Soft inflatable boat

A soft hulled inflatable boat (SIB) lacks the solid hull of a RIB (rigid hulled inflatable boat) and often has a removable floor, so the boat can be deflated and transported in a car or other vehicle. Such boats have a low draft and are therefore useful for traveling across shallow water and beaching in places without landing facilities.

Some SIBs have a rigid transom that can support an outboard engine. Inflatable boats with transoms have an inflatable keel that creates a slight V-bottom along the line of the hull to improve the hull's seakeeping and directional stability. These vessels are very light, so if powered with an engine, it is best to put weight in the bow area to keep the bow from rising while the boat is going up on plane.

Soft inflatable boats are available with several floor choices:

• Roll up slat floor

• Hard floor made of fiberglass, aluminum or wood panels

• Ribbed air floor (on inflatable rafts)

• High pressure air floor