You might want to look into Hobie's Float Cats, too. These have sturdy plastic hulls needing no inflation. Mine is a 5-foot model, great for lakes, bays and most rivers, but for any kind of white water, I'd want their 7-footer. There's one dealer in Kirkland, and probably a few others around where the Hobie Cat sailboats are sold. These have rowing systems and you can propel with fins, too.