Ally VS air floor

MartinL86 · 25 March 2018, 15:58

Hi guys after a bit of advice. Currently got a Honwave 3.5 ally flooring. I'm considering exchanging it for the honwave 3.8 air floor. I've never been on an air floor and just after some opinions would I be happy with it for fishing? I'd put lino or something to protect the floor. The reduced weight just seems very appealing!

Fenlander · 25 March 2018, 16:23

We used to own a Honwave 3.5 alloy floor like yours. For a daily inflate family trip boat it was just too much faff/weight. For a touring or fishing platform though very practical and stable.

You may or may not like the feel of an air floor. Some folks don’t like the slight flex and slope of the mild V shape.

One advantage of the Honwaves is that it won’t cost that much to find out even if you sell on having disliked the air floor.

There are many matting options to protect the floor.

MartinL86 · 26 March 2018, 06:47

Thanks mate appreciate the reply!

esoxuk · 26 March 2018, 07:49

I actually bought the Honwave off Fenlander and thought it was great but soon got fed up of fitting and removing the floor as it can be awkward especially for 1 person. I eventually left it pumped up and put it on a trailer, but that wasn't why I wanted as I was tight for space so I sold it and got an air floor which was easier to set up and take apart and also didn't need any trailer storage space.

Fenlander · 26 March 2018, 07:55

>>>awkward especially for 1 person

Yes it was fine when I always had help and I valued its sturdy nature but for one reason and another I started doing a single person setup and that pushed us almost to giving up sibbing but eventually a lighter SIB.

MartinL86 · 26 March 2018, 11:42

Cheers guys, did you both feel happy fishing from the air floor too, would casting the lure rod be stable? And does the air floor effect the manouverabilty at all? Sorry for the bombardment!

Fenlander · 26 March 2018, 13:10

I hardly fish from one year to the next but I know the 3.5AE with alloy floor was a brilliant stable platform when standing. My Aerotec has quite a pronounced V to the floor and despite some folks fishing from them it's far from ideal. The Honwave air floor has less of a V but there is still a mild flex felt underfoot. A lot of folks do use the Honwave 3.8 for fishing though and with some protective matting seem to get on fine.

mikew4 · 26 March 2018, 20:13

Nothing wrong with an air floor when its pumped up. Works a treat. Had a Zodiac 360 for a while last year. All good until the keel punctured on shingle....which wont happen on a hard bottomed boat. I wouln't have one again unless I needed something that really collapsed down the same.

simmcgil · 26 March 2018, 20:39

I had the Honwave 3.8 air floor and really didn't like it at all, the floor flexed under speed and felt like it was coming up to meet you. But others have the boat and have nothing bad to say about them.

If you can get a young Bombard Aerotec 380 for the same price as the Honwave I would fo for that.

Lee1 · 27 March 2018, 21:42

The honwave v floors are not comfortable, one solution is to put another flat air deck inside it or some other type of floor to make it flat inside.

MartinL86 · 28 March 2018, 06:28

Thanks guys appreciate the advice!