Testimonials

Article Excerpts | Customer Comments | We Sponsor

Article Excerpts

A New and Great Way to Protect Your Boat "...It may be one of those silly ideas we all wish we'd thought of. .... There always comes a time when you find you need not only a full compliment of fenders (like in the Panama Canal, or when Med-mooring in a crowded anchorage), but also wish you had oversize fenders. Well folks, there is a very good answer, and the answer is - inflatable fenders! How kewl! They are made from the same type of the same type of heavy PVC cloth as a Zodiac and the seams are bonded with a special solution that welds the material into a leakproof fender. You deflate it to store it, so it takes very little room, and when needed, they are as strong and durable as any rubber fender. All you do is use your dinghy inflation pump to pump them up, and then hang them over the side. Now you can carry super-sized fenders, as many of them as you want."
~ From Latitudes and Attitudes, March 2002

Fender Test "At the Miami Boat Show last year, we were attracted by inflatable fenders being offered by Praktek.... We got two of them, 18 inches in diameter and 29 inches long.... In short, we couldn't be more pleased. They kept the boat well off the lock wall, cleaned up easily and despite 38 lockages and a lot of scuffing, you have to look closely for any indication that they have been used. The kicker is that if they aren't needed after the lockage, we can deflate and stow them in the lazarette. They collapse to their diameter (18 inches) and a height of only about 1 1/2 inches. When needed again, I can manually inflate both in less than two minutes."
~ From The Great Loop Link, June 2002

"Our newest discovery is inflatable fenders for those who face storage issues (and who doesn't?). These fenders, made of a tough polyester fabric coated inside and outside with PVC, inflate quickly and without the assistance of a pump. They deflate just as quickly, and can be stored in a fraction of the space required for a "full-blown" fender. I was skeptical about the utility of an inflatable fender, for daysailing, since the process of inflating and deflating could be a hassle. Not so. These things, which come in many sizes, could be useful for even the most casual of sailing trips."
~ From Good Old Boat Newsletter, June 2002

Pumped up "Every boat needs fenders and quite often more than they have....cruisers go with the absolute minimum number. They tie up with two fenders, each about the size of a loaf of bread, and hope no waves come their way. Inflatable fenders are the answer to this problem....We have been testing an AERE' fender from Praktek....We tied the fender to a tree limb and hung 375 pounds from the other end. We bounced the weight up and down; there was no evidence of any damage or fabric separation. We don't know what it would take to get one to rupture....We back a pickup truck into the fender into a stone wall....the fender took the load, the truck bounced off the wall, and we were impressed....deflated the 12x29 inch model folds up into a box about the size of a large box of cigars. It inflates in less than a minute with the same pump you use for your inflatable and deflates almost instantaneously. We give the Praktek inflatable fender the BWS seal of approval."

From Blue Water Sailing, March 2004

AERE' Inflatable Fenders are currently advertised in the following magazines:

• Latitudes and Attitudes

• Dockwalk

• Triton Crew Newspaper

• MPC Boaters Directory

• MPC Marine Industry Business to Business Directory

• Yachting Pages

Customer Comments

Seriously, one of the best investments I've made for the boat!
~ Jay

Wish I had these fenders before the storm. Don't waste money on boat store fenders!
~ Captain Lenny

These fenders have protected my boat with no damage!
~ Captain Joe

After switching to AERE fenders 2 years ago, I realized that we had found the perfect fender.  Lightweight and strong (even during a hurricane last year we had no damage to the fenders or the boat.)
~ Captain Ken  92ft. M/Y "Natica"

Easy to stow, take a beating against docks, piers, and other obstacles.
~ Bruce

Relied on AERE fenders to protect vessel during Hurricane Wilma.  Despite horrific blows to the dock, we had no damage, they did a great job!
~ Captain Rick 84ft Hargrave "Our Dreams"

.... I continue to be utterly amazed at the punishment those fenders can take. Because of all the navigation locks we pass through, we get them in awful situations, virtual torture chambers if you will. Yet, they continue to look as if they were brand new.

(In a later email) ...Using only two Praktek fenders for docking instead of the usual four other fenders we have used for years worked out very well. That's because the Prakteks not only offer significantly better protection but also are far easier to handle and move from one location on the boat to another.... 

With this trip, the "big boys" just completed their 102nd lockage. And after doing a little figuring, I came up with this bit of trivia. They have been dragged up and down a total of 4,667 feet of rough and sometimes extremely abrasive lock wall under some occasionally really tough conditions. And that doesn't include the times they have been dragged sideways against those same walls due to wind pushing the boat as we entered the locks. Yet, they hardly look used.
~ Fred, "Liberty Belle," 34' American Tug

I am the mate on a 245 foot yacht and we have been using your Flat fender with great success in the last 18 months. 
We have a drop down beach (as we call it) where we tie up our 30 foot tender.
~M/Y Ilona

Great for our small boat for stowage purposes!
~ Captain Eric

Our power cat has been incredibly protected by your 18x58 fenders - cannot recommend highly enough. Thanks.
~ Colin, "Pacific High," Hopetown, Bahamas

Used on cement and wood poles. Held up very well. Used for mooring and rafting. Highly recommended.
~ Sam, NH

Great for my small, petit chef to use when docking my 110' vessel.
~ Captain Ian, "Sea Angel II"

The Best Ever. My wife loves them.
~ Jon, 60' Hateras

Your inflatable fenders are a great idea and a good space saver. I love the product.
~ George

Thanks for the great fenders. We use them on our 47' cat - Two 5' and two 30" [fenders] - and are working great. Look forward to using as pillows on the tramps while cruising this summer.
~ Jeff and Cindy, Stuart, FL

Your fenders are fantastic. Everywhere I go people ask me "where can I get some?"
~ Todd and Bobbi, Palm City, FL

Used on my 94' [motor yacht] - Lightweight and easy to use. Women will love it!
~ J.P., "Destiny"

We have used your product on our 58' and then 70' Tribute sportfish. We have traveled the east coast, Caribbean, Mexico, and the Pacific and they've held up beautifully for the last 3 - 4 years. I love the light weight - so easy to handle.
~ Gretchen, "Escapade"

Your fenders are great! They work well, and my wife can handle them easily.
~ Peter, "18/8," 64' Burger

Great product. I have big fenders that I can store in a small space.
~ Marvin

Great - 70 knts [wind] on Snow Dragon II 20 ton 49' sail boat. Work really well and stow in no space.
~ Chris and Frances

Great for raft ups and difficult dockings! We love them.
~ Dave and Mary Ann

We use them for towing sidetow and they do wonders at protecting our boat. We think they are great!!!
~ Denis and Monica

We use them mostly for raft-ups and they're great. Good product.
~ Anita and Ron

Great Fenders! Raft ups are no sweat!
~ Starfire Marine, Napa, CA

Excellent work - Side tie-ing to other boats was easy, protected the boat, can tuck them away out-of-sight out-of-mind until we really need them. Great for our end-tie slip, too. Thanks!
~ Brent and Sue, Alameda, CA

The fenders are performing very well, especially in a very. very strong wind in Spain where we had a bad place.
~ Gerd

It has been a pleasure working with your company. The product...is the envy of our sailing friends.
~ Jane, Chicago, IL

Your fenders saved the day in New York while at a terribly rough marina.
~ George, Annapolis, MD

I purchased four of your inflatable fenders for my workboats two years ago. ...they have saved me countless dollars in fiberglass repairs!
~Tim, Annapolis Boat Shows

Rafting has been much more enjoyable experience since we discovered your inflatable fenders. Thanks!! The fact that they are so large and easy to store is a real bonus!
~SeaDevce, Stonington, CT

Have two of your fenders that got quite a workout in [Hurricane] Isabel! They worked great and show no signs of abuse. Perfect for cruising but really nice when spontaneously rafting with friends. Very much appreciate the thoughtful follow-up repair kit after the warranty period, but don't see any sign of needing it!
~Gerald, Annapolis, MD

Had a good test on the ICW in Jacksonville... Came alongside a floating dock, north wind blew us hard. The inflatable bumper took the whole impact. If it didn't break in this impact, it won't...
~Lew, "Escape"

We have two 12 x 29s and one 12 x 58. They are indispensable and we use the long one every time we dock. We're going to buy another long one in fact. Excellent product and a cruising "have to have."
~Jack and Jackie, "Rough House"

Easy to stow, quick to inflate, no unnecessary weight - what more can I say. We now have changed over entirely to inflatable fenders from AERE'.
~ Clive

The best fenders...ever! Saved our topsides many times over. Great customer service, too!
~Rich, "Chimera"

We make everyone envious by showing our light-weight but tough fenders that disappear when they're not in use. Came through Hurricane Marty in La Paz just great.
~"Toucan"

Used the product at Martha's Vineyard in a Northeaster - Without it there would have been a great deal of damage. Worth every penny!
~"Sandy-Lynn"

We bought fenders for our Tayana 42 in Annapolis and love them. They work so well we sold all our original fenders. They also store easily.
~Sue and Tom, "Three Bags Full"

We've had ours for 3 years w/our 36' Cheoy Lee - they're great! Perfect for raft-ups, hiding under the lazarettes, etc. Thanks for a great product.
~Sue and Brent, "Dream Quest"

These fenders are one of the best purchases I have made in recent years. We have limited storage space onboard and frequently raft with other boats. Several weeks ago we challenged our fenders to a brutal beating while rafted to our friends boat. The fenders performed great!
~S/V Kwitcherbitch

Fabulous product! Bought for storm fenders, but we use them all the time for rafting. They hold our 32 ton boat beautifully.
~Robin and Jim, M/V Adventures

Great fenders - easy to use and inflate. Survived 3 hurricanes in Punta Gorda without a scratch.
~Bob

I have a 43' catamaran and two 12x58 fenders. Even during Hurrican Charley they performed excellently. The only fenders I will ever own.
~L., Cape Coral, FL.

Bought two Aere' fenders at boat show last year (2004). After two weeks use ordered two more. Never had a problem. Love the product!!
~Cpt. Roddy, Oyster G8 Sailboat

Aere' fenders are wonderful. They store in very small size. We have used them for three years and they seem indestructible.
~Dawn

We changed out all our F11 and A8s for the Aere fenders 2 years ago. Now the stewardesses can even lift and adjust fenders for docking. They are fantastic!
~M/Y Inevitable

Send us your comments!

Go to our Sponsor Page

| Main | Products | Specials | On-Line Catalog | Gallery | F.A.Q. | Dealers | Company Info | Current Press Releases | Contact Us |

Copyright 2003, PRAKTEK, Inc. Web designer, Cynthia Abernathy. Last updated January 04, 2008