Maxxon SB-430 14' Self Bailing Inflatable River Raft

The Maxxon SB-430 14' Self-Bailing inflatable river raft is $1,999.00, F.O.B. either Danville, CA or Kent, WA. Please note that due to the large boxed size of this raft, it must be sent by motor freight and the UPS rate module that works with our shopping cart will be unable to calculate the shipping cost. You will get an ERROR message. Therefore, if you want one of these you must phone us at 925-820-BOAT. Motor freight can be substantial if you are not in the NorthWest, and deliveries to residential destinations can create upcharges of as much as $85 above the base rate. For example, a recent residential delivery to Oklahoma ran $330. Yes, it's pricey, but neither we nor Maxxon mark this figure up, it's usually the 500 pound minimum fee. These are shipped freight collect when possible, which is about half the time. When we ship AIRE rafts (except the Tributary 16'), we send the main hull in one box and the laced-out floor & thwarts in a second container, so that even with the AIRE 15'6" models, they can still go via UPS. We cannot do this with a Maxxon since the floor is attached, not laced.

Please note that the photo is no longer accurate, as the standard color for this model is now BLUE, not the fire engine red shown. Also, more importantly, due to liability concerns these no longer come with the factory foot loops shown in the picture, but they do now have nice lift handles - also not shown. Last year some of these, if we recall correctly, only had two thwarts, not three as shown. We will double check on that detail before taking your order. The basic design of the hull has not changed from what is depicted.

Maxxon SB-430 Whitewater Raft is Glued PVC

The SB-430 raft, as with the Maxxon cataraft tubes featured elsewhere on our site, are glued pvc boats like Star, Vanguard, and a number of others. This means the top lifespan is usually around 14 years, 15 max. This probably doesn't sound bad for a raft of this price range, and it's not. A good hypalon raft from Avon, Hyside, or NRS will last more than twice that many years, but the price on those three is also well over double. A more apt comparison and in our minds a much better value is the Rocky Mountain 14' self bailer. The Rocky is about 25% more, but because it is a welded boat rather than being glued, it can outlast the Maxxon by five to ten years. But if your budget is highly limited the SB 430 from Maxxon is well worth looking at.

Eventually, if a pvc inflatable is assembled with adhesive rather than being welded, that glue will fail. It breaks down chemically due to phthalates (softeners) in the pvc material outgassing. There is no fixing this problem either once it starts to happen. This is discussed in a couple other parts of The Boat People website, but the biggest issue to us is that it means you will eventually be putting 154 pounds of pvc into a land fill somewhere, and pvc is hardly friendly to the environment. In the end it is your decision. On the positive side, some of the no-name rafts found on Ebay and other dubious venues have far shorter lifespans than a Maxxon, yet don't cost that much less. The difference is in the heat-resistance of the glue. The glues used on Star, Vanguard, and Maxxon seams, and things like transom attachments on Zodiac products, tend to hold up quite a while. Some of the no-name mystery pvc rafts may experience glue failure after only three or four seasons, often beginning with the inflatable floors.

Maxxon SB-430 Raft - Rowed or Paddles

Although Maxxon's fourteen footer can be rowed, and many people do, the relatively low rocker of only 9" means it is also very easy to paddle-captain. This lower rocker and gentle lift also improves the handling over what many more angular rafts can provide.

As an oar rig, the generous full seven foot width allows tons of room for large dryboxes and coolers. The overall length is 14'3" to 14'4". The track mounted thwarts are removable, and also adjustable to almost any position. These come with three thwarts standard, but as mentioned above the footloops are no longer in this raft.

Maxxon SB-430 Whitewater Raft Amenities and Construction

There are 10 D-rings, four lift handles (not shown), two bail holes per foot around the whole floor perimeter, frame chafers, and extra gray pads at the rear and just forward of the chafer to mitigate the wear that paddler's butts might have. This raft has two full layers from the fender down, for 2200 denier's worth of protection, and even a third layer of underside chafer at the lowest point. These extra layers, found on many imported pvc rafts, also make them a very difficult proposition to roll tight.

The I-beam floor is a full 7" thick when inflated, and like the main tube it has a second layer on the bottom. There is a pressure relief valve on the floor, but you should never assume it's safe to inflate the floor until it blows off. If you want your floor to last and not blow I-beams, you should only inflate it to shape, then just a bit more, and stop. Going even to a full 2 p.s.i. on the floor chamber repeatedly will insure you'll be shortening it's lifespan to some degree.

Warranty for Maxxon SB-430 Rafts

Maxxons are now back to having a five year warranty, which is fairly solid since the company has been around for a very long time now. A lame foot pump is included with all Maxxon inflatables, but before you throw this pump in the garbage, make sure you save the twist-in valve adapter. The valves are a Chinese Halkey-Roberts knock-off, and while you can use K-Pumps, Wildwater, and a few others without the adaptor, most others will require that you use one.

Note that there is also a shorter 12'6" version of this raft available for $200 less ($1,799; some of these models may still be red). It's not on the shopping cart nor is there a separate write-up here on our site for it. If you are interested in the smaller one, please give us a call, or you can email to check stock.