INFLATABLE BOATS

Inflatable Boats

        Inflatable boats are made from flexible material, usually rubber, canvas, or neoprene, and hold air at high volume but low pressure. They need to be fitted with a frame to which an oarlock mount is firmly attached. Such frames are either made of metal or wood, or a combination of the two. Twenty-three foot long Rigid Hull inflatable boats are best suited for retrieving people stranded on rocky pinnacles among the waves, and are used by the US Coast Guard during Search & Rescue operations. Inflatable boats with motors are high speed, maneuverable, stable and can be easily launched from a ship. For this reason, US Navy SEAL’s use the inflatable boat small (IBS) for their operations. Inflatable Boat Sales are taking place online. Inflatable boats are available for sales – both as new ones, and as used boats. Prices range from $25 right up to $2,800. The range covers 8-foot yacht tenders, fishing boats, and 14-foot inflatable sail boats. The modern life raft is a well thought out, well-equipped, seaworthy fully inflated boat. However, if there isn’t enough air inside, inflatable boats are apt to fold in the middle. Thus, they need to be pumped up to the proper pressure using bellows. Most Inflatable Boats are portable rafts. An inflatable yacht that is 8 feet (2.4 m) long is rated to carry three people when used with a motor. It weighs 35 pounds (15 kgs.) when dry, which makes it a reasonable load for one person to carry for a long distance if necessary. The next size is 9 feet long, which does not sound much more, but the difference is great, in fact. The 9 feet boat is heavier and has much larger air tubes. There has been a lot of development in Inflatable boats.

The large inflatable boats have rigid boards in them, and are called Rigid Inflatable Boats (RIB’s). They can be driven by oars or outboard engines. The large ones are considered good enough to be used by the Lifeboat men. People use inflatable boats for exploring, and manually haul them to remote places. There are many brands of high quality inflatable boats available in the market, but whatever brand is chosen should be roughly 8 feet long, rated for 3 people, have a motor, be a reasonable load for one person to carry, and does not have a wooden floor, or other heavy parts.

Inflatable pontoon boat

       Bryce Whitmore designed the modern whitewater inflatable pontoon boat, and in fact designed several models. The one that has been produced the most is a three-tube model of unparalleled maneuverability and load bearing capacity. This boat which is fourteen feet overall, can carry 6 passengers, their baggage, and a guide.9-foot inflatable pontoon boats would cost between $700 and $900, but would offer stability in rivers with some white water. It should be noted, however, that Pontoon boats are not recommended for use in rapids rated higher than Class 2. Inflatable pontoon boats are also called “belly boats” and are popular for fishing. They are lightweight craft with a rocking chair. Inflatable pontoon boat owners say they like the freedom from trailers and ramps, as well as the Pontoon’s stability on windy waters. 

Not all Pontoon boats are 14 feet long. Some are 8 or 9 feet long as well. Pontoon boats come in all sizes and prices from $200 to $1,000. Users looking for an 8 foot Pontoon should expect to pay $500 to $700 for a new entry-level boat.