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Have been in the market for a cheap ik to play around on a couple of local runs. Was just wondernig if any of you had past experience with the boats, and might provide a little insight on the matter. I really do not want to invest a whole lot of money on the boat, since it will be used a couple of time a year.
Cheers
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http://www.sevylor.com/canoes.html
a friend of mine paddles one of those and he likes it. I think he paid around $400 new versus $800-$1000 for some of the NRS brand IK's. It's not built as "bomber" as the NRS IK's, but he still runs class 4 in it with no problem. I would only worry about the integrity of the thing if I was bumping over alot of rocks or took a swim and the thing got pinned. I'd say that if you're only going to be using it a few times a year, it's a good value.
Sevloy used to make a red one called the River X that was pretty cheap and seemed to be well constructed.
Another option might be a Tributary. It's a spinoff from Aire and they are the same design as the Aires but manufactured in China and use a slightly thinner material. A little more than the Sevlor but you will get more out of it in terms of longevity and resale. The solo model is $650 but you can join ACA or AWA and probably get a 10-15% discount at most paddle shops.
http://www.nrsweb.com/shop/product_list.asp?deptid=1695
You should check out the NRS Bandit also. It is really light and would be cool for hike in stuff or travel. Has more rocker than the strike and is a little smaller and would be more nimble on the water. I was going to buy one for my g/f who isn't a boater until I found a good deal on some sotar paddlecat tubes.
I would stay away from the sevylor, they seem like cheap crap that would be worthless in a year or two.
Not a big fan of the tomcats, we have some at work and they never stiffen up no matter how much air you put in them (maybe a concern with the lightweith bandit as well?) and they have a very vulnerable seam on the bottom. The bandits also have a seam on bottom but have a little proterctive strip over it.
In general, the cheaper IKs skimp on fabric weight and stiffness and valves. (You don't want to buy something that you can replace something like a valve cap).
I would also recommend calling outfitters and searching for an older IK being decomishioned. An older Lynx will last longer than a new inexpensive IK, and will still sell for not much less than what you paid. You should be able to find a top brand IK in not too bad a shape for ~$500.