Old Man sold hard shells because of back problems and stiffness;  liked surfing, 360’s, side surfing, enders, bow stalls, etc. I am missing the river!! SO--I tried 3 IK’s one was totally worthless, don’t know the name; one was an Aire Lynx I which was comfortable, roomy and handled ok, but nothing like a hard shell. I then tried a 20 year old Sotar Professional; it was much more responsive and fun. I could front and back surf, side surf, do 360’s and really enjoyed it. The new Sotars appear to be a constructed a bit different. I would like comments; how much have the Sotars changed, does year matter, do they perform the same, which size do you recommend; any other IK’s noticeable better. I believe there is a Stiletto being sold, but it is not the original Stiletto that was very good and no longer in production, is that true? How does the original Stiletto compare with the Sotar and are any available?

The newer Aire Force model looks very promising... I haven't paddled one yet, but have seen a couple on the river and their owners really seem to like them. Much more sporty than a Lynx. The older Force models were great, but quite tippy, the new model has more rocker and is a little more stable.

The Sotar design has not changed much over the years... they did dabble with a few different designs way back, but not sure if you have tried one similar to the ones they produce now or not. The size you pick depends on your size.... but if you're into more play boating I'd go with the smaller. I've paddled both the 10 and 11 foot sotar and they both fit me, and I am a big dude. The 10 footer I found more fun and playful.

The Stiletto is a fantastic boat. Fish must be on the Grand now, since he hasn't chimed in on them yet. But it's the boat that probably 75% of us local IKers who use IKs as our primary boat use the most. It's true that it is not is constant production, and was out of production for many years after Swiftwater (local raft shop that made it) shut down. But the original builder of the boat, Jim Sheflo does make occcasional short production runs of them. I can PM you his contact info if interested.

Stilletto vs Sotar.... The 11 foot sotar and Stiletto are similar in size, and both have their own unique handling characteristics. The Stiletto has a harder edge feel to it, which is enhanced by the foam floor. It carves an edge better and crisper than the sotar. It has less rocker and is pointier up front so it knifes through stuff, where the sotar will want to climb over. I've found too that the Stiletto is easier to control the edges as far as bracing, etc. The sotar has more rocker so in surfing you will not perl the bow very easy and it can actually be hard to initiate the bow or stern, the stiletto is way easier to initiate to get endos, etc.... but on the flip side can be hard to keep from perling when you don't want it to. Both work great as creek boats too. The stiletto you have to work harder to get a good boof, as with it's pointy design it likes to pencil in on big drops more so than a boat with more rocker like a Lynx or Sotar.... but then it has the handling to allow you to do so.

Overall, if you want a boat that's playful, I'd look at a Stiletto, smaller Sotar or new Aire Force. Any of those 3 are plenty of fun.

Sotar with foam floor is also very good

Have you tried an Alpacka?

Gotta do it yourself.get creative.add end pieces to deck the ends.laminate different types of foam to find best balance of weight and strength. Its a fun process.stiffer is better.

I can comment on the new Force and the old Force XL.  Both are great boats, though have different handling characteristics.  The Force XL has a long waterline, with little rocker, and and tubes that taper significantly down toward the bow.  The boat tends to knife through large waves and deep holes.  The new Force is shorter (at 9.5 feet), lighter (at 32 pounds), and signficantly rockered, perhaps having 1/2 the waterline of the XL.  The new Force is quicker - more maneuverable - and more playful than the XL.  The inflatable floor in the new Force can be pumped to a hard-bottomed pressure in which the hull stays flat and rigid, making the boat a good surfer.  But it won't surf like a Jackson All Star.  I can muster a 30 second ride into Rodeo Hole at 13k, but it's really tough at fast volumes to keep the boat tame.  Lower volumes and long flat waves, sure, fun surfing is achievable.  Fast, short steep waves (Turkey Shoot) are much harder.

Edited by otterend - 18 Jul 2012 at 1:12pm