RIGID INFLATABLE BOAT

Invented by the British Royal National Lifeboat Institution in the early 1960s, the rigid inflatable boat (RIB) has become synonymous with rescue agencies worldwide. Versatility and seaworthiness are the main attractions for rescue services and naval military units.

Commercially, it was the British Avon company that began marketing them to the general public — mostly as a way of selling more of their rubber/neoprene material — before pioneering builders such as British Humber, French Zodiac and others joined the fray. The first commercial RIB is believed to be the Avon Rubber Searider, which was launched at the January 1969 London Boat Show.

Like many rescue