Jky,
yes, the ones i saw had WING tubes. The owner said the Navy requested them to meet their specs. for fendering ,in the type of use the boat would be subjected to.
The ones on the DVD shooting the rapids,indeed had the Aluminum "tubes".
Fun video and will see if I can edit a section and post.
As for the Sealions,its a shame people feed them from the left over bait tanks. It just attracts them when you are fishing and it's sometimes impossible to get your live bait past them.
After saying that,they are so interesting up close,that it's tough not to succumb to their playfulness
cheers Dal