Should I get inflatable boat?
Submitted by Likc on Fri, 2010-06-18 10:53
Hi all.
I was just wondering what your general thoughts on those inflatable boats are? I would like to get on the water but I am not rich enough to get a dinghy and mainly don’t have room to store it. So I thought that something like the one on the picture might get me little bit off shore (like Cockburn sound, Lancelin bay and similar calm places). Is it a good idea with a little outboard or will it sink straight away? :) Has anyone had one of these?
hs1ehlung
Posts: 100
Date Joined: 07/05/09
I have a small little
I have a small little inflatable with an electric motor on it which I have use in FW dams for trout but our last salmon trip to bunker bay, a friend and I fished from it with calm waters though we had to row it back to shore because the battery went flat.
It’s a great little boat but I wouldn’t bring out unless it was calm waters haha maybe I am just to scared :P though if it calm in woodies in next few weeks i might use it for a squid run since our normal boat is out of service.
but i think these days you can pick up a small dinghy (one or 2 man show) for the same price as an inflatable which if you have a 4wd just throw it on top and off you go.
Brendan Chua AKA Hsiehlung
Member Of Team Rubber Duckies
kempy
Posts: 810
Date Joined: 28/05/09
we are looking at getn 1 as
we are looking at getn 1 as a tender cause there lite and we already have a electric motor for it
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Indiana
Posts: 307
Date Joined: 15/12/09
Dinghy vs Inflatable
If the problem is storage room then this will get you on the water.
I have a 3.1 quicksilver which as a solid GRP bottom ,with a 6 hp Yamaha on it and its a great unit for running around inside the bays at rottnest ( Not lic ) is just a tender to another boat.
To use it as you have discribed it will be fine ,athough you are going to get very wet .
You can fish,crab,squid all the things you may want to do .....however its full of air so you will need to be careful as they can be damaged quite easy. Normally have 3 or more chambers ,so you will never sink .......just get very wet.
There are a lot of imported inflatables around now .......not sure of the quality of some.
The solid floors perform much better that the air floors.
I agree with the above ,in that a dinghy would be cheaper . There are
" IF YOUR NOT GOING TO EAT IT ......PUT IT BACK WHERE YOU CAUGHT IT"
Likc
Posts: 361
Date Joined: 09/08/09
Thanks for the info Indiana.
Thanks for the info Indiana. I have pretty much zero boating experience, so I don’t want to commit too much from the beginning. Don’t really have a secure place to leave a trailer at the moment. And dinghy on my soft roader roof all the time is not an option as well, as it’s my daily drive. So I might still consider inflatable even for the less comfort. I just want to get bit offshore because I am obviously crappy land based fisherman.
Some of the inflatable are almost too cheap to be any good. Like $550 with electric motor. I guess I could get something better. The one on the picture is $750 with aluminium floor.
Indiana
Posts: 307
Date Joined: 15/12/09
Aluminium Floor
The aluminium foor is on the inside of the boat which makes it stronger to stand on,but if your planning to use one in cockburn for example you would be better with a solid keel or what they call a rigid inflatable. These are either fibreglass or aluminium keels with a series of flotation chambers.
Much stronger and better in the choppy water .........but still wet unfortunately
" IF YOUR NOT GOING TO EAT IT ......PUT IT BACK WHERE YOU CAUGHT IT"