Inflatable choice hypalon vs. PVC

jibes138 · Sep 13, 2009

depends on the condition

my 20 year old achilles I paid 999.00 for it and it is just about ready to retire to the dinghy hall of fame. has about three patches on it, needs filling pretty regularly, for 50 bucks a year I couldn't ask for a better deal. I'd buy another in an instant. I use it constantly and keep it in the water all year round with bottom paint on it.
That said I'd rather have a new PVC than my 20 year old hypalon. If I found a 20 year hypalon that was kept indoors and rarely used I'd rather have that. If you get a PVC then get a cover for it to keep out of the sun, other than sun damage they are fine as far as use. I was at Defender a few weeks back at the warehouse in Ct. and they had a nice Achilles hard bottom but it was pretty pricey.

Don S/V ILLusion · Sep 13, 2009

This is a "how long will my used car last?" question.
The condition and how it was stored, how it was used, etc...if it was covered, etc...of the hypalon dictates it's lifespan which can exceed 20 years.
Same with the pvc although 10 years is usually a typical lifespan of pvc but that too is dependent on how and where stored.

Absent knowing more, it is a guess.

Rob McClain · Sep 13, 2009

We own a Zodiac Fastroller, the type with the inflatable floor and keel. It is built with PVC. Generally it's been pretty good, although some of the seams have always leaked and taken in about 1/2 gallon of water overnight if it's just bobbing in the water. It recently turned 5 years old and about 1 month after expiration of the 5 year warranty it developed a major air leak in the hose that connects the floor to the keel. This means they both lose air together and it makes the boat unusable. Unfortunately, this is not repairable until we get a part from Zodiac and that part is in France and not expected in the States until sometime in October. By the way, we've already been waiting 6 weeks. In talking with a local dealer the problem we encountered with this leak is one that he is seeing now rather frequently. He strongly recommended that when folks buy inflatables they look for hypalon if possible and affordable. My boat is already showing signs where the material is beginning to unbond and that concerns me. In talking with another Zodiac owner, his came apart in 2 years and he swore that he would never buy a Zodiac again.

My 2 cents is that I would go with hypalon if at all possible, it is a better and more durable material with much longer life. If you need to go with PVC be very careful about Zodiac in general and do not get the inflatable floor/keel. It is my experience that the service Zodiac provides to their dealers is lacking and that is directly my ability to use our boat.

Rob

MoonSailer · Sep 13, 2009

Will the boat get stolen??? One reason that I've heard for PVC is that the nicer the boat the more likely it is to be stolen especially in the islands. I recently bought a Korean built PVC boat and it looks good but we haven't used it yet.

Alec · Sep 13, 2009

I've had an Achilles for 25 years that is still in decent shape. I keep it inside when not being used but have used it plenty in some years and not much in others. I do wash it frequently and then wipe it down with a rubber preservative. I have to launch & retrieve it by dragging it over the edge of the dock but it never suffers any damage in doing this. My neighbors with PVC boats cannot do this without scraping slivers of PVC off the bottoms of the boats while doing so.
I don't think you can beat hypalon....especially if you are considering using the inflatable as a lifeboat.

Guest · Sep 13, 2009

Dink

20 year old Avon hypalon.

Terry Cox

MoonSailer · Sep 13, 2009

Walker Bay 8....I have had one out in the sun for 6 years..that I've owned it . Rows pretty well and pretty tough.

Franklin · Sep 13, 2009

DO NOT BUY EITHER!!!!

Down here we need the Hypos but 20 years is way too old. 90% chance either one will only last you 8-12 months tops.

Keep saving for that new (or fairly new) hypo. You don't NEED it now because you are not cruising yet and who knows, by the time you NEED it I might be able to just give you my PVC (if it's still worth anything then in a few months). In this climate you have to keep PVC covered or it will not last. I was told mine was a Hypo when I bought it from West Marine but found out this year it's not

so I will be getting a new one as soon as I can afford one.

Franklin · Sep 13, 2009

Hermit Scott said:
Also I would like something that could double as a life raft.

Life rafts are not only terribly expensive and hopefully money thrown away but if the day comes that you REALLY need one, you will wish you found the money to get one. The only way a dinhgy will save you is if the boat is sinking in the Gulf due to equipment defect. It will not save you in bad weather!

But, until you can get a life-raft, not just an ordinary one, but an offshore one which of course cost much more

, it is smart to rig your dinhgy to substitue for one as you have no choice. What I used to do is deflate it when doing offshore passages and tie it to the stern handrails (only 12" off waterline) with a quick release knot. Of course I tested to see if it would float deflated as I put the pump inside the dinhgy and my plan was to pump it up while I floated in the water....like I said...no choice

But realiistically, sailing along the shore in the Gulf during the day, all you NEED is life jackets and flares (lots of them), a handheld radio, a mirror, a flashlight and an EPIRB.

Sad but true, you can get an EPIRB much cheaper than a life-raft or dinhgy and as long as you stay within 200 miles of shore, that is much better to have. As long as you are close to shore, you will be recued within an hour if you have those items with you. If you are outside of helicoper range, expect it to take days for a ship to be routed to you and that's when you absolutely have to have a life-raft.

Franklin · Sep 13, 2009

Also keep in mind that the personal EPIRBs only last 24 hours after tripped and that's with a full battery, so if you are in the middle of the small pond or the big pond and you trip it, the battery may run out before they find you. They will have your last corridinates before the battery runs out, but it's not the same as having a beacon and current cordinates transfered to the ship sent to find you. Unfortunately, even the normal size EPIRBs are only about twice the time

John Nantz · Sep 13, 2009

Our Avon Hypalon is 16 yrs old

Researched inflatables before we bought and virtually all the experienced long-distance cruisers said to go hypalon, which is what we did. Bought an Avon 3.15 roll-up in '93 and it is still going strong after 16 years.

Downside: This is about 11 feet long and with the roll-up deck and inflatable keel it weighs in at 115 lbs, not exactly a light-weight. However, with the appropriate tackle I can raise and lower it from deck level fairly easy.

Plus: This planes with an 8hp (also heavy). Has lots of room for stuff, is reasonably stable to get in and out of, and has lasted all this time really well.

The Avon pump is the standard of the industry. The Avon oars come apart into two pieces for easy storage in the lazarette.

Recommendation: the 2.85 version would weigh less and would be easier to man-handle. But the 3.15 would be nicer once it is in the water. The smaller one, realistically, is probably all you really need. And then maybe a 2hp outboard.

Liferaft use: If high wind is involved virtually any dingy would have a problem with becoming airborne or being blown away. As a minimum it would need to be tied off to the main boat at all times until you're ready to cast off from the mother ship. Wind has tremendous power and it is amazing how it could blow even a heavy inflatable and make it become airborne.

jibes138 · Sep 14, 2009

motor for dinghy

To get these dinghies to plane you really need more than 5 HP depending of course on size of the dinghy. To just get around you can do just fine with a 2.2 outboard. I used a Mercury 2.2 two stroke for probably 12 years and got around just fine with a 10'2" Achilles. Never planed but I didn't care. After the 2.2 I now use a 4 HP Johnson two stroke, it will plane with one person but not with 2. I still get around just fine and go on many mile trips in it. These motors are so stingy on gas it is amazing.
Why bring this up, you can get used small two stroke motors in working condition very cheap and I highly recommend it versus rowing. These infaltables row really badly and against heavy wind and chop you will have a problem going any significant distance. Especially with two people and a load of gear. You can always jettison weight when needed but make sure they can swim.
A friend has an old Mercury 2.2 in his garage he'd likely unload given the opportunity, but check out your local area as shipping a motor is probably more than its worth.

Capt. Kermie · Sep 14, 2009

Hypalon vs PVC
The further south you are the stronger the case for Hypalon. In the tropics you have stronger harmful rays all through out the year, a hypalon is the only way to go, PVC will simply not last as long or for as many years.
So why do they makje PVC? For us northern sailors. The further north you live the weaker the case for hypalon and the stronger case for PVC. Yes, hypalon will far outlast PVC even in the north but do you really need hypalon and the extra cost it carries? I am at the 49th parallell and I only have my PVC in the water for a Max of 3 months a year, usuually less. It is only for trips, the rest of the time it is stored in the garage in a bag. In northern climes a dinghy is not exposed to the elements like in the southern climes so hypalon is not as necsessary. It is only in the water for short durations of the year while the rest of the year it is in storage. There is also sunscreen for your PVC to help protect it. I have had my PVC for six seasons now and it is still going strong. Sure I would love hypalon but not for the added cost, PVC works just fine in the north.

bobtigar · Sep 14, 2009

Any of you South Fla sailors who want a used hypalon...I have an 8 yr old 8' hypalon...no patches...no leaks $450.00 complete. Bob Tigar bjtigar1@netzero.net

Gail R · Sep 15, 2009

We have an eight-foot Zodiac PVC that we bought at the Defender warehouse sale maybe five to seven years ago. We bought PVC because it was light in weight and with the inflatable floor, we could roll it up and stow it below if we needed to. (We have actually done this during away races a couple times).

We're in Maine and only sail aobut four months a year, so not a lot of UV exposure.

Unlike what others have reported, ours has not fallen apart at the seams. However we have had an issue with the floor getting sticky. Zodiac provided a process to "fix" that which involved cleaning with Xylene and following by spraying with a garden fungicide, but that did not work. It got sticky again. So we put an old beach towel on the floor.

The stickiness is not as much of an issue when its cloudy and cool -- bigger problem with sunny and hot. Go figure.

Anyway, other than the sticky floor, it has served our purposes well. We power it with a 2 HP outboard.

But if we were to go cruising long-term to southern climates, we'd get a hypalon, probably either new or less than 10 years old. While Avon inflatables are built to last -- I paddled them as a whitewater guide and those boats took LOTS of abuse -- I'd be a little nervous about getting one that's 20 years old.

zeehag · Sep 15, 2009

hypalon is damn good for 20 yrs just keep covered .
pvc is good for 5 yrs if covered .....i like the older hypalon dinks--they work well and still last until your budgetary constraints diminish...LOL.....btdt with vigah.....

Inflatable choice hypalon vs. PVC

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