Bartlett 8.5m X 4m U-Shaped Inflatable Pontoon

It sounds like a spec sheet number until you're on the water. D-rings give you anchor points at every position along the pontoon, so you can moor it bow and stern, lash an esky down so it doesn't slide, tie the boat off at the right angle for the wind, or link two pontoons together into a bigger platform. Cheaper inflatable decks give you four rings at the corners and leave you improvising with rope around the whole thing.

Drop-stitch double wall fabric is what lets an inflatable hold real pressure: thousands of internal threads pull the top and bottom skins flat instead of letting the thing balloon. At 4 to 5 PSI this sits firm enough to walk on properly rather than wobbling underfoot. Get it up to pressure with the hand pump before anyone stands on it: an under-inflated pontoon feels cheap and wears at the seams.

The U has to take your whole hull with clearance to move. Four metres of width across the pontoon means the opening takes a reasonable beam, and 8.5m of length suits most trailer boats. Measure yours and add clearance each side before you order, because a pontoon your boat doesn't fit is an expensive floating mat. Ring the store on 03 7056 6732 with your dimensions and we'll check it with you.

Two honest notes. Fifty-five kilos is a two-person carry, and it packs to 65 x 50 x 50cm, which is a big soft block rather than something you slide behind a seat. And the included pump is a hand pump, which on something this size is a decent workout. If you'll be inflating it often, an electric high pressure pump is the accessory that gets it used every weekend instead of twice a season.

Two habits. Rinse the salt off before it goes in the bag, because salt crystals grind at the fabric and the seams every time it's rolled. And don't leave it inflated in full sun on a hot day: air expands, pressure climbs past the 4 to 5 PSI it wants, and that's how seams get stressed. Let a bit out on a hot afternoon and it will last you years.