Aerowave Tube Chaps — handmade, custom-fitted pair (NEW)

Details

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, assembled and finished by hand to one hull. We make chaps for Aerowave boats only — Viper, Viper Sovereign, WaveRunner, AeroCat and Sprint RIB. We pattern them to your model and year model so the taper, handles, D-rings, rubbing strake and bow shape all line up. A$1,000 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.

No drilling, no gluing — fits like a glove

Fitting the chaps to an Aerowave Viper, AeroCat or WaveRunner series boat takes no tools, no adhesives and no permanent changes to the hull. They are designed to slip over the tubes and tension into place, matching the exact shape of your boat so they fit like a glove. Take them off just as easily for washing or resale.

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

Your Aerowave model and year model. That is it — we do the rest. Chaps are made for the Aerowave range only: Viper, Viper Sovereign, WaveRunner, AeroCat and Sprint RIB. We do not pattern chaps for other brands.

Available across the full range as of 1 August 2026.