When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Mercury 340 Sport PVC 2013 and the Mercury AirDeck® Series 2010 are inflatable non rigid designs with plastic construction — the buying decision usually comes down to a handful of practical questions: how many people are you putting on the water, how far do you trailer, and what does your tow vehicle weigh?

On paper these two are close siblings in the size department — Mercury 340 Sport PVC 2013 at 10,5 ft versus Mercury AirDeck® Series 2010 at 7,8 ft. At 132 lbs and 75 lbs respectively, both sit in a similar weight class — either should pair comfortably with most mid-size SUVs and half-ton trucks, though always confirm your specific tow rating with the motor added.

Both boats share a closely matched power ceiling — 20 hp for the Mercury 340 Sport PVC 2013 and 6 hp for the Mercury AirDeck® Series 2010. Real-world performance will come down more to which motor is actually bolted on, its load at the time, and whether it's a 4-stroke or 2-stroke setup.

For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Mercury 340 Sport PVC 2013 is rated for 5 passengers, while the Mercury AirDeck® Series 2010 caps at 3. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Mercury 340 Sport PVC 2013 could be the deciding factor.

At this size, power-to-weight ratio matters more than outright horsepower. The Mercury 340 Sport PVC 2013 comes in at 7 lbs per hp versus 13 lbs per hp for the Mercury AirDeck® Series 2010. The lower the ratio the more explosive the acceleration — meaningful on a short RIB where bursts of speed, quick planing, and agility in surf or tight waterways define the experience.