How Quickly Can You Inflate and Deflate an Inflatable Boat?

Ramp to running: under ten minutes once you've done it twice.

The single biggest worry people have before buying their first inflatable is time. Nobody wants to be the bloke sweating over a hand pump while the tide runs out.

Here is what it actually looks like, start to finish.

Inflation: the honest numbers

With the 22 PSI 12V lithium pump that ships with every Aerowave boat:

By hand with the high-pressure hand pump, add roughly ten minutes and a decent sweat. Most owners use the 12V pump for the bulk of the air and the hand pump only as a backup or for the last few PSI.

First time out, allow half an hour and don't rush it. By your third trip you'll be at ten minutes without thinking.

Deflation and pack-down

Pack-down is faster than setup, but only if you do it in the right order.

1. Open the tube valves and let it fall

Two minutes of doing nothing while the air escapes on its own.

2. Pull the last of the air out with the pump

Most 12V pumps run in reverse. This is the step people skip, and it's the reason their boat suddenly won't fit in the bag.

3. Deck and seats out

Floor panels or air deck out, seats out, rod holders off.

4. Fold in thirds, then roll from the bow

Fold the sides inward so the boat is the width of the bag, then roll firmly toward the transom, pushing air ahead of you.

Total: 10–12 minutes to a packed, zipped bag.

The habits that save the most time

1. Inflate in stages, not chamber by chamber

Bring every chamber up to about 70%, then top each one to full. Filling one chamber hard first distorts the hull and fights you on the next.

2. Floor first, always

The air deck sets the shape of the boat. Tubes first and you'll be wrestling the floor into a hull that's already rigid.

3. Rinse and drain before rolling

A grilled transom flushes clear, so a quick rinse and a two-minute tip-up gets rid of most of the water. Rolling a wet, sandy boat is how covers get chafed.

4. Use the wheel kit

Launch wheels turn a two-person carry into a one-person walk. That is often the real ten minutes, not the pumping.

5. Leave the boat slightly soft in cold water

Air expands as the day warms. Over-inflation relief valves handle it, but a small margin means less venting.

What affects your times

• Heat. Air heats fast in a hot boat on a hot ramp; pressures climb and you'll do more checking.
• Sand and wind. A windy beach adds minutes to every fold.
• Battery state. A flat 12V battery is the number one cause of a slow setup. Charge it the night before.
• Crew. Two people do it in about 60% of the time of one.

Packed size, so you know what you're folding into

Aerowave boats pack into two bags — hull, and floor plus accessories — at roughly 135 cm x 80 cm x 45 cm. That fits a ute tray, a wagon boot or a caravan boot without a trailer, roof rack or rego for the trailer you no longer need.

See how each model packs down on the Viper 400 Sovereign page or browse all boats.

Is it faster than a trailer boat?

Reversing, unhooking, parking the trailer and doing the reverse at the end is rarely under fifteen minutes at a busy ramp — and that's before the queue. Ten minutes on the sand with nobody watching wins most weekends.

Want a walk-through before you buy? Call Gary on +61 2 4335 1603 and he'll talk you through setup on the exact model you're looking at.

#Aerowave — Built to last. Made to explore.