Fenders

Choosing the Right Fender

A fender sits between your hull and whatever it’s resting against — a jetty, a pontoon, a marina wall or another boat — so the knocks and rub marks land on the fender instead of your gelcoat. It’s one of the cheapest pieces of insurance on the water. There are two main types. Inflatable fenders are light, store flat and inflate with air when you need them — easy to stow when you’re underway and quick to deploy at the dock. They run from a small 2ft PWC fender up to big 12ft party-boat bumpers for rafting up with friends. EVA-foam fenders are solid foam, so there’s nothing to inflate or puncture — tough, low-maintenance and always ready, in compact sizes that clip on and off quickly. Size to the boat and the job. A jet ski or small runabout needs only a compact fender; a larger boat against a rough timber jetty wants more length and diameter. Oversized party-boat bumpers are made for rafting boats together without scuffing topsides. A bumper rope or carabiner makes hanging and moving them quick, and a 12V air pump takes the effort out of inflating the larger ones. Waterskiers World stocks Bartlett, Jetpilot, Masterline, Fatsac and Seiple. Browse the full range online or visit the Brisbane store.