Aire Tributary Spud Is a Heap of Whitewater Fun

Michele Crockett

Gear
woman paddling Aire Tributary Spud inflatable kayak

The Aire Tributary Spud is a little powerhouse of an inflatable kayak that is intended for kids. But it has been embraced by the big kids, too. When our friend Patty paddled past us in a Spud on a recent Gunnison Gorge trip, she looked like she had just discovered fun for the first time. 

Aire Tributary Spud on banks of Poudre River
Aire Tributary Spud is a small but might inflatable kayak that’s intended for kids but embraced by adults as well

As we are huge fans of the Tomcat, a rock-solid inflatable kayak from the same manufacturer that has withstood many multi-day river trips, we got curious about this bright little boat. To be honest, we didn’t realize it was a boat for kids at first—and it turned out, it didn’t matter. Once you start digging into some user reviews of the Spud, you’ll see that many adults have co-opted this sweet ride for themselves.

Audrey Crockett (co-founder of RiverBent) and I rented a couple of Spuds and took them out on the Poudre River northwest of Fort Collins when the water was low but still had a few waves in it. We paddled the Filter Plant section, which is a beginner run with just one notable rapid—Mad Dog. We concluded that the Aire Tributary Spud would be a fantastic boat for any family to add to their caddy, especially families with young teenagers. Here we’ll discuss the Tributary Spud specs, rigging, features, and how it handled on the water. (Note that this post contains a few affiliate links.)

Small but mighty

The Spud weighs only 21.5 pounds, is 7 feet 2 inches long, and 35.5 inches wide. It has a max load capacity of 220 lbs, which makes it a reasonable choice for many adults, especially if you’re not planning to carry much gear in it. The Spud is extremely easy to roll up and put in the tiniest compartment of your tiniest car. The compactness and lightness of this boat was a revelation, giving us visions of easily hiking in to previously inaccessible put-ins. The Spud seemed like a boat you should simply have in your car at all times—just in case, right next to those essential jumper cables. 

Solid construction 

The Spud is made of the same solid stuff as the Tributary Tomcat: 23-ounce, 1,000-denier PVC, which is a standard weight for high-quality inflatable boats, including rafts. As a longtime owner of two Tributary Tomcats, I can attest that this fabric is tough. It has two air chambers (the Tomcat has four), a couple of D-rings, 12 cargo loops (seems excessive, but you’ll likely use them all, for reasons to come), and a couple of carry handles. The tubes are big for such a small boat—11.5 inches in diameter, which makes it impressively stable in whitewater.

Rigging and accessories

The Spud has exactly the same set-up as the Tributary: A pillow-like backrest that you inflate in a few seconds by blowing on the inflation tube, high-quality valves, and those 12 cargo loops. The numerous loops make it easy for you to adjust the seat backward or forward in the boat, affix thigh straps (always recommended!), and strap in other gear. Unlike the STAR Viper (although a great, small inflatable kayak), the Spud has at least some room for gear. You can easily strap in a small dry bag and a hand pump.

Aire Tributary Spud inflatable kayak with Watershed Ocoee dry bag strapped in back chamber

Although the Spud doesn’t have a footrest, you don’t really need one because it’s so short. If you’re taller than 5 feet or so, and you’re using thigh straps, you will naturally be sitting upright in an assertive stance with your knees drawn up.

Thigh straps installed in Aire Tributary Spud inflatable kayak
Aire Tributary Spud (thigh straps installed) is short enough that you don’t need additional footrests to brace your feet

The Spud has the same high-quality valves as other Aire boats, including rafts, which means you don’t need any special sort of pump to inflate it. (Check our post with tips for choosing an inflatable kayak for more notes on this topic, but in general, look for inflatable kayaks with C7 valves—also called military valves or raft valves—that accommodate a typical raft pump.)

Back chamber of Aire Tributary Spud inflatable kayak
The Aire Tributary Spud uses regular military or raft valves, which means you won’t need a special pump to inflate it

Handling on the water

The Spud is very maneuverable and zippy on the water, stable in waves, and turns easily. I would knock a few points off for its sub-par tracking: It tended to spin in swirly waves and was a bit harder than expected to keep headed downstream in slower water. The Spud is perfectly capable of handling up to Class IV whitewater, but isn’t a good candidate for rolling as it doesn’t have the kind of decking that you’ll find in a high-performance small IK like the STAR Viper or the Aire Force, which I haven’t paddled yet but looks to answer the same need as the Viper. In the low-water, Class II waves we paddled on the Poudre, the Spud did just fine. 

Accessories you’ll need with the Tributary Spud

The Spud comes with a repair kit (which you might never need, in my experience), but not much else. Check out our post on essential accessories for inflatable kayaks for a full list of gear you’ll need. In particular (as mentioned before), we always recommend thigh straps for inflatable kayaks. They make a huge difference in your ability to paddle assertively, brace in big waves, and stay in the boat. Other essentials include a good paddle (we used the same Werner two-piece kayak paddle that we use for our Tomcat), a good PDF (I love the Stohlquist Betsea PFD for kayaking), a helmet (this NRS Havoc helmet is a great value), and paddling footwear (I prefer close-toed boating shoes like the Astral Brewess). You’ll also need a pump, and our favorite—the K-Pump—can handle the Spud in about 8 minutes.

Downsides of the Spud

In addition to the tracking deficiency noted above, the other downside to the Spud is that it’s currently sold out. Aire has notifications on its site that production capacity is maxed out for 2022. But presumably the Spud will come around again—along with all the other backordered Tributary boats—so I advise putting it on your Christmas list.

Thumbs up on the Spud

Now we know why our friend Patty was smiling on the Gunnison Gorge! We loved paddling the Tributary Spud, and at less than $500, I think this boat is an easily justifiable boat for families with teenagers or adults who want a convenient, packable IK for intermediate whitewater. 

Woman paddling Aire Tributary Spud inflatable kayak on Poudre River
Paddling the Aire Tributary Spud on the Poudre River

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