The Intex Mariner inflatable boat is a broad beamed, comfortable raft, the kind you are looking for to spend leisurely days at the lake or floating down a quiet river.
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A Look at the Boat
The Intex Mariner inflatable boat is a 4-person raft that features an inflatable keel, motor mount fittings, and a heavy-duty extruded plastic floor. The Super-Tough™ PVC vinyl hull is made with three separate layers of 26.4 gauge (0.65mm) material: two outer layers of heavy-gauge PVC reinforced by an inner layer of polyester mesh. Intex has added an auxiliary air chamber for extra buoyancy. The model prior to 2008 had 3 air chambers.
Features on the Intex Mariner include an all-around grab line, 2 grab handles, welded rotary oarlocks, oar holders, 3 inflatable seat cushions, 2 fishing rod holders, rock guard, gear pouch, battery pouch, and repair/patch kit. Each boat comes with two aluminum oars and a high output air pump.
Standard features
- Length: 10’8”
- Beam: 4.6’
- Capacity: 3-4 adults (704 lbs)
- Weight: 85 lbs
- 4 air chambers
- Super-Tough™ PVC vinyl
- Plastic hard floor
- Boston safety valves
- Motor mount fitting
- 54″ aluminum oars
- High output pump
- Certified by NMMA and U.S. Coast Guard
- Inflation & assembly time: 20 minutes
Performance
Reviews on the Intex Mariner inflatable boat offer strong endorsements for this sturdy craft, which is one of the better boats Intex makes. They remark that not only does the roomy floor make the boat seem larger, the floor is solid and rigid enough to permit standing and casting. On the hull, the reinforced PVC plastic is thicker than many other rafts, and it is resistant to abrasion (scrapping against rocks) and harsh chemicals and elements such as oil, gas, seawater, and UV sunlight.
Though advertised as a 4-man raft, reviewers are nearly universal in their opinion that only 2 or 3 adults can fit in it comfortably. They also feel the oars are too short for this craft, but many owners opt to put a trolling motor on the back and do very little rowing.
Our View
At $250, the Intex Mariner is the most expensive craft in the company’s line of Marine Boats, and it’s one of their better rafts. The only thing is that we would caution that you don’t buy this boat intending to use it as a whitewater raft. No inflatable with a hard floor should be taken down anything rougher than Class II rapids as the boat could get swamped with water, or flip over — whitewater requires a flexible boat for rolling over waves. We think you’ll find that the Intex Mariner inflatable boat offers awesome durability and comfort, and should live up to your expectations as a leisure craft.
Arthur G. Moore is a veteran paddler. He has over 10 years of whitewater kayaking experience in his kitty. When he was young, he used to love kayaking in rapid III and rapid IV but as time went on, he decided to concentrate mainly on covering long distances on a standard touring kayak. He is currently working as a senior editor for Kayak Manual.
