Rival Playa

I'm 53 and bought the Playa for me and the Hoss BT for my husband....and I LOVE them both! My husband is not really a water person but I bought Hoss BT for him with high hopes to change that....and to have an extra one to take friends with me. In the exactly 30 days I have owned the boards (as of today), I have been out 14 times and have taken and introduced the sport to 13 different people and my dog! Everyone loves the Hoss BT ....especially for their first time because it is sooo stable. They feel very comfortable on it after even just a few minutes. We have had two and three teenage adults on it at once with great stability. My teenage nieces like to lounge on it while one person stands and does all the work! My dog loves this one too. On my Playa he is a little crammed but on the Hoss BT, he has plenty of room to lounge and stretch out and I feel very stable even if he wants to walk around and switch positons. I'm new to this sport and so haven't been on very many boards to compare to but I can't say enough about this inflatable board with unbreakable fins! So far ....while carrying it up a hill, I tripped and fell onto the board with fins down with no damage to fins, my friend actually backed her pickup truck into a bank along the Salmon River with the Hoss BT sticking out resulting in dirt and mud on the board by no damage, and I have hit rocks on whitewater with NO incident. I filled it up to 14 pounds pressure the first day (max is 15)....and haven't had to add any air since! They are 6 inches thick and very stiff. People are amazed that they are inflatable!! There are lots of D rings for strapping stuff down and I bought the kayak seats that attach to the D rings to make kayaking more comfortable ...although I haven't used those much yet. Also I love the Hala butterknife paddles that I bought to go with it. They have paddles on both sides but still have a paddle handle which enables you to switch from paddling to kayaking instantly (which I used often during my first trip on whitewater. Any time rapids were too big or scary I plopped my butt to the board and rode it like a kayak!) They also break down into 3 pieces and adjust very easily to different lengths with minimal effort. I LOVE this board! I LOVE this sport! I just can't get enough! I wish I had found it years ago! Now I'm excited to see which friends go out and buy there own boards! > > Pros: Everything so far....inflatable but very stiff, lots of D rings, very durable and tough, love the Playa's bright colors > Cons: The Hoss BT is kind of hard for me to carry under my arm to the water entry point. I am only 5'3" and live in Northern Idaho where I have to carry it several hundred yards down embankments to get to the Salmon River, etc. > Usage: touring mainly flatwater, exercise, relaxing, fun,companionship with friends, enjoying the beauty of Idaho and its breathtaking beauty in places that not everyone can access, .....and hopefully next year some more whitewater paddling Pros Love that it is inflatable but feels like a hard board! Love the 12 D rings, the kayak seat attachment, the toughness of it, its versatility and love that it is so stable for me and my dog and that when messing around, even two to three people can be stable and have a great time! Cons I'm only 5'3" 120 pounds so it is kind of large for me to carry under my arm down the embankments to the river. Usage touring mainly flatwater, some white water, exercise, fun, companionship with friends, relaxation, peacefulness, enjoying Idaho's breathtaking beauty where few people get to!