Bombard C3 Commando on sale now at Inflatable Boat Center. The perfect gift in a highly portable package for young people looking for fun. Easy to fit into a compact car or other vehicle. Show up, assemble, and explore the world you live in.
Bombard C3 Commandos can carry quite a bit of cargo and float no matter what nature throws at you.
Transportable by air for complicated water rescue scenarios and portable enough for high angle rescue teams to lower it down to the victim’s area for water egress.
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Bombard C3 Commandos can be rolled up and delivered to austere locations making rescues and scientific discoveries a reality.
Inflatable Boat Center delivering a Bombard Commando to the headwaters for fishery scienceLaunching a Bombard C3 Commando from a sailboat for microplastics study Rozalia ProjectBombard C3 Commando on rocky beach
The Bombard C3 Commando is a Thermo-Bonded Duo-Tex constructed inflatable boat built to be tough enough to handle any coastline. This inherent toughness makes the Bombard C3 Commando a favorite for high angle rescue teams that have to carry their resources in with them and to the area of interest.
Sometimes you just want to go fishing; the Bombard C3 Commando has what it takes to get you out on the water where the fishing is good.
Yamaha’s “Why Wait For Spring” sales event will end December 6th, hurry to save on small portables and get extended warranties on mid and big size Yamaha Outboards.
Inflatable Boat Center is a Yamaha Key Dealer and Certified 5 Star Yamaha Service Center located in Portland Oregon.
Call (503)235-2628 for all of your Yamaha Outboard needs or stop by and talk to our trained and certified Yamaha Sales and Service Team.
The Inflatable Boat Center is Zodiac’s Senior Dealership and Military Elite Certified Zodiac MILPRO Dealer located in the Pacific NW. Inflatable Boat Center is a Yamaha Key Dealer and 5 Star Certified Service Center carrying genuine Yamalube Products.
During the colder months of winter rescue teams and agencies should be organizing their assets and preparing the training cycles to begin the new season. Weather events around the country, and the world in general, have become more and more frequent with devastating results/consequences. We mustered early today to work with another group to carry out their mission. It’s not like we want to be working at 4AM but necessity doesn’t follow a schedule, you go when and where you need to.
Recently we had the opportunity to work with Pacific NW Search & Rescue as they plan for their upcoming season. They needed a replacement vessel better suited for the conditions in the Columbia Gorge-Hood River area which can mimic a highly confused sea state. Being one of the best wind surfing and foiling spots in the world means things happen real fast in waves that break or sink boats not equipped to endure the conditions. Their recreational grade Caribe was no match for the beating the Columbia doled out and after many repairs they decided a boat more purpose built was in order.
Built to suit Pacific NW Search & Rescue’s unique operational parameters the Zodiac MILPRO SRMN600 was tubed in orange with “SEARCH & RESCUE” APPLIED to the heavy 1880dtx fabric. The tubes were married to the heavy-duty hull featuring dual scupper trunks for quick bailing if waves break over the boat during a rescue. Featuring enough deck space to stabilize a victim or resuscitate them if needed until they can be transported by ambulance or aircraft to a medical center.
From concept, to getting it loaded on the trailer, IBC worked with Pacific NW Search & Rescue every step of the way, including some hasty training on a twin-engine Zodiac MILPRO SRA750 helping them hone their skills prior to receiving their custom boat.
Don’t wait until the season is upon you and victims need help, call Inflatable Boat Center today to speak to one of our qualified staff and bring the right tools to the job!
We get quite a few calls from users who have an old Zodiac that they’ve had for 20-30 years, we don’t get calls from people who have other brands for as long. At most they’ll have their brand X inflatable boat for 5 years and it’s falling apart or sun cooked. With so many newcomers to the scene that are direct shipped to your door we catch those calls too because there isn’t any support after purchase. With that old Zodiac there’s a dealer network and often times some real know how to overcome what’s ailing the user. Some of the calls start out with it being a Zodiac but then when trying to understand the caller it’s determined to be a fake brand X they just call a Zodiac in attempts to impress us with their “smart purchase”. We hear stuff all the time like, “It’s better than a Zodiac because it’s the same thing and only cost 1/3 the price.” Um….. no, sorry no it’s not.
Some things are just right from the start, Zodiac’s fabrics and seam construction for example, their I.C. valve and rapid inflate systems too. They’re virtually unchanged since their design and production. Old fashioned construction and materials that work in suiting the applications they were designed for. Newer materials are always being investigated, cheaper production processes implemented in every aspect of our lives from food to toilet paper but most of the benefit in these endeavors enriches only investors and share holders not the end user.
It wasn’t too long ago you stropped your straight razor and lathered up your face for a good shave. Someone with an over abundance of the wrong material made lemons into lemonade and changed the face of shaving with the marketing of the “safety razor”. Safety razors were to make shaving easier and safer than the scary straight razor. People ate it up and the industry changed not because safety razors shaved you better, they convinced the public that it was some how safer and the old way was dangerous despite it dating back to pyramid times and likely before. Fast forward to 2024 and now razors come in plastic disposable shave heads with pivots and special strips to fight the problems they introduce. Landfills are saturated with disposable shaving products, sea turtles get them stuck in their noses and birds and fish have them in their bellies but somehow the shave isn’t as good as the old straight razor despite the carnage. I shaved my face this morning with a razor made in England in 1840 and I didn’t nick, cut, or rash my face at all.
I stopped believing the hype the companies filled my generation with (Gen X), “Two blades are better!”, “Three blades are better!”, “Five blades are better!”, “Made for real men!”. When I was in the miliary we had to shave every day in order to pass inspection, if you had any time off at all you let the hair grow and your skin heal before going back to duty, it was miserable. The expense alone kept you demoralized. Today’s new brand X boats remind me of the shaving myth perpetrated upon us us by unsavory bottom-liners.
Zodiac continues to use the best materials and assembly practices despite the costs and has done so since 1896. Sure we have machines to aid us these days but the core remains the same and in the end it’s people and talent that builds boats to carry the the most precious of cargo, our loved ones and ourselves. When I was but a boy seeking out work and learning from the old timers they’d impart knowlege that sounded dumb at the time but ended up being sage. “Don’t cheap out on a bed or a boat.” was one I remember from around 1970 which seemed weird but considering we spend a third of our life in bed it makes sense, and having been on the water most of my life the second part is crystal clear to me now. Working with search and rescue professionals after my military career has only hammered that point home harded. Getting the calls everyday from people who bought thier inflatable boat from an online only brand discover they’re all alone and the ocean is big. Give us a call and we’ll try to help you but there is no possible way we could stock all parts for all boats, we do sell decent glue and fabric to get you by in most cases though. If you’re a pro user, law enforcement, rescue agency, military, film maker etc. drop us a line or give us a call we likely have what you need or can get it for you. Don’t belive all the shiny marketing online or you’ll end up with razor rash and bumps when it’s time to get wet and do work.
Inflatable Boat Center 2041 SE Powell Blvd. Portland Or 97202 (503) 235-2628 www.inflatableboats.com
Dealer in Zodiac Recreational, Elite Zodiac MILPRO, Yamaha Outboards sales and service.
When the algorithm suggests pages and products it doesn’t try to find the best or brightest, it’s likely just putting up paid ads based off your activity online. Talk about something and it magically starts to show up in your feed, is your phone listening…?! Chances are good that it is, and it’s serving you content to consume as if by mere coincidence? Suprise!
It’s no coincidence that I’m constantly talking about inflatable boats, repairs, and the like so my feed is usually inundated with so much garbage and noise that it makes me wonder how the non-initiated can navigate the web of lies and get a decent boat at a fair price.
Most of my calls are from people who don’t own a Zodiac that can’t find help with their issues anywhere from where they bought their disaster from. These unscrupulous venders are there to make their money and move on to the next sucker. Flexing those algorithm muscles to dupe Mr. and Mrs. America out of any money they have left with psychological warfare and targeted ads. It’s really scary when you think about it, and it’s not just for Halloween either.
We’re not playing the game at IBC, we offer good Zodiac Recreational boats as well as the Zodiac Military and Professional line. We embrace the old world and welcome the new if it means our customers get a great boat that has value, is safe, and fun to use. Examples include the Zodiac Bombard Commando, a rough and tumble recreational grade boat that will do what you need without breaking the bank.
The C3 Commando is 12’6″ (3.8M) of new school tech built with old school principals that shun the shopping algorithm. C3 Commandos use Zodiac’s proprietary materials and Thermo-Bonded tubes to make a boat that’s ready to go when you are. It simply does the job, and like it’s namesake, does it clandestinely, never seeking attention, just providing results. Able to take up to a 40Hp outboard but still useable with a smaller portable, the C3 Commando is more than a sum of it’s parts. Cargo is handled, people are moved, fish are harvested, and weather is tamed with a C3 Commando.
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IBC’s founder and all around nice guy Captain Ron still has a C3 Commando that he uses from 1982.
If you take care of your Zodiac Bombard inflatable boat it will take care of you for years to come. Try that with the algorithm branded boat being force fed to your page. Not only is that algorithm marketed boat bad for the environment, it’s bad for your safety and mental health. Buyer’s remorse is pretty bad with those other boats, they are not financially sound, cost more to repair than they are worth, end up being a disaster for the environment where they’re made and not to mention the landfill they’ll end up in.
C3 Commando users are stewards of the environment, seeking quality over quantity, and looking towards the long term rather than immediate satisfaction from algorithm fueled retail therapy. Our C3 Commando users operate with complete freedom from the Arctic to the Antarctic in the pursuit of happiness. The Zodiac Bombard Commandos are on sale thru Christmas in honor of Dr. Bombard’s solo crossing of the Atlantic in a prototype inflatable boat that became what we recognize today.
Après un exercice de survie en mer, le docteur Alain Bombard regagne le remorqueur “Rhinocéros”.
Give us a call or stop by the IBC Showroom in Portland Oregon to package up your own adventure.
Inflatable Boat Center 2041 SE Powell Blvd. Portland Oregon 97202 (503)235-2628 shop our website inflatableboats.com
We recently spent a day with our friend Chad at IBC, Chad is a photographer and film maker with some talent and a desire for adventure. The recipe is always a bit different for the types and styles of the mission, but the core ingredients remain the same. Questioning the unknown to seek truth, confidence in your boat, a sense for adventure, talent, nerve and a pinch of luck = documentaries, stunning images and tales of the secret world.
Chad is a master chef in his craft and someone worth knowing if you get the chance. Since we are always waiting for his projects to release it’s hard not to get excited when he checks in with IBC. He shared some pics of a current expedition I think we can use without letting the cat out of the bag which I’d like to share with you.
Chad Copeland in Zodiac MILPRO’s SR4.7 Zodiac MILPRO SR4.7 Searider + Yamaha F70 and Zodiac MILPRO MK3 Grand Raid + Yamaha F25
I’ve added a link or two to some of his online stuff i think you should check out. His instagram page is simply beautiful. Have a look at Chad Copeland and if you’re inclined help support his charitable work or try to get him to shoot for your network or studio. We’ll let him do what he does and just enjoy the visual stories he tells.
Keep checking in for future updates from the field.
Recently one of our long-time customers contacted me about a hunting trip in a place long forgotten or never discovered. He asked what he should bring with him on his trip to be self-reliant as he’d be many hours from electric lights or civilization by plane. We took a little meeting and discussed some things, and we recommended a small glue kit and some fabric for repairs in the field.
They were to fly in and land on the water, beach up, then make a base camp to sortie out of by boat. The area had no cell service or any other type of service to speak of so they were going to be 100% on their own for anything that would come up. My kind of party! Well as luck would have it, I was at the shop fooling around when I got a call from their Starlink setup. A mouse had chewed a hole in the bow of their inflatable boat, and they had had to fix it to finish their trip and get back home.
Going back to the in-shop meeting and the materials they packed into their away bag we walked them through the repair sequence. Starlink and a little planning made the trip into a success where otherwise there would have been failure. This type of trip is a once in a lifetime thing if you’re lucky enough to even go. Setting yourself up for success and taking a few minutes to think about little details like some glue and fabric can have a huge impact.
We work hard to set our customers up for success, we want them to have fun and be safe in their undertakings. If you’re planning a mission that takes you out of the coloring book lines it might make sense to give us a call at The Inflatable Boat Center, chances are we have some experiences that relate to your adventure. It could be the difference you need when you’re alone and things count towards success.
Being a Gen X kid and growing up without computers, cell phones or the internet most of my memories came from being outside and doing things to fight boredom. Being able to sit and talk to the “geezers” was something I sought out to enhance my tradecraft as a young adult. People who came before me and ventured into the unknown, hunters stalking their prey, fishermen plying their skills, construction workers building homes, you get the gist. There is knowlege that has been lost due to the digital age and with so many young people today seeing all older people as clueless “boomers” it only gets worse with every meme or video.
I was in a meeting with a particularly difficult man to deal with that’s a couple of months older than me when the geezer topic came up. I said “I kinda like talking to old people, they have so much to teach anyone willing to shut up, listen, put their phone down and learn.”. The person I was in the meeting with said, “That’s why you and I get along, you can see past the BS and learn something from someone who knows more than you, of all the people I’ve met in my life you stand out the most in this regard.”. I was gob smacked! It was a compliment from a guy of very few words that most people just dismiss as a mean scary grumpy guy. This mean grumpy Gen Xer is pretty unmatched at being an outdoorsman, every time I’ve had the opportunity to go with him, I’ve been amazed at his skills. I won’t go into details, but I’ll give credit where it’s due, and it’s very due to him, his legend status is verified.
When we got around to talking about what was happening in the boat world Mr. 7 continents of fame asked me about IBC’s Captain Ron and how he was doing. “Oh, you know Captain Ron?” I asked. Was I learning anything from him, was I paying attention and so on. Well, the answer was yes, I’m learning a lot, and I’m continuing to learn from him every day. Ron, Captain Ron, inflatable Ron or the Zodman as I’ve heard him called has been there, done that, and lived to tell the tale. I feel lucky to have opportunity to talk to him, to hear his stories and to compare his results to mine. When I get asked questions about Zodiac this or dangerous waters that, I can give answers based on real world events and lived experiences to help the customers make the right decision instead of being driven by a sales quota.
Ron has been just about everywhere I have, and he’s always taken a Zodiac with him to go off and adventure the fabled lands on his own. RESPECT!
I was grabbing a Zodiac Cadet 270 ALU from the other room for a customer driving up from California and walked by the old picture boards hidden from view in the storage area. Without thinking I flicked on a light and started grabbing phone pics of all the old, faded, and curling pictures glued to them. Seeing Zodiac helo ops after Mt St Helens erupted, rescue training, white water racing, offshore racing around the world, and lots of fun stuff made me appreciate how lucky I am to be able to talk to a veteran Zodiac user like Captain Ron. I have gained very valuable knowledge from Captain Ron and others I’ve met in my personal journey with Zodiac inflatable boats. I learn from our customers new and old every day and add it to the growing knowledge base, I learn from the repair technicians, I learn from the Hawaiians and kamaainas. I take it all in and draw upon it every day to make our customer experience better without a bunch of BS.
I’ve always been fascinated by Zodiacs and the people who use them from Cousteau, GROM, GIGN, fire rescue, sailors, scientists, et al. I don’t see that ending anytime soon if I follow Captain Ron’s example. I still get to enjoy his company, listen to his stories, and share the shop events of the day or week from the customers varied mission sets and the boats or outboards they are asking about.
We’re lucky people with ideas and passions came before us or the digital age we’re living in today, otherwise we’d believe everything the AI driven interwebs tells us is true. Next time you have a chance to spend time with someone a bit older than your usual clique give it a try. Put your phone away, ask some questions and listen, you might be surprised what that “boomer” has done or seen. You can go back to your normal life a bit richer than before.
Now to those pictures! Thanks Captain Ron for setting the tone!
When I think of all the times I’ve had to work from small boats in support of dive ops, security, personnel transfer, moving cargo, inspections, etc. there were numerous times where I thought an inflatable was the right choice. Right choice doesn’t mean the “actual choice” when it comes to putting a plan together and going to work. So often I was trying to do work that didn’t lend itself to the higher gunwales of say a landing craft or motor whaleboat but none the less they were the platforms chosen, partly by ignorance, or possibly lack of proper training by department heads.
They had a job to do and merely picked what they saw visibly laying around. They certainly never set foot in any of the work boats, let alone pulled a line or tended umbilicals. Their uniforms remained clean, dry, and pressed, while ours were a paisley pattern of salt, oil, grease, and sea life. I only knew one officer who’d go out with the teams on task, and he was the ship’s C.O./legend of the deep sea world.
Junk boats are singular in their capabilities on and under the water, they can even pull ships off a beach or reef, but that’s a whole different story. We had Zodiacs, we used them accordingly in times of great need, we used them casually in salvage ops, we used them where we needed the extra stability or speed. Life was good on the mobile dive platforms and in the pirate navy where every day was something off menu.
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Moving to Hawaii taught me that I needed to be proficient in sailing if I ever wanted to surf breaks undiscovered out there in the blue. Sailing got me to some of those places, but getting to the beach or to the breaks wasn’t usually possible unless you had a good roll up Zodiac. Hard shelled dinghies were too big, heavy, unstable, and unsafe, so they were out of the running before we ever cast-off lines and got underway. A good Zodiac could carry way more weight, use a smaller outboard, and stow below when we didn’t need it giving us valuable space topside. Space is pretty premium on longer voyages, stowing the inflatable boat saved crew morale and allowed us to fish, read a book, or just move a bit freer without having to give up that footprint. We’d get to a spot and set the anchor, then get out the gear while pumping up the Zodiac inflatable boat. No one wanted that first watch while the off-watch guys went to the beach or to a new break in the Zodiac. Thank goodness we set watches and dogged them accordingly, so everyone got to dive, surf or explore with the Zodiac inflatable boat.
Going on new ships, boats, and subs I’d always have a few questions, when is chow, where are the fire fighting and flooding stations, where are the lifeboats, who’s the “Doc”, where’s the armory, and where the Zodiacs were. Getting to know the “Doc” was a first order thing, knowing where my emergency stations for damage control or security were up there at the top too. Meeting the crew and training on the Zodiacs while underway meant when the time came to do the “thing” everyone involved could put the Zodiac together efficiently while under duress. The simple training and repetition meant none of the team were overwhelmed when they unrolled a boat to pick up guys from a sub or while in the water conducting their missions.
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I found myself going to the high latitudes very routinely for reasons I can’t expand on here. Sunburnt skin and long hair meeting a boat full of military creased uniforms and strong wills put me out of place frequently with the ship’s crew. Why is this guy here?”, “Who is this guy?”! I’d run up the workboats and get them ready only to find the ice too dangerous to navigate with a traditional hull. Solution? Break out the FC530 Zodiac and complete the task, easy for me , scary for some. Once the crew got accustomed to the Zodiac FC530 they were always looking for an excuse to go out and play. At first they’d be worring that the boat would “pop” or sharks would sink us, but experience and courage forged them into confident operators that saw real benefit to the Zodiac inflatable boat platform. I’d see some of them at Alpha in my coming and goings carrying on that same Zodiac training to new recruits knowing they’d be ok in their future as salty denizens of the deep.
These days I get to pick what I want to do on the Zodiac inflatable boats and RIBs, it’s a more relaxed tempo aligned with my aging body. I can surf when I want, go fishing when I have the urge, camp in remote locales, or take my dogs out for a day. I don’t have big boat ownership issues anymore, fuel costs are low because I need way less motor, and I can tow a Zodiac RIB or Zodiac inflatable boat with a sub compact if I have to. Life is just better with a Zodiac roll up or RIB, you just have to take that first step and call your local boat shop to get started.
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If you have questions regarding a Zodiac Inflatable Boat, try calling us here at Inflatable Boat Center (503)235-2628 and start your adventure today!
Inflatable Boat Center 2041 SE Powell Blvd. Portland Oregon 97202
Courage we can feel, we can create, we can own, confidence on the other hand is projected onto to us, it’s impossible to own outright.
Slip on those coveralls, bring only the tools you can carry or swim with, we’re leaving in 5 minutes. Unknown adversity, arduous tasks, action, adventure, discovery, it drives you, confidence in your boats ability to withstand incredible damage whilst staying afloat comforts you. Courage comes easy when you’re confident with your boat, it’s fear’s worst enemy.
You’re freezing cold, wet again, the lost sun bleeds color accross the sky at these lattitudes like an oil smear, “Is is day or is it night?”. Finding shelter from the wind has become a game played between each other while venturing to the fabled lands. What mysterious ways and beasts will we encounter? Confidence in the boat really helps, it adds sugar to the bitter taste of a boring or dangerous mission.
Why do I like Zodiac inflatable boats? Well… they work. I see no shortage of boats that don’t work, frankly I’m pretty shocked at the sheer number of inflatables on the market that don’t work at all. I doubt they have confidence in their boats, i’m not seeing it day to day. All I see when they bring in their -insert name here- brand boats is failure. Not always, but given the state of the economy, pretty much always. Saving a few bucks by going grey market with direct to consumer brands can literally cost an arm, leg, or even possibly a life. If you can’t make and believe the statement of your “boat staying afloat despite incredible damage”, you have a pool toy, not a boat. Zodiac Grand Raid, Bombard Commando, Zodiac Cadet (or Nomad), FC470, Sea Rider, and the list goes on and on, all proven, battle tested, trusted, and supported. “Rando SUS Boats?”, not so much.
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Zodiac inflatable boats are the standard and have been since their company inception in 1896. Often cherished by its operators, Zodiac inflatable boats have conducted their missions for more than a century. There’re probably more Zodiac inflatable boats on the water than any other type or brand, but you almost never see them unless you’re on a bit of an adventure yourself. Inflatable boats have been trending for a while and where there’s interest there’s opportunity to make money.
People looking online see boats that look like a Zodiac but cost a third of the equivalent looking made in China Zodiac Cadet. Some of these boats use the same colors and trim patterns to mimic Zodiac Cadet designs but that’s as far as it goes. Technology, materials and manufacturing improvements have been ongoing throughout Zodiac’s storied 100 year + history, something none of the others can boast. Yes, we could make more money by selling millions of low-quality boats to unsuspecting customers via webshops. If we weren’t actual people, we could process electronic payments and have offsite warehouses ship boxes that make our bank accounts richer. The problem with that model falls right on the end user’s head. No support, no help, no parts, no love.
Because we’re all Zodiac users from IBC’s founder Captain Ron, all the way down to our furry little shop dog wagging it’s tail in the bow, we have a vested interest in our customer’s experience being positive.
Inflatable Boat Center brings experience and trust to the process of fetching grandma from the beach or helping marine biologists in the icey polar regions. We love what we can do with a good Zodiac, it’s truly a ticket to fun and adventure and well worth the price of admission. We’ve had customers go on to become leaders in their fields, save lives in troubling times, and make discoveries that touch modern society, all enabled by a good Zodiac inflatable boat and courage to face the unknown.
Trust in the boat was something I learned fast in the Navy as a boy of barely 17, I was definitely afraid back then. It took me a second to find my courage when I was starting out. Looking at the men who surrounded me, and how confident they were in the Zodiac, my courage grew to compliment theirs.
I never in a million years thought those experiences would ever amount towards anything, I just wanted to surf, dive, ride motorcycles, and jump out of planes. Yes, this was before the movie Point Break, it was the early 80s and I was hardwired for it. I was only about facing fears and overcoming obstacles in those early years. The persistent thing throughout all of it was Zodiac Grand Raids, Bombard Commandos, FC470s, all things that got me to the end goal confidently. I remember watching Captain Ron on the t.v. in the berthing compartment racing Zodiacs, I remember driving by the store on my motorcycle and thinking I really need to check that place out.
Who would have thought I’d ever be sitting next to Captain Ron talking about Zodiacs to people looking to start their adventures? Not me that’s for sure, having confidence in the Zodiac has taken me very far indeed.
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Inflatable Boat Center 2041 SE Powell Blvd. Portland Oregon 97202 (503)235-2628 inflatableboats.com
