What sort of whitewater are you planning on this to be paddled?

I have primarily only paddled bandits or mavericks by NRS.  Yea I know they are on hte upper end of your price spectrum.  The bandits have smaller side tubes and are a lot wetter and tippy.  The mavericks I've taken down on the Nolichucky at 3K, Pigeon countless times from 800-6000cfs, Lower Big Creek at 3 feet, Olympic course on the ocoee, and the middle ocoee without any problems.  I love them as far as IKs go.  

However, I wouldn't paddle a bandit down anything larger then class 3, and even then it would be a wet ride.  However, a friend of mine paddled the pigeon in a bandit at around 7K and did ok on it.

At that level its (the pigeon) is just large waves and wave holes, almost 5 miles of continuous 5+ foot wavetrain.