sam bros Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 Hey raiders, Didn't want to start a new thread for this but need some info on the blue line inflatable boats. Has anyone had any experience with them? I've searched fish raider and all over the internet but can't get any reviews or decent info on them Cheers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest no one Posted July 31, 2015 Share Posted July 31, 2015 You'll probably find most fishermen won't use inflatable boats for obvious reasons involving knives and hooks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam bros Posted July 31, 2015 Author Share Posted July 31, 2015 Not paertcularly true The convenience of storage is a huge plus for many people and there is no need to tow it making it perfect for people with small cars I've been on a couple inflatables and as long as your not doing anything stupid, nothing will happen to boat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 4myson Posted August 1, 2015 Share Posted August 1, 2015 (edited) Not paertcularly true The convenience of storage is a huge plus for many people and there is no need to tow it making it perfect for people with small cars I've been on a couple inflatables and as long as your not doing anything stupid, nothing will happen to boat. I have to agree with Teflon mate . I saw one particular inflatable with well over 20 patches all over it , when I inquired with the owner was that from hooks he replied NO , it was from the Bream spikes !! ( I wouldn't call catching Bream doing something STUPID ) BUGGER that.... get your self a Kayak at least if you want something more durable & there still easy to load ..... Edited August 1, 2015 by 4myson Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam bros Posted August 1, 2015 Author Share Posted August 1, 2015 (edited) How old was his boat? Today's inflatables are constructed much better and some of the top brands are meant to with stand the force of a knife falling from a decent height But then again bream spikes are pretty deadly, been poked a couple times and it hurts. Lol Edited August 1, 2015 by sam bros Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 1, 2015 Share Posted August 1, 2015 Speak with Harold as he has a very nice inflatable that he fishes from a lot as well as a 53 footer Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam bros Posted August 1, 2015 Author Share Posted August 1, 2015 Speak with Harold as he has a very nice inflatable that he fishes from a lot as well as a 53 footer Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Volitan Posted August 1, 2015 Share Posted August 1, 2015 Naturally you do need to use a bit of common sense using knives of hooks in an inflatable, but in 20 years of fishing from one I've never had a hook/knife puncture or seen it happen. As for bream spikes- he's having a joke. No way could that happen. Tomorrow when I'm home I'll write a summary of the positives and negatives of fishing from inflatables. Plenty of both. Arron Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam bros Posted August 1, 2015 Author Share Posted August 1, 2015 Naturally you do need to use a bit of common sense using knives of hooks in an inflatable, but in 20 years of fishing from one I've never had a hook/knife puncture or seen it happen. As for bream spikes- he's having a joke. No way could that happen. Tomorrow when I'm home I'll write a summary of the positives and negatives of fishing from inflatables. Plenty of both. Arron Cheers mate Really appreciated Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GreyNurse Posted August 1, 2015 Share Posted August 1, 2015 As long as you keep away from oyster covered rocks, you should be OK. From the reading I've been doing, they are a nice little option, but I'd place more stock in my cheap and cheerful kayak. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 4myson Posted August 1, 2015 Share Posted August 1, 2015 If inflatables are meant to be so tuff , Why do they come with a Puncture Kit ????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sam bros Posted August 2, 2015 Author Share Posted August 2, 2015 If inflatables are meant to be so tuff , Why do they come with a Puncture Kit ????? Why do tinnies come with a bail out bucket? Please try to stay on topic I'm trying to obtain some indormation so I can make an appropriate decision and gain a deeper understanding from the wonderful people here at fishraider. I'm not trying to start a pointless debate. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Volitan Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 (edited) OK, I'm home now so here is my definitive list of pros and cons of fishing from an inflatable. I'm talking here about small, soft inflatables not RIBs. Also, please understand that I'm not wedded to the idea of using inflatables, I also have two kayaks and 2 fibreglass boats which I probably use more, but the inflatable is still a lot of fun and fills the gap when travelling or fishing at short notice. I've done this as pros and cons and things which are a bit of both depending upon what you are comparing too. Pay close attention to the cons, because they are significant. Pros Portable ; this is the main one by far. My inflatable with outboard and fishing gear fits in a car boot. I have carried it that way in road trips as far as Adelaide and Cooktown. I carried it for 11,000 km in one road trip. Just close the boot, no-one knows its there, no-one interferes with it, you can just drive around and park where you want unlike towing a trailer on a road trip which I've done as well and was awful - have to watch it all the time, cant go into a car park, cant park in town, bits rattle off the trailer - after the first couple of thousand kms you wonder why you are doing it. Easy storage ; mine stores in a cupboard. Even unit-dwellers could own an inflatable. The configuation of our home means I cant park a trailer without doing a lot of excavation and landscaping. I'm not prepared to do that because aesthetically we are pretty happy with it as is. Our holiday home is a different story. We can park a trailer there, but then I have a couple of fibreglass boats in the creek next door and kayaks in the garage so why bother. Generally seaworthy ; surf-rescue boats are always inflatables. Usually RIBs, but sometimes airdecks. Theres a reason for that. Be careful with this statement though, inflatables are not some sort of magic thing that you can do stupid things in. Not dependent on boat ramp for launch : from time to time, I launch in strange places, scrambling down banks, carrying down bush tracks or across wide sandy banks. Generally though, this sort of thing is arduous and I prefer a boat ramp if one is available. Catch more fish ; I believe (though I can offer no proof at all) that in terms of surface fish or shallow water fishing, that you catch more in an inflatable. This is because their footprint is tiny - because they make almost no underwater noise having a soft air-filled hull. If you think about it, if your intention was to design a fish-scaring device, you would probably start with a thin metal skin offering maximum water surface contact, with the ability to magnify any internal noise, raise its pitch, and transmit it directly to the underwater environment. Then add a hard chine and relatively flat planing surfaces to capture wave action and redirect it back into the water. Come to think of it - you have just designed a tinnie. So generally, for pelagic action or very shallow water, I prefer the inflatable. For medium or deep water, noise transmission is not critical so I prefer fibreglass. Cons Limited lifespan ; inflatables have a limited lifespan. Plan on 5 - 15 years ownership. If you want something to last longer or give better value for money, buy a tinne/fibreglass boat and look after it. PVC boats are glued. The adhesive fails after a while (10 yrs ??). Hypalon boats are welded - they last longer but are more expensive so probably same cost per year. Punctureable ; punctures are always possible. Ive only ever had one puncture (in 20 years of ownership) and it happened when I allowed some children to use a boat and they ran it up on oysters. I've never had a puncture from inside (ie knives or fishing gear). Maybe I'm just a person of careful habits. Generally, puncutures are not a big deal - you puncture, you repair, you carry on. There is no point understating it though, inflatable boats will puncture and tinnies/fibreglass boats will not. I know I'm vacilating here, but I'm just trying to give some balance as the threat of puncture is not a big issue to me. Wear spots and seam splits are a different matter. These define the end-of-life of an inflatable boat. You repair them, they happen somewhere else. It means your boat is past it. Slow to launch ; inflating a boat, kitting out and getting going takes me about 20 minutes. You cant do that on a busy boat ramp. I've been abused when trying to do so, and it wasnt easy to deal with because I kind of agreed with them. I choose quiet ramps or launch beside the ramp nowadays. Bumpy ride ; because of their light weight, going fast over any kind of wave or wind chop gives you a bumpy, kidney thumping ride and is my no 1 objection. I hate it. You need to stow your gear carefully or tie it down or else it bounces over the side. Wet ride : You are down low to the water and have no windshield or raised prow, so its wet. Limited internal space ; tinnies have thin sides so almost all the footprint is available to the occupants. Inflatables have very thick air-filled bladders as sides so the internal space is limited. Limited fixing points ; its almost all soft material, so the only place to fix rod holder, fish finder, wheels etc are the seats and the transom. Very limited. Not crocodile proof ; in FNQ, I used an inflatable a few times till I saw my first big croc. Not easy to row ; A lot of energy for very little forward progress. Heavy to cart out of a car boot ; Plan on lifting 30-35kgs out of a car boot if you go PVC. Hyaplon is lighter, but expensive. Then the motor, then all the gear. Cant leave it in the sun ; PVC and sun don't go together. Hypalon is a bit better. I generally don't leave the boat out when not using it. The sun is a problem, but I'm also worried about interference and vandalism. My fibreglass boats have lain upside down on the creekside for years without a problem. Both pro and con depending upon what you are comparing too: Comfort : Inflatables are more comfortable then a kayak - you can stand up, move around, lie down, and you have lots of soft squelchy surfaces; but not as comfortable as a tinnie/fibreglass boat which you can deck out with nice seats etc. Fast : I like my boats to be fast so I can respond to surface-active fish. Inflatables are faster then a kayak (obviously, cos they have an outboard), but slower then a tinnie with equivalent motor. Range : Again, easier to cover a long distance then a kayak, but I would prefer to do a long trip in a tinnie/fibreglass boat. The maximum distance I've covered in a single trip in an inflatable in a marine environment is 60 kms, down a river it was 40 kms. Obviously the motor did the work, not me. Ability to carry friends : Its easier to have a couple of friends along in a well chosen inflatable (not my Newport, however) then in a kayak. A tinnie is probably better as there are less rules for a non-fishing friend to adjust too. Example - I took a guy from work out in my inflatable on Sydney Harbour. Got him a kingfish and a samson fish straight away - he was from Ireland so he was over the moon. Then we took off for a bumpy ride and he didn't know to stow the rod carefully. My mega-quality rod and reel that he was using bumped right over the side. Ruined a wonderful day. cheers Arron Edited August 2, 2015 by Volitan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest 4myson Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 Why do tinnies come with a bail out bucket? Please try to stay on topic I'm trying to obtain some indormation so I can make an appropriate decision and gain a deeper understanding from the wonderful people here at fishraider. I'm not trying to start a pointless debate. I thought I was on the topic ...If someone handed you a tin of putty or little sheets of Aluminium once you bought a tinny & said you need to apply this every time it has a hole "You'd have second thoughts about the strength of the tinny" Wouldn't you ... You've asked for opinion on Inflatables & when they reply you don't like their "INFORMATION" ????? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 Easy on the reservation Indians. Keep it nice or one of the BIG CHIEFS might go on the warpath. Admin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Guest123456789 Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 Why wouldn't you get a boat made from hard material? I can see why clubbies use them, don't see why a fisho would want one Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted August 2, 2015 Share Posted August 2, 2015 Well Sam there ya have it some like em some hate em and now you can make your decision either way. Closed Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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