Whitewater Inflatable Kayaks

The boat I use is an inflatable kayak, or IK. An IK consists of a pair of inflated tubes, a floor, and a backrest. Some IKs have inflatable floors, while others use rigid closed-cell foam. Modern IKs have thigh straps and footbraces to help the paddler grip the boat, which enables the use of leg and abdominal muscles when paddling and balancing.

Whitewater IKs are almost always self-bailing. This is accomplished by having holes between the floor and the side tubes. The boat floats because of the bouyancy of the air in the tubes and/or foam, and the holes allow the water to drain out. This bailing isn't instantaneous, so IKers are often sitting in water whole in rapids. Depending upon the bouyancy and design of the boat and the weight of the paddler and gear, some IKers find themselves sitting in a little water all the time.

One of the key differences between inflatable kayaks and traditional (hardshell) kayaks is that IKs are not intended to roll. While there are experts who can roll IKs, it's not easy and it's not common. Upon flipping, most IKers simply flip the boat back over and climb back in. Luckily, IKs are not all that prone to flipping over in the first place (despite what novice raft guides might say). Another big difference is that it's much easier to get in and out of an IK. This can be useful in very low water and in difficult rivers where there's lots of scouting and portaging.

Whitewater IKs typically cost from $1000-$2000 new. There are lower-cost alternatives that cost from $500-$800, and these are great for people getting started. Cheap vinyl boats really aren't intended for whitewater use, but people sometimes do crazy things in the pursuit of fun.

The 3 boats shown in the picture are (from right to left): Wing Probe (that's me in the boat), Skykomish Boat Works Stiletto, and Tributary Strike. Only the Strike is currently in production.