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.
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From the manufacturer
Why Should You Buy A Newport Vessels Inflatable Boat
Performance
The 11ft 9inch Baja model inflatable boat is the perfect mix of portability and performance. The oversized 18 inch tubes make this dinghy one of the most stable boats on the market; whether floating at the dock or traveling at high speed. The wide footprint of the 11ft 9inch Baja makes for a solid foundation for easily boarding and loading the boat. This solid foundation makes for a low center of gravity and stable ride platform during times of high speed and turning, and with the inflatable keel and a 10-15hp motor, it’s easy to get on plane! Recent updates also include additional D-Rings for Bimini attachments and other accessories!
Construction
Newport Vessels inflatables are made with high quality Korean PVC and seams are Hot Air Welded. All of this adds up to make a dependable boat with great performance for years to come.
Build
Newport Vessels maintains a meticulous manufacturing process focused on quality control, including pressure, leak, UV, and stretch tests throughout the boat’s construction. Started in 2008 the Newport Vessels design team is constantly improving our inflatable boat designs and manufacturing quality controls to create superior inflatable boat products.
Newport Vessels Highlights
- Extremely Portable
- 18in Tubes - Unrivaled Stability
- 1,100 Denier Korean PVC - Durable Material
- Hot Air Welding - Stronger Seams
- Strict Quality Control - Better Quality Inflatable
Product Support
Tech Specs
- Total Weight - 160lbs
- Max Passenger Capacity - 6
- Max Load Capacity - 1,519lbs
- Max Motor Power - 20hp
- Floor - Aluminum Framed Marine Plywood
- Shipping/Storage Dimensions - 47" x 27" x 15"
More Specifications
Additional specifications that aren't found here can be found in the questions sections on this listing, through contacting us, or on our site.
Customer Support
Registering Your Vessel
Every Newport Vessels inflatable must be registered in your state if you plan to place a motor on it. To receive documentation, please fill out our Registration Doc request on our site or contact Newport Vessels after you have received your vessel. We will need your receipt, name, address and boat serial number to send your documents. Once received, we will ship it out the following business day.
Post Sale Support
Our California based customer support team is dedicated to your satisfaction with your purchase. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to us via our website or phone!
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| Newport Vessels Dana | Newport Vessels Del Mar | Newport Vessels Newport | Newport Vessels Catalina | |
| Length | 8ft 10in | 9ft 6in | 10ft 6in | 12ft 6in |
| Passenger Capacity | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 |
| Max Load Capacity | 1,067lbs | 1,124lbs | 1,248lbs | 1,603lbs |
| Max Motor Power | 10HP | 10HP | 15HP | 20HP |
| Total Weight | 107lbs | 116lbs | 132lbs | 165lbs |
| Aluminum Framed Marine Plywood Floors | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
Frequently Asked Questions
- How many people can it sit comfortably? - Max seating is 6. It comfortably sits about 4 persons.
- What is Aluminum Framed Marine Plywood? - It's marine plywood that has aluminum around the border. This allows the pieces to connect to each other.
- How should I store my dinghy? - Clean, dry, deflate, roll up and store in a climate controlled environment. If inflated, use a cover to protect it from UV rays and do your best to keep it out of direct sunlight, heat, humidity and extreme colds.
- What should the middle Bow D-Ring be used for? - Not for towing! This is a grab handle that should be only used for lifting the boat, mooring or to tie the anchor onto. Improper use will damage the D-Ring. Use a bridle to tow your dinghy.
- How do I know if my dinghy is fully inflated? - The supplied foot pump is designed NOT to over-inflate the boat. Pump until air is no longer being pushed into the chamber and all wrinkles are gone.
Customer Questions & Answers
Customer reviews
Top reviews from the United States
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Reviewed in the United States on April 7, 2017
Style Name: 8-Feet 10-InchVerified Purchase
Reviewed in the United States on September 3, 2019
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.
Style Name: 8-Feet 10-InchVerified Purchase
Awesome Dana
By Jeff on September 3, 2019
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.By Jeff on September 3, 2019
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.
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2017
Style Name: 12-Feet 6-InchVerified Purchase
Top reviews from other countries
Ayala
COVID is the only reason this is not getting 5 stars
Reviewed in Canada on September 17, 2020Style Name: 8-Feet 10-InchVerified Purchase
