Inflatable Catamaran vs Takacat vs True Kit: The Honest 2026 Comparison

If you've shortlisted an inflatable catamaran for use in Australia, chances are three names keep appearing: Aerowave, Takacat, and True Kit. All three make legitimate inflatable catamarans. All three have their supporters. But they aren't the same boat — and they aren't priced or built the same way.

This is a straight comparison written for the buyer who's about to spend A$4,000–A$6,000 and wants to know exactly what they're comparing before they do. We've kept it factual, cited where each spec comes from, and been honest about where the differences are marketing and where they're measurable.

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The short version

All three brands build inflatable catamarans in the 3.0–4.0 m range, all use PVC-coated fabric, and all are aimed at the same buyer: someone who wants a stable, dry, easy-to-store tender or day boat that fits on a car roof or in a boot.

Where they differ:

• Aerowave Viper range — 1500 GSM / 1.2 mm VALMEX® Heavy Plus hull, thermo-welded seams, CE-certified to ISO 6185-3, custom-configurable, landed to AU door.
• Aerowave AeroCat range — 1100 GSM / 0.9 mm VALMEX® hull (same fabric spec as most competitors), thermo-welded, CE-certified, priced under comparable competitor boats.
• Takacat — 3.0–4.6 m open-transom inflatable catamarans, PVC or Hypalon options depending on model.
• True Kit — 2.4–4.0 m inflatable catamarans, VALMEX PVC hulls in the Discovery range.

The rest of this guide breaks down the four factors that actually swing a buying decision: fabric, certification, price, and after-sale support.

A Takacat on display at a boat show — one of the three brands compared in this post.

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1. Hull fabric: GSM and millimetres

Fabric is where the comparison is most measurable and most often oversimplified. All three brands use VALMEX or VALMEX-class PVC on their premium ranges, so "VALMEX" alone isn't a differentiator.

The number that matters is GSM + coated thickness together.

Range	Fabric	GSM	Thickness
Aerowave Viper (Viper 330, 365, 400 Open Bow, 400 Sovereign)	VALMEX® Heavy Plus	1500	1.2 mm
Aerowave AeroCat (330, 360, 380)	VALMEX®	1100	0.9 mm
Takacat (typical PVC models)	PVC-coated polyester	~1100	~0.9 mm
True Kit Discovery 4.0	VALMEX® PVC	1100	0.9 mm

The measurable point: the Aerowave Viper range is built on 1.2 mm VALMEX® Heavy Plus — 33% thicker than the 0.9 mm VALMEX or PVC used on comparable Takacat and True Kit models. That's not a claim, it's the coated-thickness spec.

Why 0.3 mm matters:

• More material between hull and abrasion (oyster leases, sand, rocky ramps, gravel driveways, trailer bunks).
• More UV mass to burn through before surface fabric degrades.
• Longer expected service life — 10–12 years on Viper 1.2 mm vs. 3–7 years typical on 0.9 mm VALMEX/PVC depending on use and storage.

If you specifically want 1.2 mm hull fabric, the Aerowave Viper range is the only one of the three that publishes that spec in this price class. If 0.9 mm VALMEX is fine for your use case (calm-water tender, occasional weekend use, garage storage), the AeroCat range is spec-matched to Takacat and True Kit and priced under both landed to Australia.

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2. Seam construction

All three brands weld seams on their PVC/VALMEX models — this isn't a differentiator between Aerowave, Takacat, and True Kit at current-model level. The industry has moved past glued seams on serious inflatable catamarans, and any of these three is a safe pick on that front.

Where seam quality does vary is age of build and factory QC. Aerowave publishes hull manufacture dates and pressure-test records with every boat. Ask any seller for the equivalent.

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3. Certification

All Aerowave catamarans (Viper and AeroCat) are CE-certified to ISO 6185-3 under EU Directive 2013/53/EU, with a Declaration of Conformity supplied with every boat.

True Kit and Takacat also publish CE/ISO compliance on most current models — worth asking the specific dealer to email you the Declaration for the exact model and year you're being sold.

What to insist on regardless of brand:

• CE plate on the transom naming the notified body.
• Declaration of Conformity referencing ISO 6185-3 and 2013/53/EU.
• Unique HIN on your hull.

CE covers construction. Australian state-level Boat Code registration is separate and is done by the owner after delivery.

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4. Working pressure, transom, HP rating

At 4.0 m, the closest direct comparison is the Aerowave Viper 400 and the True Kit Discovery 4.0 — both 4.0 m boats, both rated 8–10 PSI on the hull. Working pressure is a tie. The delta is the 1.2 mm vs 0.9 mm hull thickness above.

Takacat's closest 4.0 m model is the LX 340 / T460 depending on trim; also PVC, also welded, spec varies by year and importer.

Transom heights across all three brands sit in the 380 mm range on current models. Aerowave uses 380 mm across the Viper and AeroCat lines — enough prop depth to eliminate ventilation with a correctly-shafted outboard (short-shaft for tenders under 3.3 m, long-shaft from 3.6 m up).

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5. Landed price to Australia

This is where the comparison usually gets fuzzy, because RRPs are published but landed prices to an Australian postcode often aren't.

Current Aerowave landed pricing (GST-inclusive, metro AU):

• AeroCat 330 — from A$3,595 landed
• AeroCat 360 — from A$4,295 landed
• AeroCat 380 — from A$4,495 landed
• Viper 330 — from A$3,995 landed
• Viper 365 — from A$4,595 landed
• Viper 400 Open Bow — from A$4,995 landed
• Viper 400 Sovereign — from A$5,395 landed

Regional AU postcodes and Canberra add A$600 flat freight. International DHL Express air is quoted per postcode via the Landed Price widget.

Do the same exercise for any Takacat or True Kit quote you receive: boat + freight + GST + any duties = landed to your door. That's the number to compare.

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6. Custom vs. fixed SKU

One structural difference between Aerowave and the other two: the Aerowave configurator lets you spec hull colour, floor upgrade (Air-Deck standard, aluminium optional), wheels (LockPro Plus in grey or red), bimini, seats, pump, and add-ons before your boat is built. Every Aerowave boat is built to order, not pulled off a container-load pallet.

If you want a fixed off-the-shelf SKU, Takacat and True Kit have that. If you want a boat built to a specific configuration, that's Aerowave's structural advantage.

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7. Warranty and parts

• Aerowave — 5-year hull warranty. Parts stocked in Australia and our Hong Kong hub. Replacement parts dispatched by DHL Express to your door.
• Takacat / True Kit — warranty terms vary by importer/dealer. Ask the specific seller for the written terms and where they hold spares.

Warranty length matters less than where the parts sit when you need them.

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8. Which one should you buy?

Straight answer:

• You want the thickest hull fabric on the market in this price class → Aerowave Viper range (1.2 mm VALMEX® Heavy Plus).
• You want a well-built 0.9 mm VALMEX catamaran at the lowest landed AU price → Aerowave AeroCat range.
• You want a specific model the local Takacat or True Kit dealer already has in stock, and price/spec is acceptable → those are legitimate boats.

Where Aerowave wins is the combination: 1.2 mm VALMEX + welded seams + CE cert + Aussie-quoted landed price + custom configuration + parts held in-country. Where the others win is if you specifically need a model or dealer network they cover and we don't.

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What to send every seller before you decide

Same six questions apply regardless of brand:

1. CE Declaration of Conformity referencing ISO 6185-3 and 2013/53/EU?
2. Hull fabric GSM and coated thickness?
3. Welded or glued seams?
4. Landed price to postcode [xxxx], GST-inclusive?
5. Warranty term and coverage?
6. Where are spare parts held and what's the turnaround?

If Aerowave, Takacat, and True Kit all answer those six clearly, compare the answers side by side. That's the honest comparison.

Want a landed quote to your postcode? Use the widget on any product page, or ask Karen for a written comparison quote — we'll price it against whatever else you're looking at and lay it out on one page.