The past and present of the RIB Boat

RIB BOAT made in China are going global

RIB is the abbreviation of Rigid Inflatable Boat, which means Hard Bottom Inflatable Boat or Rigid Inflatable Boat. It is a kind of boat between Rubber Inflatable Boat and Fibreglass Boat, using aluminium alloy or fibreglass hulls and floats made of Orca, PVC or Hyplon.

The forerunner of the RIB - the inflatable rubber boat - was used by the military as a submarine and lifeboat as far back as the Second World War. Due to its light weight and ease of transport, it was gradually promoted for commercial and civilian use.

Traditional fibreglass boats, in order to pursue speed will narrow the hull, but this also makes the stability deteriorate, the risk of increasing; and rubber inflatable boats, travelling resistance is great, no matter how much power is equipped, there is no speed to speak of.RIB boats compared to fibreglass boats are lighter and more comfortable, more powerful performance, compared to rubber inflatable boats are more stable and more rugged, faster speed.

Since then, continuous development has greatly improved the performance of RIBs and they are once again being selected by some countries as assault boats, lifeboats, patrol boats and navigation boats. The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) requires large ships to be fitted with RIB lifeboats. RIBs are also widely used as transport boats for merchant vessels, netting boats for fishing vessels, support boats for yachts and recreational fishing boats for individuals.