Your helpful guide to inflatable boats, rate and review.

Inflatable boats today are lightweight, high performance boats. Enjoy the water more, take your inflatable boat camping, rafting or on your RV trip!

When asked what is an inflatable boat, many think of a life raft, inflatable boats are much more. Inflatable boats today are lightweight, high performance boats.

In Ilfracombe, North Devon, England, Thundercat class inflatable boats are used in offshore racing, reaching speeds of 60mph. The majority of inflatable boats are constructed to be easily transportable. Once deflated, they can easily be packed into a small area. It is because of this, they can be stored on boats and aircrafts and used as life rafts. Another benefit inflatable boats are that they are easily taken on camping trips or carried to water.

The gunwales, pronounced gunnels, are constructed with flexible tubes. The inflatable boats are made of state of the art materials. The inflatable tubes are constructed of rubberized, synthetic sheet, which provide lightweight, and secure buoyancy. Constructed in separate sections, each tube has a valve to add or remove air, this reduces the effect of a puncture. If a section is punctured, repairs maybe made while still underway. The floor of the boats may be constructed of steel, wood, or aluminum sheets, giving the boat more stability.

Inflated keels are found on some inflatable boats. The keel creates a groove along the line of the hull, which improves the hull's ability to cut through waves, and increase the turning performance of the boat. It is very easy for an inflatable boat to hydroplaning due to its lightweight, increasing their speed. It is the speed, portability, and weight, of inflatable boats that make them exceptionally equipment with US Navy SEALS in covert operations. Inflatable boats are found in port and at sea, recreational water-skiing, commercial fishing, and in the military.

Inflatable boats are also used as rescue craft, dive boats, or tenders for cruise ships and yachts or for racing. Because of their size ranging in length from 6 to 21 feet inflatables such as the Zodiacs have been used aboard expedition cruise ship in Antarctic waters, ferrying the cruise ships passengers to and from ship and islands. Inflatables are often propelled by outboard motors approximately between 5 to 80 horsepower.
 

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