excel XHD535

[Dodge]

Hi looking to buy a new boat anyone got feed back on the excel XHD 535

[Redrock]

Hi Dodge

No problem with the brand but there are a few things to consider for such a large inflatable:

The boat weighs in at 145kgs, so won't be very portable if you are not keeping it inflated on a trailer.

It would need a 3-cyl engine to move it along at full potential, so expect a minimum of about 75kgs for that.

Although its a big boat for its type, the hull is still relatively flat, without much of a vee at entry or at the transom, so it will not dig in as well as a deep vee on the turns.

Although listed as an XHD with huge tubes, tube material is still pretty standard at 1100D. In my opinion, it is really just a big version of something like the Quicksilver HD, with more reinforcement in the transom.

With all this said, it has the carrying capacity of a 6m RIB, so if that's important to you, I can understand your interest!

[Dodge]

Thanks for this. I have a Quicksilver which I used this summer, This is lighter than the Gemini but must say the despite its age the Gemini performs a lot better when loaded up. I have in my mind to sell them both and buy something newer but still not a 100%.

[Locozodiac]

Dodge, why would you need a sib so large for ? The fabric material is prety standard for that large size, a heavy duty thicker fabric would have been more proper to have. Your actual 30 HP will move it reasonable well although not heavily loaded to it's full capacity.

Hope that large sib doesn't have standard alum floors and small size side joiners to handle well a 50 HP engine and not wrecking the alum panel floors, among other tech virtues as advertised on their web page.

Redrock, seing your avatar you have a XPRO 530, is that a rib comercialized by Defender USA and having a 3D Tender sticker at tube's rear sides ? If so, how does it handle ?

Happy Boating

[Starovich]

At 535 not many boats are portable without a trailer, unless you have a big van and a couple of friends.

Not sure why the number of cylinders has any bearing, the HP will do though. A 40 hp engine (max for this boat) 2 or 3 cylinders it will still be 40hp.

Stating it will have the same carry capacity as a 6m is silly, which 6m? if this 535 has exceptional carry capacity then so will some 6m.

You cant beat physics, a 6m boat has more length and width more air in bigger tubes, and will be able to take a lager engine, so will run better loaded.

Logic wins every time.

[Redrock]

Hi Dodge

Is your Gemini a GRP or inflatable hull? If inflatable, does it have an airfloor rather than aluminium? If so, this could explain the better handling under load as the floor itself gives extra buoyancy, whereas aluminium floored SIB's with flatter vee's tend to rely more on the tubes for buoyancy.

[Starovich]

Help the guy out by giving valid uncluttered information.

I have a 3cyl on my boat, 90hp, that OK for this boat? OFC not .
HP over cyl is a much better guide, (look at what ALL manufactures state, HP and or weight not no of cyls).

I have not mentioned brand, just its length, length to get comparison.

If you want comparison ,the zodiac F530 has a stated load carry capacity of 1560kg, less i know, but it can use up to 80hp, which will give much better load carrying performance when loaded.

The FUTURA MARK III (4.5M) carries up to 1280kg with up to 60hp, again comparable length/capacity.

Clear Info, and logically backed up with comparisons is the way to go.

See Redrock edited his post this was a reply to.

[jyasaki]

Originally Posted by Redrock

Is your Gemini a GRP or inflatable hull? If inflatable, does it have an airfloor rather than aluminium? If so, this could explain the better handling under load as the floor itself gives extra buoyancy, whereas aluminium floored SIB's with flatter vee's tend to rely more on the tubes for buoyancy.

The floor provides no buoyancy whatsoever unless it sits in the water. That's like saying that taking a bunch of extra lifejackets allows for a heavier load, as their flotation adds to the boats capabilities. The boat's buoyancy is detemined by the displacement of the wetted parts, i.e. tubes, floor and transom.

An air floor may weigh less than a wood or aluminum floor, and increase the reserve buoyancy by that amount, but it adds no buoyancy.

jky

[Redrock]

Glad you added "unless it sits in the water." to the bit about the floor not providing buoyancy. That's exactly what I am talking about.

For example, I have owned a Honwave Air floor with a fixed, inflatable floor/hull that sits firmly in the water. I also owned a Suzumar Alu floor that had a separate hull that only inflated at the bow.

The Honwave's floor had quite a deep vee and its entire length was in contact with the water, providing quite a lot of the boats displacement and buoyancy. The Suzuki's hull flattened towards the transom, without much water contact, so the tubes provided more displacement.

I must add that your analogy about lifejackets didn't reflect what I was saying at all.

[Starovich]

i have owned a honwave too, i would not say it had a deep vee, it has a very shallow vee at the stern and some vee (more than some inflatables but less than others) in the bow.

from your logic, on an air floor version, the floor is more important than the tubes as the amount of tube in the water is ,minimal as the floor will be doing most of the supporting?

Deep Vee

[Redrock]

Morning Starovich

No, I do not think the floor is more important than the tubes. That is your suggestion, not my view.

I also agree that the Honwave doesn't have a deep vee. I am only comparing a Honwave airfloor to a Suzumar aluminium floor and, of the two, the airfloor Honwave (not the aluminium one) has a more pronounced vee along its entire hull length. The Suzumar with aluminium floor has a slightly sharper vee at entry, but it flattens completely long before the stern.

Thanks for the link, but for info, I have owned boats with deep vee's modified vee's, shallow vee's and catherdral hulls, and I am quite sure I know the difference.

Can we please move on now?

[jyasaki]

Originally Posted by Redrock

The Honwave's floor had quite a deep vee and its entire length was in contact with the water, providing quite a lot of the boats displacement and buoyancy.

The air floor does not contact the water; the boat's bottom does. The buoyancy is due to the bottom fabric displacing water, not the floor displacing water.

I must add that your analogy about lifejackets didn't reflect what I was saying at all.

Yeah, because you missed my point about buoyancy created by stuff displacing water.

If: the floor, by itself, is buoyant, and having it in the boat adds buoyancy (as you said), then putting lifejackets (which are also buoyant) in the floor of the boat should also add buoyancy (in the same manner you claim the floor does.)

In truth, they don't, because, being inside the shell of the tubes and bottom, they do not displace anything exept air.

jky

[Redrock]

jky
We are clearly talking about 2 different products, as the air floor I am discussing DOES contact the water. The Suzumar VIB and the Honwave 380 are examples that have a 1-piece floor/hull. Both have one large high pressure inflatable pad that forms both the floor and the hull, extending beyond the transom to create planing pads. There is no additional skin or shell between the pad and the water.

So, I totally understand your point about the life jackets, I just thought it wasn’t a very good one to make in light of what I was saying. The attached pictures might help convince you that the product exists, as my words alone are clearly going to be twisted into saying that I have some crazy theory about what floats and what doesn’t.

[simonafloat]

Resurrecting a VERY old post here.

A large, aluminium floor Sib like this, how long to assemble, given practice? And, given the length, would it flex?

Cheers

Simon

[Akira]

It's all about the inflation speed, mate

I have a 365 with alu floor, it takes about 10-15 min to roll it out, inflate a bit the tubes and set the alu floor boards. The rest is down to watever you use to inflate it, your muscles or a electric pump