The AIRSKIFF 17 is the narrowest and quickest board ROWonAIR builds — a 5.18 m inflatable single skiff with two side air chambers carried above the waterline, a splash guard and a wind shield, made for one rower who wants racing-shell proportions out of a bag that fits in a car boot. The board itself is 53 cm across, 13 cm narrower than the MOJO 18, and the whole outfit weighs 18 kg packed into 85 × 50 × 28 cm.
How does the AIRSKIFF 17 differ from the MOJO 18 and DUDE 18?
Width and hull design. The MOJO 18 and DUDE 18 are flat-decked rowing boards you sit on top of, 66 cm and 76 cm wide. The AIRSKIFF 17 is a cockpit boat: you sit down inside it, between two inflatable side chambers that rise above the waterline, with a splash guard and wind shield in front of you. That makes it drier and faster through chop than either board, and less stable when you stop rowing. Maximum load is 160 kg against the DUDE's 250 kg, and it takes one rower only — there is no passenger option.
Is it stable enough for open water?
The side chambers are the reason it is. They sit clear of the water when the boat is upright, so they add no drag, and they catch the boat early when it heels — the same idea as the sponsons on a coastal racing shell. Combined with 16 PSI in the drop-stitch base and 4 PSI in the sides, the hull stays rigid rather than flexing under load. Rowers coming off a club single will find it firmer and more forgiving than the shell; rowers who have never sculled should start on a DUDE 18 and move across.
How long does it take to get on the water?
Under eight minutes of pumping with the supplied high-pressure pump, plus about two minutes to clip the rowing skid into the pre-mounted D-rings — no tools, slot-and-click only. Deflation is faster: each of the three chambers has a large screw-type relief valve. The backpack has wheels and padded shoulder straps, so a 5.18 m boat goes from car park to water on your own.
Which rowing system fits the AIRSKIFF 17?
Both. The RowVista® Flat Outrigger set gives you forward rowing with genuine blade feathering — you face the direction you are travelling, which matters most in traffic and swell. The RowMotion® Flat Outrigger set is classic reverse sculling with adjustable rowlocks. The skid, seat and foot stretcher are shared between systems; only the outrigger and sculls differ. Neither is included with the board.
Specifications
| Length |
5.18 m (17′) |
| Width |
Board 53 cm (21″), 60 cm (23.4″) over the side chambers |
| Height incl. sides |
21 cm (8″); base thickness 15 cm (6″) |
| Volume |
290 L base + 25 L + 25 L side chambers |
| Weight |
Board 13 kg (28.7 lbs); 18 kg (39.7 lbs) with all equipment |
| Maximum load |
160 kg (352 lbs) |
| Air chambers |
3 |
| Material |
Woven-Fusion Drop Stitch base, PVC side chambers |
| Pressure |
16 PSI base, 4 PSI side chambers |
| Fin |
1 × 7.7″ rear, GRI fin box with quick-hook system |
| Rowers |
1 |
| Inflation time |
Under 8 minutes |
| Packed size |
85 × 50 × 28 cm (33″ × 20″ × 11″) |
| Manufacturer article no. |
# 087 857 |
What's in the box
- AIRSKIFF 17 inflatable skiff
- Backpack with wheels and padded shoulder straps
- High-pressure pump with deflate function
- 1 × 7.7″ rear fin
- Wind shield
- Fastening strap
- Repair kit with instructions
- Manual
Rowing system, seat and sculls are sold separately.
Shipping and delivery
Hong Kong orders ship within three working days from our Castle Peak Road address, or collect in person. International orders leave Hong Kong in the manufacturer's own carton; the packed size of 85 × 50 × 28 cm keeps it inside standard courier limits, so you will see live shipping rates at checkout.
Authorised ROWonAIR® dealer
28GOODS is listed as an official ROWonAIR® and XCAT dealer on the manufacturer's dealer map at coastalrowingforce.com. Every board is supplied new in Row&Sail's own packing and carries the manufacturer's 2-year warranty against fabrication defects (wear parts excluded). We order spare fins, valves, seats, sculls and rowing-system parts directly from Row&Sail GmbH in Austria, so a repair does not mean replacing the boat.
