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Great raft. After researching many, many rafts, I chose the Bestway HydroForce Voyager 1000 and I'm very happy with my purchase. The raft is exactly as described by Bestway and, after using it a few times, I've not noticed any deficiencies.
I wanted a raft for doing some fishing and exploring when at lakes. This raft has the size and durability that suits my needs. It has just enough space for myself (6'2", mostly legs) and my girlfriend (5'2", mostly delightful), a small cooler, and some other gear (tackle box, life vests) behind the seats. With the 60" oars (most rafts only have 54" oars) and inflatable keel, the raft is easy to row and moves along, quickly. Despite what some others have said about the sturdiness of the oars, I've found them to be of good quality. I'd have to assume that those who've had problems with the oars breaking must be unreasonable, macho goons. I, especially, like the fact that the raft has omni-directional oar locks and that the oars will float.
The raft is made of 3 ply vinyl. As best as I could determine (before purchase), the vinyl is 28 mil. in thickness. The other raft I was considering was the Seahawk 3, from Intex. The Seahawk is made from 30 mil., 3 ply vinyl with an extra layer of vinyl on the bottom and a rub strake around the sides. Certainly, this makes the Seahawk even more durable, though it also makes the Seahawk 3 much heavier and larger when deflated and packed down. When doing your own shopping, look at the weight difference between the two rafts. The Seahawk 3 is more than twice as heavy (33lbs. for the Bestway vs. 75lbs. for the Seahawk). This was a deciding factor in me purchasing the Bestway. The other deciding factor was, as I've already mentioned, was the length of the oars. The Seahawks oars are only 54" long...to move a raft that's more than twice as heavy as the Bestway. Also, if I'm by myself, I'd rather be packing and hauling a 33lb. raft than a 75lb. raft. I'm an adult, and I know how to be careful, so the extra thickness of the Seahawk was more of a negative than a positive. In defense of the Seahawk, I will say that if you plan to put a motor on your raft, the Seahawk will handle a more powerful motor...though, you'll probably need a more powerful motor to move the Seahawk at the same speed as the Bestway (with a smaller motor) due to the heavier weight of the Seahawk. Aswell, if you plan to use your raft on rivers where there might be some rapids and rocks to be concerned about, you may want to get the Seahawk for the extra durability of the hull.
Additional features of the Bestway include a front attachment point for an anchor, front carrying handle, repair patches, and rear grommets for attaching a transom. Unlike some lesser rafts, with the seating in the Bestway not butting up against the back of the inside of the raft, you have space behind the seat to put your battery, or fuel tank, should you choose to use a motor.
NOTE: The "storage bag" mentioned in the advertisements for this raft refers to the black bag that is attached to the inside of the raft for storage of tackle, food, etc. It does not refer to a bag within which the raft can be stored or a bag that can be used for transporting the raft. For storage and transporting, I recommend, whether you buy this raft or another, that you purchase a plastic tote slightly bigger than the box in which the raft comes (good luck folding your raft down to the same size it was in the original box).
With proper care and cafeful use, I expect this raft to last me 15 - 20 years. I hope this review will be helpful to all who're shopping for an inflatable raft.
| Item Package Dimensions L x W x H | 35.43 x 15.75 x 9.45 inches |
|---|---|
| Package Weight | 33.14 Pounds |
| Item Dimensions LxWxH | 115 x 50 x 18 inches |
| Item Weight | 33.07 Pounds |
| Brand Name | Bestway |
| Warranty Description | No Warranty |
| Model Name | Voyager 1000 |
| Material | Vinyl, Aluminum, PVC |
| Number of Items | 1 |
| Manufacturer | Bestway Toys Domestic |
| Part Number | 65056 |
| Model Year | 2014 |
| Style | Voyager 1000 |
| Included Components | Inflatable boat, oars, airpump |
