The specification comparison
Most inflatable boats in this size range are sold on length, horsepower and a photograph. We think three numbers decide whether the boat is still yours in ten years: the fabric thickness, the warranty term, and the standard it is certified to. Here is where the Aerowave range sits on all three, against the claims you will read everywhere else.
1500 GSM VALMEX® Heavy Plus. 33% thicker than the 0.9 mm class.
Five years standard plus extended Years 6–7 on the Viper Series.
Plus EU Directive 2013/53/EU. CE plate supplied with the boat.
The right-hand column is not one company. It is the wording we see repeated across the inflatable boat market in this size range — the phrasing that sounds like a specification but never resolves into a number.
German VALMEX® 1500 GSM / 1.2 mm Heavy Plus (Viper Series). Orca Hypalon available as an upgrade.
"Heavy-duty PVC" or "marine-grade PVC" — thickness and GSM often not published at all.
Ask for GSM and millimetres together, in writing. One number without the other tells you nothing.
1.2 mm — 33% thicker than the 0.9 mm class that dominates this size range.
1100 GSM / 0.9 mm VALMEX or unbranded PVC of similar thickness.
0.9 mm is a real fabric — we sell it ourselves on the AeroCat range and price it accordingly. It is simply not a ten-year fabric.
10–12 years for 1.2 mm Heavy Plus, in Australian UV with normal care.
3–7 years for 0.9 mm; one to two seasons for unbranded imports.
Service life is a fabric property, not a marketing claim. It follows the material.
7-year limited hull warranty on the Viper Series (5 years standard plus extended Years 6–7). Other Aerowave ranges are 5 years.
12 months to 3 years, and frequently not published before purchase.
A warranty is the only durability claim a manufacturer has to pay for. Read it before the deposit.
CE certified to ISO 6185-3 and EU Directive 2013/53/EU. CE plate and Statement of Conformity ship with every boat.
"CE compliant" stated without a standard number, or no certification stated.
Australian Boat Code Certification and HIN checks are a separate state-level step you complete locally.
380 mm commercial-spec transom — more prop in the water, far less ventilation in chop.
Height not stated; props ventilate as soon as the water gets lumpy.
Transom height is the single most common cause of cavitation complaints on inflatables.
High-pressure air deck rated 8–10 PSI, 22 PSI hand pump supplied, aluminium floorboard upgrade on selected models.
Air floor often optional or lower-rated; pump specification rarely published.
PSI parity is common at the top of the market — thickness is where the difference actually shows.
Factory-direct. No dealer network, no floor-stock margin stacked on the price.
Dealer or marketplace reseller, with margin added between the factory and you.
Direct is why a 1.2 mm hull sits at the price a 0.9 mm dealer boat usually does.
Landed pricing quoted up front — freight and duty included where stated. No surprise bill at the border.
Ex-works or "plus freight" pricing, with duty and clearance invoiced later.
The sticker price is not the price. Ask what lands at your door.
Spares held in Australia and at our offshore parts hub, DHL Express to your door. Phone support on +61 2 4335 1603.
No spares programme, or dealer-ordered parts with weeks of lead time.
A boat you cannot get a valve or a seat clip for is a boat with a short life.
WHERE WE SIT IN THE MARKET
Thin fabric, glued seams that creep, a transom that works loose in season two. We build to the European material standard — 1.2 mm VALMEX®, a custom-built commercial-spec 380 mm transom — and back it with a 7-year Viper hull warranty.
The Viper Series hull is built on German VALMEX Heavy Plus — 33% thicker than the 0.9 mm fabric used across most comparable 3.3–4.5 m inflatables. Thicker fabric is what survives oyster racks, rock ramps, gravel launches and a season of trailer abrasion.
Read The 1.2 RuleFive years standard plus extended Years 6–7 hull cover on the Viper Series — on both the 1.2 mm VALMEX hull and the Orca Hypalon upgrade. Sport, WaveRunner and AeroCat ranges carry the 5-year hull warranty.
Read the warrantyEvery Aerowave catamaran is built and certified to ISO 6185-3 and EU Directive 2013/53/EU, with the CE plate and Statement of Conformity supplied with the boat.
Safety & complianceYou see the price that lands at your door, not an ex-works number with a customs bill behind it. Freight and duty are stated up front on every quote.
Shipping & landed costValves, seats, floor panels, handles and transom hardware are stocked in Australia and at our offshore hub, shipped DHL Express so a small part never ends a season.
Spare partsAdam, Gary and Craig answer +61 2 4335 1603. No call centre, no ticket queue, no chat bot deciding whether your problem is worth a human.
Talk to the crewWe sell 0.9 mm boats too. The AeroCat Series is built on German VALMEX 1100 GSM / 0.9 mm PVC, carries a 5-year hull warranty rather than seven, and has a typical service life of 3–7 years depending on UV, storage and use. We publish that because it is priced honestly for what it is.
What we object to is 0.9 mm sold as though it were something heavier, with a service life implied that the fabric cannot deliver. If you want the ten-year boat, buy 1.2 mm. If you want a well-built weekend boat at a lower price, buy the AeroCat with your eyes open. Either way you should know which one you are paying for.
Ask us the same six. Every answer above is on this page already.
Tell us the model, the motor and where you are, and we will send a landed price with the fabric spec, warranty term and certification written on the quote.
1.2 mm VALMEX® Heavy Plus hulls · delivery included · Built to last. Made to explore.
