Market 02
RIB Dinghies & Rigid Inflatable Yacht Tenders in Australia
Aluminium and fibreglass hulled RIBs from 2.3 to 4.7 m. The davit-hung workhorse of the cruising fleet.
The market
A RIB tender buys you a real hull: it planes with a small outboard, handles chop, tracks under way and tows straight. The price is that it never gets smaller. Once you commit to a RIB you commit to davits, a foredeck chock or a tender garage, and to lifting 40–120 kg of boat every time the weather turns.
What decides this purchase
- Aluminium hulls save 15–30% over comparable GRP and are kinder to rocky beaches.
- Fibreglass hulls ride better and finish better, at a weight and price penalty.
- Ready-to-use weight (hull + outboard + fuel + gear) is the number your davits care about.
- 2.9–3.1 m is the sweet spot for most cruising couples: genuinely useful, still liftable.
Brands
14 brands in this market
Australian availability status is shown on every card — a brand you cannot get parts for is not a shortlist candidate.
France / China
Highfield
The aluminium RIB benchmark
Ukraine
BRIG
Fibreglass refinement, tender to flagship
France
Zodiac
The name that defined the category
Australia (distributor) / International
Sirocco Marine
Australia's RIB distributor with its own range
Europe
Grand Boats
Premium GRP tenders, 3 m to 10 m
Venezuela / International
AB Inflatables
The widest catalogue in the business
United States
Mercury Inflatables
Boat and engine from one dealer
Australia
Island Inflatables
Sydney-designed, nationally supported, sharply priced
Australia / International
Easy Inflatables
Aerowave boats, supplied and supported by Easy Inflatables
Japan
Achilles
CSM tubes for tropical UV
International
Quicksilver Inflatables
Broad range, variable local stock
International
GALA
Unusually broad, unclear locally
United States
Walker Bay
Strong used-market value
International
Aquaspirit
Alloy RIBs from the west
Models
Sorted by length
80 models in this market publish a length. Showing the first 60 — the full database is filterable.
Questions buyers ask
RIB Tenders FAQ
How do I start choosing between rib tenders?
Begin with the hard constraint: storage, lifting, normal crew, water conditions or the local sailing fleet. Then compare complete packages within this market rather than ranking every dinghy together.
How many rib tenders are in the BuyDinghy database?
This market currently contains 119 models from 14 brands. Missing specifications remain blank rather than being estimated.
Should I choose the largest model I can carry?
Not automatically. Extra length can add capability, but also weight, storage difficulty, power demand and cost. Choose the smallest model that reliably handles the normal crew, load and conditions.