Will I regret PVC in MD?

[bigduby]

West Marine has their RIB 310 Sportboat going on sale for 1699 and it looks like a pretty nice boat. Then I realize its PVC. Am I going to regret this living in MD? Anyone have any experience with this model? It's 10'2" x 4'11" and I havent found anything comparable ( price wise ) yet. I've heard ( and read ) that the hyphalon is better but I don't won't to go overboard if the PVC will last me through the warranty ( 5 years ) and maybe some more.

 

[Newbie]

After dealing with several issues with my PVC zodiac, I don't think I would go with pvc again myself unless weight were an issue. PVC construction probably isn't even my issue though, I've had floor seams fail and now a leak at the transom which is causing the transom to rot. I don't know if hypalon seams hold up better than pvc but I expected more life out of a 6 yr old Zodiac. The guy who did my repairs for me had nothing but high praise for the new Walker Bay line up, whether PVC or hypalon. After looking at them, I will check more into them once this POS zodiac fails again.

My repair person is a stand up guy and sells several lines of inflatables, claims to beat anyones prices if your interested.

 

[barryg]

One of the big differences between Hypalon and PVC is sun damage/fading.. The PVC will definitely get beat up in the sun, while the hypalon won't. For me, though, I don't keep my dinghy on my boat all the time, and when I do for extended periods, I have a cover for it. I also clean it and then spray 303 on it. Still looks like new after about a year and a half. If you're going to keep the inflatable out in the sun all the time, I'd go with the Hypalon. For what I paid for my PVC, which was about $875.00 for a 9'6" air floor; if it starts going bad after 5 or 6 years, I can live with that..and buy another and still make out over some of the high priced hypalon models...

 

[bigduby]

One of my problems is I don't know where to go to see different models. I've never owned one or even been in one so I like to see them before I buy. West Marine is the only place I've found that sells them new so I was limited to them. I will keep looking but I'm wondering if the PVC will last through the 5 year warranty, it might be worth it to get me started.

 

[Mr Salt]

One of my problems is I don't know where to go to see different models. I've never owned one or even been in one so I like to see them before I buy. West Marine is the only place I've found that sells them new so I was limited to them. I will keep looking but I'm wondering if the PVC will last through the 5 year warranty, it might be worth it to get me started.

There is company in Annapolis, I believe, called Inflatible Experts, as I recall they sell several different manufacturers.

 

[fc3]

I've been resisting posting for several days, but...

If you are talking about PVC underwear, then yeah, you'll probably regret it. Whew! OK, got that out of my system.

But a PVC dink is a bit less expensive than hypalon and more easily repaired. The downside of PVC is the ultraviolet light degrades it, so you must cover it or otherwise keep if from sunlight when not in use.

Best regards,
Frank

 

[osd9]

My 3 year old PVC dink sits outside 365 days a year....Winter through Summer. It's sits with a cover probably 355 of those days. It still looks like the day it was born. The cover, on the other hand, looks like 'who done it and ran'.....I'm probably due for a new cover this year sometime.

 

[Rocket]

Check out the achilles sport boat 290 - SPD 290 - Same price as the west marine boat you are looking at. Achilles is hypalon and they actually fabricate their material. Hypalon boats are hand glued and are slightly heavier.