Manufacturers of equipment and equipment for relaxing on the water produce many products that can provide its owners with an unforgettable experience. In order for the memories of the weekend to remain positive, you should carefully consider what equipment is best suited for those conditions where it is planned to spend a vacation. How to choose an inflatable boat, you should understand before making a visit to a specialized store. The rules for their selection, maintenance and operation will help to organize the trip to the reservoir in the best way.
Types of boats
Depending on what type of vacation is planned, you should choose the appropriate type of boat. They are designed for fishing, spearfishing, hunting, as well as family vacations.
The right choice of an inflatable boat for fishing will help a number of recommendations. Equipment for camouflage or inconspicuous color from 2 m long is suitable for fishermen. If a double inflatable boat is required, the length can not exceed 2.8 m. For a larger number of people, longer specimens should be selected. How to choose an inflatable boat for fishing, the principle of organizing fishing will answer. To overcome long distances, you should pay attention to motor varieties. For small distances rowing boats are suitable.
For underwater hunters, a boat with a balloon is suitable, which will not allow it to roll over when landing in it from the water in the presence of full equipment.
A medium-sized camouflage boat is suitable for hunters. It should have a cylinder for stability, as well as 5-6 pressurized compartments.
For family holidays, boats are selected at least triple, wide and fairly long. Its color should be light so that the material does not heat up in the sun. These are keel specimens with a motor up to 15 l / s.
Boat production
The production of inflatable boats involves the use of various materials and technologies in the process of creating equipment.
The most commonly used material is PVC. It can be reinforced and unreinforced. The more layers PVC has, the stronger the material itself becomes. But at the same time, the weight of the boat will increase. Mattresses and toys are made from non-reinforced varieties. Boats made of such material are fragile and can easily break through even with reeds. Repairing such an inflatable boat will be practically useless.
Reinforced PVC is suitable for the manufacture of inflatable boats that are not afraid of storage in a wet condition, more rigid and hardy. Inflatable motor boats are made exclusively from this material.
Reinforced PVC products are created by welding or gluing their elements. According to reviews, inflatable boats made by welding are more durable. However, the seam location is the most vulnerable spot. Material melts when melted. Bonding avoids this phenomenon.
Boat options
Before making a boat purchase, it is necessary to determine how many people are planning to transport it. When using an inflatable boat not for walking, you should opt for a product of 2.8-3.3 m in length, provided that it is used only for yourself. This will leave one place for yourself, and the rest of the space for equipment.
A 2-seater inflatable boat should be at least 3.6 m in length, and even all 4.5 m. In this case, passengers with luggage will comfortably accommodate in it. For three people use a boat from 4.2 m and above.
Some models use a transom. It can be stationary or mounted. The mounted transom is used for inflatable motor boats with engine power up to 3.5 l / s. This rule cannot be neglected.
For the use of powerful motors, it is necessary to choose a product with a stationary transom. It is better if it is glued to the boat with a rubber rim or a special gasket. If you use pieces of material for these purposes, inflatable motor boats are less durable. From the vibrations produced by the motor, PVC will quickly wear out. Rubber dampens these vibrations, but pieces of material do not provide such a function.
Bottom type
The bottom of inflatable boats of one-, two- or three-seater variations is folding or inflatable. The first option is a base consisting of assembled parts. For such a bottom, either plywood sheets impregnated with a special water-repellent substance are used, or aluminum. This bottom has good rigidity, but it is quite heavy.
The inflatable bottom significantly reduces the weight of the boat. Use boats with a similar base should be for their single versions. It will be easier to put it alone. The rigidity of the inflatable bottom is enough to be able to fish in the boat even while standing. But in order to avoid punctures or burning, it is better to cover the bottom of the boat with a piece of linoleum or other dense material. This will avoid unpleasant surprises, as well as facilitate the process of washing the product.
2-seater inflatable boat often involves the use of a folding bottom. It is easier to lay it out with a friend.
Additional boat items
During the operation of the boat, you will have to use various additional devices. These include a pressure relief valve, water drain, motor safety harness rings, anchor eye and inflatable boat anchor and more.
An automatic pressure relief valve will come in handy on a hot, sunny day, when a boat heated in the sun will experience a critical condition in the area of cylinders. Automation itself will calculate how much air needs to be drained from the tank.
An anchor for an inflatable boat should weigh from 4 kg. The rope should be selected 2 times longer than the estimated depth of the place of fishing. The climbing cable, which has a thickness of 6 mm, is very convenient for these purposes. It will be convenient to intercept it from hand to hand, and the strength will not allow the product to break off at the wrong time.
A water drain valve is located in the transom area. It allows you to free the boat from falling into the water of waves or rain. Use this valve only in shallow water.
Safety rings will help not to lose the motor in case of emergency separation of equipment from the transom. Such an additional element will not allow the motor to drown.
The anchor for the inflatable boat should be lowered using a plastic eyelet fixed to the bow of the product. This device will help to calculate the depth of lowering the rope and fix it in a certain position.
Operation and storage
In order for the boat not to be scratched or malfunctioning, it should be moved in a raised position without dragging the product on the ground. It is better to use a cart on wheels for these purposes.
In cold weather, the material may harden, so in cold weather you should pay special attention to eliminating factors that can harm the boat.
Keep the product in limbo so that it does not spoil the rat or mouse.
If an emergency occurs, it is permissible to repair inflatable boats on the spot, following the clear recommendations of the manufacturer. If the situation is more serious, then you will have to contact the workshop, so that the repair was performed as efficiently as possible.
Dirt and sand, which are clogged between the bottom and the cylinder, lead to premature failure of the boat. Therefore, after each use of the boat its elements should be thoroughly washed with water. It is better to collect and disassemble the elements of the product on a dense piece of polyethylene.
Boat price
A number of factors affect the price of inflatable boats. For foreign products, this indicator depends on customs duties, transportation costs and other things. For domestic manufacturers, things are much more complicated.
Rubber inflatable boats, the prices of which are the lowest, have the smallest sizes. However, in addition to size, the cost of two boats of the same size will be affected by the type of modification.
The most inexpensive inflatable boat will not have an inflatable bottom. It can be purchased for approximately 5 thousand rubles. The seats will be made of airbags. The price rises when one or both of them are replaced with hard seats.
A boat with an inflatable bottom is more expensive. The cost is from 8 thousand rubles. Their equipment also affects the price.
For PVC boats, the cost is directly dependent on the density of the material, as well as its manufacturer. Inexpensive inflatable boats are made of Korean PVC. Their price does not exceed 5 thousand rubles. European materials make the final product more expensive.
Rowing boats have the lowest cost due to the use of the most inexpensive and weak PVC for their production. Following them are power-motor varieties. Here the price starts from 10 thousand rubles. They are more expensive due to the high density of the material, as well as the use of a mounted transom for the motor. The most expensive boats have a hard bottom and a stationary motor. Their cost is in the region of 20-25 thousand rubles. and higher.
Additional items in the form of oars, safety rings, an anchor eye, etc. give the product additional value.
Pumps when buying must accompany the inflatable boats. Prices for such a product depend on the manufacturer, as well as the volume of air released in one click.
What to look for in the store
Today, more and more manufacturers of different sizes appear on the market of inflatable boats. The cost of their products is different. In pursuit of their customers, many manufacturers forget about quality, and pay attention to the production of additional, sometimes not quite necessary equipment.
Under current conditions, high cost is not yet a guarantee of the quality of an inflatable boat. Therefore, attention should be paid to the visual characteristics of the product.
To understand how to choose an inflatable boat, you should familiarize yourself with the recommendations of experienced professionals and users. They argue that the appearance of the product can say a lot about its quality.
The first thing you should pay attention to when choosing a boat is the appearance of the material. If it looks like paper, looks messy and unreliable, such a boat definitely should not be taken to avoid unpleasant situations on the water. Repair of inflatable boats of this type will have to be done in the first call.
The appearance of the seams is also very important. Curves with many wrinkles and irregularities of the connection are a sign of a poor-quality product, which will subsequently let air through.
Foreign or domestic
Among domestic manufacturers, there are many fairly high-quality products. Inflatable boats of Frigate, Flagship, Our Boats, Mnev & K, Flagship and many others represent the most diverse products at a cost. For example, among user reviews, the Frigate inflatable boat is characterized ambiguously. Some call it an incomprehensible, not calculated design. And there are absolutely opposite reviews.
Value categories of domestic products range from economical to very expensive. There are mega-modern specimens made in accordance with the latest technologies.
Among foreign manufacturers, inflatable boats Seahawk, SunMarine, Honwave, Bombard and many others stand out. They use special PVC for the production of their products, which is of high quality. The cost of such products is slightly higher than that of domestic ones. Therefore, many users prefer the inflatable boat "Frigate", "Mnev and K", "Flagship" and other similar products.
User reviews
Among users of inflatable boats leaving reviews on various resources, there is an opinion that the domestic manufacturer is a cheaper option, which at the same time has quite good quality.
Regarding small producers, fishing and hunting enthusiasts have the opinion that they, in the pursuit of profit, do not pay attention to quality. Inflatable boats, reviews of which are negative, are also found among large manufacturers that produce popular models for a rather long time. Some people argue that over time, the quality of such products decreases due to the cheapening of the production process. However, there are also positive reviews about domestic manufacturers.
Foreign manufacturers have complaints about unreasonably high cost. However, the Intex Seahawk inflatable boat was to the taste of many of our compatriots.
Having become acquainted with the production technology and varieties of inflatable boats, it will be quite simple to understand the basic principles when choosing them. Each type of product is selected under certain conditions of their use. Observing the rules of operation and storage of such products, you can significantly extend their service life.
Knowing what points you should pay attention to in the store, it will be simple to answer the question of how to choose an inflatable boat.