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Destinations this kayak has visited (click link for more detail and pictures):
Voyageurs National Park
Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore
I had an opportunity to use a Tributary Trinity II (The Aire Sawtooth II, in Blue) this past weekend, and loved it! It was heavier than the Innova Sunny, but at 15' 3" long, and only 32" wide, its built for performance. I paddled it solo, and again with another paddler on a lake as well as a river. The first thing that you notice is the extra space. This is a full two feet longer than most other tandem inflatables like the Sunny. Two people fit very comfortably in this kayak and both paddlers have plenty of legroom. The Aire Cheetah seats provide decent back support and keep your bottom off the floor of the boat. The next feature of notice is all the loops lining both sides of the floor. You can tie down gear, or your seat(s), anywhere you want, due to the plethora of loops.
I took the Trinity II on Lake Superior and was not disappointed. It has bailing holes in the front or back to allow excess water to wash out the front or back. The bailing holes allowed me to play happily in the waves without fear of taking on water, even when loaded down with camping gear. In addition, due to the moderate width and nice length, you can really get this kayak moving! I got it up to 6mph solo....3.5 mph was a comfortable cruising speed with the toolless tracking fin added.
Another benefit is the 15' of length which is great for taking two children with you on an adventure! This weekend I took a 7 and 8 year old out on the beautiful St. Croix River! We practiced getting in and out of the kayak from the water: both boys were able to get up and over the side tubes and back into the kayak unassisted.
To summarize:
+Extra length provides lots of options for passengers and gear
+Performance on flat water is outstanding
+Great Tandem kayak, great solo kayak too!
+Bailing holes for rough water
+The seats are easy to reconfigure and provide good back support.
+Nice carry handles at each end.
-This is a bladdered kayak. It's not as easy to clean as my Innova. I have to tip it on its side for a few minutes after wiping it down and folding it up for transport. This releases a few more cups of water. Prior to winter storage I expect I will need to unzip and clean out the chambers holding the air bladders.
-Its bigger, and therefore heavier. As part of a future update I will weigh the kayak by itself and see if I can get it in a suitcase under 50 lbs. I think it will be very close to 50 pounds.
-The side tubes are a shiny PVC material, the floor is a dull white material.
-Does not include a carry bag (I really like those Innova bags!)
Due to the extra length and the bailing holes, the Trinity II has replaced the Innova Sunny as my favorite and most-used kayak! I've been out to the beach a lot this summer due to the Trinity II! For easy cleanup on the beach I obtained a 12x16 tarp and take it from the water to the tarp for an easy wipe down with a couple hand towels and fold it up.
The yellow Tributary Sawtooth II is now available from online retailers. If you want one in blue, however, you'll need to contact The Boat People (Trinity II). The Boat People will also be offering a 'Made in the USA' Trinity II with full 10 year warranty, and lighter weight, next spring.
Wondering how fast this could go? Try our Kayak Speed Estimator!
Richard Thomsen April 27th, 2010 10:23:00 PM
On Aire's blog, they say that:
"Tributary and AIRE are not the same. We created Tributary as a cheaper division of AIRE, and by cheaper I do mean lower in price, warranty and quality."
Do this and other comments on quality affect your thoughts?
http://blog.aire.com/2010/02/tributary-and-aire-are-not-created-equal.html
I've seen that blog post, but it has not affected my enjoyment of my kayak! A 10 year full Aire warranty would be nice but would I pay an additional 50-100% in price for it? If I had the money of course I would go for the made in the USA version of the Trinity II, because cutting a few pounds of weight and adding on warranty coverage would be nice, but I'll live without it. I've paddled 7 inflatable kayaks over the years and none of them has ever needed a repair of any kind. My most heavily used kayak is an Innova Sunny, used every summer for 7 years, and its traveled over plenty of boulders and sticks with only a a couple scuffs to show for it. I don't think most people using the Tributary kayaks will really be going down Class III-V rapids and hazards. Rather you'll likely be doing coastal, lake, and swift water streams close to home, which these watercraft really excel at.
Have you tried the Aire Sawtooth yet? I can't decide between the Aire Sawtooth, the Tributary Trinity II, and the Sunny. I was leaning towards the Sunny because of the dry bag and ability to transport easily. But you have me thinking about the Trinity II because is faster. Is the Trinity II that much faster? That's why I was asking about the Sawtooth 1, it might be a good compromise.
thanks
If depends on what you are using it for. If your main use is solo kayaking, I think the Sunny is still a great kayak, as it is much lighter, is easier to dry and clean, and as you noted, has the great dry bag. I've been doing more paddling with my children, as well as kayak camping, which is ideal for the Trinity II. The speed difference between the Trinity II and Sunny as solo kayaks is not huge: they are both high performance kayaks. My recommendation would be to choose the Sunny over the Sawtooth I unless price is the determining factor, for the same reasons mentioned above.
Awesome write up of this kayak, thanks very much. I have been very curious about this one, and the Sawtooth (I gather they really are basically the same boats) for quite a while now. Can you set this one up for solo paddling?
Absolutely! I paddled it solo 13 miles (one-way) on Lake Superior by Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore. It handled wonderfully. There are so many tie downs you can put the seats wherever you like. I took two children with me last summer, but with only two Aire Cheetah seats, an improvised third seat using a folding camp/bench seat was not enjoyed by the passenger(s). I obtained a third seat this winter (a well-received holiday gift!) and that will make the Trinity a hit with 1, 2, or 3 paddlers!
I have a Sawtooth II and a Sunny and have used both in Lake Maracaibo (north west Venezuela). With two paddlers of similar skill level I have found that the Sawtooth consistently outpaces the Sunny by a good margin. Also,the self bailing feature makes it a more capable Kayak in rough conditions. If I had to keep one of the boats I would keep the Sawtooth II, even though, as you point out, the Sunny is lighter and easier to dry.