HP floor inflatable????

[Wildcard]

http://www.westmarine.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10001&langId=-
Anyone ever ride in this particular kind of inflatable? It is the right size for a tender for me, I like the hard floor that can be rolled up W/O boards ect and it's on sale!
Im only looking for feed back on this type of inflatable, not blow up boats in general. Thaks

 

[fweber]

Don't do it. Even the hp floored boats make me think of trying to ride a jelly donut. I would go for a true rigid floor, even if you end up with a smaller overall boat. They are just that much better at handling any chop. One of the better small rib's I've been on came from West Marine, but I'm unsure of the model. It was a single floor with an extremely deep V to it and larger than average tubes. Worked well for 2-3 divers, or a couple with groceries and supplies. The only drawback to the deep single floor was that it tended to collect a bit of water, easily drained underway but still gets your feet and the bottoms of everything wet. My 2 pesos.

 

[Wildcard]

It needs to be able to roll/fold up for storage. I had a 14 footer with floorboards and it wasn't so bad, just had to make sure it had enough pressure.

 

[rjack321]

I was in a 15.5 HP floor zodiac once and found it surprisingly rigid. Its way high pressure than the tubes, like 15 psi. It was about as rigid as my aluminum floored, wooden keel, fabric bottom Bombard.

My only suggestion would be to go 12ft min. Bigger gets you exponentionally more space inside.

 

[Wildcard]

I agree about the size but this is a tender, it has to fit the boat. Boat has 11.5 beam boat is 11. If I could find it in 12 Id go that way. Even toyed with trying to stuff a 14 back there. Thanksfor the input.

 

[rjack321]

I agree about the size but this is a tender, it has to fit the boat. Boat has 11.5 beam boat is 11. If I could find it in 12 Id go that way. Even toyed with trying to stuff a 14 back there. Thanksfor the input.

With the HP floor why not just roll it up into a big burrito? A bit of spare scuba gas and it'll be full again. I have an "inflator" made from a PVC tube, a PVC cap, and an LP port. Connect the LP port to a BC inflator and use the valve to regulate the flow. It helps to have a gauge to make sure you don't over/under inflate.

Or are you thinking this needs to be stored inflated so that its a lifeboat too?

 

[Wildcard]

That is the idea, to roll it up and I have the inflator for a tank too. For local cruzin it can be towed inflated as long as the weather is good. For longer trips, deflated and stored infront of teh dodger or on the back deck.Eventualy it wil go on a davit off the stern thus the length restrictions, I dont want to too much wider than the boat. It also needs to be able to be drug up across the beam and fit somewhat if the weather comes up in a hurry. Id go 12 but it comes in 9 and 11. It's good for two, four if your real frendly and no extra tanks.

 

[rjack321]

I can fit 4 cold water (drysuit + heavy weights + steel tanks) single tank divers in my 12.5' Bombard 25 HP 4-stroke engine (heavy!), a shallow pitch prop, and hydraulic trims tabs and it just gets up and planes.

Same divers with doubles and I'm limited to 3 bodies. Realize your sitting on the tubes with your knees around your gear by and large.

11ft may fit 4 divers in wetsuits and AL80s. Whether it would plane or not is debatable. What size and type engine are you planning?

 

[Wildcard]

I would not expect it to plane with 4 people in it. It's rated for a 15. Also its a newer design so the transom is a little fatrher foreward to support 4 strokes better. I know the size limitations here, just wanted to know about the ride with the HP floor.
Thanks for all the input.