| Load Carrying Capacity A key feature about | | | | to their sides, inflatables won't damage or |
| all inflatable boats and inflatable kayak | | | | mark your yacht's hull or deck. Purchasing an |
| designs is their incredible stability. | | | | inflatable tender almost guarantees the |
| Conventional dinghies and small sport boats | | | | elimination of scuff marks and scratches on |
| rock almost uncontrollably whenever anyone | | | | your yacht forever. |
| moves about. Inflatables, with their buoyancy | | | | |
| tubes, sit flat in the water and are almost | | | | Stowability Inflatable tenders are much |
| impossible to flip over. This offers a | | | | easier to store than conventional dinghies. |
| feeling of security to even the most nervous | | | | When deflated and folded into its carry bag a |
| boaters and allows swimmers or divers to | | | | typical 8 foot inflatable measures about 3 |
| slide back on board without upsetting the | | | | feet x 2 feet and weighs about 80 lbs. |
| boat. | | | | |
| | | | At this size, you can see that an inflatable |
| More buoyancy of inflatable boats and | | | | tender is easily stowed in a locker on board, |
| inflatable kayak designs means bigger | | | | below decks or in a closet or shed at home. |
| load-carrying capacity. Inflatable boats and | | | | They're also very convenient to take on |
| inflatable kayaks are designed with built-in | | | | picnics or on vacation, even in a small car. |
| buoyancy. The inflatable collar, or tubeset, | | | | |
| is the key that allows inflatable boats to | | | | Collar (buoyancy tube) design A unique |
| carry very heavy payloads in a safe and | | | | feature incorporated into many rigid-hull |
| stable manner. An added benefit is that they | | | | inflatables is the removable collar. The |
| are virtually unsinkable, and can generally | | | | collar is securely attached to the fiberglass |
| operate even with one or more chambers of the | | | | hull using a tongue-and-grove method and can |
| collar deflated. | | | | be easily slid off whenever necessary. This |
| | | | system allows for convenient storage, |
| High performance Most of today's modern | | | | maintenance and repairs. |
| inflatable boats and inflatable kayak designs | | | | |
| easily match conventional runabouts for speed | | | | Lightweight air-floors Some of the more |
| and handling, while some of the more | | | | advanced inflatables, like Zodiac's |
| sophisticated rigid-hulled inflatables are | | | | Fastroller, feature a special High-Pressure |
| clearly superior to ordinary fiberglass or | | | | inflatable air floor. Made of two layers of |
| aluminum boats. For instance, the Virage | | | | fabric, connected by thousands of tiny "drop |
| range of sports boats features Zodiac's | | | | stitches", this floor can be inflated to a |
| patented Futura speed tubes to produce | | | | high pressure, creating a floor with rigidity |
| amazing lift and stability. Because the | | | | equal to sheet of plywood a fraction of the |
| Futura hull merely kisses the water, it | | | | weight. Best of all, they can be completely |
| creates less drag and thus requires less | | | | deflated and stowed in only minutes without |
| power to reach incredible speeds while | | | | removing any parts. |
| performing with absolute safety. The big | | | | |
| rigid-hulled inflatable superboats are | | | | This high pressure air floor is softer on |
| equally impressive. With deep V-keels up | | | | knees and backsides too. |
| forward and flat planing sections aft they | | | | |
| can produce an astonishingly comfortable ride | | | | Transoms Given the size, weight and power of |
| in tough offshore conditions, yet maneuver | | | | outboard engines today, the transoms of |
| with ease in the tightest dock or harbor. | | | | inflatable boats must be strong enough to |
| | | | withstand enormous vibration and stress. |
| Non-marking features Inflatable boats are the | | | | |
| ideal yacht tender because of all their basic | | | | Many inflatables use multi-layer wood |
| advantages including: lightness, stability | | | | transoms that are glued or "thermobonded" to |
| and buoyancy. Unlike regular dinghies, | | | | the collars. The result is a high degree of |
| they're easy to lift on board. | | | | structural strength that reliably absorbs |
| | | | stresses exerted by outboards. |
| With special rubstrake glued or thermobonded | | | | |