Frequently Asked Questions

WHY ARE TRUE KIT INFLATABLES SUCH GREAT VALUE?

We design and test all our boats in-house without the need for outside assistance.  Many of the components are actually manufactured inside our own workshop.  We only sell our boats directly to our customers, worldwide. If we were to use distributors, prices would likely increase 35%.  With our direct to customer system True Kit can offer exception boats at a similar value to much lesser boats offered by other brands.

HOW CAN I BUY A TRUE KIT?

You can order a boat directly from our website or get in touch with us through our contact page.  Payments can be made using a credit card or by direct bank transfer.  We send our boats everywhere in the world using an express door to door service.  We can typically dispatch an order within 3 working days and delivery takes just a few days. Please note each destination and timing in the year can affect how long the shipping takes but we can give you an estimate. You can check out this video to see the buying process (shipping video).

 

DOES TRUE KIT HAVE DISTRIBUTORS IN DIFFERENT COUNTRIES?

Every single customer has a unique set of needs for their boat. So we prepare every order on an individual basis, carefully package it up and ship it directly to the customer anywhere in the world. Before you buy feel free to ask questions and lean on our experience. You get to talk directly to the designers/manufacturers. We feel this creates a unique experience that you can’t get from anyone else. Also, to keep offering our amazing craft at such great value, we cut out the middlemen and sell only directly to you, our valued customers.

 

HOW MUCH IS SHIPPING?

Shipping cost is determined by the destination and size of the package. We use Fedex and DHL as our reliable express services and only charge what our shipping carriers charge us. Each order is prepared exactly to our customers requirements and carefully packaged up before booking the shipment. After adding items to the cart on our True Kit Website, proceed to checkout where you will be able to input your shipping address to see the exact shipping cost. If you need some more information around this feel free to contact us through the contact page on the website.

 

WILL I BE CHARGED TAXES OR DUTIES

We do not collect your home countries taxes. You should always expect to be required to pay local import duties and taxes for whichever country you are importing into. This can vary from country to country. Our shipment provider (Fedex/DHL) will assist you with the customs clearance and collection of duties. It is important that you are available for communications during this shipping time.

 

WHY SHOULD I CHOOSE A TRUE KIT INFLATABLE OVER ANOTHER INFLATABLE?

When you choose a True Kit inflatable, you know you are buying a quality product, designed by boaties, for boaties.  With all the noise out there on the internet, we know the decision can be difficult, so let’s look at what sets True Kit apart. 

Each True Kit inflatable is a unique design of ours.  At True Kit we design and test every model in our home waters in New Zealand.  We manufacture our boats out of the best available materials using the best technology and systems available and we sell the boats direct to you.  In short, we bring you the best inflatable boat at the best value.  The people behind True Kit have been around boats all their lives, they use boats on a daily basis, and they bring this experience to every boat sold. If you are comparing True Kit versus another brand of inflatable boat, make sure you read this detailed article first (blog post)

 

WHY USE THE MORE EXPENSIVE GERMAN MADE VALMEX®?

We conducted extensive research before choosing Valmex® for our boats.  Valmex® is manufactured by Mehler Texnologies in Germany. Mehler have been manufacturing high quality textiles for over 60 years.  They don’t make anything other than top grade products.  There are many cheaper fabrics, particularly those produced in Asia which simply do not meet the True Kit standard and those expected by our customers. Valmex® costs around three times the price of the common pvcs you typically see on inflatable boats.  But it is worth it, your safety and our reputation are important. This fabric is widely recognised as the best weldable fabric for boats in the world and it has been extensively tested in the harshest conditions around the globe.  

Before you buy your inflatable boat, ask “is it Valmex®?”

 

WHY THERMO-WELD THE SEAMS OF THE PONTOONS?

Research indicates that glued seams are usually the first point of failure on an inflatable boat.  This is typically due to a combination of reasons relating to the fabric itself and the glues used.  In contrast a thermo-bonded or thermo-welded seam results in a seam 4 times stronger than a glued seam.  The seam in fact becomes stronger than the fabric itself.  It is a mechanical bond as compared to a chemical bond.  Remember the tube seams on an inflatable boat are under constant pressure and every time a glued seam is exposed to UV it is becoming weaker.  Make sure your next inflatable boat has welded seams.

 

WHAT ARE THE PACKED-DOWN DIMENSIONS OF THE BOATS?

Check out this specification sheet to view the packed down sizes of each model - click here

 

IS IT OK TO FOLD AND UNFOLD THE BOAT MULTIPLE TIMES?

We specifically designed our entire True Kit range with folding the boats up in mind.  This is one of the reasons we use the highest quality fabrics and construction available. Cheaper fabrics lose their flexibility and durability over time compared to Valmex®. Valmex® maintains it’s suppleness over the years of use.

 

ARE TRUE KIT INFLATABLES EASY TO SET UP AND EASY TO PACK DOWN?

Yes.  Our boats are the easiest boats in the world to both set up and pack down.  There are no nuts and bolts, velcro or tools needed.  Simply insert the floor and inflate the tubes and floor.  Everything automatically gets locked into place.

 

WHY ADD RUBBING PROTECTION TO THE BOTTOM OF TRUE KIT INFLATABLES?

As boaties ourselves we know how boats get used.  You arrive at the beach and the first thing you do is pull it up on the sand.  All inflatables require bottom and side rubbing protection.  Without rubbing protection the life expectancy of your inflatable boat is significantly decreased.  We also recommend you add transom wheels to your True Kit to provide ease of moving the boat around on land.

 

WHAT GUARANTEE DO YOU OFFER?

We offer a 5 year limited warranty on new boats.  Warranty terms can be found under the technical section. Actually, boats built with Valmex® 20 years ago can still be seen zipping around demonstrating exceptional long life expectancy.

 

DO YOU HAVE ACCESSORIES I CAN BUY?

True Kit design and produce an exception range of accessories to go with their boats. These include the unique fully removable QuickLok Dinghy Wheels, the True Kit Bimini for sun protection and the Premium Seat Bag to keep all your valuables safe. We also partner with Railblaza to bring you useful clip in accessories like Rod Holders, Cup Holders and Phone Holders. As boaties ourselves, who use the True Kit boats on a regular basis, we know the importance of having stuff that works.

 

WHAT IS INCLUDED AS STANDARD WHEN I BUY A TRUE KIT?

Aluminium bench seats (1 or 2 depending on the model), oars, True Kit hand pump by Bravo, boat bags, repair kit.

 

IS VALMEX® OR HYPALON BETTER?

Both are top quality fabrics and very resistant to a range of environmental factors.  However, we prefer to build our boats from German engineered Valmex® as it can be thermo-welded whereas you can only glue hypalon seams, and as we discussed earlier the glued seam is the weak point on an inflatable boat.  Valmex® produced boats are also lighter which means less heavy lifting for you.

 

ARE INFLATABLE BOATS SUITED TO FISHING?

Absolutely! They are lightweight, stable and quiet on the water making them fantastic fishing platforms. We recommend that you leave the gaff at home and take the net, leave the knife in the car and take a decent pair of scissors.  Some common sense around protecting the boat from fish spikes in recommended.  This can involve using a protective mat and dropping the caught fish directly into a fish bin.

 

IS AN OPEN OR CLOSED TRANSOM BEST?

We have extensively tested both and concluded that for most people most of the time, a closed transom is significantly better.  Closed transoms provided a much more rigid and safe platform for securing your valuable outboard engine.  Thrust from the outboard is not lost due to undue flexing like with tube transoms.  In many open transom designs, the flexing causes one third of the available power from the outboard to be lost. Plus a closed transom keeps your feet dry and keep prevents all your gear getting lost out the back of the boat.

 

WHAT IF I GET A PUNCTURE?

True Kit inflatables have several air chambers for safety.  In the unlucky event that you get a puncture, all True Kit Inflatables come with a temporary puncture repair kit to keep you on the water.  Normally, even the worst accidents can be repaired back at the workshop. More information on repairing inflatables can be found on our YouTube channel here

 

HOW DO I CARE FOR MY INFLATABLE?

Give your boat a fresh water rinse when you are finished with it.  Dry it out before storing it for long periods of time.  Keep it out of the sun when you aren’t using it.  A protective cover is recommended if you plan to leave your True Kit outside.  We can recommend products for cleaning and protective coatings if you get in touch. Also, when storing the boats for a period of time, make sure you keep them safe from vermin which have been known to take a liking to inflatables.

 

HOW DO I FOLD MY TRUE KIT INFLATABLE FOR COMPACT STORAGE?

Your True Kit inflatable will come beautifully packed, so pay careful attention when you open the carton as to how we have packed it for you - this is the best way for you to do it in the future. Also, check out our YouTube channel to see videos on how to pack your inflatable boat up.

 

WHAT PRESSURES ARE BEST FOR MY TRUE KIT INFLATABLE?

Inflate the tubes to 3 psi and the high pressure floor to 10 psi.  Correct pressures ensure your boat performs better and lasts longer.

 

DO TRUE KIT INFLATABLES MAKE GOOD TENDERS?

Being catamarans, all True Kit inflatables sit flat on the deck of your yacht.  This means no cradle is necessary saving valuable deck space.  All True Kit’s boats are more efficient than your average inflatable meaning only small outboards are necessary - this saves weight and fuel.  The stability and lightness of our True Kit tenders has completely changed the boating experience of many of our experienced boating customers.

 

WHAT IS THE BEST BIMINI SUN-SHADE FOR A TRUE KIT INFLATABLE?

We have spend the last year designing and testing bimini tops specifically to suit our range of boats. We are now proud to offer our True Kit Biminis that are built to the highest standards with the best materials available. They are completely waterproof and UV proof and have a unique fold-away system which means they will pack down for storage within seconds.

 

WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE NAVIGATOR AND DISCOVERY MODELS?

Both boats share exactly the same materials and construction methods. The designs also share a similar catamaran platform which offers superior stability and performance when compared to conventionally designed inflatables. The main difference is in the bow section. The Navigator being primarily designed for yacht tender purposes, has a high volume tube running all the way around the bow. This means you can load the dinghy up with more people and gear and have them close to the bow. The Discovery has parallel tubes which are tapered towards the bow. This creates less volume in the bow area which will increase performance and also allow the bow to be pushed close to the water when weight is placed there. This unique design feature is great for boarding the boat from the water, it is much easy that climbing up over the tubes.

 

DOES WATER COME OVER BOW OF TRUE KIT DISCOVERY MODELS?

The True Kit Discovery models have been refined over many years. They have carefully tapered bow sections to reduce drag and allow the front to be pushed down close to the water. However, they also have a subtle rise in the shear line that keeps the bow well above the water level when you are moving along. Most people are very surprised at how dry these boats are. In fact, to prove the point we demonstrated the Discovery in some sizeable surf conditions. We did everything we could to get water over the front and only by putting the bow directly under a breaking wave could we get water over the bow. (See the video here)

 

WHAT ENGINE DO YOU RECOMMEND?

Each boat and load case will suit a difference engine requirement. On top of this, each country and region has different models of outboards available to them. We are always happy to make a recommendation for an engine based on what options you have available to you. On top of this, we can also assist with recommending matching props and Permatrim Performance Foils in certain situations. Talk to us, we are always happy to help.

 

WHAT IS THE BEST WAY TO TRANSPORT A TRUE KIT AND ENGINE?

All our boats pack down very well and will fit into the back seat of a car. There are certain techniques that we recommend to get the most efficient sized package when folding the boat down and this is included when you purchase a True Kit boat. Our boats can also be transported fully inflated either on a trailer or roof top. Small outboards can be transported lying down. 2-stroke engines don’t have any issues with oil running out of them, but with 4-stroke engines it is important to follow the manufacturers recommendations for which side the rest the on. It is always a good idea to keep the power head of the engine slightly elevated above the shaft when transporting.

 

DO TRUE KIT BOATS ROW WELL?

Our customers are always surprised at how well our boats row. While they haven’t all been specifically designed for rowing (except the Stowaway), the low drag platform and lightweight construction make them a breeze to row. The catamaran design also helps the boats to track well compared to many other flat bottomed boats.

 

WHERE ARE TRUE KIT INFLATABLES MADE?

True Kit use of a range of materials that we source from all over the globe!  This includes Valmex® from German and Railblaza from New Zealand. The boats are then manufactured at a state of the art facility in China.  This facility is one of a few top-class production facilities that has a range of welding equipment used by technicians trained in this difficult process.  All finishing, inspections and quality checks, accessories additions are done from our workshop in New Zealand.