Re: modern inflatables:
You'd have to really do something scary to hurt these things. These are made from the same material as the big whitewater rafts are made of. The American made models from
www.aire.com come with a 10 year warranty if that tells you anything. I have an Aire Lynx II that is about 10 years old and despite being accident prone, have not had a single problem with it. We take it out about 10 times a year or more on anything from the Harpeth to the Hiwasee. These are the exact same boats they use in the rafting trips on the Hiwassee, btw.
After having one of these, I personally would not consider a hardshell kayak. The stability is amazing, comfort trumps anything and the portability factor pretty much seals the deal for me. I'm not a big guy, but I can literally stand and bounce on one pontoon and not flip the thing. When it goes, though, it goes quick. I usually sit on one side with my legs in the water on lazy floats. When inflated properly, these are nearly as rigid as a hardshell, but much more comfortable. Roll it up and put it in the trunk. Get home and put it in the closet.
It's not all positives, though. The downsides are:
You have to get creative (or buy special mounts) for rigging anything. They do not track nearly as well as a hardshell. This can be solved by installing skegs (glued to the bottom), but then they don't roll up as easily. I think there are removable skegs available these days.
The American made models are expensive, but there are affordable options for equally well made 'import' models. I'm in love with the boats over at
www.boatstogo.com or Aire's economy versions branded as Outcast, Fishcat or Tributary.
I agree on the earlier belly boat comments. They are dangerous in moving water. An idiot friend of mine borrowed my old Buck's Bag for a Hiwassee trip. The 'boat' survived, but he murdered his legs and knees. Bad idea.
