Hi John,

The Aere fenders are awesome, mine appear virtually indestructible so far… I’d spend the extra money, I don’t think you’ll be disappointed… If you rarely use fenders, I suppose those are fine, but IMHO good fenders on a cruising boat are very important, you never know... (grin)

Inflatable fenders on a smaller boat are the only way to go, IMHO… Steve makes a good point, but with a 12V inflator on hand, I can have one of mine inflated in a matter of seconds… Nothing seems dumber to me, than to have the stern rail of a cruising boat lined with fenders that may not be used for weeks at a time, once you really get out there…

Best regards,

Jon