Many boaters have come to appreciate the practicality and versatility of inflatable boats. Not only are they good tenders, they're also excellent primary boats for fishing, exploring, diving, skiing, and other fun activities. Inflatables have as many uses as you can imagine. Most are lightweight and easy to store in your locker, lazarette, car trunk, or car top, eliminating the need for a trailer or davits.

Inflatables are among the most economical craft on the water. With their low freeboard and flatter bottoms, they're much more stable than traditional rigid dinghies. Multichambered construction allows them to float when filled with water, and even if one air chamber deflates, the boat will stay afloat, with you and your gear in it.

Unless you boat where abrasive sand, rocks, and coral predominate, or you plan to do lots of rowing and very little motoring (where a rigid tender is more appropriate) consider an inflatable for lightweight, easy handling and economy.

Dinghy or Sportboat?

Dinghies are usually smaller and lighter than sportboats, so they're easier to transport and store. Typically they have soft transoms to which you can attach a motor mount. They can be used with low horsepower motors, oars, or paddles.

Sportboats have hard transoms and can accommodate larger outboards for higher speeds. They usually feature heavier construction, floorboards, and inflatable or rigid heels for better control.

Inflatable dinghies are lighter and more compact than other inflatables, so they're great for cruisers who must stow them between anchorages. They're also the least expensive. However, they can only handle small outboards and consequently are the slowest. They go faster when equipped with floorboards, but they aren't designed to plane, so they're less fuel efficient and tend to perform sluggishly. They make fine tenders for trips ashore, beaching the dog, setting a second anchor, and are great for teaching kids the fundamentals of boating.

For a tender or for teaching children boating basics, you can't beat a small boat with a small engine. Inflatables are nearly impossible to overturn and their soft sides won't damage your primary boat, which makes them an ideal teaching craft. For cruising or recreation, a larger boat is a better choice—it not only gives you more room for people, gear, and provisions, as well as better speed and handling, but also provides a more stable operating base.

Conventional sportboats can accommodate larger motors than inflatable dinghies or roll-ups because they have hard transoms and floors. There's nothing like them for zooming about on plane, expanding your exploring range, or any other fun activity. Admittedly, conventional sportboats are more difficult to assemble, and do not stow as compactly as dinghies and roll-ups, but they're fast and maneuverable. Generally, a larger sportboat will handle better at the same horsepower than a smaller one would.

Rigid inflatable boats (RIBs) are the best performers, and the most expensive. Their rigid fiberglass hulls attached to inflated tubes combine the lightweight stability and buoyancy of inflatables with the speed, maneuverability, directional stability, and fuel efficiency of rigid boats. They can accommodate larger outboards than other boats of comparable size, and perform almost as well as rigid boats, especially in tight turns and chop, but without the bulk and weight. A one-piece hull and deck provides comfortable, nonskid footing and a stable platform for skiing, diving or fishing. Although the tubes deflate for storage, they are not terribly compact - many boaters keep them on trailers, on deck, on their swim step, or davits.