Cheap Dinghy Comparison - Rigid vs Inflatable
ฝัง
- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 ก.พ. 2025
- Quick backyard test to see which I like better for use on my sailboat.
/ smallcraftcruising
Inflatable:
Bestway HydroForce Caspian 7'6"
Rigid:
West Marine (also SunDolphin) Water Tender 9.4
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i dont have a whole lot of money so i bought both and tested them in my beautiful pool. I need the dinghy to tow behind my sailboat
Use a dinghy
Lmao
Hahaha
Right! I’m like..this fucking guy
Lmao
“I didn’t have a lot of money so I bought both!” My kind of thinking so I had to watch
Chris Federoff I was I’m thinking the same thing lol
I didn't have a whole lot of money, so i bought both of them.
and then sold the one I didn't prefer... but yeah, that's been mentioned to me hah
Will you get some Davits for Herbert, or will you change to an other tender?
I do prefer the rigid dinghies, but there really is no great place to put them on smaller boats like Herbert. I'm not sure yet, to be honest. Still researching the options.
Pieter84
ok so it wasnt the smartest thing hes ever said
I'm not a even boatee type of person and have no intention of buying a dingy but this guy has gone out of his way to inform us of his opinions whilst trying to decide which one to buy. I think its really good and practical. Well done mate.
I used to have one of those 10ft rigid tri-hull row boats. It was my first boat as a kid and I used to fish with it. Threw a trolling motor on the back with a battery and I had loads of fun. Great for getting into little backwoods ponds. More room for storage than a kayak but light enough to hand launch reasonably easy. I would throw it on the back of our small utility trailer and tote it around that way. Could even back the trailer down a concrete launch ramp, then flip the boat off and go.
I still had it up until about 2 years ago. I beat the crap out of it and it held up well for the decades I had the thing. I don't even know who made it, I won it in a raffle. Eventually I put a small 4 inch fish finder on it, mounted the transducer and put a 45 lb/thrust transom mounted trolling motor on it. That trolling motor moved that little boat really well. Even a 30lb/thrust TM would've been sufficient for that little boat. For a while I looked around for a used 5HP outboard like a Mercury or Johnson but decided against it because I didn't want to put the extra weight of an outboard and portable fuel cell on an already very light boat. The trolling motor was more than enough propulsion for small lakes and ponds anyway.
I have the 12.5 feet version of the hydroforce and I love it. It light for it's size, it handles ny 20hp motor like a champ. It's awesome all around.
A Home Depot bucket - the great equalizer.
nothing shifts water faster than a scared man with a bucket
"I didn't have alot of money".... "so I bought both" lol not hating just laughed super hard when I said it back to myself! Love the video though brotha!
west marine return policy is great!
I clicked this video to see just how much I could actually learn, however I’m totally shocked. I feel very confident knowing which I’d choose now. Thank you for going through these test and documenting your results.
Thank you that was a really useful video. I like that you showed getting back onto the boats as well. Great idea to fill the boat and see if it still floated, that reassured me, I'm hoping to get a second hand dingy rowing boat in the future. Unloading was a good idea, I'd never have thought of that.
The rigid one is better it has more space for cracking open a cold one with the boys
now you're talking!
xlazer xfazer I can picture it right now. Saturday afternoon, all the lads around, a chilly bin, and some cold ones. classic
xlazer xfazer I'd rather crack a cold one in the inflatable so it's more comfortable
If we're talkin cold ones you might as well get an aluminum john boat!
xlazer xfazer no the plastic one bc it’s comfy
I rarely make public comments BUT CMON MAN! if the traditional dinghy wasn't tied up, as soon as you were on the bow, WITH OUT THE ROPE it would have 'over ended!'
I didn’t have a lot of money... and I couldn’t decide which one to buy... so I bought both of them...
Exactly what i was thinking
EXCELLENT, thanks for helping us budget boaters get some better understanding of these boats.
Ralph Nicosia-Rusin fucking budget boater 😂
Ralph Nicosia-Rusin weirdo
Uninformer Gamer chill
Uninformer Gamer Still you, fucking weirdo talking about child porn.
Ralph Nicosia-Rusin, you're absolutely right. This was so helpful in finding what I needed
I have had 1 of the plasti boats for 16 years now along with a 3.3hp that I use as a tender. Top speed 6mph and its planeing (with a little ballast in the front.) I have discovered its also fun to use exploring the beaches and backwaters in my local area...I take it to places I didn't even know existed before because sometimes the inlets are only 6 inches deep. My left arm works great as a power tilt. If I wanna drive it up on the beach......no problem.If I wreck it ...i'll just buy another. Its also great for taking into the local waterfront restauraunt...because I can park it where no one else does...theres always a spot available. :-) oh..2 gallons of premix lasts me the whole summer. :-)
Steven Hardy which plastic boat do you have? Thx
This one. It was only 400 ,15 years ago. www.westmarine.com/buy/west-marine--watertender-9-4-rowing-dinghy--11985504?recordNum=1 VERY stable. I keep an empty drywall bucket with a lid in it. For ballast I fill with water ,as it keeps the bow down in rough water when by myself.If I want to load the front with beach firewood....no problem with damage.Very durable plastic.
If you're patient and keen, you can find them on sale for $100-200 off retail.
Small Craft
HELLO I NEED TO KNOW HOW CAN I BUY IT AT THAT PRICE SO LOW, WHERE, WHEN AND HOW. I LIVE IN NORTH MIAMI BEACH, FL. AND I WANT TO BUY THAT PLASTIC BOAT, AT A LOW PRICE, SAY $ 200 NOT TO 600. THANK YOU
Small Craft Cruising
HELLO I NEED TO KNOW HOW CAN I BUY IT AT THAT PRICE SO LOW, WHERE, WHEN AND HOW. I LIVE IN NORTH MIAMI BEACH, FL. AND I WANT TO BUY THAT PLASTIC BOAT, AT A LOW PRICE, SAY $ 200 NOT TO 600. THANK YOU
How did I go from watching WWII videos to this, lmao thanks recommended
Thank you for taking some time to make this great informative video! Keep it up dude!
I came here because a friend was thinking about getting the West Marine Water Tender to fish on a small lake. It looks like we'll need to pop the seal and pack it with some butyl tape before he hits the water. It seems like a perfect little and cheap fishing boat for one person. Thanks for your review.
Thank you for this video. I have an inflatable, but thinking of buying a rigid one. Your last point about loading is very true!
I used to fish offshore here in PR with the west marine tender! It’s was pretty well ridged and filled with foam, overpowered with a 9.9 merc, which put it on a plane pretty easy but really scary, boat would stick pretty hard to the sides but overall thou dangerous, sailfish and small Marlin were a blast from that ‘boat’...also I bought it back in 2006 Puerto Rico cost was $650!
I chose an Inflatable because it deflates, and can be rolled up and stored in a duffle bag, and tossed in the back of our car, while a solid boat requires a roof rack and tying it down so it doesn't blow off. Plus you need a large place to store the solid one, but the Inflatable can fit in a storage cupboard. The biggest benefit of the Inflatable is that it's so much easier to carry than a heavy boat that requires a person at each end.
As a tender for a bigger boat, the rigid type will smash into it, has to be lashed or mounted somewhere it will catch the wind, waves and get in the way etc. I was seriously considering getting a couple of kayaks but rigid just comes with a lot of problems compared to something you can deflate and fold up
Great assessment. We actually keep two dinghies on our boat, a 10 ft rigid hulled inflatable with an outboard and a wooden pram with oars. The inflatable is our primary dinghy and the pram is more of a water toy but can be used as a dinghy as well. They both have their good and bad points.
That's the idea of the video. "Better" is only better if its better for you. Every design has its trade-off and compromise.
Never thought about loading and unloading
The inflatable is more handy as a tender at many levels, but above all because you can you can stay close to your boat and board easily without damaging your hull, even with weather.
I was the same way about 8 months ago. I went with a BRIS inflatable. It looked better made than the hydro force and I got the 9'8 aluminum floor version with inflatable keel and slapped on a brand new 2016 mercury 9.9 four stroke and the thing flys with two people! I even got it to plane with 3 and fishing gear! Its such a good dinghy for the price I think I got it for for like 700$ on amazon!!
I don't have a lot of money so I bought both of them
flash git .////////////
TH-cam Man1ac he was gonna return one of them so It didn't matter anyone really can spare $400 just for like two days if you have a sustainable job
Fox Wright k
This comment was stolen
I dont have alot of money and I was debating between the two so I bought both
I'm assuming he returned one of them? Because yea, that part makes no sense.
@@Commanderziff Or he was gonna buy a bigger one of these so he tested them in a smalm version??
Inflatables every time, just so versatile.
Amazing review.. thanks for the comparison. Helps so much in deciding which is which.. thumbs up.
Keep in mind that you would also have a motor to add to the weight, balance and floatation too.
video ended so abruptly it led me to believe there was a part 2
Cool comparison video ... and a few laughs added into the mix. :-)
I like both one is heavier than other and it small an convenient to travel in between destinations for anything I need for my home. Thanks for demo .
Great demo video! They make floatation collars that you put on the sides of a hard dinghy. I prefer an inflatable with a sail kit and electric motor for as a dinghy when cruising but it all depends on your usage but I would always have a sail kit at least. I made a video of one of my lake dinghies (the set up).
This is a great video showing the demo
Great video. I wouldn’t have even thought that the Westmarine boat would leak at the seam.
That's a really easy fix to which is not that bad where if that other one gets a leak its done.
I have a Boston Whaler but they are not cheap, but serves as unsinkable and rigid with 15 hp Murcury 4 stork with lifting harness and some other factory installed options, but botom line you get what you pay for. It tows great. Inflatables? Zodiac would be my choice. I guess it just depends on what your using it for. Boston Whaler as a tender, to me is 2nd to none. You can fill it full of water and it will never sink and are very stable. Like I said they are expensive, around 12,000 to up to 15,000 but as a tender that can take on a lot. You can find them used for much less but you will never have a problem with this boat, whether fishing as a stand alone, or as a tender
Yeah. Whalers are the most rigid and safest power / dinghy boats on the water. There is a video of these people who drove a whaler through a channel that was cut in half.
Didn't have a lot of money, so i bought both of them.😂😂😂
Didn’t have much money to spend on a dinghy but goes and buys 2 😂
You should look up how much a Boston Whaler costs..
Small Craft Cruising I own a Boston whaler Outrage 21 😂 no hate thanks for the review. I bought the west marine dinghy
excellent display. Thank you. I use your video as a demonstration for comparisons. Well Done.
Indeed, I might just get the Water Tender!
thank you for this video, exactly comparison that i've been looking for
I have a 15' inflatable.. absolutely love it for scuba diving and camping... friend and myself combined weigh a total of 450#, both stand on one side of it and it won't budge.. there's a reason why rescue personnel use inflatables... 15' inflatable can hold up to 40hp along with 8 people or 2k#... dad's 250hp 18' ski boat can take 7 people or 975#... on a budget, definitely inflatable, they go for 1500$
while I agree with you about the inflatables and the larger ones being basically impossible to sink, you're comparison of a 15' inflatable to a 18' ski boat is flawed.. a 250 hp engine weighs 500 pounds (at least) more than a 40 HP outboard. Not to mention the ski boat has seats and an interior that is probably more extensive and therefore more heavy than the inflatable. I'm making big assumptions here, but I just want to make sure the comparison is fair. Apples to Apples, inflatables tend to be significantly more stable and buoyant.
Small Craft Cruising yeah ik it's a different comparison, I thought it was interesting worth mentioning.. even with a rigid boat of equal size I couldn't find load capacity to be near equal nor motor size when I was on the market for one... also the ability to deflate and put in back of car or in a closet in an apartment without the access of storing a rigid boat is ideal as well. I couldn't find any rigid boat with same features other than the porta-boat.. nice video though, cheers!
Great review, really appreciate the time you took to make it! Thank you!
I swore I would never buy another inflatable but bought my third one last summer. Constantly repairing leaks. Plastic for my sailboat dingy this summer for sure!
How long do they last you? And how do you get the leaks, just age or from rocks or..?
Everything from rocks to rats. Crease points when they are rolled up and stored. They just start leaking. I have one I haven't even investigated, not worth the effort to me.
Install a semi rigid flotation collar on the rigid boat, try sealing the seams where they molded the top to the bottom and hope that might help
You went to a bit of trouble doing all that check out .. thanks .. it was useful to know as I am considering buying an inflatable but not one that small ...
John Corson I just bought a ten foot and I’m mounting a 15HP on it
Chris Carr should haul butt ! I’m thinking of getting a 15 to 18 footer with a 30 - 40 hp later this year
Congratulations on 1,000 subs
Fun vid! It would be interesting to see how the rigid dinghy behaved after sealing the seams.
Had that same inflatable. Lasted 6 years
I don’t have a lot of money but have a nice pool, landscaping, and bought both of the boats
"I didn't have a lot of money" so i bought both! lol I won't believe a word you say now.
Woah woah woah, you don’t have a lot of money but own a really good house and a pool!!!
Awesome show, thanks. First side by side comparison of dinghies and informational to which works better in different instances.
Very helpful, comprehensive test. Thanks.
Great video thanks so much, very useful, I would get the rigid, my nightmare is a puncture hole by a fish spine if I catch a large fish to use for fishing; like local off-shore.
I had one and was out fishing. A nice warm day lying back catching nothing, and as the hours passed I noticed the inflatable tubes were getting nice and comfortable. Then I noticed why. They were both going down. Try rowing an inflatable that is folding in the middle. That was the last time.
Even though they are cheap, the water tender is actually very good
I have both. Use the rigid endlessly while the inflatable sits in the garage with a tear in it.
So sell it, scrap it, or fix it.
They are not hard to fix. Just buy a kit.
why is it tied up, are you worried it will float away?
the string was just to keep the boat in frame of the camera, otherwise it would move around too much
😂
Small Craft Cruising the entire pool was in frame though
qtube15 Its a control
Its also bec of hurtig him self i Think ?
I'm totally jealous for a lot of reasons. 6ft and only 170lbs? I'm 5'6" at almost 200lbs. I really have to put down the Burgers and beers. LOL! Also having $1000 bucks to test out these items is quite lucky. Sorry. Maybe one day; a boat will be in my future. What a luxury! I wish you well and stay safe especially if you're near that Overhaul inlet in Florida. Yikes! You have a new subscriber. 😊
You mean haulover
....stop eating anything that has Sugar, White Rice, potatoes, or flour, or any combination of the above, including Substitute or artificial Sugars.. Eat cauliflower or any Cruciferous vegetables.
.
200lbs is obese at 5'6" dude, take care of the yourself 🤔
Ive never been more shocked about an explanation why someone subscribed.
@@Texaca how dare you
go Vegan, live healthy and happy, buddy.
Honest straight up review.. Nice
EXCELLENT video - Very informative!! Thanks for sharing!
problem fixed
don't stand on the side
What if you fell overboard and needed to climb back in but you're 300 pounds ?
I have the same boat and climbing in from the side is relatively stable.
if you weigh 300+ pounds you should get a bigger boat
Looking for a cheap dinghy. Don't have a lot of money so i bought both of them. LOL.
My thoughts exactly!!!
Oh man what a nice ending I love black screen
1 dingy, 2 dingy, your dingy ! Good test.
"quit playing with your dinghy"
Very good video thanks for posting. Maybe you could run a bead of sealer around the hard boat seams.
id fill it with foam
I;d fill it with bikini clad high school seniors
I didn't have a lot of money, so I bought 2
Does either one have beer holders? Got to have beer holders.
Two for everyone on board. Right hand and left hand.
Beer is gross... for poor people, tastes like crap. Wine is so much better..
That sudden end though.
my first video.. i've learned from my mistakes :)
One more thing - transportation and setup/takedown. I have an aluminum floor inflatable and it is absolutely A PAIN to set up and take down. We have to fold two seats in our
dodge caravan to fit it, just barely (it’s a 12 footer). I sweat buckets doing it every time, and that’s with my dad and mom. A cheap hard material dinghy or Jon boat won’t even need setting up - just drive down the ramp and slide it into the water from the top of your car. They are pretty light too, going from 100 to 150 pounds, your average high schooler. A trailer is NOT needed, the roof of any car except for something ridiculously small like a smart will support it with some removable roof racks. I’m trying to convince my dad to sell the inflatable and get a 10 foot Jon but I’m getting nowhere. As I said we have a dodge caravan plus a 12 foot shed in out backyard. Idk what’s gotten into him, but to go with the boat he got a LONG SHAFT propane motor, 5 hp. Stupid.
"so it came time for me to buy a boat. i didnt have alot of money" ten seconds later, "so i bought both" xD
Great video lots of info on dingy boats. I will go with the solid one and put some sealer onto the seam to keept the water out.
Best test would be to throw an engine and see how they perform. If they jump or the nose is high, install hydrofoil and test them again. Speed stability, and stuff. I got inflatable PVC boat last week, now I'm looking for affordable 15HP.
Jack Fisher th-cam.com/video/Ba-sHeKSIbM/w-d-xo.html
Great video. Thanks for that.
Different boats for different purposes. The inflatable allows you to store it in a small space, and it's easy to carry around. Say you have a 27 foot sail boat, the inflatable dinghy is perfect for it. Would have been cool to see this aspect of it. Anyways thanks for the review!
SirMo well said! I always dislike when people ask which is 'better' since it depends entirely on your individual needs
No money but I got both
The #1 legitNess Show he sold one
To the trolls who say:
“RICH KID BUYS TWO DINGYS”
Instead of spending time trying to bring a successful human down spend time bringing yourself up. It’s more constructive and profitable. I was born into a fantastic family with limited funds and big dreams. After an education, I worked. Today I do what I please and enjoy work and rest on my terms. I own two houses and three boats. My children include a surgeon, pharmacist, 7 figure insurance sales man, nurse and EMT. The same is available to you! You only have to take it. Pick a profitable profession, or skill master it and work! Save! Invest in yourself! Don’t wast time belittling others. It gets you nowhere!
Look at the situation around you!
He spent money. He invested. He planned. He worked. HE CREATED A USFULL VIDEO THAT HELPS ME PLAN ON BUYING A DINGY. He spent money investing in two dinghies. He planned on buying the two and comparing them and making a video. He used them to make a You Tube video. It has over a million views. A million views will make him enough money to pay for both dinghies and more. He could sell the one did not like and make more. He could buy another and compare it. Then write a book or make another video.
Don’t waste time criticizing him, he has become richer making money from pitching the dinghies and making a video.
He has helped people planning on buying a dingy.
CHANGE YOUR MIND!!!!!!
AIR IT OUT!!!
THE SAME IS AVAILABLE TO YOU!
john I do
Thomas D Harrell Love the mindset 💯🤙🏼
"Come time to buy a dinghy and I didn't have a lot of money" the dude buying a dinghy for his SAILBOAT and testing it in his POOL says
well done comparison. thank you
i was just teasing you..great video really...thanks
that quite a nice review actually , good job !
You can put the inflatable can be put in your trunk with one hand and taken to the lake with a motor. but you just about have to have a trailer for the other one. Try the tip over in 2 to 4 foot waves, you will not have fun with the rigid boat. But you will have good luck with inflatable boat, it will work every time.
or a tie down on the roof
the rigid weighs less than 75 lbs ...sack up !
"i didn't have a lot of money so i bought both of them and i use them in a pool and they cost me about 500 each" yeah u are really honest sir.
Ghostcatcher64 $500 each compared to $11,000 for a Boston whaler, and $10-15,000 for a RIB style boat... I spent under $1,000 when I would have spent close to $20,000 on other brands. If you're looking for a boat and you don't have much money, this is what your options are.
Awesome comparison video! Very great demo of them too!
Great video, but every time you have doubt between 2 things you buy both? Im waiting for the comparison video of a Lamborghini and an airplane haha
I'm a hands-on guy :) And dont forget I can sell the one I don't like and get most of my money back, so it's not as expensive as one might think..
The front won’t sink when u stand on it when a 45 kg engine on the back
I have no money so i bought both of them
Each dinghy is $500, not much money to spend.
@@thereisnopandemic you will know if its a lot after Crysis:D
@@TheSs11111 Crysis?
I'm poor boy i don't have money (only house with small swimming pool) so
i bought 2 new small boats . . .
I want to see the test where you put these in the boot/trunk of your car.
he uses a dolly/cart
Nice video..but u must put a engine or weight at back for stabillised it..thanks..
I don't have much money so I will just buy both... nice :D
Cause you can't return stuff
I like the inflatable for carrying lots of weight, I have looked at the west marine dingy and wondered how stable it was, I wonder haw it would perform with closed cell foan filling the cavity between the hulls would this increase the boyencee and cut down on dipping an edge.....thanks for the vid
Gotta get the Seahawk 4 inflatable boat. Under 400 bucks you can have an easy to haul boat with a solid floor, seats and a trolling motor. You have to build the floor out of plywood and insert it in the middle section. It walks like a regular boat.
The vinyl on those Intechs aren't nearly as durable as the PVC on a proper RIB though. After a season or two with those Intechs if you don't have a puncture you'll almost certainly have some bulging happening unless you're extremely gentle with it.
@@OutdoorsWithChad I had thought of that and decided 80 bucks every 2-3 years is ok for repair costs. Once you've put together the floor, seats, Bimini top etc the actual boat becomes just another part.
I watch this video every year I jus love it.
perfect. don't change a thing.
It really is just A Question of Balance, isn’t it? Best avatar ever.
5:19 is a good point, and if strong wind. say bye to Inflatable boat
One could just use glue to put a 1-3 surfboard fins under the inflatable boat.
Wind will take away a rigid tender too.
For lakes I'd say the rigid hule but for anything more active like rivers I'd go with the Inflatable.
a bouncy house match so right for a vacation
As a boat owner I can certainly tell u that that dinghy is really small and there are bigger sizes that would definitely beat the trip hull plastic boat
interesting review...never really thought about the pros and cons of those two types.