| Many people dream of someday buying a boat. | | | | Although price is an important factor for the |
| Whether the boat will be used for an annual | | | | inflatable boat buyer, any serious boat enthusiast's |
| fishing trip or for excursions on the lake every | | | | first concern is the safety of the passengers. |
| weekend, a boat is a symbol of luxury that | | | | You'll be glad to know that inflatable boats are as |
| appeals to a wide range of the population. What | | | | safe as or safer than traditional craft. |
| some people don't realize is that inflatable boats | | | | One of the big advantages of inflatable dinghy is |
| offer many of the features of traditional water | | | | their stability. Due to the layout of the buoyancy |
| craft along with a few important advantages all | | | | tubes and the low center of gravity, the boat is |
| their own. | | | | almost impossible to capsize and virtually |
| Economic advantages: | | | | unsinkable. Since the tubes are designed with |
| One of the main reasons people are first drawn | | | | several sealed compartments, even a severe |
| to inflatable boats is the appealing price tag and | | | | puncture will not sink this boat. The added |
| the incredible value. In the past, these boats were | | | | buoyancy of the air tubes allows the craft to |
| quite expensive due to the need for exotic | | | | remain seaworthy even after taking on enough |
| materials and hours of labor required. As material | | | | water to sink a traditional craft of the same size. |
| and manufacturing technology improved, prices | | | | Other advantages of inflatable boats and dinghies: |
| came down and these boats cost a fraction of | | | | When done with their water recreation, owners |
| what a traditionally hulled boat would. Furthermore, | | | | simply deflate the smaller boats and pack them in |
| as prices dropped the boats became more | | | | the trunk of their cars. Imagine trying that with a |
| popular and manufacturers were able to use the | | | | traditional rigid hull boat! When not being used, the |
| economy of scale to reduce their costs even | | | | boats require only a little space in a garage, RV or |
| more. Today, as little as a few hundred dollars | | | | storage shed rather than the daunting storage |
| can make your dream of boat ownership a | | | | area required by a traditional boat. |
| reality. | | | | Some rigid inflatable boats are large enough to |
| The savings don't stop with your purchase. These | | | | require trailers for transport, but even these are |
| boats require substantially less maintenance than | | | | as little as a third the weight of a traditional |
| traditional boats, saving you both time and money. | | | | aluminum/ run-about boat of the same size. Like |
| Since you take your boat with you when you are | | | | the smaller craft, once deflated they require far |
| done, you save on additional mooring fees. | | | | less storage space than traditional boats. |
| Should you decide to sell your boat, maybe | | | | Inflatable boats give you economy, safety, and |
| upgrading to a larger size, you will be pleased at | | | | practicality. What more could you want from your |
| how inflatable boats retain their resale value. | | | | water recreation purchase? |
| Stability and safety: | | | | |