With the number and choice of inflatable boats increasing all the time, the basic question is what is the difference in the materials used in their manufacture? Essentially it comes down to Hypalon. This is a rubber/neoprene substance or uPVC: used in most manufactured production boats, or a highbred that has some of the advantages of both.
How can you know with- out performing exhaustive chemical testing? If you can see inside the tube, through the valve and it is a dark grey, then it is Hypalon. uPVC is the same color on both sides of the material. Sand the material lightly. Hypalon will produce dust and matt down. uPVC will just scratch and not produce dust.
A major consideration in any inflatable boat is how the various pieces are joined together. This will affect many things in the boat's longevity and price. A Hypalon built boat will have hand glued seams, with one overlapping the other. You will only see the part of the fabric that covers the other section. Butted seems produce an aesthetic; flat, airtight seem without the ridges left by over lapping seams. Unfortunately, butted seams are more labor intensive resulting in higher price. However, these boats usually come with a 10 year warranty and are more resistant to mildew, and fungus.
It is always good to look for an inflatable boat with seams that are double taped and glued on both sides. In stress tests, Hypalon and neoprene glued seams are so strong and reliable that the fabric will fail before the seams. Hypalon has the added advantage of being more resistant to sunlight and some chemicals. Hypalon was first manufactured by the Dupont Company, but closed their plant in 2010, due to lack of demand.
A substitute material Pennel Orca an elastomer compound,very similar to Hypalon and made in France is used instead. One of the few drawback to Hypalon as an exterior coating is that it is not as abrasion resistant as uPVC. There are some Hypalon fabrics that are doubled up for more extreme use such as bumpers, bow skirts, and anti-chafe patches.
Many inflatable boat manufactures use material a from an unsupported PVC film-without fabric of any kind. This type of construction would generally be used in the manufacture of the least expensive inflatable boats. The quality and durability of unsupported PVC varies widely and is a function of the thickness of the PVC used. The advantages of this material is economy of manufacturing, rapid construction, equal tear strength in both directions making long tears less likely, when welded properly good durability, forgiving because it operates at a lower PSI (.75psi), and increased abrasion resistance. On the other hand this type of construction is not recommended for boats that will carry motors. Because of lack of rigidity. This method of construction is reserved for the least expensive boats with a shorter durability.
There is another type of construction that is used by many boat manufactures that employs a combination of polyester fabric with an out side PVC Coating.. The quality of this type of hull material is very dependent on the quality of the PVC coating used and whether it is brushed on as a top layer and a bottom layer. This comprises a three layered construction. Which, is a more reliable process than just laminating. The strength of the fabric used is a function of the denier or decitex number. The higher the number the more strength the material has. This method of construction has several advantages: it's puncture resistant, very resistant to sunlight and chemicals, can be inflated to very high pressures for rigidity, extremely long lasting and durable, capable of handling large outboard motors. Again on the down side, they are expensive to produce, use expensive material, cannot be welded, and the environment during construction has to be strictly controlled; any dust or dirt during the welding process can cause the seams to be weakened and ultimately become defective.
So where does all this technical data leave the purchaser of inflatable boats? As with many things concerning boats, the prospective purchaser has to realistically determine what is the boat to be used for. Don't pay for an expensive watch when a bottom of the line may be fine.
If you want to learn more about kayaks or you want to purchase a kayak, come to http://www.oceanstatekayaks.com/.
Article written by Dale S. Nelson
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