Newport Vessels 10ft 6in Inflatable Dinghy Boat Transom Sport Tender - 5 Person - 15HP USCG Rated

Spent a lot time considering something to fish out of. Looked at a lot kayaks but don't have the room to store it and didn't really want to haul it on the roof. Started looking at inflatable kayaks, but in all of the planning of what I wanted out of the kayak (including modifications for a trolling motor) I realized that might not fit the bill, particularly if I wanted to bring someone with me. I started looking at inflatables and for the price this one hit all the right buttons.I bought this boat last December and have been waiting to use it. Finally got it out last weekend. It's a great boat. Really nice looking and it seems well made. The material seems quite sturdy and well assembled, time will tell if the materials hold up. I once had a Sea Eagle SE9 and there is no comparison between the two. The Sea Eagle took forever to inflate even with an electric pump. It didn't hold up very well either developing slows throughout the hull. Compare prices, there's no comparison.I bought an electric pump for this boat but was really surprised how quickly it inflated, even with the foot pump. It literally took 90 seconds per bladder to inflate to about 75%. Put in the floorboards, a little tricky but watch some videos on Youtube and they will go together pretty quickly. It took an additional 60 seconds per bladder to fully inflate the boat. The keel inflates in about 30 seconds. Total time from the trunk to the water was about 20 minutes, but that includes mounting the motor, wheeling it to the water with my homemade dolly, and putting all our tackle in the boat. I expect to get faster with use. I have a small hatchback and I put the boat, motor, battery and all tackle and equipment in the back of the hatchback. It's pretty cool to be able to take so much in a small space.We have a 30 lbs trolling motor but I will be buying an outboard later this year. The trolling motor pushed it along with no problem. It was a little tight with two of us in it but I plan on not bringing the large cooler the next time and expect to have plenty of room for two to fish out of it. I'm a big boy at 6'2" and 275 lbs. Really looking forward to taking it out by myself, There will be plenty of room for me and any fishing tackle imaginable. Downside - it blows around a bit in the wind. This is common for most inflatables so it's not really an issue of this boat specifically. Bring an anchor.One of the things I hated about the Sea Eagle was the pain in the back I got from sitting on the low seats in the boat. This boat has larger tubes and this raises the seating position to nearly a normal height. This might seem like a small issue but spend 4 or 5 hours in the boat fishing and this will be an advantage over other boats. In studying this I don't know of any other manufacturer which has tubes this large. I expect the larger tubes will also be helpful once at speed on plane. Standing in the boat wasn't even an issue, another reason to forgo the kayak.This is a real boat with all the advantages you'd have from any boat with the exception of needing to inflate it before use. A downside to an inflatable is what you gain in portability and space you lose in convenience. For me it was the right compromise.

The boat clearly exceeded my expectations. First, let me describe why I needed an inflatable boat. I have a small travel trailer pulled by a Kia Sorrento. Therefore, I had no practical way to take a boat with me except by car (SUV) topping it. My better idea was to purchase an inflatable boat that I could carry in the trunk area - fits just fine with left over space.I also need to inform you I am almost 81 years old and it is difficult to handle a car top boat anymore.OK, what about assembly/disassembly. It takes a little time but with another person, usually my wife, it took about 40 minutes to assemble and inflate. Note the foot pump is all you need. It took about 30 minutes to deflate it, repack it and put back in the trunk. Getting some additional assistance would be helpful.Please note, there are two seats pictured but you only received one seat as noted in the description. This misinformation should be corrected, but Newport Vessels was very helpful in providing a second seat.I have purchased and drilled the holes for the detachable wheels but haven't needed them yet.But the big question is how did it perform. We were on a lake with no motors allowed so I rowed. It was so stable my wife can't keep from commenting about the secure feeling she experienced. And, having caught some trout was great.I am planning to add rod holders and a fish finder. I am also planning to add folding/rotating boat seats.Don't hesitate to buy the boat - it is a great boat and Newport Vessels customer service personal are excellent - and they are here in America while the boat is built overseas. See the Newport Vessels website and don't hesitate to call them.

We ordered our Dana on 8/13 and received it on 8/16. There was some damage to one of the floor pieces due to the carrier. I took pictures of the damaged part, contacted Newport Vessels, and they sent out a complete replacement floor set the following day. Their customer service is above and beyond. I also ordered Newport Vessels Battery Box and an additional Bench Seat to complete the Dana.Assembly: very easy to assemble. Online instructions along with the printed instructions made this painless. The foot pump provided is more than adequate to fill the chambers up quickly. ***Two people can carry the boat, flooring, and paddles with ease...my wife and I did.***Registration: once I received the Dana, I immediately completed the online paperwork through Newport Vessels and received all the paperwork necessary (minus paying AZ sales tax) to register the boat. Recommendation: I cut some Plexiglass and ordered custom lettering/numbering to attach the boat registration number on. I used D-Links to attach the boat registration mount to the boat...(see pics).Fist trip: We took our new Dana to Willow Spings Lake near Payson, AZ for it's debut. We dropped our gear and boat off near the boat launch. We easily aired it up, installed the flooring, battery, electric motor, and fishing gear and were on the water within 25 minutes. Very sturdy and room for 2 people and gear. We received numerous compliments on the boat.Final Thoughts: Thought about ordering an electric pump but really, the foot pump is more than adequate. I just today ordered the Inflatable Boat Transom Launch Wheels from Newport Vessels. Once all the gear is in the boat, this will make it much easier to launch in the future. Very happy with our purchase and can't beat the customer service from Newport Vessels.

Great quality boat, perfect dinghy for going down the creek or getting from boat to shore. Great size, durable material, sleek look. Delivery took a while but we are in Canada and I am sure the pandemic played a huge role.