Inflatable Flood Barriers VS Water Filled Flood Tubes

Which Option is Right For Your Flood Protection Needs?

Choosing the right flood protection barriers can be tricky, but understanding a few key variables can help guide your decision. Garrison Flood Control offers a complete line of flood protection solutions to combat almost any type of flooding. When comparing MAKO™ Inflatable Flood Barriers, Serpent™ Inflatable Flood Tubes, Guppy™ and Guppy™ MAX Water Filled Flood Barriers, the information below can assist you in choosing the right option.

In general, we recommend Mako flood barriers to protect specific openings such as windows, garages, and doorways while we recommend flood tubes such as Guppy, Guppy Max and Serpent to protect perimeters, divert water away from a specific opening or area of your property and to hold back and redirect water away from vulnerable areas.

Choose Between
Inflatable Flood Barriers or Water Filled Flood Control Tubes

  • Pressurized Inflation Flood Barrier

    Inflatable Flood Barrier

    MAKO™ Inflatable Flood Barriers pressurize into openings, to provide durable flood protection. Sections install quickly without tools and deflate for storage after the flood. Sections remain rigid and do not deform under typical hydrostatic and hydrodynamic pressures. Use MAKO™ for doorways, garages, windows, hallways, culverts and more, without modifications to your structure.

    Learn More About MAKO™
  • Guppy water filled flood tube

    Water Filled Flood Barrier

    The Guppy™ Water Filled Flood Tube is a flooding solution designed with quick deployment and cost effectiveness in mind. Just simply fill with water and Guppy™ will divert water away from homes, schools, facilities, municipal buildings and more.

    • Completely water filled

    • Fills and deploys in minutes

    • Lengths up to 100 feet

    • Diameters of 6", 12" and 24" available • Ideal for locations with water access

    Learn More About Guppy™
  • Guppy™ MAX Large-Scale Water Filled Flood Tube Barrier

    Large-Scale Water Filled Flood Tube Barrier

    Guppy™ MAX Large-Scale Water Filled Flood Tube is an advanced flood protection solution designed and engineered to provide MAXimum defense against flooding. The innovative 3-chamber industrial design creates a solid trapezoidal shape when filled, allowing for MAXimum stability and flood mitigation. Each Guppy™ MAX heavy duty flood barrier is 40” in diameter and 30ft long, providing flexible large-scale flood protection for any location.

    Learn More About Guppy™ MAX
  • Inflatable flood control tube

    Inflatable Flood Tube Barrier

    The Serpent™ Inflatable Flood Tube Barrier is a rapidly inflatable flood protection tube that is ideal for municipalities and institutions looking to protect valuable facilities and infrastructure from flooding. With 3+ feet of protection height the Serpent™ is a big solution for big incoming flood threats.

    • Completely air filled

    • Quickly inflates in minutes

    • 3'+ of flood protection height

    • Extended skirting handles high water levels

    • Ideal for locations without water access

    Learn More About Serpent™
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inflatable flood barriers and water filled flood control tubes
 

Garrison™ Flood offers both water filled and inflatable flood control tubes as well as pressured air-filled flood gates for openings

Serpent® Air Filled and Guppy® Water Filled Flood Tubes

Depending on your application, choose between our air inflated flood control tube-style barriers (Serpent®), or our water filled water diversion tubes (Guppy® and Guppy Max™). These types of barriers are ideal for perimeter protection and to divert water away from your structure or property. The larger Serpent or Guppy Max tube barriers are suited for municipalities, businesses and institutions looking to protect neighborhoods, infrastructure, and facilities. The standard Guppy® is ideal for homeowners looking to protect their valuable home or property against flood damage.

The Guppy™, water filled flood tube, is a more economical option that can be deployed quickly to divert water away from homes, schools, municipal buildings and other valuable assets. Guppy flood barriers are also ideal for driveway protection, garage protection and general perimeter protection of homes and facilities.

Mako™ Pressurized Flood Barriers for Openings

Choose our Mako™ flood barriers to protect specific openings such as entrances, garages, sliders, windows and vents. These barriers are designed to pressurize within the opening sill or frame, to seal the opening against flood waters. Mako is an ideal alternative to our aluminum flood logs, or other systems that fasten to your structure.

 
Text logo reading 'GUPPY WATER FILLED FLOOD TUBES' with the word 'GUPPY' filled with water and waves inside the letters, and 'WATER FILLED FLOOD TUBES' in yellow below.
Learn More About Guppy and Guppy Max
Logo for Serpent Inflatable Flood Control Tubes, featuring stylized text with water wave design.
Learn More About Serpent
Logo for MAK inflatable flood barrier featuring bold black and blue text.
Learn More About Mako

Inflatable Flood Barrier FAQs

  • The type of flood barrier that is right for you depends on what type of protection you are looking for. If you are looking for perimeter protection to protect your entire property, you should consider our Mayim interlocking flood barrier, Serpent air inflated flood tube or our Guppy water filled flood barriers.

    If you are looking for opening protection, you should consider our Mako inflatable flood barriers or our Hammerhead aluminum flood logs.

    Of course, you can contact us any time, using the form on this page to consult with a flood control expert on your specific flood protection needs.

  • The answer to that question depends on your specific application. Rigid systems such as our Hammerhead aluminum flood planks our our Mayim interlocking flood barriers tend to me more robust than inflatable systems but have their limitations. For example, you might not want to connect anything to your structure or mount anything to your building. In such a case, you would want to consider a pressurized systems such as Mako or a perimeter system like Mayim, Guppy or Serpent. If you don’t mind connecting to your structure we always recommend our aluminum Hammerhead flood log system for the ultimate in flood defense.

  • Inflatable barriers (like Mako™ and Serpent™) are filled with air for rapid deployment, whereas water-filled tubes (like Guppy™ and Guppy™ MAX) are filled with water.  Water has more weight and is usually preferred in areas where hurricane winds are expected as well as for applications like coffer dams or drainage channel applications.

  • Guppy™ and Guppy™ MAX are water-filled tubes and use the weight of the water to divert flood waters, while Mako™ and Serpent™ inflatable barriers utilize air to either pressurize within an opening or to divert water. Mako is designed for opening protection while the Serpent, Guppy and Guppy Max are best for water diversion away from openings and away from a structure. Mako can be custom sized depending on your opening size and is fitted to create a leak proof seal. Serpent, Guppy and Guppy Max come in standard heights and lengths, depending on your needs. The Guppy Max is design for industrial use and is taller and more robust than the other options.

  • Homeowners often choose Guppy™ water-filled tubes for perimeter and generalized doorway or driveway defense and to divert or hold back water from entering a property.

    Homeowners choose Mako™ flood barriers to create a watertight seal at specific openings, including doorways, windows, vents and garage door openings.

  • Yes — both inflatable and water-filled tubes can be emptied, cleaned, rolled up, dried and stored for future use.

  • Install time varies depending on the size of the flood barrier you are looking to deploy. Long runs of Guppy or Serpent require more air or water to fill the tubes and this adds to the time for deployment. Mako barriers are designed to pressurize within openings and take less time to deploy than flood tubes. Usually a typical Mako can be inflated in less than 5 minutes by hand and faster with an electric pump. Guppy tubes filled by a standard garden hose can take 10 minutes to several hours to fill, depending on the tube length and height of protection.

  • Each system has pumps included in the purchase.  Mako uses a standard hand air pump like those used for stand up paddle boards, but you can also use an electric pump to inflate the barroer. The Serpent comes with an electric pump.

  • Guppy® tubes come in multiple diameters (6”, 12”, 24”) and lengths, Guppy Max and Serpent® inflatable flood tubes are 40” high. Mako is offered in multiple heights in standard sizes and can be custom ordered to heights up to 60”, depending on your specific needs.

  • Each system is engineered for specific flood conditions and to withstand flood up to their stated protection heights — larger inflatable Guppy Max tubes tend to be a robust option against higher water levels. For the most robust protection option, consider our Hammerhead aluminum flood log system as an alternative to inflatable options.

Back view of a house with a white patio and three large moveable walls. In the background, the house has a brown roof with some palm trees visible. The patio has a tiled floor, and a black outdoor lamp is attached to the left side of the house near
Poolside patio with lounge chairs, overlooking a waterway with a docked boat and boat lift, under a cloudy sky.
Flood barrier in lowered position in front of a garage door, with garage interior visible behind.
A red inflatable raft with yellow trim on a gray asphalt surface, with cars and an emergency management vehicle in the background.
Yellow inflatable water slide stretched across the driveway of a house, with a large tree overhead and parked cars nearby.
Inflatable Berm for Flood Control
Yellow piping along a concrete sidewalk by a rocky waterfront, next to a house with wooden siding, under a partly cloudy sky.
A person holding a blue flood control airbag connected to a large white Garrison Flood Control bag, positioned against a brick wall on a sidewalk.
Inflatable Flood Control Tube
White garage door with black hinges and lock, above a collapsed inflatable flood barrier labeled 'Make Inflatable Flood Barrier' leaning against the door, outside on a stone surface, with trees and a blue sky in the background.
Red front door with glass panes and a mail slot, decorated with a rooster door knocker, flanked by two outdoor wall lamps, with a large inflatable flood barrier in front, and potted plants on each side, on a brick porch with a doormat.
Yellow inflatable tube resting on a concrete pathway next to a house with brick and white siding, surrounded by a grassy yard and a fenced backyard.
Flood control bladder and hand pump system set up outside on a tiled sidewalk against a brick wall.
A large red inflatable slide with yellow safety tape along the edges. Two men standing at the bottom, one using a tablet or phone, in a parking lot with several cars parked nearby and an industrial area in the background.
Workers installing or repairing a flood barrier along a lakeside or waterfront. They are working in a trench with machinery and equipment for the construction work.
A large white inflatable flood barrier stored outdoors, leaning against a house's front door. It is labeled 'MAKO Inflatable Flood Barrier,' with dimensions 36 inches by 30 inches, and a website URL 'www.garrisonflood.com' at the bottom.
Damaged road with construction barriers, orange cones, and a collapse of the road edge. Yellow construction pipes and debris are scattered around. Vegetation and grass are on the right side.
A white window with a white plan in front of it, partly covering the window. The plan is labeled with the brand 'Mako' and has some text and a QR code. There are green plants on the sides and a brick porch below.
A large red inflatable structure, possibly a slip and slide, is set up outdoors in a parking lot. In the background, there are parked cars, a black van with white text, and some trees with leafless branches, suggesting a winter or early spring settin
Covered patio with a yellow pool safety float tube, tiled floor, outdoor furniture, and a screened-in pool area with lush green plants and a waterfall feature during rainy weather.
A front door with a glass panel and decorative design, painted turquoise, flanked by two outdoor wall lanterns and surrounded by green plants, with a black doormat and a portable cooler in front
Flooded area with water covering grass and trees, yellow pipe, and black hoses along a hedge during cloudy weather.
Large red inflatable slide set up on a lawn with a yellow border, in a backyard with trees and a house.
Flooded room corner with a flood control box on a table, water covering the floor, debris floating in the water.
Flooded shoreline with yellow pipeline running along the edge of a house with a garage, next to a river with rapidly flowing water and leafless trees in the background.
A backyard patio with a yellow pipe, outdoor furniture, and a garden with palm plants and flowers.
A set of white French doors with glass panes, leading into a house, with a flood barrier placed in front of the door to prevent flooding.
Close-up photograph of a maroon pickup truck parked next to a bright yellow safety barrier on a concrete driveway, with a brick wall on the left and a patch of grass and sidewalk in the background.
An outdoor pool covered with a safety cover, in front of a white house with a brown roof, surrounded by trees and greenery under a blue sky.