RIB- What would you likely choose in my situation?

[DocTide]

I have a Nissan 5HP 2stroke engine. Thing is running like a champ *knocks on wood* and I use it for a very specialty designed microskiff that I fish from here in Flamingo and other extreme South areas of Florida. Obviously the area I live is a very hot climate (South Florida). I have been reading up on RIBs for years now and really just kind of came to the conclusion they will fill a wide variety of tasks I am looking to do.

I will be using it with no more than 2 people. Likely will be going to the sandbars in Haulover and surrounding island in Biscayne Bay. I also planned to use it for freediving the reefs just outside of Soldier/Elliot Key area, and perhaps doing some light nearshore fishing on it (MAYBE 1mile out) I potentially would bring a pony tank and a small amount of single person scuba gear aswell- though much less often.

I will also be deflating the boat after it was rinsed down after each use unless I plan on going back out the next day or weekend. This is where I would like advice. I have read hypalon stands up better in hot climate as the glue on pvc is heat activated (true?) but I will not be keeping it outside- and probably can get this bag in my closet in doors depending on the size. I wanted something with a hard floor- wood, aluminum, fiberglass or similar. I also have a budget of around $1700, though would like to spend less. If I keep it deflated and inside, should I still invest in the more expensive and heavier hypalon? I want a boat that will last, and plan on getting a quality brand (Zodiac, Achilles are what I have been eyeing).

So my question is what would you buy?

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: RIB- What would you likely choose in my situation?

DT,

If sib/rib will not be living outdoor, but inside a house, sheltered patio no need to go for Hypalon. Hypalon lasts best on the tropics which has high all year round extreme UV radiation. If buying PVC inflatables go for the thicker gauge fabric you can get, buy a botttle of Aerospace UV protectant and a thick boat cover if living in a open patio. In order to make Hypalon inflatables price atractive, usually are thin 0.7 mm gauge compared to standard now a days 0.9 mm pvc fabrics. Hypalon inflatables are hand glued not thermo welded.

Any pvc inflatable can be reglued again so not a real tech issue compared to a thermo welded one. Which size were you thinking going after, sib or rib ? Hard floor ribs will usually need a trailer as can't be dismantled, just deflated, unless you have an open pick.up. If planning to constant inflate/deflete inflatable buy a 12 volt air pump so to inflate boat fast next to car.

Beware that with just a 5 HP will be good for pottering around on ideal water and wind conditions and near coastal boating destinations. Low end Zodiacs are Strongan a fancy French name for PVC. Achilles are Hypalon made, much more expensive though.

Happy Boating

 

[DocTide]

Re: RIB- What would you likely choose in my situation?

I was looking at a RIB. I saw a few aluminum models that can be rolled up. Im not looking for it to become super small, but just deflated and put away inside a closet or something.

Any recommendations on a roughly 9ft thick gauge PVC RIB?

 

[ronaldj]

Re: RIB- What would you likely choose in my situation?

If you will be inflating and deflating you really need a SIB
The largest foldable Rib is the Zodiac Cadet 300.
For a Sib look at the Fastroller 325 or 360
They have a high pressure air floor but will work with your 5hp engine very well.
They are also made to be inflated then deflated then stored.
If you are worried about the airfloor you can always put down car mats

I run a Fastroller 325 in the Chesapeake bay with a 5hp.
I mated the boat to the engine. I go fishing and crabing and have had no trouble at all.
in fact I just put a bimini top on the boat

 

[DocTide]

Re: RIB- What would you likely choose in my situation?

Thanks, do you happen to have any pics of vids with you running the 5HP?!

 

[Guest]

Re: RIB- What would you likely choose in my situation?

Thanks, do you happen to have any pics of vids with you running the 5HP?!

heres a vid of me running a mercury 6hp on my Zodiac zoom 350s sib. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-gmZr9FFfSA

 

[DocTide]

Re: RIB- What would you likely choose in my situation?

Hey man, thanks so much. That's a good vid. Hows the fishing from these things? I fish the flats big time, and never thought about fishing inshore with my, but maybe the RIB/SIB. I noticed looking at zodiacs site that they have a 250 Cadet with the Rimtec hull. Is the Rimtec hull solid or high pressure air?

Also, are the zodiacs thick PVC? I cant seem to find the thickness of their tubes?

 

[Guest]

Re: RIB- What would you likely choose in my situation?

Hey man, thanks so much. That's a good vid. Hows the fishing from these things? I fish the flats big time, and never thought about fishing inshore with my, but maybe the RIB/SIB. I noticed looking at zodiacs site that they have a 250 Cadet with the Rimtec hull. Is the Rimtec hull solid or high pressure air?

Also, are the zodiacs thick PVC? I cant seem to find the thickness of their tubes?

1) i have not seen a rib be deflated and stored in a closet like i store my Zodiac sib. I have a Suv and a sib stores perfectly (would love a rib. Seeing the way a rib cuts up chop is remarkable)
2) mine is a solid wood floor and is very sturdy
3) i was going to buy a zodiac zoom 310s but ended up buying the 350s based on suggestions from fellow iboaters. Boy they were right with my 11.6ft boat i feel short of room sometimes.
4) fishing from my boat is awesome!!!! People were saying they experienced pin holes from fish spines but knock on wood i have not had any holes (fished for 1 season so far on an inflatable).
here are some more vids
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kn04W1G5-MU
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nKgLhet-bUY
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GwBzpAJREUA
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jm74_ZJh5vM

some videos shows we did not catch anything that day but other days we have caught weak fish and spot fish

 

[ronaldj]

Re: RIB- What would you likely choose in my situation?

Sorry I don't have a video yet but there are some on youtube

Yes the zodiacs are thick PVC.
In fact the PVC is thicker than the Hypalon
As I stated earlier I fish and crab off of my boat
if crabs don't sink it , I am not worried about fish.

Now what I did was to purchase the largest boat I could find that was actually matched to my motor.
If I had it to do all over again I would be tempted to buy this and give up a little bit of space

Inflatable Boat Center -Zodiac Cadet 300 Compact RIB - YouTube


Btw
Be sure to check out Defender
They have awesome spring sales

 

[DocTide]

Re: RIB- What would you likely choose in my situation?

Yes Defender is where I have been looking. The Achilles Hypalon LEX96 costs $1563 and the Zodiac Cadet costs over $2000. The Zoom above costs vastly less, is there a reason why? Im not trying to cheap out, but the hypalon folding wood floor Achilles seems like a great deal. I really do like the Zoom though for price and hard floor.

@weimed: wow man I just watched all your vids. Thanks sooo much. You were haulin @$$ on that 3min vid! I really like that boat, and the solid floor is something I really wanted. Why is this considered a SIB and not a RIB?

Also I noticed it has 1100 decitex and not the Strongam material, what is the difference if anyone can tell me.

 

[ronaldj]

Re: RIB- What would you likely choose in my situation?

A Rib boat has a one piece Rigid Hull
A Sib has a soft hull (an air hull) but a wood floor, aluminum floor or high pressure air floor.
The hull and the floor are two separate pieces

A Sib can be completely broken down , put in a bag and stowed away.
A Rib most of the time has to be kept on a trail or because most of the time the transome does not
The Zodiac cadet 300 is the exception

You get more bang for your buck with a Sib.
An high pressure air floor is going to be the lightest boat you can get , it is also the most expensive sib
The wood floor sib is the heaviest sib because the wood floor typically adds 100 pounds to the boat
The aluminium floor is in the middle and the slat floor is at the bottom

You buy the boat to match your motor.
If the boat needs a 15hp motor , then you don't want it unless you have 3 thousand for a new motor and a way to lift approx 130 pounds.
4 stroke engines weigh twice as much as 2 stroke engines and in the lower 48 any new small inflatable engine must be 4 stroke

The Zoom 350 just provides bang for the buck.
The reason I don't have one is my local Zodiac dealer made me an offer that was too good to pass up.
I went to pick up a Zodiac Wave (a dedicated fishing boat) and left with the Fastroller.
For me the air floor is better because I have a bad shoulder and I wanted to keep the weight down.

 

[Guest]

Re: RIB- What would you likely choose in my situation?

I have no idea why the specific 350s is so much cheaper on defender. I paid 1100 for mine from iboats (here)

If you call iboats they will match the price of defender

 

[ronaldj]

Re: RIB- What would you likely choose in my situation?

Weimed
I think the difference is that your boat purchased from iboats is a new 2013 boat.
The boats at defender are unsold overstock usually a couple of years old.

For the OP
Since you live in florida why not check out Saturn boats or goto a local inflatable dealer and find out what everyone is using in your area.
It is really hard to buy a boat site unseen

 

[DocTide]

Re: RIB- What would you likely choose in my situation?

Great idea, I will go check them out. I also noticed there is Advanced Inflatables which is right down the street from me. I dont want a cheapo boat though, Ive learned my lessons in the past and will save to buy better quality and service. I am liking the SIB though, but would want the wooden floor or aluminum.

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: RIB- What would you likely choose in my situation?

The Rimtec rib foldable transom version is great, a pitty that Zodiac doesn't fabricate them in larger versions, are mainly used as yacht, sailboat tenders. Don't go under a 320, that Rimtec 300 loses to much deck space due to transom end tubes are quite long for a 300 size.

Strongan is the name Zodiac uses to call their PVC material, seems doesn't like using the word PVC at their boats specs. 1000 denier or 1100 decitex stands for 0.9 mm fabrics.

Happy Boating

 

[ronaldj]

Re: RIB- What would you likely choose in my situation?

Great idea, I will go check them out. I also noticed there is Advanced Inflatables which is right down the street from me. I dont want a cheapo boat though, Ive learned my lessons in the past and will save to buy better quality and service. I am liking the SIB though, but would want the wooden floor or aluminum.

Checkout the Advanced Inflatables Model 330
It fits your motor and it comes with an aluminum floor (your preference) or an air floor
They are local to you which is a huge benefit.
It is going to hold up , just by the fact that it is sold in Florida and it would be hard to stay in business selling substandard boats

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: RIB- What would you likely choose in my situation?

If you want a bit tougher inflatable compared to standard ones check JP Impact Inflatables, 320 are alum floor, 0.9 mm pvc fabric with same double fabric at bottom tubes and bottom hull which makes a 1.8 thick fabric, has spacious well equipped Euro style D bow. From there you jump to a 380 which is probably too much for your needs : Tender Boats: Inflatable Fishing Boats, Dinghies & Yacht Tenders Check all those nice features at bottom page.

Other nice alternative would be Saturn Inflatables around 11-12 ft, both being high pressure air decks, if that's not an issue.

Happy Boating

 

[DocTide]

Re: RIB- What would you likely choose in my situation?

I keep going back to RIBs despite really liking the info on SIBs here. Maybe its just a piece of mind for me that I wont rip or puncture the bottom, I dont know. But I have been looking at the Mercury Dynamic RIBs and the Defender Brand RIBs but they do not tell the PVC gauge size. Anyone have experience with these ones? I am going to Advanced Inflatables tonight to check them out, and another Zodiac dealer in Ft. Lauderdale aswell- but Defender has really nice prices.

 

[Sea Rider]

Re: RIB- What would you likely choose in my situation?

You won't find on the markek heavy duty 1.2 mm pvc nor Hypalon, unless a inflatable manufacturer fabricates them for you (as our brand inflatables) usually are standard 1100 decitex/ 0.9 mm quality fabrics. The only brand that has slight thicker 1.0 mm fabrics are Saturn Inflatables. If you say your main worry is ripping the bottom, then 99% of sib users here will feel same. If you hit a rock, corals, hard water bed with a fiberglass bottom rib one of 2, will make a huge hole or will crack lower bottom as well.

You must know your boating area spacially at shallow tide and check what's in there, you should not go boating near shore lines unless are full sandy nice beaches.. I have had issues with lower tails hitting submerged things, now I know they are there and avoiding them, it's just a learning curve about you boating location.

To transport a small rib will need a small trailer or a open pick up for a fast placing and removing as well. Merc small ribs are a good choice. Which Defender brand rib model are you interested in ? Know the fabricator.

Happy Boating

 

[DocTide]

Re: RIB- What would you likely choose in my situation?

You won't find on the markek heavy duty 1.2 mm pvc nor Hypalon, unless a inflatable manufacturer fabricates them for you (as our brand inflatables) usually are standard 1100 decitex/ 0.9 mm quality fabrics. The only brand that has slight thicker 1.0 mm fabrics are Saturn Inflatables. If you say your main worry is ripping the bottom, then 99% of sib users here will feel same. If you hit a rock, corals, hard water bed with a fiberglass bottom rib one of 2, will make a huge hole or will crack lower bottom as well.

You must know your boating area spacially at shallow tide and check what's in there, you should not go boating near shore lines unless are full sandy nice beaches.. I have had issues with lower tails hitting submerged things, now I know they are there and avoiding them, it's just a learning curve about you boating location.

To transport a small rib will need a small trailer or a open pick up for a fast placing and removing as well. Merc small ribs are a good choice. Which Defender brand rib model are you interested in ? Know the fabricator.

Happy Boating

Yea, maybe I am being overly paranoid about the fabric on the bottom- I know my area pretty well and even the places I go at low tide still have atleast 1-2ft of water or clearly marked channels to follow...

I have been looking at:

Mercury 260 Rigid Hull- $1069 I know its only 8ft2in but I dont think I mind. I had a 10ft canoe and dont mind space constrictions. Price is great, and the MAX HP is 5 which is what I have.

Zodiac Wave 310 Compact- $1629 but at 10'2 much more space. However, my 5HP might be too little... 8hp recommended and 10hp max

Defender 265 Rigid Hull Inflatable- $1499 at 8'6 and closer to my power range with 8HP max recommended 6HP

Zodiac Compact 250- $1655 almost identical info to above defender.

I have a 7ft truck bed and even a topper I dont think storing it towed, or non would be a legit problem for me. The MAX people would be 3, and very rare. I havent taken 3 people on any of my boats since I owned them the past 4 years. Only issue is when I would want to go fish/dive. Have to think about room for a cooler. I do not fish with a lot of gear as I dont use live bait, so I think even the smaller sized "would" fit.