Hey Star!
For more than 6 years, I've owned a Sport Bug 14.5, which I absolutely love. I just wanted to share with you how I use this fantastic little boat and what makes it special.

I've used the Sport Bug on a whitewater rafting trip, a Class II stretch on the San Juan River. The boat performed well with a rowing frame- easily driven and stable in the rapids. The last 3-4 miles of this run are in flat water and can be a real bear if you run into the usual upstream wind, which I did. I attached a little electric trolling motor to the built in transom and it pushed myself and another raft thru the flats quite easily. Love it! I keep a sailboat on Lake Granby (8200' elev.) in Colorado during the summer. I use the Sport Bug as a tender and fishing/exploration boat on the lake. I live on the other side of the Continental divide from the lake and tow the Sport Bug over Trail Ridge Road to get to the lake for my weekend getaways. At more than 12,000 feet in elevation, Trail Ridge is the highest continuous automobile road in the lower 48, yet I hardly notice the boat being towed behind me due to it's light weight. As a tender, the Sport Bug is great- my wife can step easily from the side deck of the sailboat to the Sport Bug as the huge tubes of the Sport Bug make for a short step down from the sailboat deck. Your boat is absolutely stable as one steps aboard, no doubt the size of the tubes contribute to this. We typically set up a kitchen and campfire on the shore, and the size of the Sport Bug means we can usually get all the gear (and grandson and dog) to the shore in one trip. My grandson and I go fishing and exploring on these wonderful weekends, an 8 hp outboard provides plenty of get up and go, bear in mind that at this altitude, the engine develops approx. 30% less power than at sea level. The boat is so stable that the 6 year old (with me close by) usually does the driving, you should see the smile on his face! For short trips, I often use just the oars that came with boat as it is so easily driven. With your Star Track runners on the bottom, I never worry when I run the boat up on a rocky shore for land based explorations. When it's time to go home, sometimes the lake is too low to use the boat ramp and I have to load the boat in shallow water, too shallow even to submerge the bunks on my trailer. Fortunately, I can wrestle the boat up on to the trailer by myself due its light weight and shallow draft.

The middle weekend of October, the grandson and I will take the Sport Bug out for probably the last time of the season, to Colorado State Forest. At an elevation of 9000' there might be snow or ice on the ground, but I anticipate no problem in launching or retrieving the boat. I expect we'll be successful fishing, aided in part by the quietness of your boat. Just imagine for a minute, that you are a skittish trout, and there is a rambunctious 6 year old in an aluminum boat over your head. Must sound like New Year's Eve to all fish within casting distance. At night, I'll pull the Sport Bug up onto the rocky shore in front of the cabin, again aided by the Star Track and the light weight of the boat. I'll hate to put it away for the winter after that.

Of the many boats I own, the Sport Bug is by far the most versatile and would be difficult to get along without. Good Job!

As a river outfitter, for years I've been looking for a raft that would go where you point it with less effort, and I've finally found it with your STAR "Bug Series" Lightning Bug B12-SB. Surface drag is greatly reduced due to the raised floor. Only 25 sq. ft. vs 60 sq. ft. come in contact with the water. With only the tube area in the water these rafts track true, with minimum effort, at a higher speed than we could ever get with a standard bottom raft. This makes our customers very happy as they come off the river less fatigued and at the same time allowing us an extra rental cycle each day. With the "star trak" on the bottom of the side tube area, tube wear and damage from scraping and impact is greatly reduced. The 2200 denier tube and 4000 denier floor construction on the B12-SB make it tough enough to keep my fleet in service for years to come. All of the feedback I have received on these units is positive. I have aquired more new customers because of the Lightning Bug B12-SB over any other watercraft that I have owned. STAR has done a great job and a service to both the outfitter and their customers in providing a fantastic and safe watercraft to the industry, I thank you!

We have been using STAR inflatable rafts and kayaks exclusively since 1996. For the past nine years STAR has provided us with a reasonably priced quality product that stands head and shoulders with the rest. Because of the high quality of workmanship put into each STAR product we have had years of dependable trouble free service that has helped us to greatly increase our profit margin. STAR will continue to be our product of choice.

I bought my STAR raft a couple years ago. I've been in all types of water. I own a bass boat thats 5 times more expensive, and if I had to choose between the two, I'd choose my raft. You guys have been very supportive to me. I take at least 30 trips per year on the New River between North Carolina and West Virginia. You've got a great product!
Thanks for such good service after the sale.

Just wanted to let you know I bought a Bug last year and finally got it on the white water this summer. The boat performed well beyond my expectations. We hit some great holes and the self-bail floor drained quickly. The boat responded so well in the technical rapids, I came out almost looking like a professional!

We took some friends who have rafted with us prior but in a lesser raft. She has always been afraid of the water and never enjoyed the experience, but after riding in the Bug is already planning a trip for next 4th of July for us. Thanks again for the great boat.

Thank You,
Mark Masson
Propulsion Inc.

We took our first trip in the SuperBug 15 this weekend. We used a row frame a friend had custom made for the SuperBug. The boat handled incredibly with oars. It was easier to guide then any boat I have guided.

The next day we put-in at Harris Station Dam on the headwaters of the Kennebec River, Maine. The flow was at 4800 CFS and we had a great trip. The SuperBug is a very good boat for this Class IV water. We had a big hit at "Magic Falls" and the wave filled the boat up to the thwarts but it self bailed in short order.

Thanks for the great boat. It drew lots of interest with kayakers as well as rafters. I probably will be sending you another order for some more SuperBugs in the future. It is perfect for my purposes such as fishing and overnight trips in the Gorge.

John Allen
Maine Whitewater Guide

I want you to know that your Super Bug was a real winner last year when I went on my Caribou hunt up in the Brooks Range, Northern Alaska. During my trip we had a flash flood with a foot of snow one day and 60 degree temperatures the next. Class IV turned into Class V rapids and your Super Bug went through it like a four wheel drive. I am really looking forward to the salmon fishing this summer.

Walter
North Pole, Alaska

At Buffalo Outdoor Center we have been extremely happy with our STAR rafts. These rafts have lasted as long or longer than out hypalon rafts. We do not have big whitewater, but there are a lot of rocks in our river. The STAR rafts have tough bottom wear patches and this is a big advantage for us. Another real advantage with the STAR rafts is the price.

Mike Mills
Buffalo Outdoor Center
Ponca, Arkansas