I reviewed and inflatable canoe (SOAR)

[@sethcapon]

I was just about to pull the trigger on an air expedition II until I stumbled on this video. A few phone calls later and I have a soar 12 on order. Can’t wait to hit the rivers in northwest Montana on this thing. Thanks for the great video!

[@benlzicar7628]

Did you mean to say Aire Outfitter II? Those are great boats, arguably the best IKs on the market, but it's just a different style of craft. If you want comfort, gear hauling, and adaptability then the SOAR is the way to go! Glad to hear the new owners got orders up and running as well. SOAR just recently changed ownership.

[@glenberry9929]

SOAR makes the best inflatable canoe/kayak/raft hands down. I know the SOARs are considered canoes, but I included kayaks and rafts simply because SOAR is better than any inflatable, period, hands down, end of sentence. Over the past 20 years I have owned 16 (yes, sixteen) SOAR canoes, both 14’ and 16’ models. Since 2002 I have outfitted and guided 39 week long river expeditions on the San Juan (goosenecks) in southern Utah, Desolation & Gray Canyons on the Green River in central Utah, and the Payette river in central Idaho. I am not a professional river guide, just a river rat who enjoys sharing the river multi-day experience with friends, family, youth groups, and Scouts. My largest group to date has been 24 people on the Payette this past summer of 2021. I have developed a catamaran bar system which allows me to put 2 SOAR canoes together using hammerhead 2” diameter PVC pipe and NRS 2’ straps, and the result is a 7’ wide x 16‘ long catamaran canoe that will hold up to 2,000 lbs., and is more stable than any whitewater raft on the market. I have canoed through class IV rapids that regularly flip rafts, and I have yet to be flipped in a 16’ catamaran SOAR. The center of gravity of the SOAR is much lower to the water than a whitewater raft. Lower center of gravity = greater stability. The lashing grommets on the SOAR are the best system out there for securing gear in a boat. I don’t understand why other inflatable manufacturers do not provide similar gear lashing system. If there was something out there better than a SOAR I would buy it. But there is nothing out there better than SOAR for river running. Some people say the SOARs are too expensive. I say you get what you pay for. If you want quality, durability, convenience, performance, you need to be willing to pay for it. With proper care and maintenance, a SOAR will give you 20 years of the best fun of your life. Glen Berry Eagle, Idaho

[@benlzicar7628]

Excellent synopsis Glen! It's funny you mentioned your SOARCAT rig, because my river friends were just discussion the feasibility of such a rig on our MF Salmon run a few months ago :D I many need to see some photos of your setup now that I know it's a serious possibility.

[@north61]

That's a really well made video..Thanks..I got the 16 foot version this summer...good boats.

[@billmartin8092]

Great job showing the versatility, I have had my S-14 for 12 years it’s still like new and she has been all over the state of Florida from springs to being dragged on lava coral in the keys. They are special boats and always have a place in my life.

[@benlzicar7628]

Always great having a boat you can abuse the crap out of and it will still take you where you want to go :)

[@XanderBudnick]

Great video thanks for sharing

[@benlzicar7628]

Thanks!

[@kayak1965]

SOAR owner for 20 years here. I've run some bigger class IV with it unloaded and it handles it like a dream. Love this boat.

[@RestorationAustralia]

Great gear, I was a kayak-er back in Europe.

[@jelhorvatich9395]

I wish we could have Soar in the UK…

[@thilo9173]

Thanks for the review! Looking at the Pro Pioneer!

[@garyalan5156]

I own a Soar 14. I've had it for ... 7 or 8 years. I've used it in Virginia, Maryland, Florida (Indian River), and Idaho waters (St Joe and South Fork of Snake). I moved to Tennessee recently. Gonna have to take it out here too. BTW, you can use them standing up with a 10' 6" kayak paddle too. Pros: Easy storage; good in whitewater, versatile; great weight capacity; durable. Cons: Heavy, are tough to paddle in winds. Still, it maybe the most versatile boat on the market. You can even rig a motor on it.

[@benlzicar7628]

Glad you love your boat Gary! IMHO for their actual cargo capacity they're probably one of the lightest weight options out there :D I've actually debated picking up a squirt to have something fun and lighter weight for day trips, even 2-3 night trips would be great in that boat.

[@mikelewis5019]

Love my Canyon had it for three years and gets used more than my Kayaks also just bought a Buffalo Canoe got to say it is nice sometimes not having to inflate

[@benlzicar7628]

I haven't use my Aires at all since getting the Canyon.... lets just say paddling on your butt all day is just boring to me now :D Being able to haul the kitchen sink on trips as well is bonus.

[@TK-vs2sn]

I just picked up a SOAR Canyon, haven't gotten it out yet, but looking forward to it.

[@benlzicar7628]

You got any questions about rigging and such let me know!

[@TK-vs2sn]

@@benlzicar7628 I picked mine up for a screaming deal but it is sans seats. Thought I would fashion some from some marine plywood and lacquer (like my rafting table). What are the seat dimensions?

[@benlzicar7628]

@@TK-vs2sn 19"x9" is the rough dimension. Should be pretty straight forward to fab. Good luck!

[@anthonystout7374]

I get so tired of being asked "what kind of boat is that?" and being looked at like I'm going to die. People act like I just started boating yesterday when I run it in whitewater. It's annoying. I've been running rivers since I was 12 and over the two years I've had this boat, I've found it handles whitewater really well!

[@benlzicar7628]

Just got off of SF Owyhee this weekend with it loaded down with gear, handled Class IV maneuvers no problem, not a single mishap the whole trip, and everyone else was very thankful for the dutch oven cooking and giant cooler I brought along :)

[@BigHouse907]

Thanks for posting. I own 4 hard shell canoes that I have used for some extensive Alaska back country tripping. I am considering picking up an inflatable to extend my options for remote tripping that requires fly in drop offs.

[@benlzicar7628]

Their expedition is rated at 1500lbs, seen pictures of people hauling out Kodiaks or a large bull on them :D

[@timzoclamzo]

Loved the video!

[@thomasmartin9650]

What is the round black pack you can see behind the seat at 6:33? Is that a cooler?

[@benlzicar7628]

Yup, soft cooler! Beer close at hand :D

[@ryancooper3629]

This is really cool, I had no idea such a boat existed. I'm wondering though, how do you portage it? Is there some sort of yoke attachment you mount for the portage? Thats one problem I have with my big inflatable kayak. While the weight is fine, its just super awkward to portage because you can balance it on your shoulders. You almost have to have the thing balanced on your head which is awful for visibility because it means your head is "in" the boat. I'd also add, how does it handle against the current or into a heavy headwind on flatwater? That's the main reason I tend to leave my inflatable at home and bring a hard body canoe instead. The inflatable (even with a skeg) is great with current at your back or when going across still water but the second you are pushing into a strong breeze or trying to go against a light current the thing is infuriating because all it wants to do is spin around.

[@benlzicar7628]

Seat is centered in the middle of the boat, so I just throw the entire boat over my head and use the seat as a yoke, it works out really well :) Haven't been on a trip where I need to portage yet, but I've carried it down/up to many spots on the river.

[@buysomerice]

Any reason you don’t go with filters instead of bringing water?

[@benlzicar7628]

Because the water is muddy and saline as hell on the San Raf. If you settle water in a bucket you can filter it, but it's much simpler just to carry your own water on most trips.

[@charleskaucic5047]

That’s funny. We had alumacrafts that were like 76lbs.

[@benlzicar7628]

They can certainly be that light, but if you ever want a canoe that's rated for anything more than flatwater, they really start to go up in weight, due to all the reinforcement they need to survive rock bashing. They also tend to have hull designs that are more forgiving in river water which comes at the cost of increased weight.

[@charleskaucic5047]

@@benlzicar7628 yeah we used to run rivers in Alaska in Coleman canoes and I forget how heavy they are but they are superior rock knocking boats. The other canoes I’ve used like the Kevlar in the BWCAW in Minnesota I wouldn’t even want to hit a stick with lol.

[@myusernameblows]

You should've mentioned in this video that you asked to get a deal on the boat in exchange for a review

[@mortschubert3909]

What is trailing behind the boats?

[@benlzicar7628]

Tag/tail line for easy handling of the boat when on the shore for guiding and tying it up. Typically you avoid something like this when in more serious water or have it be very short

[@spokojnyMamut]

What is material of SOAR? Its rubber or pcv? And what is pressure in chamber?

[@benlzicar7628]

From the SOAR FAQ page: 30 oz. hypalon coating on the tubes and the top of the floor surface. The bottom of the floor is coated with 40 neoprene coating. An 840 denier nylon base fabric all over provides excellent puncture and tear resistance.

[@spokojnyMamut]

@@benlzicar7628 Thanks. Its a upper class equipement ;)

[@wesscott401]

Hypalon and Neoprene - no rubber or PVC!

[@spokojnyMamut]

@@wesscott401 but neopren and hypalon are rubber...

[@Tobaizo]

Ohhhh I fuckin like it buddy.