Inflatable Boats: Rigid hulled inflatable boats (RHIB or RIB), inflatable canoes, inflatable kayaks, inflatable dinghies and inflatable rafts.

Canoes | Dinghies | Kayaks | Rafts | Rigid Hull

There are several types of inflatable boats.  The main types are rigid hull inflatable boats, inflatable canoes, inflatable kayaks, inflatable rafts and inflatable dinghies.

An inflatable boat is a lightweight boat with 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 meters (10 feet) feet, the floor often consists of rigid plywood or aluminium sheets fixed between the tubes.  Often the transom is rigid for mounting an outboard motor.

A rigid-hulled inflatable boat, (RHIB) or rigid-inflatable boat (RIB) is a light-weight but high-performance and high-capacity boat constructed with a solid, shaped hull and flexible tubes at the gunwale.  The inflatable collar allows the vessel to maintain buoyancy even if a large quantity of water is shipped aboard due to bad sea conditions.  Uses include work boats in trades that operate on the water, as well as use as lifeboats and military craft.

The hull of a rigid hull inflatable boat is made of steel, wood, aluminium, or more commonly, a combination of wood for the structure and glass-reinforced plastic (GRP) composite for the shaped and smooth surface.  Some manufacturers also weave Kevlar can also be used with the glass reinforced plastic for extra strength.  The tubes are usually constructed from hypalon and PVC (Polyvinyl chloride), with small amounts of manufacturers using polyurethane.

Inflatable canoes allow ease of storage and transport due to the small size when deflated.  Inflatable canoes can be manufactured from several types of materials.  These are PVC detex nitrilon polyester, EPDM (Ethylene-propylene-diene) rubber, hypalon, neoprene, polyurethane and natural rubber.  The seams on an inflatable canoe are normally heat welded.  Some inflatable canoes can have a polycarbonate viewing panel.

Inflatable kayaks allow ease of storage and transport due to the small size when deflated.  Inflatable kayaks can be manufactured from several types of materials.  These are PVC detex nitrilon polyester, EPDM (Ethylene-propylene-diene) rubber, hypalon, neoprene, polyurethane and natural rubber.  The seams on an inflatable kayak are normally heat welded.  Some inflatable kayaks can have a polycarbonate viewing panel.

Inflatable rafts are typically used on rivers and lakes.  Rafts are flat bottomed using the buoyancy of its materials to keep it afloat.  Inflatable rafts use reinforced fabric made out of rubber or plastics that is capable to hold air pressure. The air inside the inflatable rafts maintains the buoyancy, even if the materials and the cargo above it are much denser than water.  Some inflatable rafts have aluminum or steel sheets as the flooring. This forms the keel or the main structure of the raft to which all materials are attached to.  Inflatable rafts can be manufactured from PVC detex nitrilon polyester, EPDM (Ethylene-propylene-diene) rubber, hypalon, neoprene, polyurethane and natural rubber.  The seams on an inflatable raft are normally heat welded.

Inflatable dinghies allow ease of storage and transport due to the small size when deflated.  Inflatable dinghies can be manufactured from several types of materials.  These are PVC detex nitrilon polyester, EPDM (Ethylene-propylene-diene) rubber, hypalon, neoprene, polyurethane and natural rubber.  The seams on an inflatable dinghy are normally heat welded.  Some inflatable dinghies can have a polycarbonate viewing panel.

English Terminology: inflatable rigid hull boats, boat, inflatable canoes, canoe, inflatable kayaks, kayak, inflatable rafts, raft, inflatable dinghies, dinghy, PVC detex nitrilon polyester, EPDM (Ethylene-propylene-diene) rubber, hypalon, neoprene, polyurethane, natural rubber

French Terminology: Bateaux pneumatiques à coque rigide, bateaux, canots pneumatiques, canots, kayaks gonflables, kayak, radeaux pneumatiques, radeaux, canots pneumatiques, dériveurs, polyester PVC nitrilon dtex, EPDM (éthylène-propylène-diène) en caoutchouc, hypalon, néoprène, polyuréthane, caoutchouc naturel

German Terminology: Schlauchboot Festrumpf Boote, Boot, aufblasbare Kanus, Kanu, Schlauchboot Kajak, Kajak, Schlauchboote, Floß, Schlauchboote, Jollen, PVC Detex Nitrilon Polyester, EPDM (Ethylen-Propylen-Dien)-Kautschuk, Hypalon, Neopren, Polyurethan, Naturkautschuk

Spanish Terminology: botes inflables de casco rígido, en barco, canoas inflables, canoas, kayaks, kayaks, botes inflables, balsas, botes inflables, botes, detex PVC nitrilon poliéster, EPDM (etileno-propileno-dieno) de goma, hypalon, neopreno, poliuretano, caucho natural