Hello again and welcome back .
Today I wanted to talk about proper inflation of your inflatable boat or RIB. Many times we are asked “how critical is proper inflation?” Well, it certainly is one of the most important aspects of owning and operating an inflatable boat. Operating your boat under inflated can have many negative effects on the boat. This will affect how the boat performs, how much fuel is burned and can also lead to damage to the tubes. Under inflated boats will flex and twist causing stress to the transom, tubes and floor as well as creating drag which can prevent or delay the ability of your boat to plane. Over time this will lead to transom and tube seam failures as well as cracking or breakdown of the material itself.
Running your tubes under inflated will cause the bottom of the tube to buckle as you start to accelerate. This buckling will actually peel seams apart and lead to material failure on the bottom side of your tubes if continuously operated like this. We have seen numerous boats brought in for repair this year alone from damage caused by under inflation. So the next question we get asked is how do I know if my boat is properly inflated? Well the only true method to ensure proper inflation id by using a pressure gauge. Each manufacturers’ required pressure tends to vary a bit but most inflatable boat manufacturers recommend a pressure between 2.5 and 3.4 PSI. We always recommend checking the owner’s manual for your specific make and model to ensure that you are operating at the correct pressure that your boat was designed for. This also goes for the keel and inflatable floor if your boat is so equipped as these pressures all vary and are just as important.
Today I wanted to talk about proper inflation of your inflatable boat or RIB. Many times we are asked “how critical is proper inflation?” Well, it certainly is one of the most important aspects of owning and operating an inflatable boat. Operating your boat under inflated can have many negative effects on the boat. This will affect how the boat performs, how much fuel is burned and can also lead to damage to the tubes. Under inflated boats will flex and twist causing stress to the transom, tubes and floor as well as creating drag which can prevent or delay the ability of your boat to plane. Over time this will lead to transom and tube seam failures as well as cracking or breakdown of the material itself.
Running your tubes under inflated will cause the bottom of the tube to buckle as you start to accelerate. This buckling will actually peel seams apart and lead to material failure on the bottom side of your tubes if continuously operated like this. We have seen numerous boats brought in for repair this year alone from damage caused by under inflation. So the next question we get asked is how do I know if my boat is properly inflated? Well the only true method to ensure proper inflation id by using a pressure gauge. Each manufacturers’ required pressure tends to vary a bit but most inflatable boat manufacturers recommend a pressure between 2.5 and 3.4 PSI. We always recommend checking the owner’s manual for your specific make and model to ensure that you are operating at the correct pressure that your boat was designed for. This also goes for the keel and inflatable floor if your boat is so equipped as these pressures all vary and are just as important.
The damage on this Caribe was caused by prolonged use of the boat with the tubes run below the manufacturers recommended operating pressure. This was actually the better of the two sides of the boat. Unfortunately for this customer, the other side suffered catastrophic failure requiring a new tubeset.
If you do not have a pressure gauge, get one. Basic gauges are relatively inexpensive and provide good insurance for safe and proper operation of your inflatable. In the long run your boat will preform better and last longer with the use of this simple tool.
Happy Boating !