Inflatable boat

An inflatable boat is a lightweight boat constructed with its sides and bow made of elastic tubes and a flexible flat floor. Often the transom is rigid allowing a location and structure to fasten an outboard motor onto, and this type of boasting balloon is sometimes called a "Zodiac boat". Often, inflatable boats are intended to be packed into in a small volume, so they can easily stored and transported to water when needed. This feature allows such boats to be used as life rafts for larger boats or aircraft, and for travel or recreational purposes.

Other conditions are "inflatable" and (an old term) "rubber dinghy".The modern RIB (rigid-hulled inflatable boat) is a growth of the inflatable boat using a solid or section ally rigid floor and capable of taking a high powered transom mounted outboard engine appropriate for high speed operations well up into the ski boat speed ranges.