PVC or Hypalon.

[marlinmike]

had a PVC Zodiac and babied it, no sun etc, right at 7 years the seams came apart, did some reseach and it seemed like a common number. My hypalon I totally abuse, out in the sun all summer and it's 12 years old and perfect.
So it's the old pay now or pay later.

[Cotemar]

All inflatables will develop leaks. It's a fact of life. Hypalon boats are actually just one big patch. All the seams are hand glued. Hypalon is easily repairable. Always use 2-part hypalon adhesive. One part adhesive is not strong enough. Save yourself the trouble of having to do it again.

PVC boat seams, on the other hand are heat welded. To properly patch a leak in a PVC boat it should be welded too. Unfortunately, there isn't a process available on the market that will do just that. And if you should ever happen to lose a seam, which happens quite often, you might as well toss the boat. PVC glue will not hold for any length of time. So if you think you've found a 'deal' on a second hand PVC, unless it's like new, don't buy it. PVC's are generally one owner boats. That said, if you find your needs are for something to use a couple of weeks a year on vacation, a PVC should serve you well. Just don't expose it to months of UV exposure.

First time cruisers usually wait until the last minute to pick up their dinks before cutting the dock lines, and because their budgets are running a little thin they buy the cheapest 'new' dink they can find. Usually PVC. This is the one they fry after a couple of seasons of UV exposure in the lower latitudes where UV is at its worst.. Afterwards, because of its reputation, they'll spend big bucks on a new Hypalon boat. (Trying to make sure they never have to worry about the dink again....) They would have been better off picking up a good clean used Hypalon in the first place, and saved themselves a whole lot of cruising kitty cash........

[susswein]

Correction: Not all PVC dinks are welded. The better ones are, but a lot of the cheaper ones are still glued. And even on the weded ones there are a few glued seams in places that can't be welded (like the end caps.

In the whitewater rafting world some of the higher end boats are made with either urethane coated PVC or are urethane encapsulated after construction. Anybody know of any urethane dinks?

[jonasaberg]

Originally Posted by Panope

Jonasaberg, Do you know if your failed, 8 year old Zodiac was stored in direct sunlight?

sorry, missed reading your question. ..

I don' t know how it was stored but i would guess it was in the rather mild Stockholm sun for a few months every summer and stored cool but indoors the rest of the time like most inflatable dingies in Sweden.

The mild weather and the relatively long life span of a pvc boat compared with in the tropics is not the issue though, it is the reliability. I like to trust my gear even when it is a few years old, and hypalon lasts a looong time. It will probably look old by design long before it fails which is just the way I like it.

[jonasaberg]

Originally Posted by goboatingnow

Isn't hypalon no longer being made , I beleive the process damaged the environment or something

Dave

I'm pretty sure hypalon is still around. Google achilles + hypalon...

[Reefmagnet]

Dupont Hypalon is no longer made, but the same stuff is still made by one or two other companies around the world.

[jonasaberg]

yea, well, ok, of course hypalon was the Dupont trade mark, but as you say the chemical substance, chlorosulphonated polyethylene, is produced and used for the same applications as earlier.

Hypalon - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by Panope

I am considering a roll-up dingy that will be used in the Pacific Northwest. This inflatable will be secondary to my primary, hard dingy. The inflatable will be stored below deck in a bag. I will not be a full-time cruiser.

Sunlight degradation is NOT a factor.

What fabric choice is better for puncture/abrasion resistance?

What fabric choice is better for making field repairs?

Steve

Depends on how long you want it to last. Plan on 5 yrs. for PVC; 10-15 years is common for hypalon.

With field repairs, it is the setting time of the glue you're using that really determines how inconvenient it is. If you're on the beach with a dinghy that exploded a previous repair from being too hot (bad mistake, that was), plan on spending 1-1/2 hrs. and then not totally inflating it for overnight. This was with hypalon, and a type of glue called SC 2000, used in the coneyor belt and food processing industries. Repairs you can do while on your boat may be more convenient.

I can not write specifically about PVC dinghy field repairs, never had a pvc dinghy.

Ann

Ann

[Panope]

Originally Posted by Ann T. Cate

Depends on how long you want it to last. Plan on 5 yrs. for PVC; 10-15 years is common for hypalon.

Ann

Thanks Ann.

The 5 years for PVC that you predict - is that for a dinghy stored out of the sun or in? Or do you subscribe to the theory that 'once exposed to sunlight' the clock starts ticking regardless of subsequent protection?

Steve

[JPA Cate]

Originally Posted by Panope

Thanks Ann.

The 5 years for PVC that you predict - is that for a dinghy stored out of the sun or in? Or do you subscribe to the theory that 'once exposed to sunlight' the clock starts ticking regardless of subsequent protection?

Steve

The 5 yrs. is about the service people get out of them -- and the dinghies are exposed to sun, wind, rain, and sea water. I'm not sure about this, but how I understand pvc fabric is that it has plasticizers in it that outgas, leading to it becoming less pliable over time. I do not know if UV exposure triggers that or if it is exclusively related to the passage of time, and would happen however it was stored. I would imagine that protecting it would help, but don't know that for a fact.

I know one can glue pvc pipe with pretty good results, but my personal results glueing pvc fabric have not been good, with the glue bond breaking down fast. But this was not dinghy fabric, and possibly the glue was not quite right for the application.

I'm thinking we need help from a chemist here!

If you're looking at a long term dinghy, I do know that hypalon dinghies stored as you suggested in your OP will keep in good condition longer than my 10-15 yrs. in my first post, which time was based on 24/7 exposure to the elements.

PVC can be welded; hypalon is glued, and in the old days, was sewn and glued.

I actually think, given that your possible pvc dinghy is only intended as a backup, you should certainly get 5 yrs. out of it. If you're the kind of person who would rather have a sure thing, go with the hypalon.

Ann

[zeehag]

duponts patent on hypalon was made avilable and sold so dupontno longer makes it. the copuycats left stuff out of the mix so it isnt as good as wjhen dupont made it and held patent. now it can bubble and do stuff hypalon with lifetime warranty doesnt do anymore.
despite this problem hypalon is far superior to pvc for dinghies even with the lil fails new hypalon has.
yes hypalon is still available. it is just slightly different.

[cheoah]

As a backup to a hard dink I would think a PVC would do it. My PVC air floor is fairly light and compact and has seen regular but careful use for almost 5 years now. It carries a 3.5 outboard and rows reasonably well. I row it much of the time.

PVC dinks are easy to patch, just need the right adhesive (not PVC pipe glue) and use recommended solvent.