new dinghy - which type

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grahama

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i need to purchase soon a new inflatable dinghy and have to decide between a slatted floor type or an inflatable floor type. Has any one had experience of either, advantages / disadvantages? I'm thinking of 2.6m length max as I have no where to keep it inflated (no davits etc) so easy of assembly and size for storage is important.
Any advice gratefully received.
 
Slatted floor rolls up a bit better and is a little lighter, also usually less expensive than an inflatable floor model. Inflatable floor model has a firmer base (useful when you have nervous passengers) and will row and motor better than a slatted floor model.

I went the slatted floor route on grounds of cost, but now reckon it was a false economy.

If you're going to constantly inflate and deflate, (1) get some spare valves and (2) buy an LVM inflator. Not cheap, but the best seventy quid I've ever spent.
 
I have a Bombard AX3 with the inflatable floor it is about three years now and I am very happy with it, I can carry four adults not the three that they say in the brochure and a 4 hp Tohatsu outbboard pushes it along well, with one person it will happily plane! even with my size!
It rolls up to a size of about 450mm diameter and of course the length is limited by the solid transom. It is a bit more expensive than some others but I feel that it was money well spent.
The floor feels more like a solid one if you inflate it to the full recomended pressure and then the keel underneath make it almost RIB like. At the boat show they had the floor on it's own between two workbenches and a guy stood in the middle, it only just flexed a little.
hope this helps
 
I agree about the eletric air pump, I bought a cheap one and I have to use the hand pump to fully inflate the dinghy otherwise it is too soft also it is very noisy and slow. Another leason learned
 
I've just bought a Seago 260R slat floor dinghy. I've not tried it out yet but it looked a good piece of kit in the shop. It came with a lot of stuff, a nice 70l bow bag etc... Cant wait to try it out with the o/b on /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif I'll let you know how it is when on the water. Cheers
 
slatted floor

cheaper, lighter, any water inside, and get wet feet, poor to row, and doesnt like waves.

airdeck

folds nearly as small, rows well, handles waves much better, any water goes under the airdeck keeping you and your stuff much dryer.

your choice.
 
Go for the inflatable floor, we have on our new dinghy!

Huge difference when getting in and out + performance.

I would never go back to the slatted floor!

Also when fully deflated, simply rolls up inside the dinghy and stows in bag easily.
 
If you plan to use the inflatable a lot look carefully at the Avon or Zodiac.
Excellent build quality that should outlast a lot of others. I have a Zodiac 230 with the inflatable floor which is rated up to 6HP and holds 4 quite well. With a 4HP it planes really well with one adult or 2 kids.
Dead impressed! (well they are)
Cheers
 
FWIW, I have two, one a Zodiac fastroller and the other an Avon with aluminium slatted floor.

The fastroller (3.4m) is about the same weight as the Avon (2.7m), I'd say that the build quality of the Avon is probably higher than the Zodiac but then so was the price. The Zodiac is easier to get on plane and has higher sides than the Avon. Both rolll away to a similar size lump.

If I had to choose I'd probably go for the Zodiac.
 
Bought a slatted floor (Quicksilver) simply because so much lighter than inflatable floor model (17kg against 30kg if I remember correctly). Normally just the 2 of us on board, both getting a bit creaky so weight was the biggest of the criteria for us.
I think if we were wanting to use it a lot, we might have thought differently. For occasional use it's absolutely fine.
 
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