Great video. I really like the Aircats! Inflatables tend to be a painful learning experience, and I did tons of research online before buying my first inflatable. I started with a 9.8' BRIS inflatable (round-nosed, not catamaran style) and paired it with a Suzuki 4hp. Performance of that combo was really poor. I then bought the 6hp carb upgrade for the Suzuki 4hp, which didn't help very much. Eventually, I sold the 9.8' inflatable I had, and replaced it with an 11' inflatable BRIS catamaran. My Suzuki 4hp (with the 6hp carb) just didn't move the catamaran any better. The painful part was realizing that inflatable boats require A LOT of motor (hp) to get them up on plane. I ended up selling that motor. Fortunately, I was able to recover almost 100% of what I paid for both the inflatable and the motor. Having dismal results with under-powered motors, the replacement motor I bought for the 11' catamaran was a Suzuki 15hp (despite the fact that the BRIS catamaran is only rated for 10hp max). With this setup, I am now able to pull an adult on a knee board, with 2-3 adults onboard. All this to say: whatever an inflatable is rated for - max it out, or even exceed it.
@@kevintrappitt5160 I will have it in more videos for sure. We are un tying the lines in September so there will be more. Also upgrading our 4hp to a 6hp with a new carb and prop.
@@SailingNautiPirate I was wondering whether you ended up upgrading it to 6 hp? I'm interested in the same style of boat but would want it to plane. Ideally, I'd like to stick with a 6 hp due to its relatively low weight.
I bought a Saturn SK385 XL... pair with Suzuki 6hp.. very nice too but I alway want this boat... it's look cool ..👍... may be this summer I go for it.. thanks for making this video... see you out there Sir..
Fred from France. Hello mister ,Did you had some bad surprise 8 month after using this inflating boat or are still very happy whith this dinky ? Do you use it on your sail boat do you hang it at the back on some davit ? Thank you for your answer
My dad is thinking about buying a Aqua Marina Aircat. One year later. Do you still like it, and would you still buy one? Thank you for any update on this. ~Kian
After a year and not having any issues with the Aircat I would buy another. 4 people is max room wise. My wife actually dive off of it and it is so easy to get back in the dinghy.
I am seriously thinking about getting one of this, but I am torn between getting the 9 foot or the 11 footer, 11 foot is only 8 lb heavier same width, would you get the bigger one instead after owning it, I plan to use a Honda 2.3 hp on it due to the light weight, no rush for speed, hope to hear your input, thanks
If you're using it solely for trips from boat to shore and back, you'll be okay. If you're using it for anything else, you will be SERIOUSLY disappointed with a 2.3hp on it. I can assure you that the Suzuki 6hp would not get it on plane either. Running with a 6hp, you'll be struggling to get it to 5mph on the water. Going any distance with it will be painful, and require you to carry extra fuel. Expect worse performance with a 2.3hp on it.
Hello , good review.... I am wondering what happens if you puncture floor...will it sink? Because there is no bow in front to hold it together? 🤔 I would buy one for spearfishing and I hunt on rocky terrain....
I would think it was stay afloat because the floor still has a membrane connecting the tubes. We use ours to dive off of for our business and have no issues. This year when we are in the Florida Keys I will use it to spear fish from. Our 60lb Dog jumps 4 ft down into the dinghy and does not hurt the floor. it is very thick.
Can you mount a bimini top on the Aircat? In principle yes, but how is the stability? There is a risk of the boat capsizing when the wind is strong. However, the bimini top should only be set up when anchoring (shading). What is your opinion?
Great video review. Strange question here: can an adult like me 5'7" tall lay down completely in the bottom of that boat? My feet laying on the transom and my head on the bow. Can I sleep in there (while the boat is stopped obviously) You say $840. Canadian or USD $? If so, where from did you order it? Sorry for lots of questions.
Well I just went out in the rain to measure it for you. Lol. It's just shy of 7' inside the boat so no problem if you are 5'7". The price was USD. As for the purchase I used an online store and can't remember which one but they were based out of Florida. It was Shipped from Canada though. Hope this helps.
@@SailingNautiPirate Thanks again. You don't show on your video how you fit the bench. I've seen on other videos that the bench is hard to fit in and install. Was that the case with yours?
Why in these nflatable boat videos is the guy stood around talking and relaxed. While his partner is doing all the heavy lifting and boat inflating 😂👍 I'm in the market for a Cat like this and prefer this design and appearance too, over the more expensive alternatives. But this price is almost too good to be true! How is yours holding up? Very nice video.
@@SailingNautiPirate awesome thank you. Is there anything that you don't like about it? I would want the 11' version and what caught my ear is when you said your wife can sit on the front and hang her legs over and it doesn't tilt forward. I'm assuming at lower speeds, but that sounded good to me. I want to out the wife and the two small dogs on it and tool around my local lake
@@jcallesano love everything thing about it so far. Im 240lbs and can sit on the from of it with my legs hung over and not take on water. I actually used the dihny to get out of the water after cleaning the bottom of our boat and talk about the easiest thing to enter. It was so easy. You will love it
what is the quality of the PVC? Soft PVC does not last long (about 3-4 years!?). Hope it will be with Hypalon in the future (Lifespan 10-15 years). Will use it with Torqeedo Travel on mediterran Sea.
Pvc seems really good very thick. Not like the cheap blow up rafts you see. Our 60lb dog jumps in and out of the dinghy with no issues from his nails. We actually caught the dinghy on a dock post last year and wrenched one of the tubes pretty good. Thought for sure we were going to break a seem or seal, but to our surprise no issues at all. Hope the info helps out. Thanks for watching.
Hi, I am planning to match it with an epropulsion 1.0 plus here in Northern Sardinia. Did you already have any experience with this aircat and torquedoo? what is the behaviour at sea? Thanks!
Hi, I am planning to match it with an epropulsion 1.0 plus here in Northern Sardinia. Did you already have any experience with this aircat and torquedoo? what is the behaviour at sea? Thanks!
We will have more videos coming with the Aircat in them and the engine upgrade. still working great. holding air and all hardware is holding together. Only issue is I lost the plug for the drain. My fault though nothing that was an issues with the dinghy.
You know I haven't tried it yet with just me in it. Our motor is new and still in the break in ohase. With that being said I'm 230lbs I don't think it will plane with me. I does move quick through the water though. I think the cat style planes differently. I have purchased a new carb and prop to upgrade our outboard to a 6hp. We will see how that goes this spring.
I have been looking at TAKACAT 380's along with Sea Eagle FSK 16, curious as to how this 11' compares for ride and dryness as I would like to fish with it and use a 6hp motor. Does the 11' model pack into 1 or two bags and is there canopy or wheels for it?
Sorry my man but you are wrong about the takacat, i had mine for a while and rarely do i get wet because water "sinking in the front" How high is the bow from water? maybe check this one out th-cam.com/video/LEfYAER_ayo/w-d-xo.html
I'm just going off what three of my friends have told me about their takacats. They have all sold theirs and moved towards a traditional dinghy. Glad you don't have issues.
@@SailingNautiPirate Tbh thats really wierd, since everyone that have been riding a takacat knows that we always put all weight infront to keep the bow down, especially with a small engine. Same style of boats and they say takacat takes in more water from the front? Tbh u can smell the bs here do you? Im sure its not because sinking in the front that made them go back. Sad when you say you know but you only got told.
Did you seriously say it's only rated for a five horsepower motor? Must be made out of toilet paper and chew income that's ridiculous All the other ones are rated for 15 horses and up no wonder why this one is so cheap
Very poor quality. Transom disintigrated less than 2 years, nearly lost outboard. Very pulpy core. Called company, she said "perhaps you can coat it with sealant" no help there. Very unsafe boat. I have photos if anyone is interested.
Absolutely the worse dinghy I have ever owned. Transom disintegrated after 1x1/2 years of SUMMER use. Poor quality and unsafe. Nearly lost the outboard motor. Dangerous boat to buy.
Great video. I really like the Aircats!
Inflatables tend to be a painful learning experience, and I did tons of research online before buying my first inflatable. I started with a 9.8' BRIS inflatable (round-nosed, not catamaran style) and paired it with a Suzuki 4hp. Performance of that combo was really poor. I then bought the 6hp carb upgrade for the Suzuki 4hp, which didn't help very much. Eventually, I sold the 9.8' inflatable I had, and replaced it with an 11' inflatable BRIS catamaran. My Suzuki 4hp (with the 6hp carb) just didn't move the catamaran any better. The painful part was realizing that inflatable boats require A LOT of motor (hp) to get them up on plane. I ended up selling that motor. Fortunately, I was able to recover almost 100% of what I paid for both the inflatable and the motor.
Having dismal results with under-powered motors, the replacement motor I bought for the 11' catamaran was a Suzuki 15hp (despite the fact that the BRIS catamaran is only rated for 10hp max). With this setup, I am now able to pull an adult on a knee board, with 2-3 adults onboard.
All this to say: whatever an inflatable is rated for - max it out, or even exceed it.
I’ve just bought the 11ft air cat here in the uk. Waiting for it to arrive. I have a 2.5hp but thinking about a 10 or 15 hp on it. Should be a blast!!
Definitely put the bigger engine on it if you want speed. It's a smooth ride though and we love ours.
@@SailingNautiPirate great thanks for the info. Look forward to seeing your appear in other videos
@@kevintrappitt5160 I will have it in more videos for sure. We are un tying the lines in September so there will be more. Also upgrading our 4hp to a 6hp with a new carb and prop.
@@SailingNautiPirate I was wondering whether you ended up upgrading it to 6 hp? I'm interested in the same style of boat but would want it to plane. Ideally, I'd like to stick with a 6 hp due to its relatively low weight.
I bought a Saturn SK385 XL... pair with Suzuki 6hp.. very nice too but I alway want this boat... it's look cool ..👍... may be this summer I go for it.. thanks for making this video... see you out there Sir..
Fred from France. Hello mister ,Did you had some bad surprise 8 month after using this inflating boat or are still very happy whith this dinky ? Do you use it on your sail boat do you hang it at the back on some davit ? Thank you for your answer
Way to put the wife to work! I have the 11' version of this boat and waiting to put it in the water in the summer here in Canada.
Do you love it or? This is so much cheaper than a 10.8 RIB so it's attractive to me.
I love it. would buy another
To know how light it is.
Nice sir. When you buyed this? Include the motor or not?
How fast does it go with 6hp and one person?
Hi! One year on, are you still pleased with it? PVC holding up well?
Very pleased with the Aircat. We Love it. PVC is holding up great.
Transom disintegrated on mine after less than two years. Nearly lost outboard. Very unsafe boat. Worst dinghy I've ever bought.
@@davebruno2383 Model and how many hp?
How have you found the overall quality of the boat. ??
Thanks for the great review. Just wondering, saw another review where the dinghy swamped. Is this self bailing?
Really!? We had no issues with swamping. But yes if the plug is removed and the water will drain from a 1 way valve in the transom.
That boat was underinflated
Found ya first!
Hi, Any updates after 2 years f use? is PVC and Transom holding up?
You should let your wife drive...she seems to love it...great buy!
Thanks for the review. Does it feel light enough that one adult male could lift it up on top of a SUV?
Most definitely. Even dragging it on shore is easy. Very happy with it.
@@SailingNautiPirate there room for a battery box if I choose an electric motor setup with still room for a bag and cooler, Wife as well? Thanks
Hello,Outboard short or long shaft ?
Thanks.
My dad is thinking about buying a Aqua Marina Aircat.
One year later. Do you still like it, and would you still buy one?
Thank you for any update on this.
~Kian
After a year and not having any issues with the Aircat I would buy another. 4 people is max room wise. My wife actually dive off of it and it is so easy to get back in the dinghy.
@@SailingNautiPirate Thank you fot the update. We are going to order one soon !
No frigging way. Very poor quality. Unsafe as the transom disintegrated after 2 years. Nearly lost outboard. Dangerous boat. 😩
Hi do you know the best way to mount a fish finder transceiver to the Aqua Marine Aircat?
I am seriously thinking about getting one of this, but I am torn between getting the 9 foot or the 11 footer, 11 foot is only 8 lb heavier same width, would you get the bigger one instead after owning it, I plan to use a Honda 2.3 hp on it due to the light weight, no rush for speed, hope to hear your input, thanks
If you're using it solely for trips from boat to shore and back, you'll be okay. If you're using it for anything else, you will be SERIOUSLY disappointed with a 2.3hp on it. I can assure you that the Suzuki 6hp would not get it on plane either. Running with a 6hp, you'll be struggling to get it to 5mph on the water. Going any distance with it will be painful, and require you to carry extra fuel. Expect worse performance with a 2.3hp on it.
@@username-mc7jw Going to be running one in the UK with the ePropulsion Spirit 1+.................
I'm not sure what size I'm going to buy yet
Hello , good review.... I am wondering what happens if you puncture floor...will it sink? Because there is no bow in front to hold it together?
🤔 I would buy one for spearfishing and I hunt on rocky terrain....
I would think it was stay afloat because the floor still has a membrane connecting the tubes. We use ours to dive off of for our business and have no issues. This year when we are in the Florida Keys I will use it to spear fish from. Our 60lb Dog jumps 4 ft down into the dinghy and does not hurt the floor. it is very thick.
Can you mount a bimini top on the Aircat?
In principle yes, but how is the stability? There is a risk of the boat capsizing when the wind is strong. However, the bimini top should only be set up when anchoring (shading). What is your opinion?
Felicidades 👏 👏 abrazo grande desde Argentina Buenos Aires
Great video review. Strange question here: can an adult like me 5'7" tall lay down completely in the bottom of that boat? My feet laying on the transom and my head on the bow. Can I sleep in there (while the boat is stopped obviously) You say $840. Canadian or USD $? If so, where from did you order it? Sorry for lots of questions.
Well I just went out in the rain to measure it for you. Lol. It's just shy of 7' inside the boat so no problem if you are 5'7". The price was USD. As for the purchase I used an online store and can't remember which one but they were based out of Florida. It was Shipped from Canada though. Hope this helps.
@@SailingNautiPirate Thanks for your generous reply.
BTW how long does it take to fill it up with air with the pump?
@@MarioBruneau 10-15mins I would say. It fills rather quickly
@@SailingNautiPirate Thanks again. You don't show on your video how you fit the bench. I've seen on other videos that the bench is hard to fit in and install. Was that the case with yours?
where did you purchase it from for 840? i keep seeing it listed well over 1000
Is it 9,4 feet or 11 feet model?
9.4 model.
Why in these nflatable boat videos is the guy stood around talking and relaxed. While his partner is doing all the heavy lifting and boat inflating 😂👍 I'm in the market for a Cat like this and prefer this design and appearance too, over the more expensive alternatives. But this price is almost too good to be true! How is yours holding up? Very nice video.
Does it come with the manufacturers certificate of origin so it can be registered?
Yes it does. Had no problem here in Michigan registering it.
@@SailingNautiPirate awesome thank you. Is there anything that you don't like about it? I would want the 11' version and what caught my ear is when you said your wife can sit on the front and hang her legs over and it doesn't tilt forward. I'm assuming at lower speeds, but that sounded good to me. I want to out the wife and the two small dogs on it and tool around my local lake
@@jcallesano love everything thing about it so far. Im 240lbs and can sit on the from of it with my legs hung over and not take on water. I actually used the dihny to get out of the water after cleaning the bottom of our boat and talk about the easiest thing to enter. It was so easy. You will love it
@@SailingNautiPirate awesome. Thank you.
Realistically, how long to inflate by hand? How much time would be saved with an electric pump?
@@jcallesano I can inflate ours in 15mins max. Included pump works well.
what is the quality of the PVC? Soft PVC does not last long (about 3-4 years!?). Hope it will be with Hypalon in the future (Lifespan 10-15 years). Will use it with Torqeedo Travel on mediterran Sea.
Pvc seems really good very thick. Not like the cheap blow up rafts you see. Our 60lb dog jumps in and out of the dinghy with no issues from his nails. We actually caught the dinghy on a dock post last year and wrenched one of the tubes pretty good. Thought for sure we were going to break a seem or seal, but to our surprise no issues at all. Hope the info helps out. Thanks for watching.
Hi, I am planning to match it with an epropulsion 1.0 plus here in Northern Sardinia. Did you already have any experience with this aircat and torquedoo? what is the behaviour at sea? Thanks!
Hi, I am planning to match it with an epropulsion 1.0 plus here in Northern Sardinia. Did you already have any experience with this aircat and torquedoo? what is the behaviour at sea? Thanks!
these are intended to be stored in a bag. if you have it out on the yacht then coverit.
Very good in flat water. But what is it like in poor condition. Ie 1 metre seas that's the real test.
In the video we are going through 2-3 ft seas and it did really well. It was a 45min trip each way.
@@SailingNautiPirate i wish you would have of shown it
@@brucesinclair2981 I did. It's in the video when we are driving around an island. Video doesn't always make the waves look as big as they really are.
@@SailingNautiPirate what’s the difference between this and normal dinghy
@@samskelton9908 it's more stable, and easy to get in and out of off the bow. Great for diving. Also pretty light.
How much
Legalmente qué se necesita para navegar con esta embarcación? Hay que tener seguro, chalecos, material de seguridad, radio y demás?
Gracias
Hi,What shaft is your outboard?Long or short(15')?
Yes it is the short shaft, no issues with it.
@@SailingNautiPirate Where did you buy your aircat from?Can you send my a link?
@@svetlozarstefanov1992 recreation-outfitters.com/products/aqua-marina-aircat-inflatable-catamaran-2-85m-with-dwf-air-deck?variant=39300338581641¤cy=USD&+shopping&gclid=CjwKCAjwtKmaBhBMEiwAyINuwHz-zFfhFl7PEJoipKzmhXGsbe4joa4e5jPxXcQWFMC23KImEPrQXRoCE_UQAvD_BwE
princess auto has them
Do you have any current vids of the air cat?
We will have more videos coming with the Aircat in them and the engine upgrade. still working great. holding air and all hardware is holding together. Only issue is I lost the plug for the drain. My fault though nothing that was an issues with the dinghy.
Does it plane with one person using 4hp? Also Considering same model with 2.5 Honda due to motor weight.
You know I haven't tried it yet with just me in it. Our motor is new and still in the break in ohase. With that being said I'm 230lbs I don't think it will plane with me. I does move quick through the water though. I think the cat style planes differently. I have purchased a new carb and prop to upgrade our outboard to a 6hp. We will see how that goes this spring.
@@SailingNautiPirate if you don’t mind please give it a try. I noticed that my regular RIB performed very differently with one person vs. two.
@@alexshekoff5555 I'm sure it will perform differently. I will give it a try once I can, but it will be a couple months. Stuck in Michigan winter.
Top
Hello Sir, we have a boat named Intelligent shaftless electric propulsion boat, if you have any interest pl let me know.
I have been looking at TAKACAT 380's along with Sea Eagle FSK 16, curious as to how this 11' compares for ride and dryness as I would like to fish with it and use a 6hp motor. Does the 11' model pack into 1 or two bags and is there canopy or wheels for it?
Aircat is a very poor quality boat. Transom disintegrated very quickly. No help from mfg. Nearly lost outboard. Very unsafe boat.
ONCE YOU TELL ME THE TRANSOM CAN ONLY HANDLE A 5 #HORSE POWER ENGINE, GAME OVER !
Turn that 4 hp into a 6hp by just changing the carb
That is my next upgrade. I have everything to make it a 6hp and the pitting to use an external tank. will start that project in a week or so.
Sorry my man but you are wrong about the takacat, i had mine for a while and rarely do i get wet because water "sinking in the front"
How high is the bow from water?
maybe check this one out th-cam.com/video/LEfYAER_ayo/w-d-xo.html
I'm just going off what three of my friends have told me about their takacats. They have all sold theirs and moved towards a traditional dinghy. Glad you don't have issues.
@@SailingNautiPirate Tbh thats really wierd, since everyone that have been riding a takacat knows that we always put all weight infront to keep the bow down, especially with a small engine. Same style of boats and they say takacat takes in more water from the front? Tbh u can smell the bs here do you? Im sure its not because sinking in the front that made them go back. Sad when you say you know but you only got told.
Ciao amico quindi alla fine hai venduto questo prodotto ? Non ti sei trovato bene ? @@SailingNautiPirate
👍👍✔✔👏👏⛵⚓⛵
Did you seriously say it's only rated for a five horsepower motor? Must be made out of toilet paper and chew income that's ridiculous All the other ones are rated for 15 horses and up no wonder why this one is so cheap
Very poor quality. Transom disintigrated less than 2 years, nearly lost outboard. Very pulpy core. Called company, she said "perhaps you can coat it with sealant" no help there.
Very unsafe boat. I have photos if anyone is interested.
Make a video? What engine did you put on it? Where did you use it primarily? It seems very cheap, what was your expectations?
Mmmmm Taka double the price. Made in China vs NZ...
taka is designed in nz..are you sure its made here?
Absolutely the worse dinghy I have ever owned. Transom disintegrated after 1x1/2 years of SUMMER use. Poor quality and unsafe. Nearly lost the outboard motor. Dangerous boat to buy.
Wow, thanks for sharing ur experience!