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gjeffery

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I am in the market for an inflatable tender with a capacity of up to 3 people, so about 2.2 to 2.4 m long. I would welcome any recommendations or warnings concerning middle price inflatables, eg XM, and Plastimo? I am particularly interested in their suitability for rowing.

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No inflatable rows very well, apart from a RIB, which is better. If you buy a cheap inflatable, you get a cheap inflatable. I would look for one made of Hypalon, they are more UV and scuff resistant. Saying that, I have an expensive new Zodiac, which is made from there own fabric, (PVC) which is definitely not very UV resistant, I will never buy another.

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If I can sell my Zodiac, I'm buying a 3.6 meter Valiant RIB, With the centre console etc. Just had the Zodiac repaired, new tow eye and handles etc. 600 squids!! Not a happy bunny! Do you know where they are made and are they cheaper down the meddy?

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Inflatable materials

Fully agree with that. I have a 320 Zodiac made in PVC that gets punctures from a sharp glance. It has been professionally repaired twice and amateurly (?) countless times. I also have a Compass Kudos in Hypalon that looks like new after 7 years of use. It is extremely robust, has never had a repair and has the most leak-tight valves I have ever known.

IMHO the next most important criterion in an inflatable is the tube diameter. Get the biggest you can to avoid swamping.

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Re: Inflatable materials

Mine doesn't seem to pujncture easily, but keeps loosing a layer of PVC, it goes all sticky, like dirty evostik, takes for ever to get off, and returns in a couple of weeks, bloody awful, never again! They used to be made of hypalon, but you cant mass produce and heatweld hypalon. I think Valiants are a PVC type of stuff, but don't suffer the same.

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They have - it's an interesting article, as we too are in the market for a new dinghy. Their "Best Value" was the Suzumar, made by/for Suzuki. We only require the 2.3 metre version with a 2.2 hp outboard (Suzuki), and the package price, before haggling is £885. It has an inflatable keel and inflatable floor, and weighs in at 25kg. I think it's what we'll end up with.

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Just a comment - Hypalon is not manufactured any longer (probably 5years at least).

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Don't understand that, the YM test this month of various inflatables says quite clearly, some are manufactured in Hypalon, some in PVC, and goes on to say how Hypalon stands up better to the daily abuses of dinghies. Avon inflatables are evidently still manufactured in Hypalon, as is the Tinker tramp, and YM wouldn't get it wrong surely??

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According to the YM test this month of variuos inflatables, the Tinker tramp and the Avon range are both built using Hypalon - they go on to say how the material can better stand the wear and tear metered out to these craft.

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Avons are still made of Hypalon

See Avon website - <A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.avoninflatables.co.uk/page/fd_why>http://www.avoninflatables.co.uk/page/fd_why</A> -
"AVON uses the best available materials from our Hypalon coated fabrics, immensely strong, wear resistant and waterproof, providing a craft that is virtually unaffected by weather (and excesses of heat, cold or humidity), fuel, oil, strong sunlight and everyday abrasion ...."

There is a picture of the lamination of the Hypalon outer layer glued to high tenacity basic textile with a polychloroprene inner layer.
It is a very good material. My Redcrest is 16 years old and has coped with mooring chain dragged over the tubes (not recommended) and regular use to get to swinging mooring. I look after it by keeping it under a cover to protect from UV.

John

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I have a friend currently selling a little used Zodiac with an inflatable floor. 2.8 metresand asking about £400 I think. PM me if you want more details and I'll give you his phone number.

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Assuming you are not wanting to waste money; Have a look at the 'lightweight' versions that have slatted floors, half the wieght, just as robust(ish), easy to lift on and of a boat-up a slip-in & out of a car, easier to store, easier on the pocket.

I bought a Quicksilver 2.3m through mail order chandlers on East Coast - £430, you can get the same by Plastimo for £350 from Port Solent and others.

I sold a nearly new Plastimo 270, that was fine, but back breakingly heavy.


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Not according to its manufacturers, Dupont. Hypalon is listed on their current website. As one of their biggest-selling products in tonnage terms, widely used in the building industry for roofing membranes, it seems unlikely that they would stop producing it. Look<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.dupont-dow.com/Products/Hypalon/hypalon.asp>here</A> for info.

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I have Plastimo 265i - inflatable floor and keel. I find it relatively easy to row and in a different league to flat floor models.
When purchased a couple of years ago it was at the lower end of the prices.
I would recommend it.

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Re: How long

I would be interested hear opinions on the most suitable inflatable tender length for the following criteria:

1 - 38' yacht with a very substantial pair of davits hence no problem lifting tender plus outboard. Davits are about 6 feet apart.

2 - Typical max crew size is 3.

3 – Home berth is a shore-side pontoon in the Solent.

4 - 5 Weeks cruising per year plus weekends. Hope to be at anchor 30% of time.

5 - No expectations about getting it onto a plane but having read the June YM review this is apparently a critical feature :-)

6 – I want a solid transom stern.

7 – Enough money in the bank to buy the best but expect the risk of theft outweighs longevity advantage.

I suppose the general rule is buy as small as possible but I think my (ugly) Titanic calibre davits alter the equation.


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Re: Materials that different?

Are the qualities of Hypalon and the alternatives really that polarised?

Why would anyone spend more than £200 quid on a non Avon/Tinker if the thing will go pop easily and self destruct in the sun?

Personally I am reluctant to hand over cash for an Avon given the company's long standing contempt for the finer details of usability design.

I accept that the cheaper dinghies will deteriorate but the examples I have seen tend to be semi abandoned and left outside permanently. The dinghy I plan to buy will get no more than 8 weeks of UK sunlight per year.

Yours confused of Southampton


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Re: How long

I wanted a dinghy that would last for our 37ft boat (no davits) and ended up buying an Avon Rover 2.80 with inflatable keel, air inflatable deck and solid transom. It's expensive, but I've had it with cheap inflatables.

There's a davit kit available, but I keep ours in our cavernous cockpit together with a Mercury 4HP outboard which is mounted on it's own bracket in the locker.

Theft is always a worry and I've heard people suggest that you should paint your brand-new outboard in a garish colour with lots of brush marks, slopping a generous amount all over the dinghy also to complete the deterrent. I haven't yet been able to bring myself to do this.

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Re: Materials that different?

Fully agree about Avons - vastly over-rated and overpriced.

I guess it depends on how you use them. My experience is launching/returning from beaches every weekend, additionally landing on beaches during most weekends. No pure golden sands but lots of rocks and pebbles. Sometimes landing on concrete slipways and walls (Worst tear in the Zodiac, about 6 inches long, was caused like this, just a rub on some rough concrete). Almost never coming alongside pontoons or yacht-specific harbours.

Given this treatment for about equal lengths of time the PVC Zodiac has required many repairs whereas the Hypalon has had none. Can't speak about the deterioration in sunlight except to say that Hypalon has very good resistance. Presumably the colour helps, the Zodiac is black but the Compass is white.

It seems to me that the selection of PVC is largely for manufacturing reasons, whereas Hypalon is expensive to manufacture but far better for the user, at least if he is like me.

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