How Well Does a SIB With Aluminum Hard Floor Handle

[jackreno]

I am thinking of buying a SIB with aluminum floor, not a air floor, does the boat ride stiff and not roll around, the reason I ask is I once owned a SIB with air floor and did not like it so I bought a fiberglass RIB, but now my boating has changed and want to go into shallow rivers with a Jet Outboard and want to buy a Zodiac or similar SIB with hard floor.

OR

Should I hold out for a aluminum RIB with a flat bottom and go that route, AB has a RIB for the Jet outboard but the RIB cost $10,000 just for a blank RIB, a hard floor SIB cost half that..

[jackreno]

I am looking to buy the Bombard C-3 with the wood keel and aluminum floor, anyone got one.

[Fenlander]

Yes an air floor can be flexy and some people hate that feeling. An alloy floor SIB will be better.

But you want to go jetting about shallow rivers.... get an alloy hull RIB.

[jackreno]

Originally Posted by Fenlander

Yes an air floor can be flexy and some people hate that feeling. An alloy floor SIB will be better.

But you want to go jetting about shallow rivers.... get an alloy hull RIB.

I would like a RIB with a flat alloy hull made for a jet outboard but only 2 company's make them and they are damn expensive, besides tubes do just well in rapids so why cant a hard floor SIB work in swallow waters as long as I stay off the rocks..

[jeffstevens763@g]

I think the bombard c3 would be ideal ask if you can have it double skinned on the hull excel inflateables do it over here for extra protection if you think about it they run Rapids in rubber hulled inflateables keep some tear aid with you for emergency repairs. Ali hulls are ok and perform better but if you do hit rocks it will soon be tatty with dents & paint coat scratched
A good thing about the wood keel is no temperature problems a mate of mine had one years ago brilliant boat

[Fenlander]

...as long as I stay off the rocks..

Yep I'd be advising that with a SIB. I think the Russians do a bit of this with air floors that look like a Li-Lo.

[Fenlander]

Here you are...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ECB0X5L2ePM

[Fenlander]

And here's a better look at the floor of a similar SIB...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qc9V80dI5Zg

[Andy JC]

No need for him to use a kill cord because there's almost no chance of him hitting a rock and getting launched from the boat [emoji85]

[jeffstevens763@g]

https://youtu.be/CEoxG_1TIUk

Works for him