Yes a force is self bailing.  It will not carry gear, but it can certainly handle a throwbag and a basic pin kit. 

It will surf and can be rolled, but I've never seen anyone consistently hit combat rolls, even folks who can roll a hardshell in IV drops 

Roof rack inflated is no problem at all.  I do it with bigger boats all the time.  JoesKayaks does it with hardshell vertical stackers, so lots of options.

I use a 197cm paddle in my bigger boats (Stiletto, aire Lynx) so if anything, 197 might be a bit long.  there's conventional wisdom out there that you want a longer paddle in an IK.  While it might make sense in a hyside padillac or other boats that size, don't buy the hype.  You loose a lot of blade agility and finesse when you go to a longer paddle, and as a hardsheller, you'll miss that a lot more than you'll miss that little bit of extra power.  I think this myth is from novice paddlers who rely on huge power strokes and not proper reading/line choice.

I don't know anyone who demos them out of seattle, but you might try andy and bax in PDX.  I do know a couple locals who have them, PM me and I might be able to arrange a sky lap for you or something. 

If you are looking to keep performance as close to a hardshell as possible, the Force is definitely your best choice.  they are a little more swim prone, and can be a little trickier to climb back in, though.  Next best that I've seen is the NRS Maverik.  Fun little boat and a surfin' machine.  best surfin ik I've ever owned. 

thats one IK

Sold on the Force. Thanks again for all your info. May end up with a fleet of IK's. I didn't really know there were that many out there. A Buddy of mine has a 2 person avon which he styles on class 3 solo and he is a newbie. He goes solo but he is a big 6'6''. There were not many made but I'm going to try and rally him for some self supports. Which IK do you think is best for that? We should paddle sometime.

Mark

I have the new model Aire Force, as well as the older Aire Force XL.  I also have started paddling a hardshell recently.  IKs and hardshells each have different performance qualities.  For me, it's not a one-way progression to the hardshell and don't look back at the IK.

The Force is an excellent boat, very well made, and tough.  The Aire Force is stable and responsive, carves fairly well (but not llike a hardshell), and is an all-around fun boat.  Comfortable fit, with bulkheads that inflate so that you can customize the fit, and thighstraps that make a secure connection.   The thighstraps connect to the top of the tube vs. the floor, which is a technical improvement over most other IKs, allowing for better responsiveness (e.g., it's much easier to sidesurf and thread through a boulder garden because you can lift the tubes easier).  I can paddle the Force all day, whereas I need to stop and stretch after a couple of hours in my hardshell.  The Force is about 9.5 feet long, so it's shorter and lighter (~32 pounds) than a typical IK.  The inflatable bulkheads keep the water from pooling in the boat and increase its boyancy, both of which are important in technical sections, such as Boulder Drop on the Sky or in bigger water conditions.  There is essentially no room for cargo.  The Force surfs pretty well, though not as well as a hardshell.  The length of the boat makes for a good surf on a broader wave, like Rodeo Hole (and the wide standing waves above Rodeo Hole) on the Wenatchee, rather than a steep, short wave like Turkey Shoot.  The Force has a rockered hull with a fairly short waterline compared with most IKs, which makes it turn easily but it's not as fast as the XL, but still good with speed.  It boofs well.  Self-drains quickly.  I cannot roll it.  The boat does not have the symmetrical shape of a hardshell, so it's hard to overcome the tubes.  But I can typically self-rescue in 5-10 seconds after going in. I use a 203 cm paddle.  All IKs are a wet ride, I think.  I usually wear a drysuit, unless it's a scorcher and the water's warm (e.g. July on the Rogue).  Send me a private message back if you'd like to paddle the Force sometime.

Chris

I would recomend the Aire Lynx as well.

I will wax philospohical here and suggest even for creeky day runs, there's a limit to what you will want to run.  Most folks don't run hard IV in a Force.  Even folks proficient in hardshell rolling technique. 

the biggest reason is, since you can't combat roll, a flip becomes a swim.  You'll want to scale up to a boat that doesn't have such high swim factor as the water gets bigger or more continuous.  regardless of boat, swimming hard water sucks. 

at least that's what I've seen watching people bounce between various iks and hardshells over the years...

Brian (and anybody else),
I saw your post awhile back on the yahoo idaho whitewater group about an Aire Tomcat delaminating, so I assume you owned one. I'm posting this for a friend who I boat with.

-He wants a tandem IK for class III stuff, the occasional Lochsa trip, and flatwater with his wife.
-His price range is $500 (so that takes out the Lynx)

He found a 1 year old Aire Tomcat and wants to get it. I think it's the best IK he can get for his price range.

Any thoughts? Thanks     

Thanks,

Joe