Are rubber inflatible boats (RIBs) better for Baja?

  • Are rubber inflatible boats (RIBs) better for Baja?

    Posted by amandae on August 2, 2022 at 9:54 am

    In another thread, @paranewbi shared a photo of his RIB and it intrigued me. We have talked about the idea of a boat to fish from as well as exploring and keeping the kids entertained but the thought of hauling a trailer behind us on the narrow roads and highways of Baja is overwhelming. We even looked at a very small aluminum boat that could be roof mounted on our Tahoe but I worry that could blow off on a really windy day and my husband thinks it would t our gas mileage. Plus there’s the issue of where store it at home?

    Before we start shopping, I do have a couple of questions.

    1. What is the price range for a good RIB?
    2. How big of a motor do we need?
    3. How do those tires work I saw in the photo?
    4. How much space does it all take?
    5, How many people go ride onboard (or weight)?

    amandae replied 2 years, 2 months ago 10 Members · 65 Replies
  • 65 Replies
  • mikel

    Member
    August 2, 2022 at 11:19 am

    Our son mounts his boat on the top of his truck rack and has never had a single problem that I am aware of. He used to tie it down in his truck’s bed sticking out the back but now has dirt bikes too, so he moved it up on top.

    • blitzer

      Member
      August 3, 2022 at 6:06 am

      My next door neighbor where we used to live had a setup just that with 2 sliding extensions that pull down off the back top him take it off and put it back up by himself.

  • screeski

    Member
    August 2, 2022 at 1:21 pm

    I like the idea of inflatables but my main concern is what to do with all the rocks along the coastline you commonly see in Baja? I’d be living in fear that I would rip it on leaving/arriving to shore.

    • paranewbi

      Member
      August 2, 2022 at 3:29 pm

      Thanks AmandaE for moving this to a new thread! I’m learning more and more how to navigate TalkBaja. To answer your questions…

      1. What is the price range for a good RIB?

      Our set up was about $5200. We didn’t know much about RIB’s at the time. The Canadians we met purchased their boats at Costco for about $700 and those were pretty comparable to the $2700 we paid for ours from an online shop. The materials were the same, the bottom configuration were the same and the size were the same.

      2. How big of a motor do we need?

      Motor sort of goes with the size of the boat… Usually they are rated for a maximum motor size. BUT… you don’t need the max size! A lot of the Canadians have motors from 4 to 6. Our motor was a brand new Honda 9.9 (10) and yep we can go fast and yep the Canadians were jealous. But you pay premium for what you get new. Ours was $2200 back in 2021. They go up every year. And new is quieter but not by much.

      3. How do those tires work I saw in the photo?

      They work great for launching and landing anywhere. Ours are the largest which makes it real easy for old guys like me. Lots of choices on YouTube. As well we have a dolly for the motor that is awesome and most are very curious about.

      4. How much space does it all take?

      The RIB folds up into a 4.5′ x 2′ x 1′ package. It fits snugly into one of our RV compartments. It weighs about 100 pounds. The motor is about 3′ long and fits in another compartment. Then you have the wheels, oars, canopy components, safety/maintenance/accessories (pretty much the same as with any boat). My buddy puts his RIB on top of his vehicle and the motor fits where the camping gear goes.

      5, How many people go ride onboard (or weight)?

      Our RIB is 10′ and holds four pretty easily. Three when fishing. Two luxuriously. One is my favorite. 🙂

      As with any boat… landing in rocky areas is done with care. The bottom of today’s RIB’s are really tough. We shut down the motor and slow float to a depth where I can get out and guide the RIB to any shore. You can always row to a landing also. I can’t imagine damaging the bottom with just a little care and think it would be the same for any vessel. No boat is going to handle a collision with a rock at high speeds though.

      I let my teen grand-kids take the boat out after a short training run on how to start/stop/launch/land… lesson. I also take the curious fellow out and let them control the boat so they can decide if they like it or not for their own purchase, the smiles are broad!

      We love having the boat for exploration and fishing. The dolphins often swim under and in front of us as we scoot along. It really gives you more access to areas than most boats do especially in shallow areas… that’s why most sailors have them as ‘tenders’.

      I have noted that on TalkBaja we can communicate privately and if anyone would wish to do that I am open to all questions… although perhaps as a boating thread an open discussion of general interest is the best way to gleen wisdom from each other about this subject.

      • amandae

        Member
        August 2, 2022 at 5:05 pm

        Thank you for all that. We will spend some time researching on youtube about how those tires help.

    • mikel

      Member
      August 2, 2022 at 3:46 pm

      How long and wide is your inflatable as well as approx interior dimensions when on the water?? I was surprised to hear the small size you could pack it into.

      • amandae

        Member
        August 11, 2022 at 7:25 pm

        If you look at the different makes and various sized models online, many of them give you all that info included in their ad descriptions.

  • shark

    Member
    August 2, 2022 at 4:01 pm

    never had a RIB but had 4 different inflatables 3 were quality hypalon boats, our last and by far our favorite was our 14′ PVC boat, all were fitted with either a one or two piece floor. are you sure you need a RIB?

    • mikel

      Member
      August 2, 2022 at 4:57 pm

      Could you post some photos to give me a better picture?

    • amandae

      Member
      August 2, 2022 at 7:12 pm

      @shark so this main difference is the flooring material between the two?

      • JuanSoler

        Member
        August 3, 2022 at 5:44 pm

        I believe that there are actually several unique styles of inflatable boats with different flooring, structural and motor mounting options/configurations. I have been looking at this one with a sturdy aluminum floor and capable of handling a 15HP outboard. It should be able to standup to a little abuse and be a lot of fun on the water.

        https://www.amazon.com/Emaxusa-Inflatable-Aluminum-Professional-Saltwater/dp/B08GZNC7HD/

        • JuanSoler

          Member
          August 3, 2022 at 5:48 pm

          And I’m like @paranewbi – I’m happiest when fishing by myself 😇

          • paranewbi

            Member
            August 4, 2022 at 4:01 am

            Be careful… A RIB is like owning a truck; You may not have your weekends filled with requests to help people move, but the bigger your RIB, the more people will think you want company! 😉

            • amandae

              Member
              August 11, 2022 at 7:33 pm

              You weren’t kidding. We have only been talking about getting one for a week or so and already some of our friends have picked up on our new shopping focus, with a couple of them sharing some ideas on where “we” can take it. 😄😄😄

  • amandae

    Member
    August 2, 2022 at 5:01 pm

    I am a bit confused (nothing new LOL). just looked up the hypalon style boat on Google that @shark referred to and it looks to be the same as the RIB style that @paranewbi had been discussing. What am I missing???

    • paranewbi

      Member
      August 2, 2022 at 5:27 pm

      This is our setup…. https://www.seaeagle.com/SportRunabouts/106SRhttps://www.seaeagle.com/SportRunabouts/106SR

      Here is the Costco one the Canadians favored… https://www.costco.com/tobin-sports-inflatable-boat.product.100574274.htmlhttps://www.costco.com/tobin-sports-inflatable-boat.product.100574274.html

      No actual difference in RIB and ‘Inflatable’ it’s just a term you prefer either way. Material is a preference also but PVC is no longer the standard.

      Some people prefer the newer 4stroke motors and some prefer the 2stroke (oil is mixed with fuel).

      Any opinion you acquire is the opinion of the person providing it… best thing to do is peruse YouTube and read up on material construction and outboard motors.

      The size of the folded package is really dependent on the size of the transom. The specs are all posted on the links above and also the different available sizes.

      • amandae

        Member
        August 2, 2022 at 7:14 pm

        Your first link you gave to your setup takes me to a blank page saying “bad request”?

        • paranewbi

          Member
          August 3, 2022 at 2:15 am

          Our RIB was purchased from a company called ‘SeaEagle’ and a general search should get you there AmandaE 🙂

          They have YouTube videos posted also and one of them actually shows how to roll it up for storage. I’ll post some photos of ours.

      • amandae

        Member
        August 2, 2022 at 7:15 pm

        There really is a LOT of information on youtube, we have lots to learn.

        • paranewbi

          Member
          August 3, 2022 at 2:28 am

          Here’s a brief ‘HOW TO’!

        • paranewbi

          Member
          August 3, 2022 at 2:58 am

          A few more photos. One shows the entire contents of our setup packaged up and maybe gives you some idea of the size in comparison to the other objects in the photo. Two others show a rolling motor stand that allows me to move the outboard over sand and without lifting it… mount it on the transom! There is a YouTube posting of this stand. The last is just a photo of what you get to see when you have a shore landing RIB/inflatable/tender/boot that takes you away from the crowds.

          • blitzer

            Member
            August 3, 2022 at 6:10 am

            I like how everything can be packed into bags like that. Much better than I expected.

            • paranewbi

              Member
              August 3, 2022 at 7:41 am

              The technical part is how to transport the outboard. Honda labels theirs to be lied down with a certain side up but if there’s any tilt to the motor while on it’s side it will leak oil into the interior and out on the surface it sits on. I drain my oil before transporting it in the RV cubby.

              My buddy built a rack on the back of his VW bus and it just sort of hung upright on that.

  • amandae

    Member
    August 2, 2022 at 5:03 pm

    And thanks for taking the time to educate this newbie sailor.

    • paranewbi

      Member
      August 3, 2022 at 2:26 am

      I’m retired and have a ton of time to watch others videos on YouTube. It makes the time go by faster between planning on living life and actually living life 🙂

      0:18

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      • blitzer

        Member
        August 3, 2022 at 6:13 am

        Man, I really like how that thing cruises along. Looks like it’s made for the gulf and appears not to create a lot of waves like a standard boat does, right?

        • paranewbi

          Member
          August 3, 2022 at 7:38 am

          It is a smooth ride on those smooth surfaces. It gets up on plane pretty quick and that helps in small chop but if there’s a lot of wind on the surface or somewhat of a swell it can get pretty bouncy and a lot of spray off the front. They are light riders unlike most boats that have some weight to them. I’ve seen videos of guys taking one over to Catalina off Long Beach but that was on a pretty nice day.

          I’ve pushed mine though some pretty good winds and it did fine… I don’t think I would ever hesitate to go but I do read the water where ever I am and try to find shelter to work around on the way in.

          I tend to use ours in protected waters like Conception Bay and nearby off shore islands. Having spent the money on something new I feel pretty good about not suffering a breakdown and being subject to the winds in the Sea of Cortez.

          • amandae

            Member
            August 4, 2022 at 6:24 am

            I grew up in a family with a big boat and learned it’s best to just stay off the water on windy days, unless you’re sailing.

  • shark

    Member
    August 2, 2022 at 7:34 pm

    A RIB (rigid inflatable boat) is just that, an inflatable boat with a rigid bottom either fiberglass or aluminum, an inflatable has an inflatable keel and can be rolled up and stashed anywhere, they come with floorboards that can also be rolled up

    • paranewbi

      Member
      August 3, 2022 at 2:12 am

      Shark is right… er, wrong. I suppose we could argue the semantics (“The study or science of meaning in language”) of words, but that is so BORING! And maybe Shark’s paradigm (he hangs out with ‘science’ people… I hang on the beach) is different than others.

      It all depends!

      Yes ‘inflatable’ can be rolled up (unless you get the one with the RIGID floor boards that are sectional and offered on most ‘inflatables’) but then again I have an ‘inflatable’ that holds several of my grand-kids and comes with oars and oar holders on the ‘inflatable’ but it can’t support a motor nor more than one adult and is nothing near what my RIB can do. And letting ‘inflatable’ roll off my tongue is to much work.

      Maybe we can all be happy if I just refer to my RIB as an ‘inflatable RIB’ but those Canadians would think I’m crazy. And most of them use a word that sounds something like ‘boat’ while my wife’s family calls it what sounds like a ‘boot’ that goes on the ‘wader’.

      The point is… there is no point. Except the one you point your ‘water vessel’ at.

      • This reply was modified 2 years, 3 months ago by  paranewbi.
  • amandae

    Member
    August 5, 2022 at 9:10 am

    Looks like some people aren’t afraid to take them out in a big swell. I am actually amazed at how stable the small inflatable appears.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ekqxr_85yis

    • paranewbi

      Member
      August 5, 2022 at 5:20 pm

      Notice they are not that far offshore… Not so sure I would be doing that unless it was a rescue situation. The speed is relative to the ride also in these. Going fast leaves you with a sore butt in choppy seas. Thanks for the vids AmandaE!

      • amandae

        Member
        August 5, 2022 at 7:34 pm

        When I first mentioned the idea of inflatables to my husband he was a bit turned off on them but watching all these videos he is now starting to warm up to the idea.

    • guacamole

      Member
      August 8, 2022 at 9:18 am

      Some serious cajones there on that small boat in those conditions.

  • amandae

    Member
    August 5, 2022 at 9:14 am

    And then there’s this one!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SCUc3U8WVMo

    • paranewbi

      Member
      August 5, 2022 at 5:17 pm

      That’s why there’s multiple chambers on these boats. I also beat a fish with a blunt instrument before bringing it on my boat and that shark would have known the wrath of my hammer!

      • amandae

        Member
        August 11, 2022 at 7:27 pm

        Have you ever had to repair a tear or leak in your boat?

        • paranewbi

          Member
          August 12, 2022 at 2:19 am

          A tear would be devastating! I always make sure there are no sharp edges or items in my storage bin on my RV (which is carpeted). The bottom material is pretty thick and durable. Probably the only way to damage it is to hit something while moving fast. The weight of the boat is not so great that moving it on the beach or carefully dragging it across small underwater rocks (‘beaching it’) would cause much harm. A tear would mean a professional repair.

          With age pin holes might, and do appear, but those are minor repairs you can handle yourself… lot’s of YouTube vids for the DIY.

          My boat seems pretty darn durable and has made it through the first year of ‘idiot proof’ that I put it through! I’m getting up there in years and I always remember what an old codger said to me many years ago; “At my age, everything comes with a life time warranty”.

          We’ll see….

          • amandae

            Member
            August 12, 2022 at 10:47 am

            That is our biggest concern and as we have no real experience with inflatables (other than in the pool and at the beach as kids). A coworker of my husband has one and has offered to take us out to try so we will soon get a better feel for what to expect.

  • amandae

    Member
    August 5, 2022 at 9:18 am

    Here’s a good video I found on inflatable boats:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_LmiOb9dEi8

    • paranewbi

      Member
      August 5, 2022 at 5:13 pm

      12V Electric Air Pump all the way!! I use a foot pump on my SUP but I can inflate my RIB in 15 minutes! First time I inflated it I did it with the foot pump and then I switched to the hand pump and it took about 45 minute and I was exhausted. Fortunately I was setting the boat up out of the box in my Dinning room and it was a short walk to a nap 🙂

      That SeaEagle at the end might be good for a lake but not for the ocean. Nice video though.

      • tom-lindsay

        Member
        August 7, 2022 at 11:27 am

        With all of the very reasonably priced 12v air pumps available on the market today it makes little sense to air your boat up manually. At my age I probably wouldn’t have much energy left to take the boat out after using a manual air pump!

        • paranewbi

          Member
          August 8, 2022 at 2:28 pm

          Takes me 5 minutes to foot pump my Sup up… Then I lay on it for 10 minutes before heading out.

          • amandae

            Member
            August 11, 2022 at 7:38 pm

            One of the questions I had was if you need to “top it off” after you inflate it? You know how some inflatable things that have been stored will continue to stretch out a bit and get the wrinkles out for awhile after you first blow them up?

            • paranewbi

              Member
              August 12, 2022 at 2:10 am

              The valves have the recommended inflation imprinted on them. I know there are two different manufacturers of the valves on my SUP and the boat, but they are the same type of inflation valves. In two months of use in Baja this year camping on the beach I never had to re-up the air… you can get use to the feel of the pressure in the chambers and would notice a need. But I would think in short order any need might indicate a pin leak.

  • JuanSoler

    Member
    August 6, 2022 at 10:08 am

    How about a HBI RBI? HBI = hard bottom inflatable

    https://vimeo.com/30861471

    • bajabill

      Member
      August 6, 2022 at 10:26 am

      Now that’s a serious boat!

    • amandae

      Member
      August 6, 2022 at 12:58 pm

      Looks amazing but then we would have to have a trailer for that, something I am desperately trying to avoid!

      • JuanSoler

        Member
        August 6, 2022 at 1:06 pm

        Are you unable to pull anything behind your vehicle or is it simply a preference not to have to deal with it?

        • paranewbi

          Member
          August 6, 2022 at 1:27 pm

          If your riding in a RV, a lot of the time it’s crazy to drive into town (essentially breaking camp, or the streets are to narrow & I’ve seen a tree take out the front corner of an expensive type A). So I like to tow our small car behind us leaving no ability to tow a trailer…that’s where something you can store in a cubby comes in handy. In a place like Mulege it’s pretty much impossible to drive in town central with anything bigger than a camp van.

          • amandae

            Member
            August 6, 2022 at 3:23 pm

            Exactly our same reasons. Well, probably mine more than my husbands as I think he still wishes we could figure out a way to trailer a boat down but I have the power of veto in that argument so NO, we will not be pulling a trailer down south of the border. It’s too dangerous in some situations and simply too inconvenient in a lot of others.

      • paranewbi

        Member
        August 6, 2022 at 1:28 pm

        Probably cost as much or more than anything you would tow it with!

        • paranewbi

          Member
          August 8, 2022 at 4:47 am

          Just for fun I went back and checked out our same setup at SeaEagle today…

          The outboard is usually the most expensive item and has gone up $800 in just one year!

          • amandae

            Member
            August 8, 2022 at 9:08 am

            Wow! Sounds like you bought at the right time and scored a good deal. We are still comparing as to size / capacity, outboard size limitations, features, storage size and pricing.

            • paranewbi

              Member
              August 8, 2022 at 2:37 pm

              And don’t forget the thousand dollars in ‘extras’ you’ll ‘need’. Also in Cali you have to register it just like a car and get a ‘boaters’ license (online$$) to operate it.

              Life Jackets, Horn, running lights, fire extinguisher, rod holders, seats (benches are NOT comfortable), Misc. tools, Spare Misc. parts, Water proof holders (for fish license, ID, Registration, Phones, lighter, Meth pipe, flare gun, medical aid. TP), Fish finder, wine glasses, food.

              One good thing about buying used is that a lot of this stuff could come with it.

              • JuanSoler

                Member
                August 8, 2022 at 6:56 pm

                😆😆😆 Man, I’ve got to go boating with you sometime, that sounds like a serious party boat!

              • amandae

                Member
                August 9, 2022 at 6:31 am

                Sounds like you guys are having way too much fun on that boat – LOL.

                Yes, I am also looking at a few inflatables and you’re right in that many are offered with the needed extras all included, although my husband prefers a new model (especially with the outboard), so we might have to buy new instead. We looked at one and you are definitely right about the uncomfortable seats. I found these seat pads that also give you storage underneath.

                https://www.amazon.com/Seamax-Universal-Inflatable-Detachable-Reflective/dp/B07SFM7W1W/

                • paranewbi

                  Member
                  August 10, 2022 at 2:37 am

                  Y’all do read my posts!! Threw that in there as a test…

                  Really contemplating that bench seat cushion. Although I do have a seat with a back on it in the operators position (swivel to boot) and I’ve urged my wife to consider such on her front bench seat position. Her back is reflecting her age that the abuse as a retired nurse. Sometimes after those long fishing sessions or island exploring rides she collapses in her camp chair on shore upon return while I, being just as tired, labor through the process of making margaritas for her. One of the burdens of being the one with the luxurious back support.

                  • blitzer

                    Member
                    August 10, 2022 at 7:00 am

                    The captain always get the nicest chair onboard a ship, every sailor knows that. But the rank comes with a heavy burden as we all know, “the captain goes down with the ship” when she sinks! 😁

                    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yQLwCcKz-Ns

                  • amandae

                    Member
                    August 11, 2022 at 7:39 pm

                    You can’t put two chairs like that on board?

  • screeski

    Member
    August 10, 2022 at 6:25 pm

    I just met some people yesterday on a jobsite who had an aluminum hulled boat parked in their driveway with a big for sale sign. They are planning to buy an inflatable, saying they will save lots of money in monthly storage costs and love the idea of not having to pull a trailer anymore.

    You guys may be onto something.

    • paranewbi

      Member
      August 11, 2022 at 4:43 am

      OK… there might be ONE drawback to an inflatable you should let your buddies know about…

      P.S. this would probably run my wife right off the water.

      • amandae

        Member
        August 11, 2022 at 7:49 pm

        My dad had a big fishing boat and we’d always get seals jumping up on the swim platform, begging for anchovies!

        • paranewbi

          Member
          August 12, 2022 at 2:05 am

          I’ve had a jellyfish get inside my wetsuit (all the way to my crotch!) but never once in 58 years did a seal swim up on my surfboard😖

          • amandae

            Member
            August 12, 2022 at 10:49 am

            😆😆😆

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