Aerowave Tube Chaps — Custom-Fitted Tube Protection

What tube chaps actually are

Tube chaps are a removable outer skin that wraps over the top and outer face of your inflatable tubes. Think of them as a jacket for the hull. The chaps take the wear — the UV, the grit, the scuffs, the dropped gear — and the tube underneath stays factory-fresh.

Every set is cut to one hull. We pattern them to your boat's brand, model and year model so the taper, handles, D-rings, rubbing strake and bow shape all line up. A$1,500 per fitting.

Why they matter

• UV is what actually kills tubes. Australian sun degrades exposed fabric and seam glue faster than any rock or oyster lease. Chaps block it.
• Abrasion protection. Ramps, pylons, rock ledges, dock cleats, the tray of a ute — all the everyday contact that wears a tube thin.
• Heat. A chapped tube runs noticeably cooler than a bare dark tube sitting in the sun all day, which is easier on the pressure and easier on your hands.
• Resale. Pull the chaps off after five hard years and the tube underneath still looks new.
• They are the cheap part. A replacement set of chaps costs a fraction of a re-tube.

Built for divers and rough entry

• Scuba divers — steel and alloy cylinders get dragged, dropped and rolled across tubes. Chaps take that punishment instead of the hull.
• Roll-off entry — if you back-roll off the side, your tank valve, fins and weight belt scrape the tube every single time. Chaps make that a non-event.
• Spearfishing and crayfish — burley, shells, gaffs, cray pots. Wipe the chaps down, not the hull.
• Davit-stored tenders — a tender hanging on davits off a yacht sits in full sun and rubs against the falls, the transom and the boarding platform. Chaps are the single best thing you can do for a davit-stored tender.
• Dogs, kids and gear-heavy days — claws, eskies, tackle boxes, oysters on the boots.

Colours and options

• Storm Grey — light, cool under the sun, hides salt and dust.
• Ocean Blue — deeper navy-blue tone, matches our hull graphics.
• With bow step — adds a reinforced step panel across the bow so you can stand on the nose when beaching or stepping onto a dock.
• Without bow step — slimmer, lighter, faster to fit and remove.

What we need from you

Brand, model and year model of your boat. That is it — we do the rest. Fits Aerowave Viper, Viper Sovereign, WaveRunner, AeroCat, Sprint RIBs and most other brands of inflatable and RIB.

Available across the full range as of 1 August 2026.