Is a 1.85 m inflatable too small?

I have used a bombard ax1 in all conditions short of gales in Portsmouth harbour to get out to my yacht. No problem with a 2.5 hp mariner in the back. I weigh 9 stone.

I have full confidence in it.
 
I forgot to mention that our Lodestar 220 had an inflatable floor, rowed quite well and I use a 3.3HP outboard. It was used fairly regularly as we lived on the boat for over 6 months. That's wht we left it inflated on the stern.

I see that others are happy with a 2m model so that seems in line with my view that ours is about as small as I'd like to go. However, the Lodestar does seem to have a higher payload quoted. That's probably down to the larger tub diameter and is one of the the reasons we bought one.

e.g.
Bombard AX1 Lodestar 220
200................210 Length (cm)
114................135 Beam (cm)
33 .................41 Tube Diam. (cm)
170................326 Max. Payload (kg)

So something around sounds like a reasonable minimum size. However, it might be worth going for one with larger tubes to take a larger load if you regularly carry a load of around 18-20 st (Ours is fine with that & still OK at quite a bit more).
 
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1.8 inflatable

We have a 1.8 XM (which is no longer made)and find this takes two in calm water if you both sit up on the large tubes-not ideal.In any chop the wavelets bounce up over the bow as others describe,despite the chunky freeboard.So I think the most important feature has to be a properly turned up bow,as you get on the better models,some of them short.
How about the attached model !,vigorously demonstrated by this gent at the la Rochelle show.
 
Enya said:
I have used a bombard ax1 in all conditions short of gales in Portsmouth harbour to get out to my yacht. No problem with a 2.5 hp mariner in the back. I weigh 9 stone.

I have full confidence in it.
Click to expand...

Well I weigh 18 stone...

Not sure whether that's better or not. Still pitchpoled in an AX2 in Salcombe, but I guess Portsmouth doesn't have testing beach landings.

I have to say I was very surprised, normally inflatables just get swamped there...
 
Have one exactly as described by OP. Use it with 2.2 Honda. It's fine for 2 adults or one plus 2 medium sized kids. Perfectly good for occasional use and easy to stow and manhandle and inflate on a 26 footer.
 
As OP, not sure what to make of the conflicting views!

Avon seem not to produce small tenders anymore so you could be waiting about for years until a 2nd hand one pops into view. Bombard have very negative comments made about them in other postings (but no explanation of why). Where does Zodiac lie the continuum of quality? They do a 'Cadet Roll Up' of 2 metres which might be a runner.
 
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