Achilles LSI 330E Inflatable Boat 

Jon Kenfield ditto

The 15 HP worked well for me but I sold it. Looking at a 9.9 now as it will be enough power for me and easier to move around.

You're welcome, let me know if you have any questions.

Clark, thank you. Good suggestion on the 2 stroke, it's about ten pounds lighter than the 10 HP four stroke which is probably what I'll end up with. I looked at the SPD-330, it's interesting that the recommended HP is 15 with max of 20 with the aluminum floor. I looked to see if I could find the floor sold separately but didn't see it.

It's a 15 HP Yamaha. I've considered swapping it for a 9.9 HP just because it's lighter and would be more manageable. In the video, I measure the speed at 22 MPH. As far as performance in chop, I don't have much to compare it to. It weathers chop just fine as long as I slow down and the flexibility of the hull seems to buffer some of the shock when in rough water. It is a very dry ride in any type of water, the occasional minor splash here and there but that's about it. Take care!

Great to hear from you, sorry I missed those details. I like your 15hp option though its heavier. Faster is mo' better! 22 MPH is a good speed for your rig. I have a Zodiac Futura Mk 2 running an Evinrude ETEC 30hp. It does 25 mph at 5300 ft elev, sea level testing to follow. If I got an Achilles air floor (still might as 2nd boat) I'd go with Honda 20hp (104 lbs) I think. I loved the cruising around you did here in the marshes...such fun.

Thanks! Unfortunately, I just moved one hour away from any significant body of water, so I won't get to use it as much.

The Ribports came with the navigation lights. I first tried 'one part' adhesive to hold them down, that wasn't effective, the 2 part did the job.

Michael, they're Rok Straps. They're great for this and for securing loads on a motorcycle or whatever!

I had them made at boatnumberplate.com

www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003171GDY/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Thanks Andrew, enjoy! I recently switched out the 15 HP for a 9.9 HP Yamaha which has brought several advantages. Easier to transport the motor, less weight on transom, easier to plane, and just as fast. I haven't had passengers yet, but I don't anticipate issues. 15 HP was overkill for this boat, but was a good find (used) when I purchased the boat.

@@bradfordfisher Yeah I think a 9.9 is much better for these smaller dinghy's. A friend made an Outboard holder from a 2" hitch bike rack, just clamp it on and drive, no need to bring it inside the vehicle, it's a great portable setup..

Andres Bianciotto i had a 285, and have a 330. The 285 was Pretty Decent, sometimes a bit shaky. The 330... no problem to stand in it :)

Zero problems with the Yamaha 9.9 HP. I’ve done all the servicing myself according to the maintenance schedule. There’s really no “breaking through waves” with a boat like this, the hull is too flat. You can either ride large waves or go over them if they’re very small. This boat really isn’t meant for anything in between and you’ll get beat up. It can go against currents, but that depends on the current! I’ve been on large rivers during flood and ebb tide without any problem.

About 87 lbs. It goes from the back of the boat to the back of the vehicle, so not too bad. Look up the specs, I don't think the 8 HP weighs less. The 6 HP is almost 30 lbs. lighter.

I can only guess, maybe around 15 MPH? If there's a choice, I'd get the 9.9 HP vs the 8 HP, same weight.

@@bradfordfisher Thank you for your reply. I don't have an alert so I just noticed it now. I am using an 8 HP Selva 4 stock single piston. Its an Italian brand. I don't know how good it will be, but it only weighs 27 Kg.. that's why I'm getting it.

It’s made of wood, then painted. It’s 35-3/8” x 7-7/8”.

@@bradfordfisher Thank you very much for your help. Really appreciated this.

john q they do not.

There's a 22 lb difference between the 330 and the 360. That difference was enough for me to go with the 330, only for greater ease of transport. If the greater weight is acceptable, I'd get the 360. The 9.9 Yamaha I have is about 5 pounds heavier than the Tohatsu 9.9. While I don't know if the 9.9 is well paired with the 360, I do know that my 330 planes easily with myself and two kids (still have to test with the wife included, but I don't anticipate issues). The 15HP I used to have actually made it more difficult to get on plane due to the weight, but it was about 3-4 MPH faster, which I don't care about. Note: Achilles' recommended HP is 9.9 for the 330 and 15 for the 360.

beradthefish I think they bumped it up a bit on the 360 to 20 recommended. But like you said, I have no desire to go fast. Just interested in cruising and venturing on water. Never done it before. Tried for the first time kayak renting with the family last year while camping and it was fun. So this will be a nice upgrade to kayaks already. Like you, I was leaning toward the 330 for the weight but if she feels too cramped I will never hear the end of it. I’d rather manage an extra 22 lb lol. Thank you for sharing your opinion. You helped me validate my selection. Much appreciated.

cadexim glad I could help. You’re right about the HP. Defender.com still lists the HP at 15.

I don't have any information about similar boats.

The Achilles LDS-330E sells for around $3,000 - $3,200 in 2021.

No issues for 10 years so far!

@@bradfordfisher Thank you!

87 lbs and I can handle it fine. I’m not carrying it long distances.

It’s obviously fine for one person, I’d pay attention to the weight of the boat and motor to ensure you can move them by yourself.

About 22 MPH, see 9:09.

I expected faster with a 15hp but thats still very fast for a 10ft inflatable boat. This things are amazing quality. These will last a long time if you take care of them and especially with a hypolon

www.defender.com/product3.jsp?name=launching-wheels-for-inflatable-boats-up-to-220-lbs&path=-1|294|2345882&id=1650003 Found a bunch on Amazon also: www.amazon.com/s?k=inflatable+lauch+wheels&i=sporting&ref=nb_sb_noss

I used ROK Straps, fastened one end to the interior grab handle, the other to a handle on the boat, through the window. Then I would go from the trailer hitch to a tie down point on the transom. This worked for me up to 55 MPH, I never really tried or needed to go faster. If I wanted to take the boat farther away on faster roads, I'd just set it up/take it down at the water.

@@bradfordfisher Thanks brother! This is going to save me so much time setting up / breaking down... until I finally break down and get a trailer. Much appreciated!

I can't say for sure Frank. I was able to plane with three adults, a kid, and gear, estimate the weight right around 500 lbs. Perhaps see if it's possible to re-jet the carburetor of your engine for increased horsepower then go from there.

beradthefish Ok I will and thank you so much for getting back to me so fast!

Danish Fireworks I suppose it depends on the people, but I’d guess that it could. Switching from a 15 to 9.9 HP on this boat was the right move, planes quicker and just as fast, but that’s with just me. Still have to test with passengers.

beradthefish okay, thanks for the answer. I’ll try with the 6 HP motor. If it doesn’t plane, I need 2 buy a 8 HP, or 9.9 :)

omgawall222 It has held up very well, over six years old. No loose seams. The one thing I’ve had to pay particular attention to is the air pressure. You can’t just fill it to its required pressure and then allowed to sit in the hot sun. This will cause over pressurization particularly with the high pressure floor. I always fill it to less than what’s required, then top it off depending on the weather.

Awesome thanks I'm definitely getting an achilles now

I have a Yamaha 9.9 now, the boat was a few hundred more than the motor.

beradthefish really? Wow...that must be a pricey boat! I just bought a Chinese-made 10.8 inflatable dinghy/tender with Al flooring and seats...$600. Cheap I realize but, seems like pretty high quality. Pricing outboards, however, leads me into the “thousands of dollars”! 🤦🏻‍♂️

No, nothing bad. I will say that even though the floor is pretty tough, I'm extra careful as to how I put gear on it and I make everyone clean the sand from their shoes before re-entry. I'd probably be less worried about that with an aluminum floor. The air floor makes for a lighter overall package, stows more compactly and is quicker to assemble which was more important to me.

Thank you very much for prompt reply. I am undecided between lsi and spd Achilles series, since I have to break it down every time and pack it inside Nissan Altima's trunk

If I were in your shoes, I'd go with the air floor if you're going to transport in an Altima. I'm not 100% sure, but I do believe the aluminum floor from an SPD330E will fit in the LSI330E, so you could always switch in the future. @achilles boats, is that correct?

Chris, I grew up near and on Lake Erie. The short answer is that I wouldn't recommend this boat for that lake unless you're sticking close to shore when it isn't rough. Erie whips up quickly. I'd look into a rigid deep V hull with a lot more length which may or may not have an inflatable hull. This boat can handle a lot, but it will beat you up in short, sharp chop. In my opinion, 23' is the minimum hull length for that lake.

It's Polymarine 2-part hypalon adhesive, not a sticker.

beradthefish sorry trying to figure out what you mean. Is the yellow part Hypalon and you painted onto the yellow part and used the adhesive to stick it to your boat? My new boat is pvc and I have to put a license number on it. I’m not sure maybe in the USA the yellow piece is issued from a dmv or something. Thanks for responding to my last question.

Hi Ian, the yellow rectangle is something I ordered from boatnumberplate.com. They make customized number plates. Looks like they have a self adhesive option, but I used the 2 part adhesive. They provide a space for the state issued sticker as well.

awesome that’s the info I needed. Really appreciate the help!

And I can't believe how flat you get your boat. Zero air in them tubes.

The launching wheels are made by Ceredi and I purchased them from Defender.

@@lordenoch0 It "just happens", I don't ever pump the air out of the tubes, just remove the valves and fold.

@@bradfordfisher I guess I should be more forceful in my folding until this new boat is properly trained. As for transom wheels (I have the same 330E), I've discovered that those are the only decent wheels that have a bracket that can fit below that unthoughtfully-placed little hull ID plate. Did you have to buy your own quick-release pins for them? If so, what kind?

@@lordenoch0 Which pins do you mean specifically? Also, while we’re at it, I cut four small sections of hose to slip over the mounting provisions on the transom so that they don’t cut into other parts of the boat one folded. Made the slit in the hose a little bit smaller in order for them to slip and stay on.