RIB vs SIB

[Luvinflatableboats]

Hi,

went on a boat ride on our lake with my Son and my wife. It was a little windy on the way out but after an hour on the lake it got really windy and the lake got rough with white caps making the journey home very rough.

I exchanged my Zodiac Zoom SIB for a Titan RIB this year. The difference in dealing with the white caps was amazing. The RIB handled the rougher water much better than the Zodiac especially when the floor would bounce up and down and the whole things would slam hard against the water. The ride was way drier and also I was able to go faster without it being totally uncomfortable.

We got home at a slower pace but nobody felt that we were in any danger and the ride was a lot more comfortable than the Zodiac.

If you have the space it is well worth considering a RIB. In our application it seems to be a more substantial boat.


Darryl

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: RIB vs SIB

Once you try Ribs won't like Sibs, much better bumpless ride, handles smaller engines, are drier and weights a bit more than same size sibs, the ony issue : will need a trailer and a larger place to store it.

Happy Ribbing

 

[Luvinflatableboats]

Re: RIB vs SIB

Hi,

Yes you are right the difference is remarkable. Especially in our lake when returning can be quite nasty from an afternoon adventure the RIB seems to be better. I have a 20 horse 4 stroke Yamaha engine which can get the boat to about 34 miles per hour. The time to get to plane is also very quick.

The only complaint is the RIB is narrower and shorter. Narrower by 1 inch but feels like a lot more and shorter by 6 inches but feels a lot more too.


D.

 

[shrew]

Re: RIB vs SIB

Zodiac makes ribs too. You refer to the Titan RIB as a 'RIB", and the Zodiac SIB as a "Zodiak".. It infers that the problem was with Zodiak, not the style of boat (SIB).

Just an FYI.

 

[dunhi11]

Re: RIB vs SIB

i am interested in rib too. but since i have no space for a trailer, i am just wondering if there is a rib which can be folded and fit into a mini van with two rows of back seats down. i have been west marine, but the salesperson cannot be sure about their rib 310. maybe next time i just drive a mini van to west marine to try it out. do you guys have any other recommendations? thanks.

 

[dunhi11]

Re: RIB vs SIB

googled around, found zodiac cadet compact 250, quite nice and fit the bill. anyone has this boat?

 

[TOHATSU GURU]

Re: RIB vs SIB

It's too small to be useful. You need to go up to the 300. Nice boat and you can buy the 300 for $2000.00.

 

[Luvinflatableboats]

Re: RIB vs SIB

To clarify I had a Zodiac Zoom 380 SIB which had the older style valves and is the bottom of the line Zodiac. The Transom would move around in the big swells and the floor would band down with a big noise during rough water outings. This particular one was made in France and also had a slow leak in the front seam in the passenger cabin. It had been latexed many times without success by the dealer. When I took it in for repair the dealer was confident that they could redo the seam and cure the leak.

He also offered me a good deal on a Titan RIB and I liked the flat false floor and the transom that is reinforced. So I opted to trade in the Zodiac for the Titan.

The Titan has Hawkley Roberts valves which are a pleasure and also the paddles fit on the inside and the paddle attachments are better.

The ride, handling and speed of the RIB are far superor to the SIB. I am sure a Zodiac RIB would handle as well if not better.

I liked the Titan and its my opinion that although it is made in China it is made using German Mehler material. So far it has held its air the whole season.

I don't love the one way valve of the Titan and the Zodiac one was better. The Titan is also narrower and shorter than the Zodiac. It is rated for 25 horse and I have a 20 horse on it. I rarely get to go to full power since the boat goes like a bat out of hell. I can get it to 30-33 Miles per hour using my GPS.

I did hit someones wake going fast and I was thrown out of the boat when it got some air.

Darryl

 

[dunhi11]

Re: RIB vs SIB

thanks for your suggestion of 300, i like to have a bigger boat too, but as i mentioned i planned to fold it and fit it into a mini van with 2 rows of seats down, so i think 250 is more practical for me.

 

[Luvinflatableboats]

Re: RIB vs SIB

When it comes to inflatables bigger is definitely better as long as you can fit it into your life. The bigger ones offer of course more room but also handle rougher water much better and are more stable.

 

[TOHATSU GURU]

Re: RIB vs SIB

You only have the room that you have But, the 300 deflated fits into it's own storage bag and is only 7'4" long. It may still fit.

 

[Chris in Indiana]

Re: RIB vs SIB

I've owned a 10' Achilles SIB for years and always loved the super-shallow spots I could get into without getting out of the boat. I think it drafts like 2" of water once I pull the outboard up. Plus I can drive it anywhere, even through surf in the open ocean, and I don't need a ramp to get it in the water. That boat is like a tractor and will last forever. HOWEVER, it's a wet ride -always. For my family it's a toy to be used at the beach or local lake/pond/river and none of us would go near it without a bathing suit on to begin with. That said my boys are getting older, and my wife would like to cruise around sans swimming suit so I'm starting to look at RIB's.
In truth my SIB and 9.9 outboard are portable in the academic sense, they fit in the trunk and can be assembled in under a 1/2 an hour (+ back pain) but forget about bringing anything else because the trunk is full. While on vacation in TX during the last week I've watched several people with RIB's drop their boats in at the ramp and be gone in less than 5 minutes, they come back dry and are always blowing past me in the bay (Higher HP ratings) so I have to say it looks like a better option at this point in life. Can't wait until I get one! Just have to find a place to park it since my neighborhood association doesn't allow storing boats outside.
As to fitting an RIB in tight spaces, didn't AVON make a lightweight version of their 8-11' RIB's with a folding transom? It looked like a surfboard all wrapped up.