Some Tips when shopping for an inflatable boat

What type of inflatable boat is best for you?

What advantages do inflatables enjoy over conventional boats?

What design and construction features should you look for?

Some tips when shopping for an inflatable boat

When visiting various dealerships, you may encounter some imaginative sales pitches. It's a competitive market -- which is good for you -- but you need to know when someone is being deceptive or untruthful.

Pricing

Years ago, inflatable boats where the most expensive boats on the market and only a few people could afford them. This was due to the use of exotic materials and the hours of meticulous hand labor which went into their construction. Now, the boats still use the best materials, but in the late seventies, the companies started investing millions of dollars in computer-driven assembly equipment. This enabled prices to be dramatically reduced as economies of scale rose, enabling more and more consumers to enjoy affordable inflatable boating. Zodiac and its sister company, Sevylor, are now the leading low-cost producer thanks to these technological investments. So be wary of inflatable prices substantially below the Zodiac/Sevylor line. They may be either produced in developing countries by unskilled labor, or marketed by companies who are unaware of the importance of profit margins. They will be glad to see your dollar today but may be unwilling or unable to fix a problem later, or supply that much needed spare part.

Warranties

You may be enamored with competitor's claims, all of whom will promise they have the best or longest warranty. There was even a "lifetime" warranty offered some years ago by an inflatable boat company that soon enough disappeared. A lot of manufacturers use attractive warranties as a substitute for quality or proper boat design, or simply to shore up a lack of product features. You should also be sure in your own mind that the company will be around long enough to deliver. Zodiac has been building inflatables for over 50 years and offers a limited 5-year warranty. And they have the whereforall to be around for a long time!! Call for the full details.

Fabrics

If you've visited our Technical Pages, you know that the major component of an inflatable is obviously the fabric. Fabric technology has evolved a lot over the last two decades, and now includes plastomers and polyurethanes amongst others, which are in most cases stronger, lighter, thinner and less expensive to assemble than the older-fashioned fabrics. Of course it costs money, lots of money, to develop new fabrics or even to switch manufacturing processes to use them. A lot of manufacturers, big and small, do not have the will or the resources to do this, and that's why they generally hide that fact by resorting to belittling or maligning new technological advances.

Zodiac's fabrics have always been on the bleeding edge of technology and Zodiac's preparedness to experiment has led to some startling innovations. These new fabrics are developed to be the best for their intended use. For instance, fabrics used for a small tender do not need to be the same as those for a large RIB, because the intended use is not the same and neither are the mechanical requirements. Some manufacturers do not have the means or knowhow to employ different fabrics, so they just use one. In these cases the consumer, as a result, usually ends up paying too much or getting too little. Been there, done that!

 

What type of inflatable boat is best for you?

As you might imagine, there's quite a degree of specialization in the design of many of today's inflatable boats. Each distinct group lends itself to a different series of applications. Apart from the larger professional and heavy-duty ranges, the principal recreational styles are:

Tenders

If all you need is a small boat to get you from ship to shore, then a modern inflatable tender is the best answer. However the choice is quite wide, ranging from some very compact models with simple slatted floors, to mid-sized tenders with inflatable keels and solid wooden floors, right up to some of the rigid-hulled inflatables like Zodiac's YL2. As a general rule-of-thumb, you will find that as speed and handling abilities increase, stowability and compactness decreases. The exception to this rule is Zodiac's amazing Fastroller range, which uses the exclusive H2P inflated air-floor to achieve amazing stiffness and performance in a completely foldable boat. But for simple, rugged tender use, look at Zodiac's smaller Cadet models. If you want a solid wooden floor and inflated keel, look at the larger Cadets or any of the YL1 range. However, if you are considering a rigid-hulled sports tender then you should consider the Yachtline series.

General-purpose inflatable boats

This category is ideal for first-time boat buyers, or for anyone seeking a practical all-purpose boat offering maximum safety and stability at a sensible price. In the Zodiac range, the larger Cadets and all the Touring models fulfill this definition. These ranges are based on a Classic hull shape which has been refined over longitudinal rails to stiffen the boat, plus Zodiac's renowned "heavy duty" fixtures and fittings. This sized boats are no slow-coaches: the bigger Touring models will accept outboards of up to 40 HP.

High performance sport boats

Here you enter another realm, a world of state-of-the-art inflatables offering blistering speed coupled with rock steady handling. But be warned, this is "adrenalin country" and the bigger sports boats should only be handled by people with prior boating experience. Many of these boats are very sophisticated -- like the Fastroller range of sports performers (pictured above) featuring Zodiac's unique H2P airfloor. As an example, the Fastroller 320 can carry one person at exhilarating speeds with only a 9.9 HP outboard. And Virage and Futura Sport showcase the patented Futura hull which traps air underneath and exerts positive lift, leaving the boat riding on its two "speed tubes" like a racing catamaran.

Rigid-hulled inflatable boats (RIB's)

These boats represent the perfect marriage between a sculptured fiberglass V-hull and modern inflatable technology. The benefits are quickly seen in astonishing performance and handling, coupled with versatility, stability and passenger comfort. The smaller rigid-hulled inflatables make superb tenders for larger yachts, and a number of these boats may even be fitted with refinements like forward steering. The larger rigid inflatable boats allow the fitting of midship driving consoles, upholstered seating, navigation lights and a host of other custom extras to suit the individual owner's requirements. Boats like Zodiac's YL 600 , Pro-System and Cherokee RIBs make excellent day-boats for picnics or camping, and allow you to accommodate up to 11 people and all their gear in perfect safety and comfort. The biggest RIBs are also particularly good as dive boats. With their proven offshore handling ability plus a large load-carrying capacity, Zodiac's range of boats are especially well-suited for this role. They also incorporate a deeper floor than most rigid hulled inflatables, for increased onboard security and drier ride.

What advantages do inflatables enjoy over conventional boats?

Stability

The first thing you'll notice about all inflatables is their incredible stability. Conventional dinghies and small sports boats rock alarmingly from side-do-side whenever anyone moves about. Inflatables, with their big-volume buoyancy tubes, sit flat in the water and are almost impossible to tip. That's very reassuring if you've got newcomers on board, and even allows swimmers or divers to slide back on board without rocking the boat.

Load Carrying Capacity

More buoyancy means bigger load-carrying capacity. Inflatable boats have enormous reserves of built in buoyancy. With huge flotation tubes positioned on opposite sides of the hull, and in some instances with an inflatable V-keel as well, inflatable boats can carry very heavy payloads in absolute safety. An added benefit is that they are virtually unsinkable, and can generally operate even with one tube deflated!

High Performance

Most of today's modern inflatables easily match conventional runabouts for speed and handling, while some of the more sophisticated rigid-hulled inflatables are clearly superior to ordinary hard-hulled boats. For instance, the Virage range of sports boats features Zodiac's patented Futura speed tubes to produce amazing lift and stability. Because the Futura hull merely "kisses" the water, Virage creates less drag and thus requires less power to reach quite stunning speeds while performing with absolute safety. The big Zodiac rigid-hulled inflatable superboats are equally impressive. With deep V-keels up forward and flat planing sections aft they can produce an astonishingly comfortable ride in tough offshore conditions, yet maneuver with ease in the tightest dock or harbor.

Non-marking features

Because of all the basic advantages of inflatables -- lightness, stability and exceptional buoyancy -- inflatable boats are the ideal yacht tender. Unlike conventional dinghies, they are very easy to lift aboard. And they won't harm your yacht's deck or topside, so once you have an inflatables tender you can say goodbye to marks and scratches on your yacht forever.

Stowability

Inflatable tenders solve the storage problem in one easy step. For instance, when deflated and folded into its carry bag a Zodiac Yachtline 285 measures only 3'3" x 2' 0" x 1/2" and weights just 77 lbs. At this size, you can see that an inflatable tender is easily stowed in a locker onboard, or in the loft at home. And needless to say they're very convenient to transport on picnics or even to take with you on vacation.

What design and construction features should you look for?

Apart from the most basic flat-bottomed tenders, there are three distinctly different hull configurations you should consider in a modern inflatable.

Classic inflatable keel for better handing

This consists of a separate longitudinal inflation tube located beneath the floorboards. Once inflated. it provides a moderate V-keel at the bow of the boats. Boat handling is greatly improved as the keel cuts through the water cleanly. And there's an added benefit in the extra buoyancy it provides.

High-performance hull for speed

As well as their normal buoyancy tubes and the V-keel, some inflatables have additional tubes running along the base of the hull on each side to the boats. These patented "speed tubes" provide hydrodynamic lift and get the boat up on the plane more quickly. This not only assures a smoother, more fuel-efficient ride, but a faster one as well. And nowadays, the speed tubes on most of Zodiac's Futura hulls are completely removable to allow easier service and maintenance.

Rigid hull inflatables

As their name suggests, these boats feature a fiberglass hull teamed to a set of inflatable buoyancy tubes. This allows a deep V hull shape up forward, flattening out to ideal planing sections further aft. The concept marries a hull with exceptional handling qualities to the renowned buoyancy and stability of an inflatable. The larger versions of this type of inflatable (also known as a RIB) also offers a center-console driving position, and generally include other features such as builtin locker space and upholstered passenger seating.

Buoyancy tube design

A unique feature is incorporated into many of Zodiac's rigid-hull inflatables. The buoyancy tubes are securely attached to the fiberglass hull via an ingenious tongue-and-grove method, yet may be slid off should they need to be sent way for service. The system also allows you to reduce the overall bulk of the boat for winter storage.

Lightweight air-floors

Some of the more advanced Zodiac inflatables, like Fastroller, feature a special High-Pressure Performance inflatable air floor. Made of durable co-polymer with multiple under layers of fabric, this unique removable air-floor is braced by literally thousands of reinforced internal drop stitches. The payoff is a rigidity equal to that of a 3/8" marine plywood floor at only a fraction of the weight. Moreover, Fastroller can be completely deflated and stowed in a matter of minutes without having to deal with a single removable part. And of course, an air-floor is much kinder on everyone's knees and backsides!

Heavy Duty Fabrics

Some inflatable boats are still made from a synthetic rubber-based fabric called Hypalon. While this is undoubtedly a good material in itself, it can only be joined by gluing -- with all the potential problems inherent in this old-fashioned, labor-intensive manufacturing process. Today, most modern Zodiac inflatables are manufactured from Strongan fabric. This consists of a strong, close-weave polyester support cloth which has been specially engineered to resist tearing, warping and elongation. This base cloth is sandwiched between multiple plastomer coatings to provide extraordinary flexibility, superior air and water tightness, as well as resistance to abrasion and the sun's UV rays. The result is a composite polymer fabric, fortified both chemically and mechanically against a wide range of natural and man-made damage agents.

Perfect Seams

Apart from its superior toughness and durability, Strongan fabric allows the use of Zodiac's computerized machine-welding process known as Thermobonding. Two sealing strips are thermally bonded to the butted hull seams in a continuous electrothermal process. A highly impermeable air seal is forced when the narrow inner strip literally melts into the hull material. The wider exterior strip functions as a overlapping structural connection while also effectively sealing out water. Thermobonding creates seams that are stronger than the base fabric itself, and produces a much better seam than any hand-gluing method.

Welded Transoms

Given the size, weight and power of today's outboards, the transom which supports them must be able to stand up to enormous vibration and stress. Most Zodiac inflatables use a computerized high-frequency welding technique that firmly attaches eight studs (four on each side of the transom) to the tube collars. The result is a degree of structural rigidity that reliably absorbs the stresses exerted by modern outboards.

 

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