29 Jul What to look for in a Professional Amphibious RIB boat?
You’ve seen the Amphibious RIB in pictures, in videos, maybe even in action and you saw all of its amazing advantages and you are considering investing in one for your organization but you are not sure where to start. This article will provide you with the information you need so that when you look for Professional Amphibious RIB Boats, you know what to look out for.
From our experience, we broke it down in the following two essential components to look out for:
1. The Professional RIB boat itself
The first component is composed of the two major parts (addressed below) in building the RIB that differentiates between a great RIB allowing you to fulfil your mission with a piece of mind once on the water, a RIB that is durable, reliable, efficient and safe and one that will let you down frequently or that won’t be making it any easier to fulfil your duty on water.
• The hull design
The hull design determines how well your RIB will perform in the water in terms of speed, manoeuvring and reliability. The OCM AMP RIB distinguishes itself with its unique concave reverse chine hull design as the OCM hull moves through the water and impacts waves, the concave reverse chines act to direct the water downward thereby creating extra lift and reducing the wetted surface and friction drag of the hull. The lighter weight and unique hull design also make the boat’s handling much more agile and responsive to helm input.
• The sponsons (tube)
The inflatable tube-set (also sometimes referred to as a sponson or collar) does many great things; it provides the craft with wonderful lateral stability and abundant reserve buoyancy.
The materials used for the sponsons and the finishing can also break or make the RIB once on the water. For a professional RIB, the use of Hypalon is a must as it is has a higher resistance to ultraviolet rays and chemicals, can withstand temperatures from -50 to +80 degrees and has proven to be the most durable, giving the RIB a longer lifespan.
2. Its Amphibious capabilities
The second area is about the Amphibious capabilities of the Professional RIB where we are breaking down the most important elements to look for:
• The Wheels VS racks
An amphibious boat with wheels is much more flexible/manoeuvrable than an Amphibious boat with racks as the racks can only drive over very smooth sandy areas.
As for the wheels, having a 4 wheel-drive amphibious system give your Professional Amphibious RIB better traction than a three wheel drive amphibious system. The RIB is better supported to drive out of the water and on land; it offers you more power, more drive and more range on water. Also, all wheels have a Differential-lock (Diff.-lock), allowing redistribution of power on the other wheels.
• The Amphibious engine
The Amphibious engine is what powers the amphibious capabilities of the boat. An engine with more power will allow you to better fulfil your mission. You can drive the Professional amphibious RIB boat through various debris and obstacles without losing equilibrium.
The Amphibious engine of the 4 wheel-drive amphibious system is the best one out there in the market. Its engine is a Briggs and Stratton with 40 hp.
• Ease of operating the Amphibious
It all sounds great you might say but if you can’t operate your Professional Amphibious RIB with ease then you won’t be too happy. The user interface composed of the joystick, keypad and “System Fault” LED is all digital, making the system extremely easy to use and operate. There are no wires and the design and controls are very straightforward to use. This makes all the difference when you find yourself in difficult positions and have to react fast.
• On-board diagnostics capabilities
It is very important to ask about situations you might find yourself in when you are on the Professional Amphibious RHIB and how can they be resolved such as being stuck because of an issue with the amphibious system. In these circumstances, you can take a deep breath and release the stress you might be feeling as you are supported no matter where you are. The big advantage to the OCM BAS 8-4 amphibious system is its on-board diagnostics capabilities with its:
• Programmable Logic Control
With this tool, you can monitor the full amphibious system. You can monitor remotely the system performance and service support. To learn more about it, read here.
• Telematics Features
In need of an emergency assistance, the telematics system features an SOS button that can be used to get help for an emergency through your mobile phone where you will get assistance right away with a specialized individual who will diagnose the issue and walk-you through it (or fix it).
Now that you are better informed on the most important elements to look out for in a Professional Amphibious RIB Boat, you can make the best decision when buying.