Cheap inflatables - any recommendations

Ubergeekian

Ubergeekian

Well-Known Member
Joined
23 Jun 2004
Messages
9,904
Location
Me: Castle Douglas, SW Scotland. Boats: Kirkcudbri
www.drmegaphone.com
I could do with a cheap wee inflatable to use as occasional tender to a Hunter 490. I already have the "scruffy old Avon" option, but it's big and heavy for what I need, which is basically a way of getting me across 100yds of sheltered freshwater loch to the mooring.

So I've had a look at eBay, and loads of people are selling cheap inflatables in the 20 - 50 quid range: Sevylor, Bestway and a few other brans. Are any of these significantly better than the others? Any surprisingly good (for some value of "good") ones?
 
Whoa boy, they sound like toys. Be carefull, they are likely to be the sort of thing that the RNLI would like to knife on sight. People are always getting blown out to sea in them. You will also need to get in your cozzy every time you use it as you will be sitting in a puddle. And it will puncture as soon as it sees a sharp shell, loose strand of wire or a shoe buckle etc.

I have an XM240 which is about as cheap as I would go. It is a proper tender, but the side tubes are small - so I have to have two blow-up seats & stop people sitting on the side tubes - or they get a wet @rse.
 
I could do with a cheap wee inflatable to use as occasional tender
Click to expand...
You are not alone but what Searush says is right although it might be worth looking at some of the better products from Sevylor

Also take a look at The Intex Excursion 4 There's a smaller one and larger one to choose from too.

Still no more than beach toys really but a bit better perhaps than what you are looking at for £20 -£50.

I bought barely used Avon Typhoon (2.4m IIRC) a few years ago but too big to stow and I have not used it at all
I did have an small Achilles, or was it a Campari (same boats different badges), cost about £60 new but despite being Hypalon has not lasted very long. I'd buy another though if they were still available.
 
Don't touch that "stuff" you've mentioned, unless you like the sinking feeling! Go for something of quality and lightweight even if it's only for the occasional use.

I found myself a Bombard X1 inflatable on ebay, 2m long and weighs 18kgs, it's big enough for two and all the moveable ballast we bring on board for a weekend cruise and gets us out to the boat with a 2.5hp outboard. It also has an inflatable seat and oars if you feel like some healthy rowing activity.
 
£100 in Asda. Inflatable floor, 2 chambers with proper push and twist valves. Included the pump, oars, inflatable thwart, carry bag and engine bracket for the £100.

I have a rib and an expensive tinker inflatable, this gets used most because it weighs 24kg and folds small enough to fit under my helm seat.

CIMG5782.jpg
 
Elessar said:
£100 in Asda. Inflatable floor, 2 chambers with proper push and twist valves. Included the pump, oars, inflatable thwart, carry bag and engine bracket for the £100.

I have a rib and an expensive tinker inflatable, this gets used most because it weighs 24kg and folds small enough to fit under my helm seat.

CIMG5782.jpg
Click to expand...

I have one of those I use it when I am going out myself or with one other person on the river Forth .
It has an inflatable keel and is very light so easy to carry but I can't leave it on the slip when it is windy. No problems with it. It cost £100 in Asda about 9 months ago.
If it is blowing hard I tend to use a much heavier and older Avon.

Iain
 
orbister said:
I already have the "scruffy old Avon" option, but it's big and heavy for what I need
Click to expand...

Which Avon?
Last year I needed something cheap, small, light, and quick to use, which could live in the boot of my car to get me less than 100yds out to my boat, because I'd had to abandon a running mooring due to vandalism.
I looked into the cheaper dinghies but ended up getting a 2nd hand Avon Redcrest, very servicable, only £50 on eBay, and less than 20kg. Why would you need something lighter than that?
 
Thanks for your concern, folks, but I really, really don't want or need a "real" inflatable - mainly because - see OP - I already have one! A nice old Avon, which stays inflated for hours at a time. For what I want, a beach toy will do just fine - I'd just like to identify a good beach toy!

The boat is on a freshwater loch, moored about 100yds from a pontoon. I need something in which I can get out to the boat, on my own, then row back to the pontoon to pick up crew, kit and so on. If the sailing school is in operation, the rescue boat will give me a lift out. If it's windy and wavy, I can wrestle the Avon into the car. If keeping the boat there works out I'll buy a Sportyak next year. But just for the moment, anything which floats will do fine. And I don't mind a wet bum!
 
orbister said:
I could do with a cheap wee inflatable to use as occasional tender to a Hunter 490. I already have the "scruffy old Avon" option, but it's big and heavy for what I need, which is basically a way of getting me across 100yds of sheltered freshwater loch to the mooring.

So I've had a look at eBay, and loads of people are selling cheap inflatables in the 20 - 50 quid range: Sevylor, Bestway and a few other brans. Are any of these significantly better than the others? Any surprisingly good (for some value of "good") ones?
Click to expand...

Try this one, it'll do your 100yd dash and cost pennies, currently £5.09 with 2hrs to go, there's another identical. http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Inflatable-Bo...s_ET?hash=item3a52bee380&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14
 
orbister said:
Thanks for your concern, folks, but I really, really don't want or need a "real" inflatable - mainly because - see OP - I already have one! A nice old Avon, which stays inflated for hours at a time. For what I want, a beach toy will do just fine - I'd just like to identify a good beach toy!

The boat is on a freshwater loch, moored about 100yds from a pontoon. I need something in which I can get out to the boat, on my own, then row back to the pontoon to pick up crew, kit and so on. If the sailing school is in operation, the rescue boat will give me a lift out. If it's windy and wavy, I can wrestle the Avon into the car. If keeping the boat there works out I'll buy a Sportyak next year. But just for the moment, anything which floats will do fine. And I don't mind a wet bum!
Click to expand...

Having used a 4-man Cheapie of Ebay for fishing with mates out here ... I can say that careful choice and a lot of the concerns expressed are actually invalid. Yes they are weaker than an Avon - what do you expect ? But to make comments like 'touch a sea-shell' ... 'like riding in a puddle' .... wet-bum' ... etc. are not born out by my experience in one.

One I was in was similar to this ....

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Seahawk-4-Per...s_ET?hash=item2ea7cd20a7&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14

Over here are about $100 and many people use them for ruver fishing etc.

Of course - no doubt some smart Yachty will sniff a bit when he see's you with your 'toy' ..

We do have another origin that we use at times ... Russian Military inflatables .. I have a "Spetnatz" 2 man inflatable but has no provision for engine at all ... that was $100 ... and is designed for Russian special forces to paddle up to Western beaches ! ;) Quietly.... Seashells and all ... :rolleyes::D

Anyway - I knew someone who used one to get to his mooring in Titchfield Haven in Solent ... people laughed - but he ignored them and enjoyed his boating.

When a kid - David - friend of my Father, had the small Campari dinghy and he used to row a real distance down Fareham Creek to get to his Vivacity ... never heard any complaint about that ... and it rolled up real small !
 
VicS said:
Like this one? http://www.gumtree.com/london/57/45513757.html Just the job for a small boat with limited space to stow. Sadly mine is now past its "use by date" If still available I would buy another but not a 20 year old one!
Click to expand...

All I remember was it was for 2 people ... yellow .... no outboard provision ... don't remember a floor like that though ... I think he had slats. Did the job though.
 
I bought an Excursion inflatable from Costco a while ago, it is a good quality toy but 12ft long and a bit too big for one to use with ease, light enough but takes a while to blow up and aquard to carry on your own. Won't take an outboard, ok to row though but the paddles are a bit short.
Gael Force were doing a "proper" inflatable for £250, don't know if they still are.
 
orbister said:
I could do with a cheap wee inflatable to use as occasional tender to a Hunter 490. I already have the "scruffy old Avon" option, but it's big and heavy for what I need, which is basically a way of getting me across 100yds of sheltered freshwater loch to the mooring.

So I've had a look at eBay, and loads of people are selling cheap inflatables in the 20 - 50 quid range: Sevylor, Bestway and a few other brans. Are any of these significantly better than the others? Any surprisingly good (for some value of "good") ones?
Click to expand...

Amazing value here, just bought one myself.
http://www.force4.co.uk/6742/WavEco-2-6m-Solid-Transom-Inflatable.html

towed it many miles and only pumped it up once. light and very easy to row. even the misses learnt to row in it and can manage it fine.

1/2 the cost of an avon or zodiac
 
sea said:
Amazing value here, just bought one myself.
http://www.force4.co.uk/6742/WavEco-2-6m-Solid-Transom-Inflatable.html

towed it many miles and only pumped it up once. light and very easy to row. even the misses learnt to row in it and can manage it fine.

1/2 the cost of an avon or zodiac
Click to expand...

That looks really good. I've a 2 metre XM and a 2.6 Avon (old one) and to be honest the size of the avon is spot on but the weight of the old girl is mega compared to the XM.

So an easy handling 2.6 would be a good buy IMO for tender use.
 
Its the best i found, i got mine from Marine Bazaar in plymouth, they have an online shop too. They are now getting quite popular as i often see other boats with these attached. I can put it on my back and cary it up a beach no probs, and it will take up to an 8hp, so could be quite fun at the same time.

Comes in nice bag that doesn't look out of place on deck either.

Best value/quality compromise i have found. I cant see why i need to pay double to have Avon on the side.
 
On my last but one boat I had an Avon and a Campri toy dinghy, 95% of the the time the campri was more than adequate, it was light, quick to inflate/deflate, packed to a very small size,and although it was prone to puncture (usually caused by user carelessness) it was easy and quick to repair. IIRC correctly I won it in a raffle.

Top kit.

Am looking for similar for present craft, today I was pruning the weed round the water line, took twice as long as I thought as my "proper" inflatable took so long to deploy.
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Top