We bought the Rio, thinking we were stepping up from the Sevylor Tahiti we also own. I was disappointed & like the Tahiti better, even though the Tahiti is a cheaper boat.
The Rio has a nice, tough hull; a tough fabric shell over an inflatable core. But in the water, it fish-tailed too much. When the wind blew, it blew me & the Rio quickly across the water where I didn't want to go. I think it sits higher in the water than the Tahiti & that's probably why it was at the wind's mercy. Don't know if you can get a skeg for the Rio, but you will need one. We sold our Rio but love our Tahiti. Sevylor Inflatable Rio Canoe - Green
Two years ago I purchased a Sevylor Tahiti kayak. I wanted to try it out on some class 1 rapids. It was the worst kayak I have ever tried to use. Due to the very thin material it was punctured very easily and the cold temp. of the water was causing it to get soft very frequently before the puncture occurred. I know it was not made for that, but I just figured it was a Sevylor. My father and I last year purchased a Rio and it was one of the best purchases that we have ever made. Both of us took this kayak through a class 3 rapid and hit several rocks as well as getting hung-up on debris many times through out the trip downriver with this thing. Not a puncture on either. They held their air through the cold of the water pretty well also. We only had to refill them once during the trip. If you're looking for an inexpensive, very maneuverable, durable, beginner kayak with a lot of features then this is an excellent choice.
The Rio is not the best whitewater kayak, nor is it the best touring kayak , but for the price, it's the perfect multi-purpose boat. I use mine to paddle rivers, lakes and the ocean. It has enough agility to manuver around rocks and through rapids, and if you paddle evenly, it will track reasonably well on flat water. The thick cover protecting the tubes is so much better than the Tahiti-type boats, that I never wory about springing a leak. The seat is very comfortable and elevated a few inches off of the bottom of the boat to help keep your backside dry. It's not a true self-bailer, but there is a plug in the rear that can be removed to allow water to drain if you're in big waves or whitewater. Overall, I'm very pleased with my little Sevylor Rio. For a kayak, it is extremely stable, even when fishing; it's easy and comfortable to paddle, and it is very well-built. I totally recommend this boat. In fact, I'm looking to buy one for my wife now too.
I bought two of these boats (Rio and Colorado) for moderate whitewater. They are the same boat and only differ in length to accommodate the number of paddlers. I have now ran 20 miles of mild rivers (Class I and II) with them without any issues. My wife paddles the Rio solo and I paddle the Colorado with my daughter in the front. I am very pleased with both the engineering and material of the boats but need to use them more to see how durable they are. I chose these over the Aire Tomcats because of price and so far I think I made the right choice. I expect the Aires to be better boats but for family use these should work great. If it is needed we will upgrade later on but based on reviews with some reasonable care we should be able to use these for many years. These are very stable but I suspect their limit to be rapids III+ or IV. We will do our first III run this weekend!
So far we have got these stuck in rocks several times (low water levels) with no visible sign of wear. The bottom of the boats is a very tough plastic and seems to be doing its job. As some other reviewers commented these are not really designed for flat water so paddling in flat water or slow moving rivers is manageable but tedious. They track reasonably well in flat water for an inflatable but if you expect hardshell kayak tracking you will be disappointed. The paddle choices depends on the number of paddlers. Two paddlers could handle the Colorado with canoe paddles but I would not want to paddle the Colorado solo or the Rio with a canoe paddle. If paddling the Colorado solo or with a child (my daughter weight 50lbs) you want to invert the seats and paddle backwards as this helps balance the boat lengthwise. It tracks much better this way. If you will only inflate one of these boat you can do with a manual pump but if you have two you definitely want to use an electric pump initially and finish the inflation with a manual pump. Inflating these to the correct pressure without a pressure gauge is extremely difficult so I recommend to invest in a pressure gauge. I bought a "Bravo" and rigged it to my Coleman dual action pump which is a great combo.
The correct kayak paddle length for paddlers irrespective of height is 240cms because of the fat and high side tubes. The problem with this was that paddles this long could not be found locally so we had to order online and wait for the delivery. If you insist in buying shorter paddles locally definitely don't go shorter than 230cms or you will not reach the water comfortably.
My operating procedure for these boats is the following: 1) unfold, 2) inflate main chambers for volume with a 12v pump quickpump, 3) inflate main chambers for pressure with a manual pump with pressure gauge , 4) Inflate seats with the manual pump, 5) tie seats, 6) launch.
After kayaking: 1) take out of water, 2) unplug drainage valve, 3) lift kayak to drain water, 4) dry with camp towel, 5) deflate manually, 6) deflate with pump, 7) dry again with camp towel, 8) unfasten seats, 9) fold, 10) drive home, 11) inflate for volume main chambers, 12) let dry for a day, 13) deflate with pump, 14) fold.
i own 2 of these and r very pleased with all about them. very durable and industructable. i use them in rapids, hunting and fishing in minnesota. hot and cold temps.i cant say enough good about these, great investment!!!'
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