SIB advice

[hawk eye]

Firstly hi all, I just like to say hello to all as this is my first post, the forum looks a good un!

Me and my dad are looking at getting a small inflatable for beach hopping/ fishing and light off shore run around work.

Were looking at something around 4m, and will probably use it with a yam 40hp tiller on the back. The two main models weve looked at are the zodiac futura 4.5m and the bombard commando 4.7 1100 decitex, with the option of the quicksilver 5.3 coming last.

We know that the sibs wont give a good ride in choppy water but like the versiltity of the sib.

So which would be the best? would the bombard commando be the best as it has a semi ridged kell that comes away in 3 sections? this might cope with the chop better, also, what material is 1100 decitex, is it hyperlon?

Thanks for any replys

Ian

[Nos4r2]

That's quite large for a sib. Any reason that a small rib is out of the equation?

[hawk eye]

Just cost and the fact that it can be folded up and stored while not in use really.

What sort of price would you be looking at for a small rib?

[Channel Ribs]

Hullo and welcome

The 5.3m Quicksilver is a beast! Not really portable and a three man job to fold up with any kind of finesse. That said it is a very capable boat and I love them to bits, a huge boat for the money (expect to pay about 1800) and very robust yet fun.

Is there any reason you have not listed the Quicksilver 4.3m as an option? They are good value at about a grand and easy for one person to pack/fold.

Whatever you go for add a pair of removable transom wheels, they make like sooo easy.

[Nos4r2]

Well...you could get a decent secondhand 4m searider for £3k. It'd be far more capable and hold value better (They don't lose money if you keep them well).

[Locozodiac]

Hola Ian

For what have read and know the Zodiac Futura is a nice and versatile medium sib, the Comando is a lot heavier, maybe with a thicker fabric and the Qicksilver too large. Your boating budget will decide. See which model matches perfectly your 40 HP engine you already have.

Decitex is not a material, is the compactness/thickness of the midle waffer fabric in which PVC, Hypalon are welded to, would be the ham of a sandwich. 1100 decitex is the standard now a days for medium sibs, and can go as high as 1800 in very large, combat sibs/ribs.

Other very important issue about fabrics is to know how much gr/m2 has a given fabric. 1100 decitex/1050 gr/m2 is applied mostly to 0.9 mm fabrics and 1100 decitex 1300 gr/m2 to 1.0 mm fabrics, being the second obviously better resistant.

Generally speaking, this gr/m2 issue is not mention by boat builders, only decitex specs are mentioned, so you have to buy what's available in the market. We employ 1.2 mm different fabrics/ 1650 decitex/1500 gr/m2 on our Sea Rider Boats, feels thick and correctly inflated performs very well and smooth.

Happy Boating

[hawk eye]

What would people on here choose a zodiac future 4.5 with the small speed tubes or the bombard commando c5 4.7m with semi ridged keel?

[Kernow Buoy]

I had a c5 Commando, great starter boat, well built, loads of space but a very hard ride in anything other than flat conditions, could not beleive the difference when I went to a Rib, that said it was so easy to launch/recovery and did give good fun!

[ian parkes]

I had the large futura for a while . I can't compare it with the bombard , as my only other sib was a3.8 honda air floor .

The futura is a big roomy sib and a hard floor version would be ok with a 40 . mine was an air floor which i reckon would be too flexible for more than 25hp.

Bad points for me were

I think the air tubes make it very stable but i didn't like the flat cornering , the honda with a v floor was much better and easier to hang on to as it leaned into the corners .

I also felt the hull material of the futura was baggy and robbed it of performance .

the drain holes are under the floor and just have plugs fitted from the outside ,Draining was slow and if you forgot the plugs the floor v could fill up making it slow to perform untill they drained on the move .If they got blocked with leaves etc there was no way of getting to them without lifting the floor .

It was also a fiddle getting all the various tubes and compartments to the correct pressure . an electric pump is a must

if i were to buy another sib I would consider the biggest honda and the quicksilver with solid floors .But Also see the ceasar surfcat ,i think that would be the boat for a 40hp .
You won't find the gemini sibs here , but they also look good like the surfcat

I also think for a sib of this size you are better with a small rib , apart from the better ride I expect you would use much less fuel due to the drag of a soft floor . The small valiants are light and economical

[Mollers]

Originally Posted by Kernow

I had a Commando, great starter, well built, but a very hard ride in anything other than a flat, could not beleive the difference when I went to Rob, that said it was so easy and did give good fun!

[Tim M]

I'd consider a 4m-ish Quicksilver. I had one as my first boat and it was great. Really well made, and you can get it in the boot of a smallish car.

[ian parkes]

Originally Posted by Mollers

[Andy JC]

Originally Posted by Mollers

I had a Commando, great starter, well built, but a very hard ride in anything other than a flat, could not beleive the difference when I went to Rob, that said it was so easy and did give good fun!

PMSL

[Kernow Buoy]

Originally Posted by Mollers