FloatPlus 1 my first Impression (Quick Review)

So I just recently received the new and first Float Tube from FloatPlus which is properly named FloatPlus 1.  I just wanted to give a little insight as to what I think so far.  Of course it has only been unboxed and inflated in the house but I have looked over and what to share my thoughts so far.

Right out of the box you can see the they really have worked hard to produce a quality product.  This new tube has a total of 4 bladders on the main boat and 2 more in the seat as well for a total of 6 bladders.  This is a safety aspect as we have always discussed the single bladder tubes (and I have a few) are always a concern if it goes you go.  So having 6 bladders that is great.  This tube came with 2 pumps, 1. a foot pump 2. a double action pump with a pressure valve.  The foot pump is your basic foot pump, but the double action pump is not to bad, I have seen better (ie. the NRS pump) but it is a good pump and fills the boat fast.
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After pumping the boat up you can see the design that is well thoughtout.  The boat about 6' long and just over 4 feet wide has a 20" plus sitting area.  I have not been a big fan of Velcro to secure the seat and tackle bags which this boat has, but I think it will be just fine as there is extra Velcro strips.  For the bags there are 3 strips plus 4 tabs on the all 4 corners of the bag and 3 large strips for under the seat.  There are 4 valves on the main boat and each valve has a different PSI Rating.  The pontoons are higher PSI and the floor sections are lower.
The seat has 2 valves of there own and I am not sure I like this.  I have been using inflatable seats like this for a while now and they can be hard to adjust the pressure to make them comfortable, I would normally need to let some air out over the time on the water for comfort.  Being that there are 2 bladders the seat I will be sitting on has its own valve that is under the seat.  So as you can see adjusting the pressure can only happen if I get out of the water to remove the seat. I will report back on this.
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Finally another thing I noticed is that this boat lacks D-Rings and for most of us DIY'ers this might prove to be a challenge.  As you have seen there are a lot of glue able attachments but to build and use a basic PVC rod holder it could be a challenge.   Well after sitting the garage and trouble shutting this I found 2 glue able D-Ring patches.  So I will be working to attach these in the right spots before I head out this weekend.  Of course this last issue can be over come with extra attachable D-Rings from NRS and of course the extras FloatPlus Offers as well
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Of course the Motor is the big draw, but this is just the boat right now.  FloatPlus is currently working on come to North America and they wan tot do it right.  So the motor was not an option this time but they will send it to me when they are red to sell here in the U.S.  Over all I am very excited by this boat and cannot wait to get it on the water for a test run.  The black color is a concern but I have never heard anyone that owns a black boat have the issues we all feel we should see because of the black.  As I really get in to this tube I will be reporting back with my video review and more.  Thanks for reading any questions please ask.
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Looks like a robust tube. Can't wait to hear how it performs on the water, and then with the motor when that comes available.

Thank you Jeff. Nice observations.  Helpful to see.

ps:
Sent you a PM.

Thanks Monday will be the day to see how it performs on the water.

Where are you going out of on Monday( like this Monday the 21st , right?).
I’m off and I may join you if you’re ok with that?

Yes this Monday my usual Huntington Harbor if you can make it that would be cool.

Are the bladders vinyl or urethane?

Rockjaw wrote:Are the bladders vinyl or urethane?

No Bladders, this is a Hybrid tube so made of PVC no bladders at all.

Can the PVC air chambers be punctured by fish spins??

SP Dan

SP Dan wrote:Can the PVC air chambers be punctured by fish spins??

SP Dan

I am sure it's possible but not as easy as the regular canvas and bladder tubes. Plus repairs if needed are 10 times easier

So, you can see the repair patches on the outside of the PVC bladders??
Hmmmmmm. I don’t believe that I would like that.

SP Dan

SP Dan wrote:So, you can see the repair patches on the outside of the PVC bladders??
Hmmmmmm. I don’t believe that I would like that.

SP Dan

Never said it was pretty LOL.
But it is easy to repair. I know of one person that had a small pin hole when heading out to the water. He was backpacking it to the water and thinks he backed into a throne bush. He found the hole placed duck tape on the outside over the hole re-inflated and fished with no problems.
Later when home he pulled the tape followed the repair instructions and was all fixed in less then 20 minutes for his next trip.

Good to know!

This bad boy looks pretty interesting Jeff.

Thanks for the review and keep us updated.

All tubes have trade offs.
My old ODC 420 was cheap, light, had denier nylon on top. But after 20 years, stitching separating, pinhole leaks in internal bladders, valves leaking, sewn in D rings failing.
Great tube, lots of built in storage, able to carry in to hard to reach launch areas (ask Dan) , light and nimble.

My Newer Scadden Detonator pontoon (PVC bladder less hybrid)has PVC all around so should be much more durable and longer lasting than nylon/polyester.
Glued on D rings. Smaller, Lower profile tubes than savage gear, 7 bass, sits lower and catches less wind> where I fish (big bear, LA Harbor) always has wind.

Even PVC tubes can get a puncture (fish, underwater trees, brush, rocks, hooks, garage hazards)
Big benefit is safety with multiple air chambers on these newer tubes.
Had a small bass jump on release last year and dorsal spine hit the PVC tube just right and I heard the dreaded hissing and started losing pressure. I was 5 miles from launch.
The boyancy of the inflated seat and other tube kept me afloat and allowed me to get back to launch.
It would have been a catastrophic failure in my ODC.
Wet duct tape did not last so had to reapply on shore.
Repaired easily with aquaseal at home.

i now carry aqua seal, tear aid, gorilla tape, whistle, PFD, on board.
Enjoy the sport, experience as many sunrises, sunsets on the water, learn something every session, catch the whopper but plan for worst case scenario in your area of operation.

Thanks Jmytuna for your comments I agree more bladders more safety. My Maxxon which I love was always a concern with only one bladder. Ya I am sure wet duck tape is point less but the quick fix you and then later aqua seal to repair that is great.