Lynx I

I recently bought this duckie for whitewater. I was paddling a whitewater kayak but I decided the Aire Lynx IK was more to my style. I kept renting duckies at a local river. Then my husband and I decided to get into whitewater kayaking. After a few rivers with the whitewater kayaks I decided I was more comfortable in a duckie.

The duckies at the rental companies are definitely different from the Aire Lynx. They generally have bigger tubes and you sit down farther in them. The Aire Lynx is much more like a sit-on-top in this respect. You will sit higher and the tubes are smaller. This makes for a more maneuverable IK.

I have been paddling my Lynx on class 2 & 3 rivers now. I really like it. I don't have the concern about flipping and rolling as I know I will just fall out of the Lynx. I purchased thigh braces and they are a great thing to have to feel more one with the kayak. And don't forget to get the foot pegs. The Lynx has a reinforced spot already for the foot pegs to mount into.

The Lynx is easy to inflate. It is very portable, too. I originally purchased the (Aire) Tributary Strike IK, but due to circumstances I sent it back and got the Lynx instead. I am glad because the Lynx is an inflatable kayak that I will never feel the need to upgrade.
It is pricy. But it is US made and has a great warranty.

I owned this IK for a little under a year. Nice durable construction made to take any thing thrown at it. Especially with the warranty it has. I did find it to be a little uncomfortable but that's just me, in my mid 50's. Mostly, I had an ankle fatigue issue from putting pressure on thigh straps, and where the Keeper footbraces could have been mounted, seemed a little low for me. This may be hard to comprehend for all you Aire- heads out there, but my Sea Eagle Explorer (bought before Lynx) is like a comfortable sofa going down the river,plus it's a lot less hassle to clean and dry.(Lynx advantages) faster inflation , lighter weight.

My current stable of inflatable kayaks consists of the Aire Lynx, Aire Strike, Aire Caracal tandem, and an Inova Safari. I got the Lynx for class 3+/4 rivers and so I had two single boats for that purpose, the other being the Strike. That way I can have a friend or my wife go with me.

I have had the Lynx on the Sacramento Sims to Vollmers run, the Trinity Pigeon Point section, and the Rogue River Graves to Agness wild and scenic run. The main difference I noticed with the Lynx is that it seemed a little more stable on the drops probably due to a little more rocker than the Strike. The Lynx makes you feel a little more up in the air than the Strike so logically it seems the Strike would be less tippy, but I feel the Lynx is very stable.

The Lynx is about $350 more than the Strike and you get 4 less lbs, 1/2" larger tubes, and a 10 year warranty vs 5 for the Strike. It is a tough call whether the Lynx is really worth the extra money. I can say I really like both boats have no regrets on purchasing either one. The deciding factor would probably be that if you are doing rapids with lots of 3' or larger drops you might find the Lynx worth the extra money. If you are doing Class 3- and less, the Strike is all the boat you will need.