inflatable boat
86Now this is what I call an Inflatable boat
Very nice leisure ducky
Don't pick a fight with this RIB
Scuba divers love inflatables
Inflatable Boats.
Ducky, rib, inflatable, doesn't matter what you ant to call them there is no doubt that these incredible boats are here to stay. They say the first inflatable boats was made of animal skins and was inflated using a person own lug power. I guess the inflatable as we know could not have come to be without the invention of rubber. Around 1900 some clever fellow figured a use for rubber tress and rubber came to be. From there finding uses for rubber became about as popular as finding uses for Velcro. Can any body remember life without Velcro? How about imagining life today without Velcro today? Anyway rubber was in and one if it's enduring uses is the inflatable boat. The rubber boat is a rescue vehicle, a work horse, a play thing and even a weapon. Today I thought I would like to look at some of these boats and some of their uses. I trust you enjoy reading this article as much as I enjoyed researching it.
Main two types of rubber duck.
There are two main types of inflatable. The first group is the 100% pump up inflatable. Some have inflatable keels and others have inflatable floors. Then again they may a floor made up of boards be they wood, aluminum or fiberglass. The boards will normally not be fixed together to allow plenty of movement for the boat. The second type is the RIB. This acronym stands for Rigid Hulled Inflatable boat. The boats have a rigid hull made of fiberglass, aluminum or even carbon fiber which is then surrounded by inflatable tubes.
Construction.
These days we have a lot more than rubber to build inflatable boats from. Commonly used materials now include PVC or the Hypalon PVC covered polyester Carbon fiber, Decks and transoms will be made of rubber, PVC, wood, FRP, Carbon fiber or aluminum.
The ride.
In most cases the ride on an inflatable will be a lot smoother than the same ride on a "normal" boat of the same length for the same price. For anyone who is used to riding in those "normal" boats you may feel a sense of, how shall I say< "fatness" as the inflatable tends to roll itself from side to side. But one thing nearly all inflatable share in common is that they are a wet ride. As a diver of more than 30 years experience I have ridden in many dive boats. I love the inflatable. But on many dive boats I jump on in my normal clothes and change on the boat then change back into my street wear after the dive. Not on inflatable. I put my wet suit on before I leave and leave all equipment other than my dive gear at home.
Australain life savers at work in their inflatable
Inflatable boats as rescue vehicles
Inflatable are being used in several countries around the world. Probably two of the most advanced volunteer life guard and water rescue nations in the world would be Britain and Australia. It is no coincidence that both of these countries employ Inflatable in the rescue work. The You Tube videos I have selected show both RIB and non RIB inflatable at work. The Australians use non RIB inflatable in beach rescue. I have seen these things take off from the beach in huge seas and they are amazing. Just as a small side note I noticed that these boats sport 25 hp outboard engines and have fully enclosed propellers so as not to harm those they are saving from tragedy in the water. The Brits have put RIB inflatable to use in seas rescue work. The video shown shoos the proud crew of the Kirkcudbright lifeboat launching their new rescue vessel. I have talked to British and Australian rescue crews about their boats and they both say the same thing. They love them.
tough, speedy inflatable
4.8 meter Rib inflatable getting divers there fast.
Apart from the use as an on board life raft for large vessels the inflatable boat was rapidly put to use by divers around the world. Inflatable are a perfect dive platform as the are easy low maintenance, easy to handle, take a bump of heavy tanks and gear being tossed around and can handle the odd tangle with a reef or rock shelf whilst unloading divers. Of course we need to remember they are an open boat and as such divers need to take care in just how far they take them away from shelter. I had the chance to talk to a yachtsman dragged out of the sea by a rescue helicopter. I asked him what he thought of his US$3,500 inflatable life raft. He said, "It was wet, cold, windy, and I almost starved to death in that thing but I love it and have a new one fitted to my new boat."
Can I what?
Waterskiing behind inflatable.
Whilst not yet a popular use for the duck, water skiing has never the less been proven as another inflatable pastime. The guys in this video prove that if you really want to do something you most probably can. What needs to be understood is that t life that skier out of the water takes a great deal of low down brute force. This force places tremendous strain on the rear end or transom of the boat and many a boat has run foul of this requirement just before sinking after losing its back end over board. Yet here we see a guy jump overboard and perform a deep water start with his wakeboard
Happy Raft Japan
- Happy Raft Japan
Fun rafting in Japan.
Happy Raft rafters in Action this is a must see video
White water rafting on inflatable.
Now we are getting to the real adventurous uses of inflate bales. In fact some people have become so used to inflatable putting up with the worst and harshest of treatments they push them just a bit too far. Hey? No not the boats the people inside! Check out this video to see just what kind of punishment these inflatable boats can take. Oh and do pay attention as the weaker human beings get washed away like so much float some. I spoke to a New Zealander whose job was to guide people on white water inflatable rafting trips. I asked him what eh though of the rafts. He just smiled and said "take a ride on one mate and stop asking silly questions, there is nothing better"
Anyone can build a kayak now
keep pushing. The boats fine.
Very easy to assemble this inflatable kayak.
Not all inflatable are in the standard boat form. Some are canoes and others kayaks as well. One more style of inflatable boat is the life raft we have all learned to depend on in times of peril at sea. Like most good inventions the rubber boat was born out of necessity. We all know the story of the Titanic sinking and that even if every life boat was used to 100% capacity they still would have had to leave many behind to drown. The laws just didn't require a sat for every passenger on the lifeboats. Now they do. So how can you fit enough lifeboats to carry every passenger if the main ship sinks? That would require as much boat space again unless; you can shrink them down when not in use. Bingo, inflatable. Anyway here is a video that shows just how compact inflatable can be and just how easy they are to get working.
Fishing from inflatable boat
No story about inflatable would be complete with mention the fisherman.
It doesn't matter if you are talking about hunting sea bass of the coast of Japan, Tuna of the coast of Argentina or salmon in the lakes and rivers of Alaska. You will find inflatable out there carrying fisherman into the fray. Ask any fisherman who owns an inflatable what they think of their boast. You guessed it, they love them.
There her to stay and will only grow in number and replace traditional boats in more and more usages. Inflatable boats, go check out your local dealer today. You will love them.
Yuukou Marine Japan
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Small Boat Ladder, Good for inflatable or other small boat.
Current Bid: $15.50
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INTEX Excursion 5 Inflatable Rafting/Fishing Dinghy Boat Set
Current Bid: $129.95
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Apex Inflatable A11 Hypalon Boat Rib w/ 15 Yamaha 4-stroke outboard electric
Current Bid: $4000.00
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INTEX Excursion 5 Inflatable Rafting/Fishing Boat Set
Current Bid: $129.95
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Apex Inflatable Boats Costa Rica
Avon Inflatable Boats Great Britain
Nautica Inflatable Boats USA
Caribe Inflatable Boats Great Britain
SeaEagle.com Inflatable Boats USA
ULYZ Inflatable Boats Belgium and Spain
Wing Inflatable Boats USA
Zodiac Inflatable Boats France
CommentsLoading...
My fishing escapades for bid me to go into the water again in a small boat.
Now if you talk of QU2, I will be right there
Good hub thanks
Wish I could get out on that water!
Cool boats and they sure have come a long way!
Some of those boats look so high-tech its hard to believe they are inflatables!
Nice hub. You definitely did your research. The history behind using them as lifeboats is interesting eh? Some of these boats look so cool, it seems wrong to call them rubber boats or inflatable.
Your article does not include inflatabe Katamarans with sails. I live in I. The srael and have had several over the years, great sailing , though the rubberised canvas perishes over the years. The boats originally came from Russia. Are you aware of any further available inflatable katamarans?
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Company: Weihai XiangDa Marine CO.,LTD
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Inflatable life rafts were first invented for use in the military, as survival craft for the crew of airplanes downed in World War II. Today, the descendants of those early life rafts are used by those whose jobs or hobbies take them into the skies or out onto the water in planes and boats. Most light aircraft that fly over the water now carry inflatable life rafts, as do the majority of offshore fishing boats and bluewater cruising boats. Sailboats entered into offshore races must carry life rafts as a matter of regulation, and the Coast Guard makes inflatable life rafts mandatory for commercial boats that carry paying passengers.
Commercial life rafts typically come in three different sizes. Small rafts for the pilots of light aircraft accommodate a single person, medium rafts carried on offshore boats that have smaller crews seat up to four people, and large rafts for commercial passenger boats or offshore boats with large crews seat between six to eight people.
Somewhat confusing is the fact that some manufacturers of inflatable life rafts offer both offshore as well as inshore models of their life rafts. Offshore life rafts are heavier boats that consist of two or more inflation chambers and typically have floors with a double layer that is inflated to insulate the occupants from cold water. Inshore life rafts, on the other hand, are generally lighter, being made from lighter fabrics and having floors that are only single-layered. Offshore life rafts are specifically designed for boats that are making extended trips far out at sea, where should an accident occur, you might be left drifting in the life raft for weeks or months before being found. Whereas inshore life rafts are specifically designed for use in waters that are close to the coastline, where any person adrift in a life raft after an accident would be found in a much shorter period of time.
Pilots of light aircraft need not look beyond one-person life rafts. This is because even the lightest four-person life rafts will be too heavy to be stowed aboard a light aircraft. Moreover, any life raft larger than a one-person raft will be much too difficult to deploy through the door of a floating aircraft. If you plan a trip over water in a light aircraft with more than one person in the aircraft, then you will need to ensure that there are enough life rafts on the aircraft for each person to have their own life raft should something untoward happen during the flight.
Following the same reasoning, boats that require enough space on their life rafts to fit more than eight people should consider purchasing multiple eight-person life rafts instead of the large commercial rafts that can accommodate more than eight people on a single life raft. These larger rafts are expensive and difficult to stow and deploy. When you consider the fact that multiple eight-person rafts will serve the exact same purpose without any disadvantage, it makes much more sense to simply purchase several smaller rafts than a single large one.
Life rafts are generally manufactured to be used only once, and so they need not be as durable and rugged as sport boats or soft tails, particularly in terms of resistance to abrasion and degradation from exposure to ultraviolet light. The important purpose served by life rafts means that they must be uniformly light and easy to stow. Modern life rafts are constructed from a variety of materials, such as fabric coated with vinyl, PVC, or urethane. Some life rafts are even constructed out of light nylon fabric waterproofed with neoprene. All of these materials are admirably suited to the manufacture of life rafts, so you need only pay attention to the differences in features and cost when selecting a life raft to suit your needs.
Life rafts need to be checked periodically, at least once every three years. During each of these checks, the licensed facility will run tests on the usability of your life raft and inspect, repair and replace anything that might need replacing. Depending on the type and quantity of supplies that come packed with your raft that need to be replaced, inspections can sometimes be rather expensive. The expense however, is definitely justified by the security you gain from the knowledge that your life raft will work if you find yourself in need of it.
This is a serious, informative guide to inflatable boats, not toys. I hesitated to include this chapter, but it wouldn’t be fair to the millions of people who use and enjoy play boats. They’re definitively, inflatable rafts, used extensively in our culture. Excluding them would be disrespectful to the manufacturers, working to produce and offer an enjoyable recreational product, a good value for an affordable price.
There’re a plethora of play boats and rafts available from K-Mart, Toys ‘r’ Us, and in season, drug and grocery stores. They also are a necessity for the water parks that dot America’s landscape, from the Disney franchise, the Six Flags gang, and others. Bright colors grab our youngest consumer’s eye, often featuring a cartoon character, ranging from the classic Disney friends, Mickey and Minnie, Donald, and Goofy (the author’s pet), to other fanciful creatures like My Little Pony and Dora The Explorer, and the Disney/Pixar creatures, i.e. Little Mermaid, Pocahontas, etc. The market includes generic rafts, churned out for recreational parks.
Play boats are made of vinyl plastic or unreinforced, soft PVC. What they can’t do is more important than what they can. They’re too flimsy to serve as a dinghy (many people try). Depending on them for survival is simply foolish. They’re not rigid, can’t use even the tiniest outboard motor; it’s ludicrous that the larger play boats have outboard brackets. Test your frustration: row or paddle a play boat a brief distance, longer than, say, a pool’s lap. Then imagine you’re in the middle of the ocean, with no help in sight.
Have fun splashing and playing in restricted waters. Don’t expect more, or put yourself at unnecessary risk.
inflatable boat is the best for boat lover because the price is cheaper
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We are a inflatable boats factory in weihai city shandong china.We have own brand,but also provide OEM service.Anyone have interested,pls contact me freely.
Kindly regards,
Alice Zhang (Sales)
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WeiHai Transe Boats Co.,Ltd.
Add:Weihai Economic and Technological Development Zone
Qiaotou Industrial Park Xingqiao Road No. 36-1
Tel:86-631-5577988 Fax:86-631-5576988
Mobile:0086-18963125557
Email:transeboat01@gmail.com
Skype:zhangchen1860
Msn: zhangchen_1860@hotmail.com
Web:www.transeboats.com
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Love the article! Great review! I was a little skeptical at first, but I've bought a few boats from http://rubberboats.com/ and they're pretty awesome! worth every penny! :)














G-Ma Johnson Level 4 Commenter 4 years ago
Wow eee I had no idea..very well done and so interesting Thank You...G-Ma :o) hugs