C-Forum

Admittedly marginally related, but since you can "R1" and "R2" them, I'll post my question:

What shredders have you used, and if you have used more than one, what is your preferred boat, and why?

I know of:
1) the "Shredder" by Airtight Inflatables (and have seen a number around the mid-atlantic while visiting...until recently I thought they were the only ones).
2) Jack's Plastic Welding has one
3) Supposedly Hyside makes a "Paddle Cat" (info on line, but I have yet to find an image).

Next up will be trying to find a really small lifevest:)

No experience with Shredders, but might be able to help you out with the PFD - we're out of the baby making business and our littles has outgrown our smallest!

I bought a Hyside last year to take others and get off the knees a bit. I love it!! For a fun video on the Ocoee-->
Go to: www.youtube.com/warthur54
I have paddled the Ocoee and Nanty with it- loads of fun. It paddles like an outrage with a training well (ha). You can make tight turns, surf, blast through holes, rescue folks. The Hyside is Hypalon so will not fold up as tight as the Airtight. I had wanted an Airtight, but the Hyside was available and I thought for drought years Hypalon is more durable. I also paddled the Celubra (sp) and did not like it as the tube height is alot less so the knee angle in much more causing knee pain, even in short legs.
I am taking mine to ALF with an OC1.
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I paddle the Shredder r1 for a bit before i got into a canoe.....

Shredder is by far the best of the three. Much lighter than the Hyside. And the Culebra, as Wendy noted, is horribly uncomfortable because of hos the floor is attached.

Shredders are fun. I sometimes wish I still had one. They are a great way to take someone out with you to enjoy whitewater. I flew with mine as checked baggage to Costa Rica with my girlfriend at the time.

Me and my buddies took a shreddder down the upper gauley 4 of us in a 2 man raft plus alot of beer and it was one of the best days on the river I have ever had and we caught the room at pillow!!! Shredders are the way to go good company too from all my friends that have them they swear by them for any type of water even the steeps

I only have experience with the airtight. Love it. Great to take people on rivers they either are not ready to OC2 or just will never step into. Took my wife down the NRG at 3.5, she had a lot of fun once she realized how much easier it was vs. OC2. When I asked her if she would OC2 the run, she emitted some words she rarely says but the gist was along the lines of I'd rather run this in an inner tube than an OC.

They will catch the smallest of eddies and are faster than a raft but slower than a hard shell boat. Long flat stretches with a headwind will be rough.

Airtight does offer different models - small tube, large tube rocker and no rocker. The BEST is the large tube rocker.

The downside - they take a while to get once you order them.

i've paddled one of the shredder knock-offs a few times. you can definately paddle 'em like a c-boat. they spin easy, catch eddies real easy. the folks i know who have paddled both--and own the 'true' shredders say the ones from airtight are in a league of their own.

a few cons: they dont surf all that well. on a side surf you can pretty much make and eat a ham sandwich on the downriver tube while the other tube gets parked in the hole. they dont tend to spin all that well in the hole and holding a front surf is a bit dicey. one other con: for close to the same money, you could be buying a 12 or 13 foot raft and take 3 or 4 buddies with you instead of just 1.

all that said, i've definately tossed around the idea of getting one for some time....

my 2 pesos....

Adam - Shredder is a shredder (Airtight Inflatables) the others are..well Pumas, etc.
I've paddled all three and I like them each for what they do. All are well made and are a blast.
Currently I own a shredder (one of Tom's original boats - made in Ohiopyle so just so you konw I have more time in Shredders for sure and I'm jaded that way). That boat is 20 some years old and is still running the UY and LG. I've taken my boy down both in it and I've taken him and the girl down the LY as young as 8 and on the Middle Yough as young as 3. Not to mention taking the dogs down too!
I can pretty much place a S2 (okay S1.25 with a kid on board ) shredder any where I want.
Mine is a 2 person with normal rocker - you can get all that custom and Tom will talk you through it. You might be able ot still get 4 persons but they are REAL pigs for 1 person and not too much fun unless you have a good team.
I take mine fishing on lakes as well as creek'n and its in the mix as one of my favorate boats.
My wife can (when I can talk her into paddling pretty much push it around and nail lines on IIIs as well - when I can get her to paddle ).
If you get a boat and are planning on taking the young one you'll both love it and Cboat skills really transfer well to an S2.
If you go for a shredder I'd also spend the extra $ on a luggage rack, and A.I. dry bag (special fit for Shredder) and tube grab handles.
The handles make it not roll up as tight but easier to carry when inflated but 2 folks (I'm thinking wife with kid in boat). The dry bag rocks and the luggage rack is most excellent for extended day trips.
Oh I also believe that there are different models (materials) and a friend of mine has one that is under 50 pounds and she packs it to head to south america every year for long vacations.
If you want more info PM or call me. You're going to love it with a kid! Your wife and friends too!
My $.01! Paul C.

If they would make a Shredder in some other color besides black I would buy one. The lighter the color the better. On a summer day in the Grand Canyon the tubes get so hot that it actually burns your leg if you shift positions. When stopping for a hike it needs to have a lot of air let out and when getting back in it has to be doused with water first then re-inflated. Black is a lousy color for the Shredder.
~~~~ O__~~~~
~~(____/__)~~..........Jim
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I've not done any "Shredding", but I have friends that love paddling them here in the Ozarks, especially in high water.

The first Shredder-like boat I ever saw was made in Russia. There was a group of Russian paddlers that toured the USA back in the late 1980's and ventured into Arkansas to paddle our beloved Big Piney Creek. They brought their gear with them, and the "Russian Cat" was one of their boats. As I recall, it was similar to a Shredder, however it was not as refined. It had more of a homemade appearance. They evidently hooked up some of the locals with one of these and it served them well for a few years untill the Shredder came along.

Then, I remember seeing the polyethylene Perception Revolution. I saw several of these in the southeast and still see one once in a while.

I also have several friends who R-2 the small Aire Pumas, and I have done this a couple of times. Seems to me that this might be as much fun as the Shredder. But, like I say, I've never Shredded so I can't really testify to that.

T.P.

Jim - I've seen them in red and yellow. Yes from airtight. The yellow one had the seams done in black - looked like a giant bumblebee, I think John Belushi was aboard doing his SNL skit . I think you might have to wait a while to get one but he has done them. The only way to be sure would be to call him...


BTW - I just shipped one (on its way to Flagstaff - launching on the 19th!) - with drybag and topper pump - ship weight including the box - 59 lbs.

Ditto what PAC said - the drybag and carry handles are great. I wish I had the luggage rack - one day I'll drop it off for addition.

Jim P is correct! Buddy of mind has a blue one (with all the goodies - very nice) and another has a grey one - which seems to be very popular these days!

Mine is black & white (it was painted back in the day before tech caught up and ... well the white is coming off but its still a funky looking bugger).

http://lh3.ggpht.com/_MQ45bXvKRT0/Rnrwv ... Dustie.JPG

I need to start saving up for a new one!

What's one of those go for?

Here's an alternative that's much more like C boating:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xl8t8IzziiI

Last time I priced one (this spring) it was $1,800 without the upgrades. Pricy but $1800 over 20 years = less than $100 a year to paddle!

Very hard to find on the used market and very high resale.

A very kid friendly boat!