RIB Inflatable Dinghy

Last Updated on Tuesday, 8 December 2009 02:06 Written by Sunday, 29 March 2009 11:22

A RIB  or rigid inflatable boat is an inflatable dinghy which has a rigid hull encompassed by inflatable tubes or collars.  The hull is usually made from wood, GRP or a combination of both.  The tubes are often constructed using Polyvinyl chloride, Polyurethane and more commonly Hypalon which is UV resistant, chemical resistant, and resistant to abrasion. RIB dinghies often have an outboard engine and are generally from 2.5 long all the way up to 18 metres long!

RIBS are usually designed to be stable and safe meaning they are  very good safety boats, tenders and pleasure craft. Due to their soft nature they can withstand low speed impacts and are great for commercial and leisure use. The RNLI is an organisation which uses many rigid inflatable dinghies.