Painting Hypalon

[Pura Vida]

I've got an old Avon hypalon dink that cost me a couple of hundred bucks and works great. It also looks pretty bad which may deter theft but I would still like to paint it. The previous owner had the boat in Florida and both Florida registration numbers and name of his boat are painted on the side and I would like to cover those. The white water crowd is telling me that painting a hypalon raft is no big deal and in fact it even helps seal seams and pinholes. The local inflatable dealer has told me that not only is it a bad idea but I will certainly be bound for the theological place of eternal punishment simply for considering it. Their stated reason is because they know hypalon better than I do (or 'because I said') and that I should use patches (sold expensively by the square inch or 'because I sell them').

Has anyone had any experience painting a dink used in salt water?

[Rick]

The paints tend to flake off after awhile, especially if you deflate the dink. I've had good luck with careful application of ordinary contact cement and reinforced vinly patches. I completely covered the inside bottom that way and it lasted for a couple of years more. It was difficult to get a good uniform contact, tho, with such a large single piece.

Other adhesives seem to work also. Haven't tried Gorilla Tape yet you might try that for a quick patch. Just have to be careful to have the hypalon clean as possible and dry.

Had a hypalon kit but it dried up and, geeze, if you read the directions it appears that if not applied EXACTLY then it might not work and, even then your kidneys and liver will not like the materials.

[Wahoo Sails]

I have seen first hand the results of using the paint West Marine carries for dinks. Looked absolutely great at first .... within 6 months (here in FL) looked far worse than if it had been left unpainted.
Bob & Lynn

[Sandero]

Antifouling dinghy paints works fine in LIS. You might get some slime which is easy to remove.. but no rasta growth or barnacles.

[hellosailor]

I can think of a couple of problems. Hypalon is after all a "plastic" material and paint solvents can remove plasticizers causing rubber, plastics, etc. to crack and age prematurely, so you would want to make sure that any paint you use is compatible with hypalon.

Then there's whether it will bond to the hypalon. There are special adhesives (IIRC Bostich makes one, a urethane base with a special primer) for hypalon, and rubbers in general will stick, so you could buy a bottle of the special glue and a sheet of rubber (from McMaster, etc. if not locally) in a variety of colors (red, white, black) and glue something on. Paint can be removed or painted over--but gluing on something large...well, they won't be able to get that off, either.

[Sunspot Baby]

If your going for appearance, not patching, consider making canvas chaps for it. There are ready made units available or make your own. These protect the dink from UV and abrasion and can be removed to wash.

George

[Pura Vida]

I've given the chaps some thought. I've been sewing alot lately and I'm not sure that I' ready to take on another project of that size. But it is a good solution.

[Pura Vida]

Well I was just down at the old Werst Marine where they are having an inventory clearance and found some waterbased hypalon paint. I'm as skeptical as the next guy as to its coverage but I can't make this dingy look worse than it does today so I am going to give it a try. I plan on spending July until ... sailing so I can get an idea of how well it works.

[HeyMoe]

I have an 89 Achilles. The thing is perfect except for it's faded appearance. Did you use the West Marine paint? How'd that go? How do they recommend preparing the substrate?

Thank you.

[Hudson Force]

I am curious if anyone has found a product more effective than what was presented in this post many years ago. I had a Hypalon RIB that was over ten years old when it failed to hold air pressure. My current dinghy is eight years old and doing well, but I give it much use and exposure.

I understand that "chaps" would provide an excellent UV protection, but in my environment they provide an excellent place for spiders and mold.

Has anyone found success with a new hypalon protective coating?

[hellosailor]

Any kind of plastic or rubber that's out in the sun usually benefits from ArnmorAll or 303 protectant. Armorall shouldn't be used on glued seams or painted "rubbers" as it can apparently dissolve the glues and binders after time. But (without seeing a lable and just from memory) I think 303 is labeled as safe for these surfaces. It blocks UV, and that's what the hypalon needs.

[JPA Cate]

Hudson, is the new dinghy hypalon? or PVC?

You might try to get a handle on tarp renewal paint (trucking industry), but the devil is in the details for materials compatibility.

The sewing group here on CF has a thread about dinghy covers, which includes a Sail-Rite link which would be a good thing to read before you embarked on making your own. ....Don't ask how I know! You get there by clicking on Community, and from there you can find the sewing group.

Ann

[Roy M]

I've painted with rubber paints on Hypalon with great results. Here's a link: Liquid Rubber Repair Paint for Hypalon & PVC Inflatable Boats, Qt.

[rwidman]

Originally Posted by Pura Vida

I've got an old Avon hypalon dink............

Here's a thought - Contact Avon and ask them if it can be painted and what kind of paint and preparation to use.

[Hudson Force]

Thank you Hellosailor, I've used Amorall before and I generally like the product, but I need to be careful about sliding away when I sit or step on the surface after application.

Ann, thanks for the trucker's tarp renewal thought. My dinghy is Hypalon, but 8 years past new. As for the sewn cover, I hesitate to provide a layer for all the insects, spiders and microbes in humid Florida to hide under.

Roy M, I've saved the link for the liquid rubber & 'might give it a try.

Thanks to all.