Lightweight Inflatable Dinghies - Recommendations?

[At Sea]

Can anyone suggest a lightweight inflatable dinghy for under £250 that folds up small and can accommodate up to 3 adults? It would be for getting to/from a swing mooring and messing about when at anchor. I have the INTEX Mariner 3 on my radar as an option.

Thanks.

 

[PeteCooper]

Would a decent, very light second hand one interest you?

 

[pvb]

Can anyone suggest a lightweight inflatable dinghy for under £250 that folds up small and can accommodate up to 3 adults? It would be for getting to/from a swing mooring and messing about when at anchor. I have the INTEX Mariner 3 on my radar as an option.

I think you'll have to look at secondhand dinghies. The Mariner 3 is more of a toy than a serious dinghy, possibly OK for lake use but I wouldn't want to use it in tidal waters. Also, it seriously won't take 3 adults safely. And it's not particularly lightweight at 25kg.

 

[Tranona]

You won't get anything durable at that price point. The 3D and O2Lite which are compact, light and reasonably durable are around £500.

The one you are looking at is little more than a toy for use on lakes. It is made out of vinyl (despite the claims it is PVC), the tubes are too small and the shape flat. Despite being 10'long it is only certified for 2hp and the only weight i have seen is around 70 pounds packed - heavier than decent 2.6m PVC which you can buy for around £350 new.

For your intended use a second hand conventional PVC is a better bet if you only have £250 to spend.

 

[pvb]

You won't get anything durable at that price point. The 3D and O2Lite which are compact, light and reasonably durable are around £500.

The one you are looking at is little more than a toy for use on lakes. It is made out of vinyl (despite the claims it is PVC), the tubes are too small and the shape flat. Despite being 10'long it is only certified for 2hp and the only weight i have seen is around 70 pounds packed - heavier than decent 2.6m PVC which you can buy for around £350 new.

For your intended use a second hand conventional PVC is a better bet if you only have £250 to spend.

You seem to agree with my verdict, however, isn't PVC a vinyl?

 

[Tranona]

You seem to agree with my verdict, however, isn't PVC a vinyl?

Yes, but no doubt there are many variations, but there was an illustration on one site that showed the construction of 3 layers and it did not look like the PVC I have seen on the typical Chinese inflatables. Remember from my days with Zodiac (long time ago) they introduced a cheap range that were described internally at least as the "vinyl" ones. Welded construction which was then new but they were not very abrasion resistant and the welding was inconsistent. Not a success.

 

[TheBomber]

It was written in relation to bicycles and their components, but has application the world over:

"Strong. Light. Cheap. Pick two."