Many boaters once considered Inflatable boats little better than pool toys. But the boats, which often weigh less and perform better than similarly-equipped fiberglass or wooden boats, now have a devoted following.
However, new buyers of inflatable boats can get confused by the variety of options available. For a potential buyer, determining the expected use for the new inflatable boat (i.e., Will it be a tender for a larger powerboat or sailboat? Will it be used for fishing? Will it be used for water-skiing or other water recreation?) helps to narrow down these options, which also will include an inflatable boat material choice of hypalon or PVC.
Rollup Inflatable Boats Can Be Easier to Stow
Boaters who expect to use their new inflatable boat as an occasional dinghy tender for a larger vessel, or just to paddle around on a creek or near shore, often consider smaller inflatable boats that roll up.
Roll-up inflatable boats come with several different floor types, including wood and aluminum slats that don't cover the boat's entire floor, wood and aluminum floor boards that do cover most or all of the floor, and inflatable high-pressure floors. Each of these types has several inherent advantages and disadvantages.
Slats, for example, provide less rigidity in the floor, but make the boat easier and lighter to roll up and stow. Full floor boards are heavier and likely will need to be removed from the inflatable boat for storage, but offer more rigidity and should provide better performance with an outboard. And a high-pressure inflatable floor, which provides excellent performance and rigidity plus light weight when new, is vulnerable to puncture, pinhole leaks and ultraviolet sun damage, and may need to be replaced sooner than the rest of the boat.
Inflatable Boat Models Offer Weight, Horsepower Tradeoffs
Generally, inflatable floor and wood floor models can take larger outboards and more passengers than slat floor models. For example, Zodiac Marine, the world's largest manufacturer of inflatable boats, says that a four horsepower outboard is the recommended maximum for its largest slat floor inflatable boat, the C260 model. The C260 measures 8 feet, 6 inches, and can take three passengers.
Meanwhile, Zodiac's 10-foot wooden floor model, the C310S, offers space for four passengers and is certified for a 15 horsepower outboard. And Zodiac's 11-foot inflatable floor model, the C340FR, can take up to 15 horsepower and five passengers.
Inflatable boats obviously get heavier the bigger they get. The C260 weighs in at about 56 pounds, while the C310S weighs in at 83 pounds. An inflatable floor provides a weight advantage; the C340FR, at 82 pounds, weighs one pound less than the C310S, even though it's a foot longer and can take a heavier passenger load.
Rigid Inflatable Boats: Gaining in Popularity
Rigid inflatable boats (also known as RIBs or RIB inflatable boats) are one of the fastest-growing segments of the sport boat and power boat market. RIB inflatable boats have inflatable tubes coupled with a fiberglass hull; the tubes provide flotation and excellent stability, while the fiberglass hull provides rigidity, speed and protection from accidental groundings and puncture.
Many inflatable boat owners believe that rigid inflatable boats perform as well or better than comparable boats built entirely of fiberglass or wood. A fairly typical 10-foot-long RIB inflatable boat equipped with an eight horsepower outboard can reach speeds of 20 miles per hour with two adult passengers.
RIB inflatable boats range from 10 feet in length to more than 20 feet. Smaller models can work as tenders to medium-sized vessels (in the 36- to 45-foot range), while larger models can be trailered and used as stand-alone sport boats or fishing boats, or can serve as tenders to much larger yachts. Rigid inflatable boats generally are heavier than their roll-up inflatable cousins, but can take a higher horsepower outboard.
For example, Avon Inflatables Ltd., another well-known manufacturer of inflatable boats, offers RIB models that range from 7 feet, 3 inches (the RIB220, which weighs 77 pounds) to 11 feet, 2 inches (the RIB340, which weighs 178 pounds). The RIB340 can take a 25 horsepower outboard if it's equipped with Avon's optional remote steering system.
As with other inflatable boat types, rigid inflatable boats offer compromises, the most obvious of which is the fact that they cannot be rolled for storage. Therefore, boaters who want to use a RIB as equipment for a larger boat will need to figure out some way to carry or safely tow the inflatable boat. This can be more difficult than many boaters realize, although many companies offer innovative dinghy davit systems that can handle a heavy RIB inflatable boat.
Large RIB Inflatable Boats Include Center Consoles
Larger rigid inflatable boats (those in the 14- to 20-foot range) offer the option of remote or center console steering, seating benches, bow lockers, and bimini tops. These inflatable boats also can take much larger outboard motors, making them able sport boats or fishing boats.
For example, the 19-foot model in Zodiac's Pro series of RIB inflatable boats can take up to 16 passengers (a payload of more than 3,600 pounds) and a 120 horsepower long-shaft outboard.
Zodiac advertises its Pro series as "high performance leisure boats," and RIB inflatable boats in this size range easily could be used as high-performance fishing boats, dive boats or for water skiing or general water recreation. A wider range of inflatable boat accessories is available for larger RIB inflatable boats.
Jane Anderson - Jane M. Anderson spends as much time as possible on the water, working and sailing on boats. She grew up sailing Sunfish and Rhodes 19s on ...
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