Taylor Made Super Gard 8.5x26-Inch Inflatable Fender Blue

The Taylor Made Super Gard is an 8.5 by 26-inch inflatable vinyl fender in blue, with double-molded ends and a molded-in valve.

Double-molded black ends put extra material exactly where fenders take the most abuse. The ends are what drag against a piling and take the weight when a fender is pulled up short, and a single-thickness end is where the first split appears.

Ribs along the sides stop the fender rolling along the hull as the boat moves, which is what leaves scuff lines down a topside. The single-piece seamless construction removes the seam that would otherwise be the weak point under compression.

Recommended inflation is 2 psi, which is lower than most people assume and matters more than the pressure gauge suggests. An over-inflated fender is hard and transmits impact to the hull rather than absorbing it. The most reliable way to size fenders is to look at what similar boats at your dock use and match the dimensions and quantity. Explore more buoys and fenders.

• Double-molded ends where fenders take the most abuse
• Side ribs stop it rolling and scuffing the topside
• Inflate to 2 psi, lower than most assume
• An over-inflated fender transmits impact instead of absorbing it