Inflatable boat ,which inflatable floor is best??

[crazy charlie]

Its time to replace my wood floor Zodiac with one that has an inflatable floor.I am done wrestling with floor boards and longitudal supports.Love the boat-hate the floor .I have seen 2 types and hope someone has some experience with these.One boat we looked at has an inflatable floor that is removable and another has the floor which is not removable.Anyone know for sure which is better to have??

 

[deejaycee_2000]

Re: Inflatable boat ,which inflatable floor is best??

You don't get an inflatable floor, it is only an inflatable keel under a wooden floorboard .... unless you guys in the US came up with something different again ... anyway .... all my inflatables have removable floor boards that has 3 parts to remove it, I also hate the wooden board, so I covered all the wood with hypalon or PVC (whatever that inflatable was build with) ... the wood lasts forever and the surface is awesome ....

 

[crazy charlie]

Re: Inflatable boat ,which inflatable floor is best??

Many boats have inflatable floors.The wooden floor seems to be less and less popular.The boards are a pain to install and store and I dont have the time and patience any more so an inflatible floor boat is on the shopping list.I just need some info on the different inflatible floors.

 

[swist]

Re: Inflatable boat ,which inflatable floor is best??

Yes, we now have inflatables with inflatable floors - the floor is at a much higher pressure than the rest of the boat so that they provide a firm walking surface, although they are still not as resilient as wood floors to abuse from sharp objects.

There are also roll-up floors - a combination of narrow wood slats and rubber/pvc. Probably somewhere between an inflatable floor and a solid floor in resilience. Very convenient for constant breakdown/setup.

Then you have fiberglass floors. Very heavy/expensive and not for packing up, but gives you more like a real boat in performance. Overkill for tender duty.

Your #1 decision is whether or not you want/need to break down the boat frequently. A lot of inflatables get inflated and stay that way. In that case the plain old wood floor is still good value. You only have to deal with assembly once.

So it all depends on how you use it.

 

[danmat2]

Re: Inflatable boat ,which inflatable floor is best??

I would like to know who sells floors at a reasonable price?

 

[jspringator]

Re: Inflatable boat ,which inflatable floor is best??

Boatstogo sells an inflatable floor. Might want to contact them for fitment.http://www.boatstogo.com/AirPlywoodFloors.asp

 

[flwestcoastboater]

Re: Inflatable boat ,which inflatable floor is best??

I like my wood floor!

If you are trailering the boat or put it on a roof (not setting it up before use)

shoot for a wood or hard bottom floor.

that way, if say a fishing hook falls to the ground or something sharp and pressure is applied, there is zero fear of leaks.

 

[ProSkip]

Re: Inflatable boat ,which inflatable floor is best??

Do you need to break down the boat frequently? If so, get an air deck, if not stay away. Many of the inflatable boats with air decks tend to porpous when up on plane. Also, it's yet another air chamber to deal with and keep properly inflated. Not to mention the chance of getting an air leak in the deck.

 

[waltzz]

Re: Inflatable boat ,which inflatable floor is best??

The floor influences total weight, time and ease of assembling.
the inflatable H2P air-floor is made up of two layers of fabric held together by thousands of polyester cross-stitches; when inflated to high pressure this air cushion becomes as rigid as a traditional floor, but is much lighter and takes up less space. Soft to touch the H2P air-floor absorbs bumps and resists tears.
If you envision a nomadic style of navigation, choose a boat where the floor can be left in place be it slats or an auto-rolling rigid floor or, the lightest and quickest of all, the H2P air-floor.
If you expect to set the boat up only several times a season, the traditional floor with strengthening rails is an excellent alternative. Choose between marine plywood or aluminum, particularly resistant to shocks, or a composite floor with its inherent lightness.

 

[tzstrings]

Re: Inflatable boat ,which inflatable floor is best??

I also hate the wooden board, so I covered all the wood with hypalon or PVC
(whatever that inflatable was build with) ... the wood lasts forever and the
surface is awesome ....[/QUOTE]

Ditto. I've been looking for something to cover the Sevylor wood floorboard on my PVC boat, mainly to guard against abrasion from the floorboard. Could you tell me what kind of PVC you used and how you applied it to the floorboard. I've been looking into adhesive tiles and some rubber (rubberized) mats, but so far nothing has jumped out as the ultimate solution.
Thanks, Tom

 

[Vapor_Trails]

Re: Inflatable boat ,which inflatable floor is best??

Why not cut a piece of marine/boat carpet to fit the shape of the floorboards? I would think that would protect a wood floor from abrasion and help keep a HP air floor from getting poked by fish hooks and the like.

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: Inflatable boat ,which inflatable floor is best??

You don't get an inflatable floor, it is only an inflatable keel under a wooden floorboard .... unless you guys in the US came up with something different again ... anyway .... all my inflatables have removable floor boards that has 3 parts to remove it, I also hate the wooden board, so I covered all the wood with hypalon or PVC (whatever that inflatable was build with) ... the wood lasts forever and the surface is awesome ....

If not mistaken, CH was reffering to the unremovable deep v keel air mat which is glued under the tubes & transom, as opposed to the traditional removable air matt.

 

[jondavies]

Re: Inflatable boat ,which inflatable floor is best??

I also hate the wooden board, so I covered all the wood with hypalon or PVC
(whatever that inflatable was build with) ... the wood lasts forever and the
surface is awesome ....[/QUOTE]

I bought one of these mats to go in my Avon (I have an aluminum floor but wanted something to protect it from tanks/weight belts and provide more traction):

[url]http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200306157_200306157[/url]

It's almost like a custom fit for my boat (4.6M) and I'm very happy with it.

They also have a 5-foot version that would fit smaller boats.

If you bide your time, Northern Tool sometimes has a free shipping offer which will save you some money as these rubber mats are fairly heavy.