advice on which sib to buy

[darrenhh79]

hi, guys
new to the site hi to all some great info here looking for a decent make sib ally floor for some coastal fishing edging towards a honwave 3.5 to 3.8 storage limited looking forward to any more suggestions thank you in advance darren

[kaman]

Originally Posted by darrenhh79

hi, guys
new to the site hi to all some great info here looking for a decent make sib ally floor for some coastal fishing edging towards a honwave 3.5 to 3.8 storage limited looking forward to any more suggestions thank you in advance darren

Honwave 3.5 aluminum floor is what I have used for coastal fishing for the last three years.
Loads of space inside excellent stable craft for the money.
I can't fault mines build quality or it's performance.
For me the whole process of loading it into the car unpacking it building it up at the water, dismantling to pack back in car then unpack wash, repack and store till next time became tedious!
The honwave is a big old awkward lump to man handle single handed when its packed up or inflated.
Add the weight of an outboard and you are going to need launch wheels minimum to get it into the water.
Mines now has host of add on features and more or less permanently resides on a homemade trailer.
Cracking boat just need to be mindful of how accessible the launch(es) you are going to be using are.
Plenty of room for two persons to fish out of if that helps you getting in and out of the water.

[Exe treme]

Originally Posted by kaman

Honwave 3.5 aluminum floor is what I have used for coastal fishing for the last three years.
Loads of space inside excellent stable craft for the money.
I can't fault mines build quality or it's performance.
For me the whole process of loading it into the car unpacking it building it up at the water, dismantling to pack back in car then unpack wash, repack and store till next time became tedious!
The honwave is a big old awkward lump to man handle single handed when its packed up or inflated.
Add the weight of an outboard and you are going to need launch wheels minimum to get it into the water.
Mines now has host of add on features and more or less permanently resides on a homemade trailer.
Cracking boat just need to be mindful of how accessible the launch(es) you are going to be using are.
Plenty of room for two persons to fish out of if that helps you getting in and out of the water.

Perfect summary, and that pretty much sums up all alu-floor SIBS. The only alternative is an air-floor, but then you lose the flat hard deck that is ideal for landing fish.

Check out the post that wound up a couple of days ago - has much of the info you need.
http://www.rib.net/forum/members/fis...ktb-18300.html

Good luck and welcome...

[stray]

Don't dismiss air floors for fishing, I've never had any problems, I just drop the fish straight into a trug.



With the Honwaves, where do you attach a transom mount for a fish finder transducer?

[clydeoutboards]

these are great boats with fat tubes so are v stable and come with everything you need go for the ali floor model for fishing and the air floor for fun.

Dave

[Exe treme]

[QUOTE="stray;597966"]Don't dismiss air floors for fishing, I've never had any problems, I just drop the fish straight into a trug.

With the Honwaves, where do you attach a transom mount for a fish finder

Air floor = better ride
Alu floor = better internal platform

[darrenhh79]

thanks for all the replies guys just need to make up my mind

[stray]

Air floor = better ride
Alu floor = better internal platform

As is usual with these Which SIB threads, the OP hasn't given enough information about how, when and where he wants to launch it, use it and store it. r.

My 3.4m air floor with 15hp 2 stroke is perfect for me. I can drag it the 400m to the beach and launch it by myself. But it's also roomy enough for two if a mate wants to come along. An ally floor might push the weight up too much for just me.

But then the OP might have to drive to the launch site, is it rocky beach or a nice ramp straight into the water? Does he want to set the sib up every time or pull it on a trailer? Will he be by himself or with a friend?

Till he gives more information no-one can give a definitive answer.

It's a pity there isn't a check list for people to tick what they need and want from a boat.

[darrenhh79]

Originally Posted by stray

As is usual with these Which SIB threads, the OP hasn't given enough information about how, when and where he wants to launch it, use it and store it. r.

My 3.4m air floor with 15hp 2 stroke is perfect for me. I can drag it the 400m to the beach and launch it by myself. But it's also roomy enough for two if a mate wants to come along. An ally floor might push the weight up too much for just me.

But then the OP might have to drive to the launch site, is it rocky beach or a nice ramp straight into the water? Does he want to set the sib up every time or pull it on a trailer? Will he be by himself or with a friend?

Till he gives more information no-one can give a definitive answer.

It's a pity there isn't a check list for people to tick what they need and want from a boat.

yes will be fishing most of the time with a mate where I will be launching is pretty easy access a big slip so not too far to launch just about 30min drive the down side I wont fit a trailer in my drive so looks like it will be packed in the car a set up at the slip sorry for the lack of info as just new to the site

[stray]

sorry for the lack of info as just new to the site

Don't worry, everyone's the same.

Next questions;

What car do you have?

Where are you going to store everything?

How big is your wallet?

Loads of info on here to read, and plenty of videos on youtube to watch to help you decide what you need.

[ss03947]

With the Honwaves, where do you attach a transom mount for a fish finder transducer

Ive wondered about this for a while now, would a through hull transducer not be better.?

SS.

[Exe treme]

You could try one of these...
http://proviationshop.co.uk/shop/art...r.html?pse=coa

[kaman]

Here is a grainy picture of my honwave aluminium floored 3.5m sib taken standing behind the transom.
These sibs come with one seat but there is two mounting points for the seat. Mines is mounted in the position nearest the bow.
I sit on the right hand side tube and steer left handed with the tiller.
The transducer is mounted near the waterline on the right.
Follow the cable near the launch wheel bracket.
The garmin colour display is mounted to a steel plate which is screwed onto the underside of the seat.
A simple and effective set up.

[Deekus]

Bombard Aerotec 380 the best SIB all day long

[matt h]

i would not bother looking at anything.. re all the historic posts and they will pretty much say the same.. Bombard 380.. you get what you pay for!!

[rik_elliott]

A bombard 380 is hard to beat. Put a thick rubber / plastic mat down to protect the air floor from hooks / bass spines and it would be a great little boat for fishing. Ali floor is great, but really starts to straddle the line between SIB and RIB in terms of convenience and storage. If you can't keep it on a trailer, you'll eventually get fed up with it unless you have the patience of a saint

[kaman]

Originally Posted by rik_elliott

A bombard 380 is hard to beat. Put a thick rubber / plastic mat down to protect the air floor from hooks / bass spines and it would be a great little boat for fishing. Ali floor is great, but really starts to straddle the line between SIB and RIB in terms of convenience and storage. If you can't keep it on a trailer, you'll eventually get fed up with it unless you have the patience of a saint

Spot on!

[stray]

Originally Posted by kaman

Here is a grainy picture of my honwave aluminium floored 3.5m sib taken standing behind the transom.
These sibs come with one seat but there is two mounting points for the seat. Mines is mounted in the position nearest the bow.
I sit on the right hand side tube and steer left handed with the tiller.
The transducer is mounted near the waterline on the right.
Follow the cable near the launch wheel bracket.
The garmin colour display is mounted to a steel plate which is screwed onto the underside of the seat.
A simple and effective set up.

It's the transoms with the tabs that people are having trouble with.