Rigid Inflatable Boat (RIB)

RIBs attach inflatable hull sides to fully-formed fiberglass or aluminum boat bottoms. Their V hulls zip across choppy waves while air-filled collars absorb shock and mitigate spray, making shoreline explorations fast and fun. Comfort and security offshore are enhanced with hulls that cut through big seas and air tubes that provide unparalleled buoyancy and stability. Hard bottoms also mitigate concerns when exploring rocky coves, coral reefs and gravely beaches. RIBs are particularly lightweight and quite compact, making them easy to launch, retrieve and stow on deck. Hard bottoms also make RIBs easily trailered.

RIBs provide vast choices for electric propulsion, from ultra-portable to ultra-performance. Their light weight maximizes speed and range, and their rigid hulls and enormous carrying capacity are well suited to higher horsepower that highlights a RIB’s sporty capabilities. Their inherent comfort and safety benefit by eliminating gasoline concerns, odor and mess. Elco’s brushless PMAC motors and direct drive propulsion system maximize efficiency and minimize maintenance.

Hybrid and Composite RIB-Style Boats

Rigid hulled hybrids carry their fiberglass or aluminum hull sides a little higher, and then ring the outside with D-shaped buoyancy collars made from rubberized cloth, but filled with foam for resiliency with inner air chambers that add stiffness and buoyancy. Composite boats, sometimes molded fully from high-tech plastics, maintain a RIB’s shape but eliminate those added buoyancy collars entirely. Both hybrid and composite boats retain most of the benefits of traditional RIBs but maintain the full working beam inside the boat. They mirror RIB electric propulsion considerations.