The Best Inflatable Dinghies from Jimmy Green Marine

Are you on the hunt for the perfect inflatable dinghy?

Unquestionably, the choice is an important one. If your much-loved yacht traverses the central storyline of your waterborne adventures, your chosen tender is going to play the role of friendly facilitator for all sorts of exhilarating sub-plots! In essence, choosing the best inflatable dinghy for your unique needs holds the power to create a more colourful boating experience.

Your primary craft may carry you to all manner of exciting places – but it is the dinghy that will allow you to explore tributaries, nip across the bay for a romantic dinner, or find the best fishing nooks. Your ideal dinghy might be an agile craft that entertains in its own right, or a family workhorse that carries you and your passengers to the shops, or to the best snorkelling spots. So, with full understanding of how pivotal your tender's role will be, Jimmy Green Marine provide our customers – in the UK and beyond – with both a high-calibre selection of the best inflatable dinghies, and if required, help for you to reach a choice that will serve you well.

Before we get into the fantastic options available to you, let us explore your needs a little further.

Deciding factors for the best inflatable dinghy

We call the inflatable dinghies that we carry with us on our yachting expeditions “tenders” because the role of these vessels has always been to tend to the needs of those travelling by boat. While the romantically minded may have a whimsical fondness for the days of the traditional wooden rowing tender, the freedom offered by today's inflatable dinghies will likely recruit you to their own team rather speedily. Inflatable tenders are easier to store and handle and incredibly light in weight. Material innovations have allowed them to become tough and durable, while the reliability of contemporary outboard motors means that reaching for the oars is more likely to be a choice than a necessity!

That said, there are some important decisions to make when choosing the best inflatable dinghy for your needs. What sort of distances are you likely to want to cover and at what speed? How many passengers do you want to be able to carry and do you need to make allowances for any other kit? When you get to your adventure destination, is your dinghy going with you? You might moor or anchor your dinghy, or drag it ashore, or you might want to go for an ultra-light-weight option that can be packed into a backpack! Balancing these factors will help you identify the right size and material choices for your inflatable dinghy and ensure that you find an outboard motor that is compatible with what you envisage.

A thought on stowage

How you intend to stow, deploy and retrieve your tender are additional factors to consider in advance. As you set out on your plotted course, will it find its home inflated on the foredeck, or will it be deflated and stowed away? For larger yachts, hosting larger tenders, davits may carry your inflatable dinghy, or you might simply tow it astern. What is certain is that if accessing your inflatable dinghy feels like a chore, there is a sad possibility that you will skip some of the fun that you might otherwise be having – we suggest making sure you're ever-ready for a good side-story! Of course, the larger the dinghy and the meatier the motor, the more weight you will have to accommodate and the higher your budget will need to be. Taking the time to weigh up each pro and con will take the angst out of choosing the very best inflatable dinghy.

Keep your usage conditions in mind

While at first glance all inflatable dinghies may look quite similar, they are not all created equal. Decent-quality modern tenders are constructed of high-tech plasticised fabrics, providing a rugged capability that was only dreamed of in boating history. Among them, there are broadly two fabric types to choose from – PVC and Hypalon. PVC coated polyurethane cloth offers unbeatable lightness of weight and flexibility, lending itself wonderfully to deflated storage and high mobility. What is more, today's heat welding techniques leave them virtually leak-proof – although of course caution when landing will always be a must with any inflatable craft.

Hypalon, (otherwise known as CSM), is a neoprene coated nylon fabric which, although heavier, offers a longer lifespan and greater resistance to UV rays. Factors such as frequency of use, venturing beyond the UK climate and stowage conditions are the best indicators for determining which material will better suit your needs. Meanwhile, in both cases a high-quality construction featuring a high dernier or Decitex rating will ensure that your inflatable dinghy is going to be worthy of your trust and ready for action. With quality assured, great maintenance habits such as keeping your tender adequately inflated for structural soundness, stored out of the sun when possible and diligently cleaned will ensure longevity. Be sure to use only fit-for-purpose protective products to avoid hampering the suitability of surfaces for future repairs, should the need arise.

Jimmy Green Marine choose Seago

Life on the water is our passion, and we believe in stocking only that which will enhance your boating experience. Seago boats and tenders provide exceptional quality in terms of both production and performance and their selection provides ultimate solutions to each and any tender need. The Seago range includes both PVC and Hypalon options in a variety of models and sizes, with easy-to-understand usage specifications. Go Lite models are perfect for those who might want to sling their tender over their shoulder and continue their journey across land, while Hypalon Air Deck and Keel Dinghies are suitable for davits. Ultimately, we trust Seago to fully facilitate your future expeditions. Begin in that spirit by exploring our selection today or contact our team to discuss the most suitable inflatable dinghy for your own unique needs!

Seago Boat and Tenders