Inflatable body and holder assembly

An inflatable body and holder adapted to be filled with an inflation medium, comprising:

• a plurality of overlying sealable panels having edge seal means joining said panels together to define the inflatable body, said edge seal means defining an inflation port, an adjacent pair of said panels defining an inflation conduit for communicating the inflation medium from said inflation port to the interior of the inflatable body, said adjacent pair of panels being located between adjoined panels defining external surfaces of the inflatable body, said edge seal means joining said adjacent pair of panels to said panels defining external surfaces of the inflatable body at a plurality of locations around the periphery of the inflatable body, at least one of said locations on the periphery of the inflatable body being substantially diametrically opposite said inflation port,
• an opening defined in at least one panel of said adjacent pair of panels to permit inflation medium to enter said inflatable body from said inflation conduit;
• and
• a holder element releasably insertable within said inflation conduit whereby the pressure of said inflation medium within the inflatable body when the inflatable body is filled presses said adjacent pair of panels against said holder element frictionally to secure said holder element within said inflation conduit along its length thereby providing sidewall support to hold the inflatable body rigidly relative to said holder element.