How big

[Tommy c]

......is too big.
For a sib to be inflated and packed away every trip, what size do you guys think becomes the limit before it all gets too much work?
Thanks

[Fenlander]

Air floor easier in any size obviously. But in general over 3.8m gets a bit unwieldy.

[Tommy c]

Cheers FL
I've not been out in mine yet but already beginning to think will it be big enough. and I've now seen one at 3.6m but an aluminium floor

[Windsurfer]

I really like my 3.2 but i think thats still a lot of effort to set up and pack down each time, but great fun on the water with a 15hp 2stroke.

[billows]

3.3m with airfloor, electric pump, big launch wheels , 6hp outboard (25kg)

[Locozodiac]

My auxiliary inflatable is a 320 Sib with alum floor, it's kept inflated at all times and transported on top of a wooden modified surf rack placed on a car roof, it's well strapped down to all car sides to avoid long tedious assembling, disassembling it each time it's used.

It's air topped to 3.0 PSI once on water with a Bravo 4 hand pump. It's powered with a 2 strokes 5 HP motor intended for portability and max 2 boaters, achieves just fast displacement speed as we're not light feather boaters. This small combo is more fun than being stranded at any beach...

On calm water cond there's no big water performance difference between an alum 360 and a 380 Sib powered with as much as with a 25 HP motor as both are usually built with same tube diam and deck width. If had to choose from both, I'll go straight for a 380 which is bit deck roomier than a 360 and at least a 2 strokes 15-18 HP motor.

Happy Boating

[Gazzamatazz]

Despite rumours to the contrary, size doesn't matter - as much as weight does. It's the weight of the motor that will determine how big is too big as lugging the outboard and fitting it to the boat single-handed will tax your fitness and strength and the size of your car space if you're wanting to stay fully portable.

Check out the weight specs of your outboard options and related trade-offs - bigger boats need bigger motors etc

[Mikefule]

Launching and recovering solo, I find a 9.9 hp 4 stroke is my limit for safe lugging about. I believe a 15 hp 4 stroke is approximately the same weight. That places a limit on every aspect of my SIB. I chose a 310.

I can easily launch and recover a 310 with plywood floor, solo.

I used to have a slightly bigger boat with fatter tubes and could do that but with noticeably more effort.

Some of my happiest SIBing was with a 3 hp 2 stroke. It was no strain at all to carry or store it. OK, so you can't whizz about on the plane all day, but you can explore, chug about, and appreciate the wildlife.

If I was choosing again, I might go for a slightly bigger hull (330?) and a smaller engine (6 hp?) which probably is the opposite of what many of you would choose.

These days, I spend a lot more time in the sailing dinghy, so the SIB only gets one or two river outings a year.

[Gazzamatazz]

I doubt you'd get any dissent from us older fellas Mike (size and engine).

[Locozodiac]

Boating is not a rocket science, it's all about the type of boating you do while doing it solo or with a boating mate and the boat size and engine HP you're confortable dealing with. If you have several HP motors with same CC powerheads to choose from, invest wise and go for the larger HP one with same weight if being 2 or 4 stroke motors.

Will push much better a larger 320/330/340 Sib size than a much smaller one whether at fast displacement or plane speed depending on the boater's weight and boat load. Have fun with whichever boat/motor/combo you choose.

Happy Boating