Calling it Quits on the Inflatables

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Guest

Guest
Hi all, i decided Inflatable is not the most beneficial way on getting on the water anymore (will be selling my inflatable and shutting down for the season). Things i have learned:
If your going with inflatable try to stay away from the glued seams. Go for thermowelded if your wallet permits.
Air floor will give you a hard time try to go alluminum or wood floor boards.
inflatable keel will give you issues within time. Transom unglueing will also give you issues.
if you are putting together and breaking apart every outing then travel as light as possible.
Your boat is only as good as your motor. Don't buy what you can't carry. If you have to get less power but more weight friendly GO FOR IT!
If you have the opportunity to trailer, do not buy an inflatable.
FINAL COMMENTS: If you want an inflatable buy a RIB or a folding Rib.
 

Chopperbill

Petty Officer 1st Class
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Mar 26, 2014
Messages
389
Yep, I would not have one if I had to put together and take it out every time I went out. As I'm not into fishing just tooling around a lake here is very boring. I take mine to AZ for the winter for traveling up the Colo River and floating down. Several floating bars and saloons with docks which are a great time. Put the boat together the first of December and take it down the last of March. Works great hauling in the back of my pickup pulling my fifth wheel and not having to double tow a heavy boat. Works great for us. Yep, love to have a WinBoat. Air keels and floors are giant PITA! Tubes not much of a problem.
 

Sea Rider

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Sep 20, 2008
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Weimed,

Have you found a much friendly water toy that stress you least compared to your actual sib, you seemed so happy sibbing and fishing in Florida. One usually starts with a Sib as a first starter boat and through the learning curve end with a Rib.

Happy Boating
 

Exit

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
May 15, 2015
Messages
38
Sorry to hear you go from inflatables. I've had my sib for a few weeks now and have to agree with pretty much everything that's been said by all parties. My sib is a low cost starter boat. Once my income allows I will most likely get a rib or a small deep v boat.

That being said I think sibs are a lot of fun and offer an opportunity no other boat can. Good luck to you wiemed.
 

alanfox55

Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Nov 17, 2011
Messages
476
Good luck getting something that better meets your needs. I too have thought that if I was to do everything over again I would spend $10,000 and buy a brand new bass boat,the kind they make out of John boats.I would've ended up with a new boat that would fit my needs and not be to far from what I have into mine now.But my inflatable does allow me to pull my boat behind my RV with ease and I wouldn't be able to do that with a heavier boat.
 
G

Guest

Guest
searider, i loved my sib in new york. As i couldnt afford to pay dock charges and buy a boat my inflatable gave me the opportunity to get on the water fairly cheap. I will be looking to finance a boat like a 15-17ft mako, key largo, keywest something along those lines with either a 50-90 hp to be more gas friendly. Boating on an inflatable is fine but when it comes to fishing its a different ball game. Most recently i had a keel failure. Once i stripped the floors and everything off my boat found a silver spoon hooked into the keel. No freakn idea how it got down there. I really love those plastic boats that look like ribs but no much walkaround space.

Exit, good luck man.
alan, if you dont fish then the inflatable would do you fine. only reason i am switching is inflatable and hooks do not go into the same sentance. I did use my boat 2 years in new york setting up and breaking down every outing. Had bunch of pin holes which were fine because i was still able to get a days of finishing in before it because to low of air. Over here it sits in a garage so wvery time i try to use it again its as flat as a flounder. My time is getting to costly. I think i will find a nice used boat without power and finance a 50-70 hp outboard that way breaking down will not be an issue for at least 3 years
 

lemondrop9344

Seaman
Joined
Dec 9, 2012
Messages
51
weimed, Wishing you well for the future. I suspect those of us with inflatables have them for a variety of reasons.... trade offs and compromises most likely came into play on the decisions we made when we chose an inflatable. I use mine primarily for fishing and really enjoy it.
 
G

Guest

Guest
weimed, Wishing you well for the future. I suspect those of us with inflatables have them for a variety of reasons.... trade offs and compromises most likely came into play on the decisions we made when we chose an inflatable. I use mine primarily for fishing and really enjoy it.

i caught really nice fish on it. Honestly had better catch then some of those big boats that were thinking i am crazy to be as far as them. The timing is just really bad for me. Buying a home later this year and even though i love boating and fishing, it needs to take a back seat Until we settle everything. Plus boating and fishing without my buddies really stinks!
 

fbpooler

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Aug 13, 2011
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334
From a canoe to a cruise ship, all boats are a compromise suited for different primary purposes. I have been impressed at the advantages available from the inflatables when you lived up north, but NE Florida waters are more suited for a hard hull. I hope you find something which will let you take advantage of your new home waters soon.
 

pgnyc

Seaman
Joined
Jun 23, 2013
Messages
61
Hi Weimed.
Sorry ro hear that but would not have my sib if i had place for a trailer.
I really enjoy it right now , soon i'll take it to Cape cod and maybe having a road trip to st Louis and put it in Mississipi !!!!!!
In fact if you still enjoy boating after all the requirement you ready for any boat .

Pascal
 

mrdrh99

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Feb 1, 2013
Messages
756
I very much agree. I had a lot of fun in my Saturn but for me the set up and tear down every time made it such a chore I found myself passing up many opportunities to go out. I have moved on to a14'side console aluminum and couldn't be happier!
 

Chopperbill

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Mar 26, 2014
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I just tore mine down yesterday. Wasn't excited about just circling a lake in 100* heat. Use for river fun in AZ anyway. Point is I can't see how you guys can put e'm together and take e'm down every time. I'd be looking for a 12' aluminum boat, except the inflatable is ideal for my situation.
 

gwozhog

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Sep 19, 2012
Messages
138
I said the same thing 2 years ago. Sold my inflatable and bought a mastercraft ski boat. for the last two years I have been maintaining a 310hp engine, expensive storage fees, and insurance costs, and fuel expenses that would fund a college education. While I had fun I always found myself watching SIB videos on YouTube dreaming of owning another boat that I can check on an airplane. Sold my mastercraft 2 weeks ago and I'm now in the planning stages of piecing together my blow up dream again. I'm going to be booking a cruise pretty soon out of Galveston first to the Bahamas so I can buy a brand new 2 stroke engine then it's on like donkey kong. My point is there is something very unique about inflatable that draws us to them. So you might be calling it quits for now but you will be back!
 

Chopperbill

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Mar 26, 2014
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If and when I buy a different boat it'll be a WinBoat or similar. I'm not into fishing or water sports, just cruising. I can deal with the tubes. Not interested in trailers and storage along with taxes and license. I will have to figure out a flat floor to make It more comfy, but the shouldn't be to difficult. They may come out with a floor by the time I got money to burn.
 
G

Guest

Guest
I said the same thing 2 years ago. Sold my inflatable and bought a mastercraft ski boat. for the last two years I have been maintaining a 310hp engine, expensive storage fees, and insurance costs, and fuel expenses that would fund a college education. While I had fun I always found myself watching SIB videos on YouTube dreaming of owning another boat that I can check on an airplane. Sold my mastercraft 2 weeks ago and I'm now in the planning stages of piecing together my blow up dream again. I'm going to be booking a cruise pretty soon out of Galveston first to the Bahamas so I can buy a brand new 2 stroke engine then it's on like donkey kong. My point is there is something very unique about inflatable that draws us to them. So you might be calling it quits for now but you will be back!


For cruising i would keep it hands down. For fishing not so much. I finally repaired my keel and will be putting my boat back together sometime next week to hit up the jetties around mayport florida. this will def be my last season.
 

Sea Rider

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Sep 20, 2008
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If and when I buy a different boat it'll be a WinBoat or similar. I will have to figure out a flat floor to make It more comfy, but the shouldn't be to difficult. They may come out with a floor by the time I got money to burn.

The spirit of a Winboat is to fold it down to a 3 piece folded rib, just add air and out you go. The only possible way to turn that deck into a straight flat one would be placing a removable one piece thick transom-bow playwood false upper deck, provided that you have a edge all around lower deck contour for false upper deck to rest there and on top "hinges", where bolts and nuts secures lower deck flat.

If you like napping, how about doing it on middle top tubes. The worst thing that could happen will be falling into the blue while zzzzzz!!.

Happy Boating
 

Chopperbill

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Mar 26, 2014
Messages
389
The spirit of a Winboat is to fold it down to a 3 piece folded rib, just add air and out you go. The only possible way to turn that deck into a straight flat one would be placing a removable one piece thick transom-bow playwood false upper deck, provided that you have a edge all around lower deck contour for false upper deck to rest there and on top "hinges", where bolts and nuts secures lower deck flat.

If you like napping, how about doing it on middle top tubes. The worst thing that could happen will be falling into the blue while zzzzzz!!.

Happy Boating

I was thinking about 2-3 bean bag chairs. Would form into the hull pretty good.
 

fbpooler

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Aug 13, 2011
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Weimed is in a unique situation, as he has many square miles of fishable water, much of it shallow filled with oysters waiting to tear tubes to shreds. The inlets and ocean are often very rough, so we never use the inflatables here a bit north of his location due to the same problems. Get your brains beat out in the ocean or large rivers and then have to work shallow water to find the fish. Hard hulls rule in these waters.

You can be running around a bend in the river in 30 feet of clean water and immediately ground on an oyster filled mud bank. Bye bye inflatable tubes.
 

Sea Rider

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Sep 20, 2008
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In that particular case one of Rambo's or Norris 50 cal machine gun proof inflatable will be mandatory to buy, just a thought.

Happy Boating
 

Chopperbill

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Joined
Mar 26, 2014
Messages
389
The inflatables on "The Last Ship" have a pretty good track record for being bullet proof too.
 
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