Quick Answer
Aquafarer (Qingdao Vatrad Group) operates a 12,000 m² & BSCI-certified manufacturing facility in Qingdao, China. The factory houses 200+ skilled workers producing 15,000+ inflatable boats annually across dedicated workshops for PVC cutting, tube heat sealing, fiberglass RIB hull production, SUP digital printing, final assembly, and quality testing. All boats undergo 48-hour air retention testing, seam peel verification, and load/balance testing before shipping.
- Facility Size
- 12,000 m²
- Workforce
- 200+
- Annual Output
- 15,000+
- Certifications
- , BSCI, CE
Aquafarer
Factory & Manufacturing
12,000 m² of integrated manufacturing —?from raw material to finished boat
As a factory brand of Qingdao Vatrad Group Co., Ltd., Aquafarer controls every stage of production — from the arrival of raw PVC and fiberglass materials to the final pre-delivery inspection of the finished boat. Our manufacturing facility in the Qingdao Economic Development Zone spans 12,000 square metres and houses dedicated workshops for PVC cutting, tube heat sealing, fiberglass RIB hull production, SUP digital printing, final assembly, and quality testing.
By integrating design, engineering, prototyping, manufacturing, and testing under one roof, we eliminate the inefficiencies of contract manufacturing and maintain direct control over build quality, material selection, and delivery timelines. Every boat that leaves our workshop is built by our people, on our equipment, to our standards.
Factory Intelligence
Explore Our Manufacturing Capabilities
Production Capacity
12,000 m² facility producing 15,000+ boats/yr across SUP (8,000+), RIB (2,000+), inflatable dinghy (5,000+), and safety equipment lines. 200+ workers, 2 shifts.
Quality Lab & Testing
Independent QC lab with 4 testing stages: raw material inspection (tensile, tear, UV), 48h pressure hold at 1.25x rated pressure, seam peel testing, and load/balance verification on every boat.
OEM/ODM Capability
End-to-end OEM/ODM services: custom mould design, private-label packaging, custom tube colors, deck graphics (digital & screen printing), Hypalon upgrade option, and drop-ship logistics.
Workshops
Manufacturing Workshops
PVC Cutting & Material Preparation
Automatic CNC cutting machines process PVC, Hypalon, and drop-stitch fabrics with sub-millimetre precision. Computer-optimised nesting minimises material waste and ensures every panel meets its dimensional specification before welding.
Tube Welding & Heat Sealing
Dedicated welding workshop with heat sealing machines (laminate sealing and RF dielectric presses. Hot-air heat sealers bond and fuse PVC tube chambers, while RF welds produce high-strength airtight seams that exceed requirements.
RIB Hull Production —?Fiberglass
RIB boat hulls are produced using hand-lay-up fiberglass moulding with polyester and vinylester resin systems. Each layer is hand-rolled and vacuum-bagged for consistent quality. Gelcoat spray booth provides a high-gloss, UV-resistant marine finish.
SUP Printing & Decoration
SUP boards are decorated using digital printing for full-colour graphics and screen printing for logos and repeating patterns. Digital printers produce photo-quality deck designs, while screen printing delivers durable, vivid brand marks.
Final Assembly & Rigging
Assembly line where fiberglass hulls and PVC tubes are mated, engines are mounted, steering and controls are connected, and electrical systems are wired. Each boat follows a 100-point assembly checklist signed off by the team lead.
Quality Testing & Inspection
Every completed boat undergoes mandatory air-retention testing, seam peel verification, and a full systems check before shipping. Our quality lab operates independently from production and reports directly to management.
Equipment
Key Manufacturing Equipment
Production Flow
From Material to Finished Boat
Every boat passes through 6 production stages with QC checkpoints at every step. No shortcuts, no skipped inspections.
Material Receiving & Incoming QC
All incoming materials are logged by batch/lot number in our ERP system. PVC fabric rolls, drop-stitch cores, valves, adhesives, and hardware are quarantined until QC sign-off.
Tensile strength (ASTM D751), tear resistance (ISO 4674), thickness gauge, adhesive viscosity, visual defect scan
100% of batches tested. Reject if tensile < 90% of spec, tear < spec min, or any visual defect
CNC Cutting & Material Prep
Computer-optimized nesting lays out panels on PVC stock to minimize waste. Automatic CNC cutting machines maintain 0.1 mm positional accuracy.
Dimensional check against CAD DXF files, edge quality inspection, panel count verification
Every 20th panel measured. Tolerance ±0.5 mm. Reject batch if >2% out of tolerance
Welding & Drop-Stitch Bonding
Drop-stitch cores are bonded to outer PVC laminates using heat lamination. Tube chambers are RF-welded or hot-air welded. Rail bands are triple-layer fusion bonded.
Peel test every 50 units (ASTM D751), weld width measurement, hot-air temperature log review, visual seam inspection under backlight
Peel strength min 8 N/cm. Weld width tolerance ±1 mm. Any visible channeling = reject
Assembly & Rigging
Boats move to final assembly where all components are mated. Each unit follows a 100-point assembly checklist.
100-point checklist sign-off per unit, valve function test, hardware torque verification
Zero-defect policy on safety-critical items. Minor cosmetic: AQL 2.5 (ISO 2859)
Pressure Testing & Quality Hold
Every chamber is inflated to 1.25x rated pressure and held for 24-48 hours. Pressure sensors log continuously.
24h pressure hold log, sensor calibration daily, temperature-compensated pressure reading
Max 5% pressure drop over 24h. Any chamber exceeding this = 100% re-test of entire batch
Final Inspection & Packing
Final visual and functional inspection. Units are vacuum-packed, boxed, and palletized for container loading.
Full visual inspection, accessory checklist, packaging drop test, label/barcode scan
AQL 2.5 for major defects, AQL 4.0 for minor. Zero tolerance on safety defects.
Our People
Workforce & Expertise
25+ engineers across R&D, mold design, materials lab, and production engineering. Average 7+ years in inflatable manufacturing. 2 shifts/day with optional night shift for urgent orders.
R&D & Engineering
Product design, mold engineering, materials lab
Cutting & Prep
CNC cutting, panel preparation, material handling
Welding & Lamination
RF welding, hot-air welding, drop-stitch bonding
RIB Hull (FRP)
Fiberglass lay-up, gelcoat, vacuum bagging
Assembly & Rigging
Final assembly, hardware installation, systems check
Quality Control
Incoming QC, in-process QC, final inspection, lab testing
Logistics & Packing
Packaging, container loading, export documentation
Management & Admin
Sales, procurement, HR, finance, compliance
QC by the Numbers
Quality Control Metrics
Real pass/fail data from our production line. Our quality lab operates independently from production and reports directly to management.
Every boat, every chamber, every batch
Over 24h at 1.25x rated pressure
Per ISO 2859 sampling standard
Depending on product category
Safety margin on every chamber
Valves, D-rings, seams, buoyancy
Traceability
Material Tracking & Batch Control
Every batch of raw material is assigned a unique lot number in our ERP system. Each boat's bill of materials links back to the original supplier batch for full upstream traceability.
Supplier Material Certifications
Quality Control
Testing & Quality Assurance Process
Every boat undergoes mandatory testing before shipping. Our quality lab operates independently from production and reports directly to management.
Raw Material Inspection
PVC, Hypalon, and drop-stitch fabrics undergo tensile testing (), tear propagation, and UV resistance verification before any batch enters production.
48-Hour Air Retention Test
Every tube chamber is inflated to 125% of rated pressure and held for 48 hours. Pressure drop below 5% triggers automatic rejection and seam re-inspection.
Load & Balance Testing
Completed boats are loaded to maximum rated capacity and tested for stability, freeboard, and handling. Each vessel is water-tested before final inspection.
OEM Projects
Brand & OEM Partnership Case Studies
From concept to container —?how we help global brands launch and scale their inflatable watercraft lines.
European outdoor retailer needed a private-label SUP line with unique deck graphics, eco-friendly PVC, and retail-ready packaging —?all delivered in 60 days.
Developed custom digital print files, sourced REACH-compliant PVC, and compressed sampling from 3 rounds to 1 by co-locating the design team at our Qingdao factory.
55 days from signed PO to FOB. 2,400 units across 4 SKUs. Repeat order placed before first container arrived.
US watersports startup needed a high-performance drop-stitch kayak with custom hull shape, co-branded packaging, and BSCI certification for retail placement.
Adapted existing drop-stitch kayak mould with modified rocker profile, developed co-branded packaging artwork, and provided full BSCI audit documentation.
Successfully listed in 3 major US outdoor chains. 5,000+ units in first year with 98% sell-through rate.
Australian distributor required a CE-certified RIB range with custom tube colours, Hypalon upgrade option, and compliance with Australian Standard AS 1799.
Produced pre-production samples with 4 tube colour variants, sourced CSM Hypalon from Japanese supplier, and coordinated third-party AS 1799 compliance testing.
3-model RIB range launched in AU/NZ market. Followed by government tender win for 12 patrol RIBs.
FAQ
B2B & OEM Frequently Asked Questions
What is the minimum order quantity (MOQ) for OEM inflatable SUP boards? —?/span>
MOQ starts at 5–10 units for standard OEM models. Custom moulds and private-label projects require a minimum of 200 units depending on complexity. Trial orders and sample runs are available for new brand launches.
Does Aquafarer hold BSCI certification? —?/span>
Yes. Our factory maintains valid BSCI social compliance certification (audit report available on request). We also hold for quality management and all products carry CE certification. REACH and RoHS compliance documentation provided with every OEM shipment.
What is the typical lead time for an OEM order? —?/span>
Standard lead time is 30—?5 days from confirmed PO and deposit. Custom mould development adds 15—?0 days for tooling. We offer expedited production for urgent orders and seasonal rushes during the pre-summer window (Jan–Mar).
Can you ship FOB Qingdao or CIF to our port? —?/span>
Yes. We ship FOB Qingdao, CIF major global ports, and DDP for qualified partners. Our logistics team manages container booking, export documentation, and customs clearance. We ship to 50+ countries across EU, US, AU, and Asia markets.
See our manufacturing process
Follow a boat through every stage of production —?from raw material to sea-ready craft.
View production process →