Do you know the TRUTH re 'Chinese' etc inflatable boats ?

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glugboat

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Do you know the TRUTH re \'Chinese\' etc inflatable boats ?

Hello all
There are many 'new' makes and models of inflatable tenders appearing on the market.. the older "waveline" 'wetline' etc, then we have the 'charter models' from many uk chandlers, also, seago, plastimo, as well as the Mercury Mariner Quicksilver, the Suzuki Suzimar and the Honda Honwave.
They ALL appear to be chinese sourced.
Looking through many Chinese trade suppliers websites it is often possible to identify the supplier of some due to exact measurements and specifications...
So, what is the low down on the state of the market and what makes a good or indeed bad tender. Zodiac and Avon are out of my budget really. Looking for a 3mtr to 3.3 airdeck or inflatable keel ali deck model to suit 15Hp.
If the material, is, for instance 1100 decitex, the valves are good, the seams are good, then what is there to go wrong.
Have you any objective experiences or information.
There seems to be some good value items around, CE, ISO, quality materials etc.

Over to you.
Glug
 
Re: Do you know the TRUTH re \'Chinese\' etc inflatable boats ?

>If the material, is, for instance 1100 decitex... what is there to go wrong.

The Decitex, it's PVC which goes sticky and breaks up when it gets enough UV. Hypalon lasts much longer.
 
Re: Do you know the TRUTH re \'Chinese\' etc inflatable boats ?

Hello
I am not sure I fully agree with you here, many materials have advanced significantly since dupont introduced hypalon 57 years ago. My understanding is that HL is slightly more resistant to gasoline, not much of a problem these days compared to using say, a seagull outboard.
I have never personaly experienced problems with modern pvc type construction in the way you mention, but must add my old redcrest is nearly 18 years old and is finally suffering seam degredation.
Decitex, I understnad, is simply a measurement of grade for the pvc and pvc covers a multitude of types.
Thanks for the input.
 
Re: Do you know the TRUTH re \'Chinese\' etc inflatable boats ?

ps, must add, have 'almost' (95%) decided to buy a quicksilver 3.1m airdeck. but, you never know /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif
 
Re: Do you know the TRUTH re \'Chinese\' etc inflatable boats ?

There's only one word: Porta-Bote.
I tried it once and never looked back.
 
Re: Do you know the TRUTH re \'Chinese\' etc inflatable boats ?

A few folks have warned me that I would regret swapping my old Avon for a cheap Chiense dinghy so I ignored them and bought a Seago.

It's great, moters well and appears well put together. At one third the price of the equivilent Avon if it last's only half as long then I'll be more than happy and buy another one...
 
Re: Do you know the TRUTH re \'Chinese\' etc inflatable boats ?

My Seago 290 is made in China. Only used it once (albeit for an entire weekend) but I can't fault it's construction.

Also, and quite frankly, stuff made in China is going to be much better quality than anything made here. They are the leading economy in secondary industry now, and little western Europe exports nothing but bloody financial services (which apparently just ceased also).

This attitude that China produces substandard cheap crap is entirely outdated. Paying the extra for a non Chinese inflatable buys you nothing more than a small contribution to some blokes mortgage in an over inflated property market.
 
Re: Do you know the TRUTH re \'Chinese\' etc inflatable boats ?

Thanks all again for the valued input. The comments from actual objective purchasers are really appreciated and as I actually expected.
To put the record straight I have just bought and received a Honwave (Honda) 3.2mtr Air V deck for the rather nice price of 900 Euro all in, enquiries to the UK offered cheaper alternatives, but the cost of shipping was prohibitive. An offer of cash to a local Honda dealer turned up the goodies.
It looks superb, seems well constructed and I have a 5 year limited warranty with 2 years on anything. The airdeck floor is amazing. It actually forms a deep V inside AND out. Built in trim tabs (fixed) and spray deflectors. All around lifelines, 44cm tubes and comprehensive parts supplies including a pressure gauge for the air floor. All up weight of under 40Kgs.
Will provide details of performance when I rig the remote kit to the engine (I will probably try a few hours on the tiller first to get the feel)
And, yes, I WOULD buy a chinese unit providing I could actually see it first. As some posters have said. Cheap and crap are not always the same. I dont think I could have got a 3.2 quality airdeck shipped to mainland Europe for the same price so am happy.
Thanks again for all the considered replies.
Glug 1, Glug 2 likes it too, but she has been demoted to the 2.9 redcrest with 2hp /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif. It is probably safer that way for me, her, and everyone withing striking distance. It takes a multitude of Lidl bags too.
 
Re: Do you know the TRUTH re \'Chinese\' etc inflatable boats ?

We've just bought a Porta-Bote but have yet to try it. Our boat is much smaller than yours CodStewart, but we hoping to squeeze it down below when on passage to act as a lee cloth! And it just fits on the side deck for shorter periods. Will let everyone have the verdict when we get back in the water next summer.
 
Re: Do you know the TRUTH re \'Chinese\' etc inflatable boats ?

Agreed. Airdecks are brilliant, although I'm still a bit wary about puncturing them. The solid wooden floor in my Quicksilver 270 was a bit more workhorse like, but more painful when jumping over waves.
 
Re: Do you know the TRUTH re \'Chinese\' etc inflatable boats ?

Hi Nathan
Well, blew the thing up today, looks super I must say. The airdeck or inflatable V Hull is made from 2 chambers. It has a 0.8 bar pressure and is very solid when inflated (The tubes (3 compartments) are 0.25 bar.
The hull also has a very substantial reinforcement strip underneath. In the unlikely event of a puncture of the airdeck V, you could only get one side deflated with no real worries. The inner layer (The v hull is around 1 inch thick) would not be penetrated unless you were very unlucky, even then the massive reserves of bouyancy would be fine.

As an aside, and with reference to Chinese build. The boat is made by Sun Selections china - CE Cert address -
retails also as Maxxon brand
Maxxon - Sun Selections outlet

Obviously Honda have them made for them. Maxxon sell a very similar 3.2 airdeck V hull, same tube sizes etc etc, same build quality. Makes you think /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif
 
I think that you are sad

.the chinese are out to destroy our western culture. your comments betray that you are happy for this to happen. chinese copy the LOOK of things very well but not their durability. they also do not give any lifetime guarantees or even three year guarantees. greeks and turks still make their own things like socks and shirts. you british like to buy chinese from m+s despite it destroying your once famous heritation of making good things
Kentrina
 
Re: I think that you are sad

I think you are confusing Culture with The Marketplace. Not sure that Greek (or even Turkish!) culture is quite so fragile as to be destroyed by Chinese-made inflatable boats, socks or shirts.
Erectheon fatally undermined by cheap foreign underpants?
I don't think so.
 
Re: I think that you are sad

I think you are somewhat intolerant.

To say the Chinese are out to destroy western culture is a large dose of BS to be quite frank. They are out to make a profit, nothing more, and as with everything in business, you can do it cheap and crap and make a quick quid or two, but to be competitive in the long term you need to up the quality of your product
, and they have in a sort of capitalist socialist kind of way.

If you are willing to pay considerably extra for nothing more than the fact that something is made in England, then more fool you.
 
Re: I think that you are sad

Hello Nathan
I agree 100% with your comments. It seems some of the subjective and misguided replies would be better placed in the have yotts 'but gorden got me' place, the lounge lizards -

Out to destroy western culture by commercialism no doubt. ? freud would have a field day.

Western culture is very, very sad, often misguided, greedy, self important, often criminal and undeground, self centred and blinkered to the needs of the latest stock market (hopefully) crash and price of lcd tv's and gold imitation earings for the bride (AND thats only politicians). Or indeed, the questionalbe price of a meal out for other pretentious twats (god, I said it again oops) to brag about how much they can afford. (Hopfully NOT for long and rightly so)
LONG may the far east make money, improve their military status and effectiveness and offer a non monopolised option in this mcdonalds and advertising sustained fictional life of so many.
More power to the commy, oops, I mean capitolist commys.

So many sad, sad people... reminds me of the buy british campaign of yesteryear.. not cos it was better, just that the british alleged workforce needed suppliments to feed their lower hours and poor quality of workmanship.
When the US of A (I think it means .. 'Other side of Accrington' ?) is a second world power, then humanity can once again shine.

Meanwhile, the Japs, Honda, Mercury / Mariner, Suzuki etc have seen the light, make it in China, get quality and price.

AND, long may house prices fall in the UK to add to the necessity to curb greed by the uneducated masses.

PS, My SIB is great. Buy in China, or, indeed, buy from a European or American supplier that has them MADE in China.

I applaud your rounded, objective, mature and sensible approach.
 
re: Inflatables from China

can anyone recommend a manufacturing company in China to purchase RIB from. has anyone managed to buy from china using L/C - Letter of Credit....ie: bank draft when goods land in UK - instead of 540% up front and paid in full before they leave china..??

david
Belfast
 
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