Inflatable boats for sale

What you need to know about inflatable boats

While the inflatable boat once led an unspectacular existence in the water sports segment as an inflatable paddling boat for kids or as a tender for sailing and motor yachts, that picture has changed today. The inflatable boat with a rigid hull is now used in every maritime and water sports domain. From fun boat to a "real" powerboat with a cuddy cabin: inflatable boats are a hit with recreational boaters and professionals on the water.

Inflatable boats for a wide range of uses

Inflatable boats have a hull or side buoyancy tubes that are filled with air to keep them afloat. Depending on size and the materials used, the range of models extends from a simple fun boat for a swim in the local lake to a 25-meter expedition boat for extreme conditions. Inflatable boats are used for almost every purpose on the water: as rafting, fishing, racing, sailing, rescue or even naval combat boats.

The principle behind the inflatable boat

The principle behind the inflatable boat is ancient. Indigenous peoples such as the Sallirmiut in northern Canada, for example, used inflated walrus hide as a buoyancy body to hunt whales or to cover distances between the ice floes of the Arctic. Researchers assume that even Stone Age people built inflatable rafts.
The modern version of the inflatable boat was first series-produced by the American rubber manufacturer Goodyear in 1855. With his robust rubber compounds (rubber boats!), he laid the foundation for the versatile use of these inflatable all-rounders.

The difference between a rigid inflatable boat (RIB) and a rubber dinghy

Modern boatbuilding distinguishes between three design features: inflatable boats with a rubber floor, inflatable boats with solid floors made of wood or plastic, and rigid inflatable boats with a hull made of GRP, aluminum or carbon fiber (RIB)
Inflatable boats are powered either by muscle power (oars, paddles), wind (sails), electric motors or combustion outboard motors. To reduce the wetted hull surface of the inflatable boat, foils are currently being used on inflatable boat prototypes. On these, the inflatable boats lift out of the water once they reach a certain speed.

The used market for inflatable boats is huge. The most important rule: only buy inflatable boats in inflated condition and after an extensive test ride.