Inflatables

[oldschoolto]

I'm looking at inflatables... It's just me and the wife... Need to roll-up to fit in a box about the size of a pick-up truck bed box... 30 to 40 hp... I like the look of this one... Anyone ever deal or own one of this brand of boat... 14 5 ft Military Dive Inflatable Boat JP Marine Zodiac Avon Achilles New | eBay

Jim..

 

[AfterDark]

I couldn't access the link from work, IT security don't ya know. Anyway I just bought a old 13' AVON a 1988 I think. Still in good shape with a 30HP outboard and a trailer. Same here just my wife and I and maybe a 3rd person for boat sitting. I haven't got it in the water yet but will in the next few months. I don't see how you can go wrong.

 

[Peter_C]

You would be better off asking that question here Inflatable boats - RIBnet Forums You can also research for previous posts under the forum as there is a wealth of information.

You do realize the boat will weigh 200lbs minus the floor right? That is not exactly portable. A 40hp motor weighs another 200+ pounds. I use a cherry picker to take my motor on and off. Then to get the boat into and out of the water you will need a set of launching wheels. Guess what? They don't really make a pair of wheels to handle 500lbs. There is no way I would ever consider taking my 4.2m boat apart every time I wanted to use it. Instead it lives on a trailer.

Sorry to be a buzz kill, but the reality will save you from a mistake. Now if you are willing to get a trailer by all means go BIG!

Now a smaller boat with a 15hp motor or something should suit you fine. I wouldn't recommend an air floor for scuba diving out of.

Also if you do plan to dive from an unattended boat are you prepared to do so? It is not something to take lightly.

 

[oldschoolto]

Did it solo for many years... And it's the trailer I want to get away from.... Travel to site... set up boat for a week or two of diving... Live in camper van... Take apart and go back home.... At home I'd trailer it...

Jim....

 

[Nemrod]

For two people you could probably do with a 25 horse engine. Even those these days are heavy. The old Merc and Yamaha two-stroke 25 would run strong and barely weighed over 100 pounds. A 25 four stroke is about 150 pounds. It takes my wife and me to handle our Canucra which is about 13.5 feet, maybe close to 14. I have used up to a 35/40 engine on it but it always did best all around with a 25.

N

 

[oldschoolto]

Maybe I can talk my older brother out of his old 1974 25hp mercury short shaft.... and go with the 12 1/2 ft one... 12 5 ft Military Dive Inflatable Boat F470 JP Marine | eBay

Jim...

 

[Orlando Eric]

How far is the dive site from the launch site? I love my kayak. Easy to load, launch and I tow it as I dive.

 

[Bhtmec2]

I have a JP Marine 17.5 and I can tell you it is a pain to move with 2 men. The motor is a 50 hp and it also is a pain. I used to do this in the military and now I look back and know why my back hurts now.

Yes it is portable and can be broken down and put together like you want. Go with the smaller one and it will be more manageable than the 14.5'. Just so you know it never seams to deflate and pack as small as from the factory. JP Marine boats are great and the price is not bad. I have used Zodiac for years but would now recommend this line.
Good
luck.

 

[KD8NPB]

I would not buy it. If you look past the marketing spiel, it's a made in China glued-seam PVC boat. Even a Zodiac's older glued seam boats only lasted a decade or so. These Chinese boats tend to average about 5 years before catastrophic failure. Other problems I've had to fix:
Seat holders disintegrated (cheap nylon strap, no UV resistance)
Rotted transoms (poor quality wood treatment, not water sealed properly)
Leaky valves (loose tolerances, hardened rubber seats)
Sundamaged tube material
Disintegrating factory covers (low UV resistance...kinda silly for a cover)

One of my personal favorites : The factory forgot to silkscreen on the pressure ratings around the valve on one side...so they used a sharpie.

If you do choose to pick up a cheap inflatable, store it inflated in a cool, dark area. I've heard stories of people storing roll-up boats in garages or attics, then pulling them out a month or two later to find all of the seams are starting to fail. Heat and peeling are the bane of anything glued.

For diving, you want a RIB, you want hypalon, you want a trailer, you want a big outboard, and you want some smart tabs (it's tough to get on a plane without them). Best of all, you can stage your gear by just throwing it in the boat. 430 (~14 ft) is a perfect size to accommodate 2-3 divers fairly comfortably.

As of about 2010 or so, ALL of Zodiacs mid-tier and above PVC boats have RF welded seams. It takes an act of god to cause a welded seam to fail.

 

[Peter_C]

I would not buy it. If you look past the marketing spiel, it's a made in China glued-seam PVC boat. Even a Zodiac's older glued seam boats only lasted a decade or so. These Chinese boats tend to average about 5 years before catastrophic failure.

Most everything cheap is made overseas, and yes you get what you pay for. From everything I have read many inflatable boats come from the same factory in Korea, and the tubes are put together with thermo-bonding or now more common RF welding like Zodiac uses. It is too expensive to use glue and the machine allows them to build boats faster.

One of my personal favorites : The factory forgot to silkscreen on the pressure ratings around the valve on one side...so they used a sharpie.

Hahaha, classic!

If you do choose to pick up a cheap inflatable, store it inflated in a cool, dark area. I've heard stories of people storing roll-up boats in garages or attics, then pulling them out a month or two later to find all of the seams are starting to fail. Heat and peeling are the bane of anything glued.

I have heard stories of that too, but others do store them in their bag for years with no issues.

For diving, you want a RIB, you want hypalon, you want a trailer, you want a big outboard, and you want some smart tabs (it's tough to get on a plane without them). Best of all, you can stage your gear by just throwing it in the boat. 430 (~14 ft) is a perfect size to accommodate 2-3 divers fairly comfortably.

Yes I do want a 16ft+ hypalon RIB, and I want it for $1,400 with a nice 60hp+ outboard included. The OP would like it to fit in his trunk too.

As of about 2010 or so, ALL of Zodiacs mid-tier and above PVC boats have RF welded seams. It takes an act of god to cause a welded seam to fail.

My old 1992 Zodiac has the thermo-bonded seams and non have come close to failing. All the glue on the transom and floor sure did though, which is how I got the boat, trailer, and outboard in trade.