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Inflatable Boat Raft

The Uses of Inflatable Boats: River Rafting

Whitewater rafting is a growing water sport activity in areas where wild rivers still abound. The United States have the Rio Grande, Grand Canyon, Glacier National Park and more.  In the international scene there are the classic rivers known for whitewater rafting like the Mighty Zambezi; High Water Turkey; Sun Kosi River; Rio Futaleufu and the Franklin River to name a few.

The popular water activity usually entails a group of eight-like-minded enthusiasts wearing life jackets, helmets and knee pads boarding a large seemingly poorly-inflated raft with high ends. Once aboard, they embark on a water ride that thrills and terrorizes them at no end as an expert guide steer them in shooting the rapids. Drenched and cold, these adventurers reach the end of the ride, happy albeit with shaky legs.

Whitewater enthusiasts used to "wear" conventional hard-shell kayaks or decked canoes for whitewater rides.  Not anymore.  The use of inflatable rafts has gained popularity ever since whitewater aficionados found out that inflatable rafts are better than conventional kayaks in areas too "wild" to handle. Sure, an inflatable raft cannot be relied on to do an Eskimo roll but who needs that when the inflatable whitewater raft cannot be flipped or tipped over?

Avon and Achilles have led other into manufacturing small whitewater river boats that can handle four paddlers. An inflatable kayak might not be as agile as a conventional kayak but it would work quite well in less intense rivers and rapids.

If you are into using an inflatable boat for your whitewater ride note that there are dangers that you're inflatable is susceptible to.  There are sharp rocks and other obstacles along and in the fast-moving river that can tear or rip the bottom fabric or inflation chamber of your inflatable boat.  The bottom of your inflatable boat is more susceptible to scraps and abrasions even in slow-moving river. There is no getting out of drags across pebbly sandbars or being grounded in rocky-strewn bottoms. Those are all parts of whitewater rafting. A conventional kayak or canoe will be able to survive such conditions. An inflatable raft might not. If the condition of your inflatable is more important to you than traversing the wild rivers of the Rocky Mountain, better haul up your inflatable and head for the nearest backwater lake in your area.  However note that a conventional boat is more likely to be holed when punctured because it is more rigid and therefore does not "give".

You can actually enjoy your soft tail or sport boat in quieter rapids and rivers. Make sure you do not forget your emergency patch kit, just in case.

You can use inflatable dinghies and sport boats in class I and II river rapids. The technique is to under-inflate the boat leaving the transom as the only hard part and protected by the tube extensions.  You can sit on the bow and steer the boat with a long paddle. Better have someone with you to propel the boat from the back or side steer the boat.

Another way to enjoy a river ride is to use an outboard going upstream. If you encounter small and shallow rapids, get out of the boat and "line her up". Once you reach the headwaters or have motored upstream as far as you could, stow the motor up and paddle downstream with the current.

RIBs are not advisable for whitewater rides and shallow river jaunts.  Though RIBs are great used as motorboats, manually steering a RIB with paddles or oars is like paddling to steer a conventional fiberglass boat which is next to impossible.  RIBs cannot be handled by paddling and a boat that does not respond to paddling cannot be steered away from water obstacles and sand bars. You can patch your soft tail or sport boat when holed. You cannot repair a hole in the bottom of a RIB inflatable boat.

For more information about using inflatable boats for river rafting please visit:

http://inflatable-boats-kayaks-and-canoes.com/using-inflatable-boats-for-river-rafting/default.php

 

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Sea Eagle 8FD Inflatable Boat $549 9' 7" Four man inflatable boat. Complete with motormount, floorboards, two seats, oars, pump, repair kit

8.10YT Yacht Tender Inflatable Boat $999 3 man foldable inflatable boat. Inflates in minutes, folds to fit in any trunk. 5 hp. capacity, makes a great yacht tender or RV companion

Sea Eagle 14SR Deluxe Inflatable Boat $2299 Sea Eagle 14SR Inflatable sport boat. Deluxe Package. Carries 7 adults, 40 HP engine. Double reinforced 19" inflatable tubes.

Sea Eagle 10.6SRD 5 man Inflatable boat $1499 10' 6" Inflatable boat Deluxe package. HOlds 5-people, 15 hp. capacity. Rugged 1000 denier fabric, reinforcement layers under hull. Great for yacht tending.

Sea Eagle 12.6 SRD 6 Man inflatable Boat $1799 12' 6" - 6 man inflatable boat. Rugged 1000 denier material, maintenance free plastic floorboards. 3 year warranty. Complete kit - see page for details.

Yellow 3 Person Banana Boat Inflatable Raft $459.98 3 person/seater banana boats hold up to 600 pounds and are great for all bodies of water including lakes, oceans, and bays. Measures 13 feet long and 3 1/2 feet wide. Our banana boats are the perfect aqua sport and are made of super durable 1000 denier PVC reinforced materials. Every towable banana boat inflatable raft is hand made using glue bonded overlapping seams. This towable is perfect for "hard use" family recreation. All banana boats come as a complete set and are "ready to use". Buy banana boats today and get stainless steel pull rings, front tow harness with steel toggle, a nylon storage bag, foot pump, repair kit and operation instructions. Banana boats can also be shipped internationally outside the USA. More Banana Boats & Summer Toys: Banana Boats Pool Toys Xploderz Water Guns & Ammo Remote Control Boats Best Toy Store

Nylon Carry Bag for inflatable boat $25 Our storage bag is a convenient way to transport your Sea Eagle. This 26x43 inch bag will comfortably hold a deflated SE-6, SE-8, SE-9, or SE-330 and several accessories (i.e. oars, pump & motormount).

Woman Relaxing on Inflatable Pool Raft $24.99 Dennis Hallinan Woman Relaxing on Inflatable Pool Raft - Photographic Print

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INTEX Excursion 4 Inflatable River/Lake Raft Set $111.05 Capacity: Up to 726 lbs with 4 people max. Made with 30 gauge (0.76mm) material for extra strength and durability 3 air chambers including an auxiliary air chamber in the hull Two Boston valves on the main hull chambers for quick inflation and deflations All-around nylon grab rope I-beam floor for both comfort and rigidity Boat Set Includes: Two deluxe boat oars with lightweight durable aluminum shafts Two inflatable seat cushions with backrests. One high-output air pump One gear pouch Four attached oar locks Two fishing rod holders Two grab handles - one on the bow and one on the stern. Oar holders One repair patch-kit NMMA Certification Dimensions: 125" x 66" x 17.5" Weight: 50.7 lbs. Type: Inflatable Raft

Ecotourists Motor Through Water in an Inflatable Raft $39.99 Michael Melford Ecotourists Motor Through Water in an Inflatable Raft - Photographic Print

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Sea Eagle 9 Fisherman's Dream Kit $599 Rugged 11' x 4'8" Inflatable boat featuring super thick 38 mil Polykrylar hull material, wooden floorboards, two seats, motormount, oars, foot pump and repair kit.

5 Person Yellow Banana Boat Inflatable Raft Measures 17 Feet Long $633.98 A step up from our entry level banana boat. The 5 person/seater banana boats hold up to 1000 pounds and are great for all bodies of water including lakes, oceans, and bays. Measures 17 feet long and bit over 4 feet wide. Our banana boats are the perfect aqua sport and are made of super durable 1000 denier PVC reinforced materials. Every towable banana boat inflatable raft is hand made using glue bonded overlapping seams. This towable is perfect for "hard use" family recreation. All banana boats come as a complete set and are "ready to use". Buy banana boats today and get stainless steel pull rings, extended D-ring harness with double reinforced tow harness with steel toggle, 2-piece Halkey-Roberts valves, a nylon storage bag, foot pump, repair kit, and operation instructions. Banana boats can also be shipped internationally outside the USA. More Banana Boats & Summer Toys: Banana Boats Pool Toys Xploderz Water Guns & Ammo Remote Control Boats Best Toy Store

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Stansport / Inflatable 11' Boat / 422-15 $221.72 Stansport - Inflatable 11' Boat - 422-15

Inflatable Boat $78.07 An inflatable boat is a lightweight boat constructed with its sides and bow made of flexible tubes containing pressurised gas. For smaller boats, the floor and hull beneath it is often flexible. On boats longer than 3 metres/10 feet, the floor often consists of three to five rigid plywood or aluminium sheets fixed between the tubes but not joined rigidly together. Often the transom is rigid, providing a location and structure for mounting an outboard motor. Some inflatable boats have been designed to be disassembled and packed into in a small volume, so they can easily stored and transported to water when needed. Here the boat when inflated is kept rigid crossways by a foldable removable thwart. This feature allows such boats to be used as liferafts for larger boats or aircraft, and for travel or recreational purposes. Other terms for inflatable boats are inflatable dinghy, rubber dinghy, inflatable or rubber duck. Zodiac is a tradename for a make of inflatable boat, but often has become a genericized tradename used to mean any rigidhulled inflatable boat (RIB). Author: Miller, Frederic P./ Vandome, Agnes F./ McBrewster, John Binding Type: Paperback Number of Pages: 100 Publication Date: 2009/12/28 Language: English Dimensions: 5.98 x 9.01 x 0.23 inches

Nylon Seat Bag for Aluminum Seat $39 Makes excellent use of the dead space underneath the wooden seat. Nylon flap secured with Velcro makes attachment easy. Comes with Nylon shoulder strap to carry to and from your boat. Storage capacity: 14 x 24 x 9.

Sea Eagle 375fc Fold Cat Pro Angler $1299 Pontoon boats are a great way to get to places where fish are hiding. But who has 35-40 minutes to spare to put your boat together? Most rowing frames take that long to assemble. Our FoldCat has a unique folding support system that can be inflated and assembled in 5 minutes by one person.

Woman in Swimming Pool Reclining on Inflatable Raft, Wearing Bathing Cap $24.99 H. Armstrong Roberts Woman in Swimming Pool Reclining on Inflatable Raft, Wearing Bathing Cap - Photographic Print

Inflatable Raft in a River, Colorado River, Grand County, Utah, USA $29.99 Inflatable Raft in a River, Colorado River, Grand County, Utah, USA - Photographic Print

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Minnesota Twins Inflatable Raft $39.99 Perfect for the Beach, Pool or Dorm Room! It comes with built in grommets for wall hanging and displaying your favorite team. Sturdy I-beam construction features .25mm Poly Vinyl and built in angled pillow with separate air valve. Approximately 66 x 27 x 5 inches.

Michigan State Inflatable Raft $39.99 Perfect for the Beach, Pool or Dorm Room! It comes with built in grommets for wall hanging and displaying your favorite team. Sturdy I-beam construction features .25mm Poly Vinyl and built in angled pillow with separate air valve. Approximately 66 x 27 x 5 inches.

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