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Best Boat Fenders 2018


stachs1

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Looking for Advice on the best boat fenders both for docking and tying up to others.  Recently upgraded from 2005 VLX 21.5 to 24MXZ and need to step up my game to protect the the new float.  Any advice appreciated.

 

Edited by stachs1
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21 minutes ago, oldjeep said:

Well, i haven't used them yet but the mission fenders sit nice and your mooring rope goes through them. 

IMAG0217.jpg

Mine came in the mail today!

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formulaben

Can't speak about the Mission fenders (they look cool) but for sure I wouldn't bother with anything smaller than 6.5" fenders for that size of boat.  I'm moving to the ball style fenders since tying up gets the racks too close to the adjacent boats.  Check out the group buy for the BABz if you're interested, as the deal ends June 1st.

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1 hour ago, oldjeep said:

Well, i haven't used them yet but the mission fenders sit nice and your mooring rope goes through them. 

IMAG0217.jpg

Been looking at them , awesome just s little pricy at $75 each i think

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8 minutes ago, formulaben said:

Can't speak about the Mission fenders (they look cool) but for sure I wouldn't bother with anything smaller than 6.5" fenders for that size of boat.  I'm moving to the ball style fenders since tying up gets the racks too close to the adjacent boats.  Check out the group buy for the BABz if you're interested, as the deal ends June 1st.

Check out the video of attaching them to boat at right height for circumstances , no other fender does that ! That well!

Edited by granddaddy55
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1 hour ago, granddaddy55 said:

Been looking at them , awesome just s little pricy at $75 each i think

I kind of agree. Its foam and straps but I think after I use mine they will be worth every penny.  They will also take up less space in my compartments when stored than the big fenders I was using.  

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I just signed up for the babz Group buy, 4 if I can have them for Norris, 2 if we don’t cause we rarely tie up

price was good for a cleat ready fender handle , possible 4 free ones to the winner 

4 for 109 with no group buy discount, could be 73 for 4 if 30 orders taken or free if you win

i prefer the mission but $280 for four???

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formulaben
3 hours ago, granddaddy55 said:

I just signed up for the babz Group buy, 4 if I can have them for Norris, 2 if we don’t cause we rarely tie up

price was good for a cleat ready fender handle , possible 4 free ones to the winner 

4 for 109 with no group buy discount, could be 73 for 4 if 30 orders taken or free if you win

i prefer the mission but $280 for four???

That's what put me over the top.  Looks to be simpler than my current setup...and price is right.

tigeowners_BABz_1_540x.jpg?v=1525913535

Edited by formulaben
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I use the Exile balls at the moment. I only have two. I have signed up for the BABZ group buy to add two more to my boat. I also use some cheap quick disconnects from Academy($2-$3). They work great and are adjustable for any situation. Love my set up! I also use $16 bungee docking lines from Amazon.

The Mission ones do look cool. But I like that I keep my cleats open when using the set up that I have. 

Pics are not of my boat but of my buddies that introduced me to these genius things. 

https://www.academy.com/shop/pdp/marine-raider-adjustable-fender-strap

https://www.amazon.com/Greenfield-SNS-B-Stretch-Slide-Rafting/dp/B0015G7P1U/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1526589916&sr=8-6&keywords=bungee+docking+lines

29432611_10155174631026960_2524406155376066560_n.jpg

29388420_10155174631151960_2753068148335837184_n.jpg

Edited by CBray4
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2 hours ago, CBray4 said:

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The Mission ones do look cool. But I like that I keep my cleats open when using the set up that I have. I

 

The whole idea of the mission fenders is that the cleats are available for your mooring rope.  While at the same time keeping your fenders from flipping up onto the dock. 

The hippity hops look like good protection, but a lot of storage space unless you are deflating and inflating for every use. 

Edited by oldjeep
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2 hours ago, jb 156 said:

Because they added a sticker and marketed them specifically for boats. Any time you add the word boat, you get to charge 2 times more. 

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I bought a set of 4 BABZ for my boat like 2 months ago. I have used them to tie up to another boat a half dozen times as well as some docking tho I have some other fenders I typically use for that. I like and recommend the BABZ, especially for tie-ups, regular fenders just dont give enough cushion when tied to another boat. The couple times I did dock with them, I tied the BABZ about 12" from cleat so I can tie to cleat and then dock...which keeps the ball securely between dock and boat and still tied up nice and tight without having to have the ball and the docking line on the cleat.

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1 minute ago, Pnwrider said:

Because they added a sticker and marketed them specifically for boats. Any time you add the word boat, you get to charge 2 times more. 

This may be true to some extent, but guarantee you the BABZ are thicker and will last longer (inflate up too 24"). I know they don't mar/scratch gelcoat either...not sure about the amazon balls.

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I have the amazon ones been using them for 2 years no mar on the gel and have only blown them up once, didn’t know if these were something more special they do look nicer than mine but I really only use them on weekends when I use my regular fenders around the dock.  

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I have 2 hippity hops that i got from toys r us for about $5.  I've had then for 3 years or so. They work great but are a little small for the use of tying up to other boats. They work perfect for tying up up to a dock for camping trips or houseboats. I just ordered some of the extra large ones from amazon. They will be better for boat tie ups (which we don't do very often). Now  i just need to get them away from my 9 year old. 

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I have used the Taylor Made 8x20 fenders (2) since I bought the boat at the end of 2010.  Knock on wood, not a mark on the hull from a dock in over 600 hours.  They are a bit bulky to store but the length and larger diameter make a big difference in protecting your hull. 

https://www.amazon.com/Taylor-Made-Products-1026-Inflatable/dp/B000MJKL9E/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1526972707&sr=8-2&keywords=boat%2Bfenders&refinements=p_89%3ATaylor%2BMade%2BProducts&th=1

Kris

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I've got the big Taylormade fenders, a pair of hippity hops & a pair of the Exile bumpers. They all have their place. The hippity hops/Exile balls blow up considerably larger than the Taylormade fenders (only about 10" around), which keeps the boats further apart when we're rafted up, reducing the likelihood that the tower racks will clash.

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So for those that use the Exile or Babz balls, do you pump them up each time you want to use them? Does that get to be a pain?

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20 minutes ago, MystiikVLX said:

So for those that use the Exile or Babz balls, do you pump them up each time you want to use them? Does that get to be a pain?

I'm guessing they do blow them up each time  but don't use them that often. I tie to docks all the time but rarely to boats. I don't want to have to inflate my fenders 6 or 8 times a day.  I think the missions will suite my needs best and they're expensive for fenders but not a big deal in the grand scheme of boating costs. 

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