Inflatable Flat Mat Fender - 8 ft x 1 ft

These are heavy duty flat inflatable fender! Made from incredibly strong PVC infused polyester fabric with heavily reinforced stainless steel D-ring attachment points located on the ends plus extra D-rings on the edges, depending upon the size. Large Halkey-Roberst air valve for quick inflation and deflation.

These mat style fenders are purpose designed and built to accomplish the difficult task of protecting your stern or swim platform from docks or careless small vessel operators. The flat design minimizes the tendency of a typical round fender to end up under or on top of the platform due to wind and wave action, and with the multiplicity of "D" rings, these fenders are especially easy to secure.
Note that, with their versatile shape, these fenders have many other potential applications for protecting your boat in situations where round fenders simply do not work.

The 8 inch thickness of this fender provides stern or platform protection without the awkward giant step sometimes necessary to negotiate embarking and disembarking from tenders and other watercraft.
Because they are truly inflatable, these large fenders require minimal storage space.
Available only in gray with a black wear face.


Heavy on the technical side...

• Will my fender pop if my boat slams up against it really hard?
While it is possible to pop a fender, it is quite difficult. Aeré fenders have been through major storms and even several hurricanes without damage.
The normal operating pressure for an Aeré Inflatable Fender is only 1 psi internal pressure. They have been pressure tested to over 45 psi.
• How are the Aeré fenders constructed?
Aeré fenders are made from heavy, high denier, polyester fabric (used in inflatable boat construction), which is heavily PVC-coated both inside and outside. This is not the old-style PVC surface coating which could peel off over time. Aeré uses an SOL process in which the PVC is pressure-rolled into the actual structure of the fabric. It will not peel off.
The fender is then hand glued, and seams are reinforcement inside and outside. The seams are from three to four layers thick (depending on fender size) to assure seam integrity.
The attachment points are stainless steel D-rings on both ends, securely fastened with Kevlar® thread to a layered backing plate.
The fill valves are selected to assure tight seals and rapid inflation and deflation.
• How puncture and abrasion resistant are Aeré fenders?
Any fender, no matter what it’s made from, can be punctured or abraded. Aeré fenders absorb a tremendous amount of punishment before failure; as is reflected in their 6-year pro-rated product warranty.
Aeré fenders will withstand very high compression loads that will collapse a normal vinyl fender, leaving you with very little between your boat and damage.
Of course, normal care should be taken in fender placement - if you see a nail sticking out of the dock or piling, don’t put your fender there.
• What about UV protection?
Aeré inflatable fenders have built-in UV protection. They have been tested in Florida and the Caribbean without failure or color fading.
• Can Aeré fenders be repaired if punctured?
Aeré fenders can be easily and quickly repaired by non-professionals with readily obtainable PVC glue and patches. However, as part of their Product Warranty Program, Aere will repair your fender in their Florida location, or the fender may be sent to one of their certified service centers in their dealer network.
NOTE — Do not use the thin, watery plumber's PVC pipe glue. Patch the fender using a thick marine grade PVC glue such as the Weaver glue listed below.

Remember, you can never be too well protected, but it’s easy to be under-protected and end up with damage that could have been prevented with fenders of a sufficient size and strength. The price of proper fendering is a very small percentage of the price of a boat or yacht, and the one time they protect your boat from damage will pay for the cost of fenders many times over.