NRS Kayaks
September 9, 2009 by IK World
NRS Founder Bill Parks
NRS kayaks are one of the most popular inflatable kayak manufacturers for whitewater and river running kayaks. They have been around for more than 30 years and were originally designed for people who were as passionate about whitewater kayaking as the founder of NRS kayaks was… Bill Parks.
Bill Parks was a business teacher who loved the thrill of whitewater paddling. He founded the company NRS (Northwest River Supplies) in 1972 in Oregon and eventually relocated to Idaho. Since that time NRS has designed and created an excellent array of inflatable river kayaks that have become a mainstay in the inflatable kayak world. They have five different models of inflatable kayaks geared for all different skill levels and types of people.
Below are the 5 Different Models of NRS Kayaks…
- NRS Bandit I – PVC-free, super lightweight, great for river running, best suited for smaller person, all skill levels, 3 year warranty
NRS Bandit II
- NRS Bandit II – Great for two people or one taller person, excellent choice for whitewater with up to class IV rapids, all skill levels, 3 year warranty
- NRS MaverIK – Best suited for beginner whitewater paddlers, handles up to class II rapids, tracks fairly well on flatwater as well, 10 year warranty
NRS MaverIK Performance
- NRS MaverIK II – Tandem beginner whitewater kayak, handles up to class II rapids, stable and sturdy, 10 year warranty!
- NRS MaverIK Performance – High performance, all the bells and whistles, rugged, sturdy, 10 year warranty
Why is the NRS Kayak so Popular?
There are a few reasons that the NRS kayak is extremely popular.
- For starters they offer excellent quality for a reasonable price. NRS has made every effort possible to keep their inflatable kayaks in an affordable price range. Their kayaks are solid and rugged… they can take a heavy beating and still hold up nicely, yet they don’t make a huge dent in our pocket books.
- The next reason the NRS kayak is so popular is become they offer extreme fun. There is one for every skill level and whether you are a beginner kayaker or an advanced whitewater paddler, one of the NRS kayaks will suit your needs and offer many opportunities for thrills and excitement.
- Thirdly, NRS kayaks are convenient. All of their models are light enough to easily take traveling or camping. Whether by car, airplane or any other mode of transportation, the NRS kayak is compact and easily portable. They offer the ultimate in convenience for kayaking.
NRS Kayak Material
The Bandit and MaverIK models are made with different materials.
NRS MaverIK Material
The Bandit kayaks are built with Pennel 840 denier urethane coated nylon. This type of material provides an ultra-light boat as well as great responsiveness on the water.
The MaverIK kayaks are built with 1100 denier, 41 oz. Hypalon material. Hypalon is known to be some of the toughest material for inflatable boats. It is extremely resistant to chemicals, extreme temperatures, uv degredation, abrasions, gasoline, oil, fungus and mildew. For this reason the MaverIK kayaks have an excellent 10 year warranty. They will not show the wear and tear that other inflatable kayaks might.
Pictures on this page provided by NRSWeb.com
Are there any negatives to the NRS Kayak?
Well it can’t be all positive can it, so let’s go through the negatives as well. There are two main negatives that stick out to me.
- For one the fact that NRS has made every effort to keep their inflatable kayak lineup fairly affordable means that their quality of construction, though really good, is not the same as the Aire kayaks. However Aire kayaks are much more expensive.
- Second, most of the NRS kayak models do not have a lot of room for storage space. If you think you might need extra room for gear then I would highly recommend going for one of the tandem models even if you will be paddling solo.
Final Thoughts on the NRS Kayak…
Bottom line is that NRS is a dominating force in the whitewater inflatable kayak market. They make some of the best river running inflatable kayaks out there and their reputation for quality, integrity and knowledge have stayed with them and grown for more than 30 years. That’s huge.
Read our comprehensive NRS kayak reviews for more detailed information, pictures and videos.
OR view other inflatable kayak reviews.
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