Excel Volante Inflatable Boats
1100 dtex, V keel, planes properly.
Product Code: EXLVOL260LG
All Prices Include VAT.
Excel Volante inflatable boats combine robust construction with exceptional versatility for recreational and professional water activities. Built with durable materials and reinforced seams, these vessels deliver reliable performance across diverse water conditions. The lightweight design facilitates easy transport and deployment, whilst the spacious interior accommodates multiple passengers comfortably. Featuring respInfonsive handling and stable flotation characteristics, Excel Volante boats suit both experienced mariners and those new to boating. Ideal for fishing expeditions, leisure cruising, or water sports, these craft represent a practical investment in quality watercraft engineering.
The Ultimate Tender - Sizes from 1.8m to 3.6m
The EXCEL Volante range is a compact and versatile series of inflatable boats designed for tender duties and leisure use, featuring a high-pressure air deck with inflatable V-keel for improved stability and handling. Built from durable reinforced PVC, the range is lightweight, easy to transport and quick to set up, making it well suited to inland waters and sheltered coast.
- Inflatable Floor
- Aluminium Seat (290 and bigger have 2 seats)
- 1 pair of Oars
- Double Action Pump
- 3m Bow line
- Carry Bag
- Repair Kit (patches, glue, valve tool)
What you are actually buying
High-pressure V-shaped air deck
A removable V-shaped floor with an inflatable keel underneath. That V is what lets the Volante cut through chop and lift onto the plane instead of slamming and skidding.
1100 dtex Hytex PVC
Noticeably heavier cloth than the Ventura's 900 dtex, with bigger tubes and a wider beam. More boat in every sense - more payload, more engine, more years.
Up to 8hp
The 260 takes 8hp and 510kg, so it works as a small runabout rather than purely a tender - a genuine day boat for three.
Five-year warranty
Back-to-base cover for five years on recreational use, with heat-welded seams throughout.
Available finishes
Lighter tubes stay cooler and show less UV chalking over time; darker tubes hide scuffs and marina grime.
Which one is right for you?
Every model in this range side by side, so you can see exactly what the extra money buys.
| Size | 180 | 200 | 230 | 260 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall length | 1.80m | 2.00m | 2.30m | 2.60m |
| Maximum people | 2 | 2 | 2 | 3 |
| Maximum load | - | 250kg | 400kg | 510kg |
| Maximum engine | 2.5 hp | 3.5 hp | 4 hp | 8 hp |
| Floor | Air deck + V keel | Air deck + V keel | Air deck + V keel | Air deck + V keel |
| Tube fabric | 1100 dtex Hytex PVC | 1100 dtex Hytex PVC | 1100 dtex Hytex PVC | 1100 dtex Hytex PVC |
| Tube / floor pressure | 3.6 / 10 psi | 3.6 / 10 psi | 3.6 / 10 psi | 3.6 / 10 psi |
| Warranty | 5 years | 5 years | 5 years | 5 years |
| Price from | £466.67 | £495.83 | £625 | £662.50 |
Choose your size from the options at the top of the page.
What comes as standard
Included with every boat
- 1100 dtex Hytex PVC tubes, heat-welded seams
- High-pressure V-shaped air deck, removable
- Inflatable V keel
- GRP transom, short shaft
- Aluminium sliding bench seat
- Aluminium oars with rowlocks
- Double-action inflation pump
- 3m bow line
- Carry bag
- Repair kit with spare PVC, glue and valve tool
- 5-year back-to-base warranty
Optional extras
- Dinghy wheelsIn stock
- Boat coverOrder in
- Davit / lift systemIn stock
Not sure what you need alongside the boat? Call the shop and we will spec it with you - outboard shaft length, wheels, cover and a spare repair kit are the four people most often forget.
Excel Volante Inflatable Boats in detail
Choosing an inflatable dinghy
Three decisions do most of the work: what the tubes are made of, what's under your feet, and how big a boat you can actually handle on your own. Everything else follows.
PVC or Hypalon?
PVC is lighter, cheaper and welded rather than glued — ideal for a tender that's deflated and stowed between trips. Expect 5–10 seasons in UK conditions.
ORCA® Hypalon (CSM) costs more and is hand-glued, but it shrugs off UV and heat. If the boat lives inflated on davits, on deck all season, or spends summers in the Med, Hypalon is the one that survives.
What's under your feet
| Floor | Best for |
|---|---|
| Slatted | Lightest and smallest packed. Rowing and short hops; won't plane. |
| Air deck | Light, rolls up, comfortable underfoot. The all-round compromise. |
| Aluminium / ply | Rigid, planes well, but heavy and slow to assemble. |
| Rigid hull (RIB) | Best ride and handling. No packing away — needs davits or a trailer. |
Size, weight and engine
Work backwards from where the boat has to live. Measure your foredeck, your davits and your car boot before you fall in love with a length.
Then be honest about the lift: anything over about 40kg stops being a two-person carry up a slipway. Match the outboard to the transom rating and the shaft length (short shaft on almost all tenders), and remember the engine's weight comes off your usable payload.
Frequently asked
Volante is the fuller-specification boat: 1100 dtex fabric instead of 900, bigger tubes, wider beam and a V-shaped air deck with an inflatable keel so it planes and handles chop properly. Ventura is the SuperLite - 20-40% lighter in the same length, built for lifting and stowing. If the boat is purely a tender to a mooring, Ventura. If you will actually go somewhere in it, Volante.
Excel replaced the 235 with the 230 in the current range and the sizes are directly equivalent. Our listing has been corrected to 230 to match what the factory now builds. If you are matching an existing boat, call us and we will confirm the differences.
Because Excel's own range page and individual product pages give different figures for the same boat - by as much as 5kg. We would rather leave the row out than publish a number we cannot stand behind. Call us on 01473 694725 and we will confirm the exact weight of your size before you order.
It gives the hull a V shape underwater rather than a flat pad. The boat tracks straight instead of wandering, turns without skidding sideways, and with enough power will lift onto the plane and stay there.
It ships on a pallet courier rather than a standard parcel service. Highlands, islands and non-mainland addresses are quoted individually - call us before ordering, or collect from the shop.
Not sure it is the right boat? Ask us.
We have been fitting out boat owners since 1975. Tell us what you are tendering, where it has to stow and how far you are going, and we will tell you honestly whether this is the one - or whether something else in the range fits better.
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Only 2 leftDelivery & Returns
Inflatable boats are subject to length and weight shipping restrictions and travel on a pallet courier rather than a standard parcel service. UK mainland delivery on this item is calculated at checkout.
Highlands, islands, Northern Ireland, the Isle of Wight and non-mainland addresses are quoted individually - please call our online team on +44 (0) 1473 694725 before ordering so we can confirm the cost and lead time.
You are also very welcome to collect from the shop. Many customers prefer this so we can unpack the boat with you, check it over and run through the setup before you take it away.
Our policy is simple - you have up to 90 days to return your purchase if it is not suitable or you have changed your mind. Our hassle-free 90-day returns policy applies to most items and is offered in addition to your statutory rights.
Please note: boats must be returned unused, dry, clean and in their original packaging. A boat that has been inflated and launched cannot be returned as unwanted, though this does not affect your rights if the item is faulty.
Return goods purchased in-store
Simply bring your order confirmation or delivery note and the item you wish to return or exchange, unused and in its original packaging, to our till point in the shop. If you paid by debit or credit card, please ensure you also bring the payment card you originally used.
Return goods bought online
1. Start your return through the Returns Process in your Fox's Chandlery online customer account within 90 days of delivery.
2. Once approved, you will receive a Return Authorisation Number (RAN) and shipping instructions.
3. Package the item securely in its original packaging.
4. Use a tracked courier service and always obtain proof of postage.
5. Please allow up to 14 working days after we receive the goods for your return to be processed.
Because boats are large and heavy, please call our online team on +44 (0) 1473 694725 to arrange collection rather than arranging your own courier.
If you need to add or remove items from your order, change the details of your delivery address or cancel the order completely, please contact our Online Team for advice on +44 (0) 1473 694725 between 0900 and 1730 Monday to Friday or email us. Please quote your order number and order date. If your order has already been dispatched or delivered, then you will need to follow our Returns procedure in the event of any unwanted products.