model is at least as stable as the Hyside Padillac, long the go-to boat for those looking for the highest stability. But the Outfitter I and Outfitter II, with their flatter underside, are less likely to hang up on sub-surface rocks than a Hyside. Outfitter’s also catch less eddy current, so the river won’t push you around as much as you might experience with the grooved undersides of NRS MaverIK and Hyside models.

The following specs are based on measurements of the last solo Outfitter we weighed and measured alst year; they may have changed slightly. The weight is 36 pounds, the length maybe an inch shorter than AIRE’s specs at 9’10″, and the tubes are closer to 12″ than 12-1/2. The width on the one we checked was quite a bit less than what AIRE gives – about 38.5″ instead of 40. We cannot say with certainty that the beast will hold 400 pounds as AIRE says (some of these numbers come from what AIRE’s computer software predicts), but even if it maxxed at 350, that is a very high capacity for any solo model.

The AIRE Kayak Outfitter I Inflatable Kayak price is the same as the solo Lynx: $1,399. The Outfitter features beefy, comfortable lift handles front & rear, a big towing D-ring, and large bras that have “bail holes” around their edges so any water that loads up in front on a steep drop will quickly run out. This might also be helpful if you were drying out the kayak standing against a tree at the take out.

Warranty for AIRE Kayak Outfitter I Inflatable Kayak

Materials and warranty (10 years, no fault) are the same as the Lynx I model. In red, dark green, blue, yellow, and orange. Purple is special order, usually with a five to six week wait Try to always have a second color choice on this model.

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