- How to choose inflatable boat
- Selecting guide for inflatable boat
- Selecting recommendation for inflatable boat
Inflatable boats are the most popular watercraft that will please the anglers, sportsmen and lovers of a pleasant pastime on the water. They have a mass of advantages, from compactness and light weight to excellent performance characteristics. However, an inexperienced buyer may have question - how to choose budget inflatable boat. Therefore, our team offers you useful shopping tips for inflatable boat. For what purposes will you use this vessel? What characteristics should it have?
How to choose inflatable boat
To make the right choice for many years, you should pay attention to the selecting tips for inflatable boat.
- Purpose: will it be boating with the family, fishing or sporting event?
- Size and weight: it is worth considering the purpose of the destination and transportation issues.
- Capacity and tonnage: how many people and how much cargo the vessel can hold.
- Construction: you can choose a rigid hull inflatable boat that provides greater reliability, or a lighter and more maneuverable model.
- Material: consider budget PVC or expensive but more durable hypalon.
- Storage: think about how and where you will store the vessel when not in use.
Selecting guide for inflatable boat
The purchase of a quality product requires knowledge of the important parameters of this type of vessel. Therefore, below, we will present the main characteristics that you should pay attention when shopping of inflatable boat.
All vessels are divided into two main types: rowing and motor.
The cheapest and lightest, rowing boats have a simple design driven by the oars. In most cases, they have a small size and a soft bottom, which allows them to fit in a backpack. Such models are an excellent option for small water areas. Their main destination is family boating, fishing and hunting.
Motor boats are U-shaped or O-shaped vessels, the stern is equipped with a special mount for the motor. They develop high speed thanks to high power motors. However, it makes their price higher in comparison with the rowing models. Such products are intended for extreme rowing and sports competitions in medium and large water areas.
When choosing a boat you should be guided by its size that directly depends on the number of passengers. Capacity is the maximum number of people the vessel can carry freely. Carrying capacity means the maximum permissible load. It includes the total weight of the passengers, the motor and the weight of the additional cargo. It is strictly prohibited to exceed the carrying capacity. Therefore, when choosing inflatable boat, be sure to consider factors that can affect its load during operation.
Among the choosing tips for inflatable boat, it is worth mentioning the material. For their manufacture, the following fabrics are most often used:
- polyurethane or nylon coated with PVC (polyvinyl chloride);
- neoprene with hypalon coating.
When selecting inflatable boats with PVC fabrics you get light and compact construction with affordable price. They are strong enough and resistant to sun and water. The expensive hypalon is considered more reliable and durable. It has additional protection against the strong influence of ultraviolet radiation. The manufacturing method of products from these materials is different. As a rule, the welding method of joining is used to make PVC models, and hypalon coated fabrics are usually glued together.
Determine what type of floor is more appropriate for you when selecting right inflatable boat. There are different deck options.
- Soft bottom is the simplest design option suitable for fishing or hunting. If desired, it can be supplemented with a rigid floorboard. It is an excellent option when choosing soft bottom inflatable boat.
- The inflatable bottom (such as air deck) makes the construction easier, facilitating its transportation. It provides good stability and elasticity. Such items are ideal for rest and pleasure boating.
- Rigid bottom models ensure better stability. They have a longer service life and are suitable for carrying more passengers and more cargo. This version assumes the use of floorboards from moisture resistant plywood, plastic or aluminum.
Selecting recommendation for inflatable boat
What else should I look for when choosing?
Number of air compartments. Each item has two or more hermetic chambers, so it does not sink in the event of damage of any compartment. They can also be equipped with separate valves.
Motor power. It depends on the type of vessel, its design and shape. Select the motor depending on the purpose. Power up to 5 HP usually provides a higher speed of movement, while motors with a power of 6 or more HP allow the boat to glide.
Transom. This device for fixing the motor can be built into the construction or suspended (on rowing models). The suspended transom provides mobility of installation or removal, but can limit the weight and power of the motor.
For a comfortable boating or fishing, you need a quality product. Beluga Boats online store offers an interesting range of boats for tourists, anglers, sportsmen and lovers of water based recreation. With our selecting advice for inflatable boat, almost every customer will be able to choose the right option at an affordable price.
