The three steps of choosing a boat should consider the following issues:

1. Balance the contradiction between portability and water performance to choose the right bottom plate

2. Choose the right hull material according to the use environment of the boat

3. Buy the largest boat within your budget and space requirements

1. Appropriate bottom plate

The bottom plate structure of the inflatable boat directly affects portability, installation convenience, storage volume and water performance. Synthetic plastic, fiberglass or aluminum alloy hard bottom inflatable boats with V-shaped bottoms have good flying performance, but must be transported and stored by trailers and hangers. Boats with flexible fabric bottoms can be folded very compactly, but they sacrifice some water driving performance. If you want the boat to take off and the speed to at least exceed 5mph (8 kilometers per hour), then a semi-hard bottom boat is a must.

Soft bottom rubber boats

Economical boats such as mini rubber boats or micro rubber boats are very easy to install and very easy to carry. They are more suitable for use on the coast and small waters, fishing or camping. Their bottom plates are inflatable and do not need to be removed for storage. Powered by paddles or electric motors, these float-like rubber boats are the cheapest and have only the most basic functions.

Rollable boats

Similar to the previous rubber boat, this boat does not need to remove the bottom plate for transportation. We can open, inflate, and launch it in a few minutes. The bottom plate is fabric and covered with wooden strips. You don't need to remove these strips. This boat has a tail plate, so you can use a low-horsepower outboard engine. The advantage of this boat is its simplicity, but its flat bottom and low-horsepower drive design make it impossible to take off, and it is only suitable for activities in ports and calm waters.

Sport boats

The bottom plate of the sports inflatable boat is removable, usually made of composite wood or aluminum alloy. A through aluminum fixing groove is used to clamp the bottom plate from both sides to form a whole. After the bottom plate is installed and the port and starboard air chambers and the tapered keel air chamber are inflated, the bottom of the boat is tightened to form a shallow V shape, which makes it have better turning tracking and drainage than a flat-bottomed boat. This type of bottom plate makes it heavier than ordinary rubber boats, but it can be equipped with a 6-25 horsepower outboard engine, running faster, and the cost performance is very good.

Inflatable bottom boat

A sports boat, by replacing its wooden bottom plate with a high-pressure inflatable bottom plate, becomes an inflatable bottom boat (sometimes also called an inflatable bottom boat). It combines the excellent performance of a sports boat with the lightweight portability of a soft bottom boat. Its unique high-pressure inflatable bottom plate (air pressure is set to 11psi) is very light. And when it is deflated, it can be rolled into the boat. It can take off immediately after launching, and it is amazing that it can achieve good performance with a small horsepower outboard engine. This is due to its smaller weight. The whole boat can bend slightly to absorb the impact of waves, while such waves on a hard-bottomed boat may throw people out. Although more expensive than a regular sport boat, it packs a lot of punch and is anything but mediocre. Installation time is very, very short!

Rigid Bottom Boats (RIBs) or Hard Hulls

RIBs have the feel and performance of a real "boat", with the right stiffness and deep V-bottom. Its fiberglass hull cuts through waves like a regular hard hull, and survives high speeds, sand, rocks and tanks without abrasion. But unlike a hard hull, its inflatable sides make the hull more stable and buoyant.

But it doesn't have the same performance as a hard hull. The hull can't be disassembled and can't be carried in a folding bag. It takes up a lot less space when deflated than when not deflated, but it still takes up space. So we generally recommend it for those who can store it on the mother ship deck or davits without deflation or on the open deck after deflation. Of course, its light weight also makes it easy to transport on a trailer.

Compact or Folding RIBs

Compact RIBs have a hinged folding crossbar that allows them to be packed down significantly, from roof rack to inflatable and in the water in 10 minutes. The hull is made of fiberglass or RIMTEC molded polyester, with a shallow V-shaped bottom. The composite crossbar is firmly bonded to the inflation tube. The bottom plate is connected to the crossbar by hinges so that the crossbar can be folded when stored. They can be packed in a large ziplock bag and look like a large surfboard. However, they are still a bit bulky, and these RIBs are only slightly more suitable for stowing under the foredeck or Boom than regular RIBs. They fit nicely on a roof rack or in the trunk of a station wagon when transported.

Catamaran Sportboats

The catamaran inflatable sportboat is the best performing of the inflatable boat types. The Improved Cats and its close cousin, the Military Inflatable SportCats, are the next generation of the high-speed surf rescue boats that were developed on the South African coast in the early 1980s. These rescue boats can reach speeds of 65mph (104 kilometers per hour) and can be used on rough waters. Sport Cats usually race with two crew members. They are called zapCats in the UK and Europe, ThunderCats in South Africa, New Zealand and Australia, and are listed in the A.P.B.A. inflatable boat circuit competition in the United States. It is similar to NASCAR on water. Google the above content online and you will be attracted. Improved Cats are the traditional version of these incredible boats.

Ordinary flat-bottomed sports boats, plus two wedge-shaped water fins made of high-pressure air pipes and high-density rubber, become a cave-shaped hull that can provide lift and take off immediately. The air cushion feels very stable when moving at high speeds. When turning sharply, the inner side of the wedge-shaped water fin bites the water body, and the outer side slides the water body to ensure that the whole boat will not roll. This allows the boat to turn sharply at very high speeds. The boat with an extra-large main air tank and an extended beam can also carry more weight and maintain a more stable posture.

Improved Cats have other additional advantages: the cavernous hull design increases speed (allows for a smaller motor, less fuel consumption), very flexible and accurate reverse control (unlike other inflatable boats), and it is easier to paddle. Finally, it can be easily towed behind other power machines and sailing boats.

2. Choose the right material: Hypalon or PVC?

What hull material you use depends on the environment you usually use it in. Two options: PVC with polyurethane cover and Hypalon (covered neoprene nylon). Both materials are strong, durable and reliable and can be used in any environment. But if you play boats in tropical areas most of the time, then Hypalon rubber boats will be more durable because it has better UV resistance.

PVC and Hypalon boats are often different in structure, but both are very reliable. Some manufacturers use pressure welding technology to weld pieces of PVC together, and the seams are even stronger than the material itself. At the same time, because the surface of PVC is denser than that of Hypalon, the inflation pressure can be lower than that of Hypalon rubber boats.

Hypalon inflatable boats (and some PVC inflatable boats) are generally bonded with high-strength adhesives. Compared with the factory-made automatic welding of PVC, this is a labor-intensive production method, which is also the weakness of some cheap boats, so this manual work must pay attention to quality assurance.

What boat is best for you?

Except for the saying "bigger is better", there are several considerations. One is the shelf life of the boat. A good factory and retailer can provide a relatively long shelf life. The second is accessories, valves and hardware: If you are buying a boat for the first time, it is easy to be overlooked that the quality of the boat's various equipment and accessories. The gap in this area is very large on cheap boats. However, if you don't use it yourself, the buyer will not realize how much impact these inferior products have. Good manufacturers will provide good stainless steel pull rings, sturdy aluminum oars, reliable inflation valves and efficient air pumps. These will help you spend the least effort to complete the inflation process of the boat.

But still buy the right size boat!! Bigger boats handle much better than smaller boats. A 2.7m boat handles, loads and rides differently than a 3m boat due to the difference in water contact area. Unless you have tried both, the difference is bigger than you think. Boats smaller than 2.7m can take off, but they don't perform well and can easily lose flight. 10ft (especially 11ft) boats have less bow lift when accelerating and can maintain flight at lower speeds. They are also less sensitive to small changes in direction, which makes them less laborious to drive. Larger cabins and larger side also make the boat less likely to get wet. Longer boats have more usable interior space, which is usually limited by the large air chamber and the shape of the bow. A 9'3' boat has only 7 feet of actual usable length, and the rest of the length is used in the V-shaped bow. For every foot longer, there is one foot more interior space and 14% more floor area.

Buying a smaller boat is usually considered to be able to store on the deck or swimming step without deflation, or to be easy to carry on airplanes and cars. During transportation, only two people are usually required. If you don’t have much storage space or it’s just you and your spouse, then an 8-foot boat is enough. You may not regret buying a large boat, but you may regret buying a small boat that doesn’t meet your usage requirements. If weight is the main consideration, then the inflatable HP boat and high-pressure HP-V inflatable boat are options. Both boats are very good, very light, and can use motors from 4HP to 25HP, and they are easy to take off. Their advantages in high speed, control and portability will make you feel comfortable to use.

Finding the perfect inflatable boat in your mind is not difficult. Just choose the right materials according to your preference for the type of boat you play, according to the use environment, and consider portability and sports performance. A high-quality inflatable boat can generally be used for 10 years or even longer. When all that should be said and tried is tried, you will find your invincible and versatile inflatable boat.