Seamax Ocean 430 Alu Floor Sib.-

Sea Rider

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Was wondering if someone owns this model sib ? If so what's the manufacturer keel PSI recommended pressure ? A friend of mine bought one, has awfull water tech flaws. Will post complete water test so to be aware about this crappy sib.

Happy Boating
 

Sea Rider

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This Korean brand seems to be made in same Saturn fabric, anyway what's the max keel pressure recommended for a Saturn inflatable ?

Happy Boating
 

Sea Rider

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This Korean brand seems to be made in same Saturn fabric, anyway what's the max keel pressure recommended for a Saturn inflatable ?

Happy Boating


Never mind,

It's Max 5.0 PSI for keel

Happy Boating
 

Chopperbill

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Mar 26, 2014
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I called the Saturn dealer with the same question for the same problem. I told him the max on the chart is close to 6 lb and still seemed spongy. He said basically not to go by the chart and pump them with hand pump until they are hard to the touch and hard to put more air in. Tubes have safety valves. Floor will take 12 lb with hand pump. Keel I got to 9 lb and probably could have got more in but did not feel comfortable putting more in. Did that a couple of weeks ago and boat has never been better. Got the dealers okay so I'm good with that.
 

Chopperbill

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Saturn chart I put up before
 

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Sea Rider

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Seamax Ocean 430 Quick Review :

A new boater of my same boating Club bought this new sib, prior buying it was advised not to do so and opt for a family oriented same size Rib. Made deaf ears to the recommendation. The package came with an engine stand, light trailor and a short shaft Evinrude 4 stroke 25 HP engine. As the engine will be placed and retrieve from transom after each outing how can you recommend an engine which weights 82 kilos, insane to say the least. Managed to return the Evi 25 and recommend a 2 stroke Tohatsu 30 HP which only weights 52 kilos, that's 20 kilo and lots of $$$$ difference. A 30 Hp is the max that model will take nicely without overpowering it.

Seamax 430-2.JPG

Right after the sib was assembled, saw a tech flaw that's common to many brand sibs. The side joiner which are rather skinny for this size sib rests very close to tube fabric, if a side edge patch is not glued at both extremes of side joiners, in the very short run will end abrading tube's fabric, bad news. Owner installed 2 part per side joiners facing each other rather than on an X crossed pattern.

Seamax 430-1.JPG

Tubes and keel were inflated to 3.0 PSI once on water for overall pressure to stabilize on a sunny summer day, water trial was conducted on ideal non wind flat sea condition. The engine is undergoing its break in period, at slow//fast displacement speeds perform nice as any inflatable would do provided that's well inflated to at least 3.0 PSI minimum in each air chamber. When giving juice at 1/3 throttle the sib starts to plane, when giving 1/2 throttle the sib plows bow down and has a very erratic scary water behaviour, tends to go sideways, chine walking as of the experts. The thin side joiners does not provide a proper support to give proper floor panels their best rigidity, Deck feels like rolling under it.

You can visibly see front bow water splashes at both sides, the quantity will depend entirely on who sits up front for a spot on sib ballance. The more weight up front the more will splash sideways. Water flow passes 2 cm under ideal small upper water def plate as of my likeness, with more passengers engine should go deeper and reduce the height gap. Engine is locked at second hole out transom which gives a parallel boat and cav plate when on plane.

Seamax 430-4.JPG

Seamax 430-5.JPG

Excessive water is entering deck, not known from where, assume is the water drain valve which has a floodgate in middle, prefer traditional plug ones, works spot on for me. This sib seems to have the keel placed to near to bow as for the lateral excessive splash it produces.


Seamax 430-3.JPG

Wednesday is Happy Day or Waterloo time for this sib and owner, flooring will be dismantled to have a look at water drain valve which probably has sealing issues, side joiners will be assembled at an X pattern, will flood entire lower fabric with soapy water, assemble all alum panels & side joiners previously soaked in soapy water, proceed to fully inflate sib to max 3.5 PSI for tubes, 5-6 PSI for keel. Soapy water will let side joiners snap easily on floor panel boards, keel to slip and find its best middle resting position along floorboards best alignment.

This sib bears a Canadian Certificate plate, would like to know what's involved in its certification, meantime has 0 seaworthiness certification to me. If sib fails the rigorous examination on next and finale sea trial, owner will have thrown at least + 3 grand into the blue....(that to be discovered soon, stay tuned)

Happy Boating
 
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Sea Rider

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Meanwhile was inquring here about keel pressure wrote Seamax and made 2 tech inquiries about their Ocean 430 model.

(1) Side joiners being 2 different sizes per side should face and match same size or be placed crossed in a X pattern ?

* Same size will work as well or put side joiners at X pattern.
-First answer is wrong, if you do so floor will develop the "hinge effect" Z rails will bend or break where same size joiner faces each other specially when boating with defleated tubes at choppy seas, passing or jumping waves, stressing the floor deck.

(2) What's the max keel PSI working pressure ?
* Keel and chamber 2-3 PSI are all good.
-Poorly answer coming from a Company that sells inflatables and are supposed to be real pros, with those stated working pressures expect an overall crappy sea performance...

Happy Boating
 

Chopperbill

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Is there a difference in speed and handling between the different inflation rates

Won't even make a good row boat with the recommended pressures. Planning problems in various stages filled to max. Dealer recommended " fill e'm until Its hard" then you gotta pretty good boat. Reading between the lines with their fill directions I think they only want you to fill to recommend inflations with an electric pump and finish off with hand pump.
 

Sea Rider

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I use a Bravo electric inflator which inflates to max 3.0 PSI, if in need to inflate more, use a Bravo Alu 4 hand pump to top to max 3.5 PSI specially if water is cold. Both pumps have their individual pressure gauges. Inflatables are hard and slow to be rowed, too much hull drag to overcome with 2 oars.

Happy Boating
 
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Sea Rider

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Waterloo Time,

Sib didn't make it to the peer, blew one of its rear air chambers while topping pressure at just 3.2 PSI. So will be returned to dealer for a change of the same brand but the HD model which costs more, are near exact replicas of JP Marine Inflatables.

P1220406.JPG

Good news, after being repaired owner will use it for 45 days for free . Bad news, is the time it takes to order and fly one of those down here, down issue, will be plain black....at least will not be left stranded in middle summer..

Happy Boating
 

Sea Rider

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Bad news, shameless dealer wants to charge $ 100 to repair air leak on chamber on crappy Sib sold by him. Thast Sib has so many dried seams that surely will blow on any other chamber once inflated, it's a Canadian left over piece of junk....

As dealer won't accept the bill repair, buyer is about to cancel the whole deal with him, including the new HD Sib.

Happy Boating
 

alanfox55

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Nov 17, 2011
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You may dislike Sea Eagle but at least they have great customer service. They would've replaced that boat even with a larger one,rush shipped it to him and let him keep the original even after four years like they did for me.
 

Sea Rider

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It's not that deslike SE, it's just that their performance is crappy due to plastic hollow floorboards. Dealer could change Sib endlessly one after the other, but the floor issue still will be going on the new one and so on...

Those SE are just for lakes, calm waters, ponds, for fishing, zipping beers and that's about all. Have in our shop 3-14 footers, luckily not mine, all with broken floorboards in just 2 summers, that tells you a lot about their quality.

After trying a alum floor 14 footer Sib, you will deslike the SE 14 footer performance.

Happy Boating
 
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alanfox55

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It's not that deslike SE, it's just that their performance is crappy due to plastic hollow floorboards. Dealer could change Sib endlessly one after the other, but the floor issue still will be going on the new one and so on...

Those SE are just for lakes, calm waters, ponds, for fishing, zipping beers and that's about all. Have in our shop 3-14 footers, luckily not mine, all with broken floorboards in just 2 summers, that tells you a lot about their quality.

After trying a alum floor 14 footer Sib, you will deslike the SE 14 footer performance.

Happy Boating

If it's only been two years they are still under warranty and should call Sea Eagle for new floor boards,why didn't they? You may be right about performance but I'll find out for myself in a couple of months. For now I watch videos like this one where the guy is using a 25hp Yamaha on a boat like mine and I'm not seeing any lack of performance. https://youtu.be/tJVRdcwGxu4
 

Sea Rider

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Warranty is useless, we're about 20/25 thousand miles from a USA SE dealer. What's the issue about replacing complete floorboard if it will break again, we have strong UV radiation and it's getting worse each year. By performance I mean floor rocks to much on choppy water, doesn't feel solid like an alum floorboard, so must throttle down or risk disassembling front hollow plastic floorboard. Everybody loves their current brand toy, it has already been purchased, if with tech issues can't do anything about it except return it to dealer for a refund.

Happy Boating
 

alanfox55

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Warranty is useless, we're about 20/25 thousand miles from a USA SE dealer. What's the issue about replacing complete floorboard if it will break again, we have strong UV radiation and it's getting worse each year. By performance I mean floor rocks to much on choppy water, doesn't feel solid like an alum floorboard, so must throttle down or risk disassembling front hollow plastic floorboard. Everybody loves their current brand toy, it has already been purchased, if with tech issues can't do anything about it except return it to dealer for a refund.

Happy Boating

You can deal directly with Sea Eagle and if your in Argentina they are about 5,000 miles away. What's the issue with replacing the floor boards every two years if it's for free?I really have to question your bias against Sea Eagle. You tell everyone how crappy their boats are yet your the only one on any site I've heard that from. I've told you about their good customer service and warranty yet to you and I guess everyone else that should mean nothing. I think they also have a six month return policy and that includes paying the freight. I've showed three YouTube videos that show no performance issues like you say they have yet you continue to tell me that. I really have to question the two boats in your shop you use as examples you use to tell me and everyone else how crappy Sea Eagles are. How well did they take care of them? Did they keep them covered? How old were they? Are they older boats before Sea Eagle started using the two floor supports they use now? Sea Eagle is a successful business that sells their boats all over the world. They have a good warranty and great customer service. I have to wonder how they even stay in business if their boats are as crappy as you say they are. I don't think the two boats in your shop is a big enough sample to come to the conclusion that Sea Eagle makes crappy boats but I will soon find out for myself. I will promise you this. If I find out from my own experience problems or things I don't like about my boat I will be quick to come on here and tell everyone about it. For now I can say so far so good. I've had mine for three years now and even though I've not had it in the water it has been inflated and not always under cover the whole time and mine looks brand new.
 

ronaldj

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Alanfox55
I think that the real issue is
The stress of 4 stroke engines as opposed to 2 stroke engines and
Long shaft outboards as opposed to Short shaft outboards.
I believe that all boats should be rated for outboard transom weight as opposed to HP.
 
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