Article Excerpts | Customer Comments | We Sponsor
A New and Great Way to Protect
Your Boat "...It may be one of those silly ideas we all wish we'd
thought of. .... There always comes a time when you find you need not only a
full compliment of fenders (like in the Panama Canal, or when Med-mooring in a
crowded anchorage), but also wish you had oversize fenders. Well folks, there is
a very good answer, and the answer is - inflatable fenders! How kewl! They are
made from the same type of the same type of heavy PVC cloth as a Zodiac and the
seams are bonded with a special solution that welds the material into a
leakproof fender. You deflate it to store it, so it takes very little room, and
when needed, they are as strong and durable as any rubber fender. All you do is
use your dinghy inflation pump to pump them up, and then hang them over the
side. Now you can carry super-sized fenders, as many of them as you want."
~ From Latitudes
and Attitudes, March 2002
Fender Test "At the
Miami Boat Show last year, we were attracted by inflatable fenders being offered
by Praktek.... We got two of them, 18 inches in diameter and 29 inches long....
In short, we couldn't be more pleased. They kept the boat well off the lock
wall, cleaned up easily and despite 38 lockages and a lot of scuffing, you have
to look closely for any indication that they have been used. The kicker is that
if they aren't needed after the lockage, we can deflate and stow them in the
lazarette. They collapse to their diameter (18 inches) and a height of only
about 1 1/2 inches. When needed again, I can manually inflate both in less than
two minutes."
~ From The
Great Loop Link, June 2002
"Our newest discovery is
inflatable fenders for those who face storage issues (and who doesn't?). These
fenders, made of a tough polyester fabric coated inside and outside with PVC,
inflate quickly and without the assistance of a pump. They deflate just as
quickly, and can be stored in a fraction of the space required for a
"full-blown" fender. I was skeptical about the utility of an
inflatable fender, for daysailing, since the process of inflating and deflating
could be a hassle. Not so. These things, which come in many sizes, could be
useful for even the most casual of sailing trips."
~ From Good
Old Boat Newsletter, June 2002
Pumped up "Every
boat needs fenders and quite often more than they have....cruisers go with the
absolute minimum number. They tie up with two fenders, each about the size
of a loaf of bread, and hope no waves come their way. Inflatable fenders
are the answer to this problem....We have been testing an AERE' fender
from Praktek....We tied the fender to a tree limb and hung 375 pounds from the
other end. We bounced the weight up and down; there was no evidence of any
damage or fabric separation. We don't know what it would take to get one
to rupture....We back a pickup truck into the fender into a stone wall....the
fender took the load, the truck bounced off the wall, and we were
impressed....deflated the 12x29 inch model folds up into a box about the size of
a large box of cigars. It inflates in less than a minute with the same
pump you use for your inflatable and deflates almost instantaneously.
We give the Praktek inflatable fender the BWS seal of approval."
~ From Blue
Water Sailing, March 2004
Inflatable Fenders "The AERE'
performed well in the compression test but its durable material stood out in the
abrasion test....The inflation valves are high quality (similar to those used on
inflatable boats.)...One notable of the 12x29 fender that we tested is that it
will self-inflate about 80 percent with a pull on the D-rings. You can fill it
the rest of the way with lung power....The AERE'
comes in a variety of sizes and colors, and offers the most 'polished'
appearance of the fenders tested, in our opinion. A big plus is the AERE'S
ability to be owner repaired using readily available glue and patches,
particularly useful for those sailing in remote locations....The more aesthetic AERE',
which comes in a wider variety of colors and larger diameters than the Easystow,
is recommended.
~ From
Practical Sailor, July 2008
AERE' Inflatable Fenders are currently advertised in the following magazines:
We bought 4 of these fenders before
starting our circumnavigation. They were one of the best purchases, and we were
always the envy of other sailors when we would not only fend off all kind of
crazy docking situations, but then stow them with such economy of space. We will
not hesitate to recommend them to all sailors and boaters we meet.
~ Jennifer and Hurley Hans Christian
41T
Popped 2 Taylor balls while in the
Panama Canal. Your fenders saved us.
~ Capt. Rob 65' Viking "Fa-Lot-Me"
Purchased 3 at Chicago 2006 and
brought them all the way from Duluth, MN to Key Largo, FL, they took all the
bumps and bangs all along the Erie Canal without any problems. We love them!
~Mark and Vicki
These fenders are terrific. We have
done the circle route and gone through over 125 locks using these fenders. They
saved the boat many times!
~ Jean 45' Californian "Ocean
Flyer"
Seriously, one of the best
investments I've made for the boat!
~ Jay
Wish I had these fenders before the
storm. Don't waste money on boat store fenders!
~ Captain Lenny
These fenders have protected my boat
with no damage!
~ Captain Joe
After switching to AERE fenders 2
years ago, I realized that we had found the perfect fender. Lightweight
and strong (even during a hurricane last year we had no damage to the fenders or
the boat.)
~ Captain Ken 92' M/Y "Natica"
Easy to stow, take a beating against
docks, piers, and other obstacles.
~ Bruce
Relied on AERE fenders to protect
vessel during Hurricane Wilma. Despite horrific blows to the dock, we had
no damage, they did a great job!
~ Captain Rick 84' Hargrave "Our
Dreams"
.... I continue to be utterly amazed at the punishment those fenders can take. Because of all the navigation locks we pass through, we get them in awful situations, virtual torture chambers if you will. Yet, they continue to look as if they were brand new.
(In a later email) ...Using only two Praktek fenders for docking instead of the usual four other fenders we have used for years worked out very well. That's because the Prakteks not only offer significantly better protection but also are far easier to handle and move from one location on the boat to another....
With this trip, the "big
boys" just completed their 102nd lockage. And after doing a little
figuring, I came up with this bit of trivia. They have been dragged up and down
a total of 4,667 feet of rough and sometimes extremely abrasive lock wall under
some occasionally really tough conditions. And that doesn't include the times
they have been dragged sideways against those same walls due to wind pushing the
boat as we entered the locks. Yet, they hardly look used.
~ Fred, "Liberty
Belle," 34' American Tug
I am the mate on a 245 foot yacht and we have been using your Flat fender with great success in the last 18 months.
We have a drop down beach (as we call it) where we tie up our 30 foot tender.
~M/Y Ilona
Great for our small boat for
stowage purposes!
~ Captain Eric
Our power cat has been incredibly
protected by your 18x58 fenders - cannot recommend highly enough. Thanks.
~ Colin, "Pacific High,"
Hopetown, Bahamas
Used on cement and wood poles. Held
up very well. Used for mooring and rafting. Highly recommended.
~ Sam, NH
Great for my small, petit chef to
use when docking my 110' vessel.
~ Captain Ian, "Sea Angel
II"
The Best Ever. My wife loves them.
~ Jon, 60' Hateras
Your inflatable fenders are a great
idea and a good space saver. I love the product.
~ George
Thanks for the great fenders. We use
them on our 47' cat - Two 5' and two 30" [fenders] - and are working great.
Look forward to using as pillows on the tramps while cruising this summer.
~ Jeff and Cindy, Stuart, FL
Your fenders are fantastic.
Everywhere I go people ask me "where can I get some?"
~ Todd and Bobbi, Palm City, FL
Used on my 94' [motor yacht] -
Lightweight and easy to use. Women will love it!
~ J.P., "Destiny"
We have used your product on our 58'
and then 70' Tribute sportfish. We have traveled the east coast, Caribbean,
Mexico, and the Pacific and they've held up beautifully for the last 3 - 4
years. I love the light weight - so easy to handle.
~ Gretchen, "Escapade"
Your fenders are great! They work
well, and my wife can handle them easily.
~ Peter, "18/8," 64'
Burger
Great product. I have big fenders
that I can store in a small space.
~ Marvin
Great - 70 knts [wind] on Snow
Dragon II 20 ton 49' sail boat. Work really well and stow in no space.
~ Chris and Frances
Great for raft ups and difficult
dockings! We love them.
~ Dave and Mary Ann
We use them for towing sidetow and
they do wonders at protecting our boat. We think they are great!!!
~ Denis and Monica
We use them mostly for raft-ups and
they're great. Good product.
~ Anita and Ron
Great Fenders! Raft ups are no sweat!
~ Starfire Marine, Napa, CA
Excellent work - Side tie-ing to
other boats was easy, protected the boat, can tuck them away out-of-sight
out-of-mind until we really need them. Great for our end-tie slip, too. Thanks!
~ Brent and Sue, Alameda, CA
The fenders are performing very
well, especially in a very. very strong wind in Spain where we had a bad place.
~ Gerd
It has been a pleasure working with
your company. The product...is the envy of our sailing friends.
~ Jane, Chicago, IL
Your fenders saved the day in New
York while at a terribly rough marina.
~ George, Annapolis, MD
I purchased four of your inflatable
fenders for my workboats two years ago. ...they have saved me countless dollars
in fiberglass repairs!
~Tim, Annapolis Boat Shows
Rafting has been much more enjoyable
experience since we discovered your inflatable fenders. Thanks!! The fact that
they are so large and easy to store is a real bonus!
~SeaDevce, Stonington, CT
Have two of your fenders that got
quite a workout in [Hurricane] Isabel! They worked great and show no signs of
abuse. Perfect for cruising but really nice when spontaneously rafting with
friends. Very much appreciate the thoughtful follow-up repair kit after the
warranty period, but don't see any sign of needing it!
~Gerald, Annapolis, MD
Had a good test on the ICW in
Jacksonville... Came alongside a floating dock, north wind blew us hard. The
inflatable bumper took the whole impact. If it didn't break in this impact, it
won't...
~Lew, "Escape"
We have two 12 x 29s and one 12 x
58. They are indispensable and we use the long one every time we dock. We're
going to buy another long one in fact. Excellent product and a cruising
"have to have."
~Jack and Jackie, "Rough
House"
Easy to stow, quick to inflate, no unnecessary
weight - what more can I say. We now have changed over entirely to inflatable
fenders from AERE'.
~ Clive
The best fenders...ever! Saved our
topsides many times over. Great customer service, too!
~Rich, "Chimera"
We make everyone envious by showing
our light-weight but tough fenders that disappear when they're not in use. Came
through Hurricane Marty in La Paz just great.
~"Toucan"
Used the product at Martha's
Vineyard in a Northeaster - Without it there would have been a great deal of
damage. Worth every penny!
~"Sandy-Lynn"
We bought fenders for our Tayana 42
in Annapolis and love them. They work so well we sold all our original fenders.
They also store easily.
~Sue and Tom, "Three Bags
Full"
We've had ours for 3 years w/our 36'
Cheoy Lee - they're great! Perfect for raft-ups, hiding under the lazarettes,
etc. Thanks for a great product.
~Sue and Brent, "Dream
Quest"
These fenders are one of the best
purchases I have made in recent years. We have limited storage space onboard and
frequently raft with other boats. Several weeks ago we challenged our fenders to
a brutal beating while rafted to our friends boat. The fenders performed great!
~S/V Kwitcherbitch
Fabulous product! Bought for storm
fenders, but we use them all the time for rafting. They hold our 32 ton boat
beautifully.
~Robin and Jim, M/V Adventures
Great fenders - easy to use and
inflate. Survived 3 hurricanes in Punta Gorda without a scratch.
~Bob
I have a 43' catamaran and two 12x58
fenders. Even during Hurrican Charley they performed excellently. The only
fenders I will ever own.
~L., Cape Coral, FL.
Bought two Aere' fenders at boat
show last year (2004). After two weeks use ordered two more. Never had a
problem. Love the product!!
~Cpt. Roddy, Oyster G8 Sailboat
Aere' fenders are wonderful. They
store in very small size. We have used them for three years and they seem indestructible.
~Dawn
We changed out all our F11 and A8s
for the Aere fenders 2 years ago. Now the stewardesses can even lift and adjust
fenders for docking. They are fantastic!
~M/Y Inevitable
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Copyright 2003, PRAKTEK, Inc. Web designer, Cynthia Abernathy. Last updated July 24, 2008