I'm quite keen on SOAR's S-Cat as it sounds like it might be the right kind of boat for a very shallow, rocky desert river I want to paddle in South Africa. I've noted that the SOAR website says the S-Cat is for 1-2 people. If so, fantastic, but is this true and has anyone rigged this boat to carry two people? And if you can carry two people, how much gear could you carry? Finally, I've never paddled any kind of catraft. Is there an appreciable difference between catraft and conventional inflatable kayaks 12 in terms of draft? Thanks in advance for any advice. cheers, Paul *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Thank-you to everyone who replied to me directly about SOAR's cat raft - lots of useful advice. James, I tried emailing you back but our server doesn't like your address for some reason. Thanks for getting input from Rich, though - all good and valid stuff. Cheers, Paul *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
I understand that many responders are reluctant to put their views out on the list but by replying back-channel to queries about boats and equipment we lose the advantages of the group. I would have liked to have seen inputs from others, actually. The SOAR cat didn't look (to me) to be as robust a solution for active white water as some other products but I could be wrong. It would have been nice to see information from those who had first-hand knowledge. Craig Jungers Moses Lake, WA www.nwkayaking.net On Tue, Mar 16, 2010 at 8:16 AM, Paul Ash <AshP_at_sundaytimes.co.za> wrote: > Thank-you to everyone who replied to me directly about SOAR's cat raft - > lots of useful advice. James, I tried emailing you back but our server > doesn't like your address for some reason. Thanks for getting input from > Rich, though - all good and valid stuff. > > Cheers, *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
I understand that many responders are reluctant to put their views out on the list but by replying back-channel to queries about boats and equipment we lose the advantages of the group. I would have liked to have seen inputs from others, actually. The SOAR cat didn't look (to me) to be as robust a solution for active white water as some other products but I could be wrong. It would have been nice to see information from those who had first-hand knowledge. Craig Jungers Moses Lake, WA www.nwkayaking.net On Tue, Mar 16, 2010 at 8:16 AM, Paul Ash <AshP_at_sundaytimes.co.za> wrote: > Thank-you to everyone who replied to me directly about SOAR's cat raft - > lots of useful advice. James, I tried emailing you back but our server > doesn't like your address for some reason. Thanks for getting input from > Rich, though - all good and valid stuff. > > Cheers, *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
I understand that many responders are reluctant to put their views out on the list but by replying back-channel to queries about boats and equipment we lose the advantages of the group. I would have liked to have seen inputs from others, actually. The SOAR cat didn't look (to me) to be as robust a solution for active white water as some other products but I could be wrong. It would have been nice to see information from those who had first-hand knowledge. Craig Jungers Moses Lake, WA www.nwkayaking.net On Tue, Mar 16, 2010 at 8:16 AM, Paul Ash <AshP_at_sundaytimes.co.za> wrote: > Thank-you to everyone who replied to me directly about SOAR's cat raft - > lots of useful advice. James, I tried emailing you back but our server > doesn't like your address for some reason. Thanks for getting input from > Rich, though - all good and valid stuff. > > Cheers, *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
First off, I have no experience in the Soar. I'm mostly a kayaker, but I do row on occasion. I also have an interest in a 14 foot raft. My goals are kayak support on multi-day western USA rivers. You will likely get good feedback if you post your question on boatertalk.com/raft zone forum. On the plus side, cats are very maneuverable. They are the playboats of the hypalon world. They excel in technical whitewater. They are also cheaper and easier to move around, portage, store, etc. However, they don't carry much of a load. A 16 foot cat typically has a total payload of 850 pounds, plus or minus 25, depending on tube diameter, 22-24 inches. That isn't much when you add in frames, boxes, seats, toilet, oars, oar locks, ammo cans and then gear, bodies, extra kayak, etc. All that starts to affect handling, which is why we like cats to begin with. When you are the gear schlepper for half a dozen hardshell kayakers you either make them carry something or you decrease what you bring, or decrease nights out on the river.The NRS 14 ft raft I get to use once in awhile will support 7 paddlers in hardshells for a week, including tasty beverages, though not a plethora of the aforementioned tasty beverages. It all depends on what you want out of it. But for day paddling, nothing beats a cat. Look at the end of tube girth to see how it will handle steeper drops. Cats stick up a little higher and catch wind easier than standard rafts. That matters more when the wind comes from down canyon and less when it comes from up canyon. All that aside, when I get too old to kayak, I'll be in a cat, unless I'm retired and being paid a menial wage to haul kayakers gear down a permitted river, then I'll be in a raft. Cheers, Rob G -----Original Message----- From: Paul Ash <AshP_at_sundaytimes.co.za> To: paddlewise-digest_at_paddlewise.net <paddlewise-digest_at_paddlewise.net> Sent: Tue, Mar 16, 2010 8:16 am Subject: Re: [Paddlewise] Anyone paddled a SOAR Cat? Thank-you to everyone who replied to me directly about SOAR's cat raft - lots of useful advice. James, I tried emailing you back but our server doesn't like your address for some reason. Thanks for getting input from Rich, though - all good and valid stuff. Cheers, Paul *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Hi Paul, I've never owned a cataraft but several friends used them when I was into white water kayaking. We always liked to have at least one cataraft along on a trip for safety purposes; especially if we had a large group with newbies. My wife came along on a Deschutes River trip (in Oregon) trip once and spent her time in the second seat of a friend's cataraft. On a stretch where I swam and where a friend got caught trying to capsize in shallow water she complained that she got some cold water splashed on her leg in one rapids!!! The impressions I have of a cataraft are that they are incredibly stable, pretty maneuverable (I've seen them surf) and fun. I don't think they carry a substantial load, however. A 14-foot standard cataraft out here would carry two people and their gear for a week or two with no problem. The SOAR cat is 12-feet and it looks like the pontoons are somewhat smaller in diameter than the 14-foot catarafts I'm familiar with. I'd be a bit suspicious of a 2-person expedition capacity... but I'm certainly no expert. The S-Cat looks more like a scaled-up fishing cat than a river-runner; at least to me. Catarafts make wonderful safety boats for whitewater kayakers. They are light enough to be pulled over shallow areas pretty easily and I don't think they draw much more than a kayak. They are less "exciting" than a kayak in white water (one gal said that she no longer does Class III+ rivers as they are too boring!!). You can (and we have) strap a white water kayak athwartships on the back of a 14-foot cat and carry both it and a (perhaps somewhat disappointed paddler) to a take-out. The cats I'm used to were all from NRS in Moscow, Idaho and cost around US$3k new with frames, oars, seats, etc. Everyone carried them on trailers behind their cars. You might want to see what we think is needed for a capable white water cataraft by visiting: http://www.nrsweb.com/shop/product_list.asp?deptid=1132 If I were to do white water again I'd probably do it with a cat. Either that or stick to Class II water. Craig Jungers Moses Lake, WA www.nwkayaking.net On Mon, Mar 15, 2010 at 12:54 AM, Paul Ash <AshP_at_sundaytimes.co.za> wrote: > I'm quite keen on SOAR's S-Cat as it sounds like it might be the right kind > of boat for a very shallow, rocky desert river I want to paddle in South > Africa. > > I've noted that the SOAR website says the S-Cat is for 1-2 people. If so, > fantastic, but is this true and has anyone rigged this boat to carry two > people? > > And if you can carry two people, how much gear could you carry? > > Finally, I've never paddled any kind of catraft. Is there an appreciable > difference between catraft and conventional inflatable kayaks 12 in terms of > draft? *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.4.0 : Thu Aug 21 2025 - 16:33:53 PDT