Carbon Innegra Archives - Hell's Bay Boatworks

Just what is Carbon Innegra?

May 27, 2025June 5, 2025

At Hell’s Bay Boatworks, we use a proprietary resin system specifically engineered to outperform the mechanical strength of standard boat-building resins. To reinforce our hull composites, we incorporate Innegra—a high-performance fiber with a ballistic coefficient superior to aramid fibers like Kevlar.

Unlike Kevlar, which absorbs moisture over time due to its hygroscopic nature, Innegra is hydrophobic and buoyant. That means it won’t swell, degrade, or weigh you down in wet environments—making it the perfect choice for our hull construction.

Carbon Innegra is a hybrid composite material that combines the rigidity and strength of carbon fiber with the impact resistance and lightweight properties of Innegra fibers. Woven together into a unified fabric, this blend delivers a balance of stiffness and durability, making it ideal for applications that demand both structural performance and shock absorption. Innegra features and benefits…

Innegra is a polypropylene-based fiber known for being:

Extremely tough.
Lightweight.

Impact-resistant
Flexible

Why we use it in our hulls?

Impact Resistance: Less likely to crack or shatter on impact—good for gear that takes hits.
Damping Vibration: Great for stuff like surfboards, paddles, bike frames—reduces the buzz.
Durability: It doesn’t splinter like pure carbon fiber can.
Lighter Weight: Innegra’s lighter than water— It can even float!

Other products where you may see it used:

High-performance fishing rods.
Some stand-up paddle-boards.
Some Surfboards.
Even in bicycles, motorsports or ballistics.
And of course, Hells’ Bay Skiffs and Bay Boats!

Innegra is ideal for applications requiring a durable, impact-resistant, and flexible material that can withstand repeated stress without deformation or failure.

Carbon Innegra vs. Kevlar that is used in other Skiffs and Boats, how do they compare?

Much like comparing a Swiss Army knife to a bulletproof vest. Both tough, but like everything in engineering there is always a trade off. Each one brings different aspects to the design intent, see below:

Carbon Innegra versus Kevlar uses:

Kevlar – Is stiffer, tougher against abrasion, and excellent for protective applications (like stopping bullets).

Carbon Innegra – Flexible, floats, shock-absorbing, and great for things that need to be both strong yet forgiving (surfboards, paddles, fishing rods). This is why we use it for our Skiffs and Bay Boats!

Join Chris Peterson of Hell’s Bay Boatworks and Dave from Flats Nation, as they explore the application of Carbon Innegra in the structural design and advanced composite construction of Hell’s Bay hulls below:

A SKIFF FOR THOSE WITH HIGH EXPECTATIONS AND A LOW TOLERANCE FOR COMPROMISE!

WE ARE NOT A FACTORY, WE ARE A BOATWORKS:

* We have no assembly line.

* A boat doesn’t go into the mold until an owner has told us exactly how they would like it, and our craftsmen carefully bring it to reality at every step of the build process.

* Each one is custom built to a singular standard.

WE DON’T TAKE ORDERS , WE HAVE CONVERSATIONS:

We start by sitting down and talking through the essentials—where you fish, who you fish with, and how you like to do it. Side or center console? Tiller? Fly or bait? Every angler and guide have their preferences, and that’s exactly how we build them. Together, we design a boat that fits your style, your needs, and your waters. Then we craft a vessel that’s purpose-built for the way you fish.

Give us a call or stop by—we’ll help you get started on your next Hell’s Bay, the World’s Finest Shallow Water Skiffs!