Inflatable Boats Materials: Polyvinyl Chloride
PVC is a form of plastic that is used in more than ways than one
. It is used as water conduits, electrical wire covering, kitchen flooring and more. In recent year s the use of PVC as material for inflatable boats became popular. To make the PVC a good enough material for inflatable boats, a whole range of plasticizers and dyes were added to the formulation of drain-pipe-quality PVC to make the "sea worthy".In a nutshell, PVC is cheap! PVC is also easier to weld as it can be thermoelectrically welded quiet efficiently by machines. Neoprene and Hypalon boats cannot be welded. They have to be glued manually by very skilled workers. This is one reason why PVC is cheaper than neoprene and Hypalon. However, PVC is very photodegradable. Leave it in the hot tropical sun and the PVC will break down quickly. PVC inflatable boat manufacturers claim that they coat their PVC boats with special ultraviolet coatings like the ones in marine varnishes and paints. However, results are yet to be reported.
Plasticizers added to PVC to make it more pliable and flexible also destabilize the PVC itself. The consistency of PVC inflatable boats also differs per batch made. Quality is compromised because of this. The welded seams of PVC inflatables are strong but when the seam is attached to a rigid bottom or wooden transom, its strength is also compromised. Since PVC also does not glue well, repairing punctures and holes is difficult.
PVC is also prone to damage when exposed to hydrocarbon fuels and other chemicals. The boat will not melt or explode when exposed to such chemicals but it will stain and generally cause an adverse chemical reaction that will eventually shorten the life of PVC inflatable boats. Hypalon is generally able to withstand chemicals and hydrocarbons.
It seems that the only qualifying advantage of PVC inflatable boat is its cheap price. Veteran cruising sailors who traverse the waters of the Caribbean are adverse to PVC boats. These boats proved to be floating disasters in the hot Caribbean Sea. They do not last for more than two seasons.
Three surveys were independently done regarding the preferred material in inflatable boats. The World Cruising Survey, Practical Sailor Magazine and Seven Seas Cruising Association all had the same results in their surveys. A whopping 90% prefer Hypalon than PVC even of its more expensive. Hypalon boats by Avon and Achilles were the brands most favored. The surveys were conducted on full-time sailors who spend a lot of time sailing and cruising in the tropics. These sailors and cruisers spend use their Hypalon inflatable boats on an almost daily basis.
The waters and sun of the tropics are different in the temperate zone. If you intend to use your PVC inflatable boat only in the colder temperate zone for a limited time only, then that is fine. Photodegradation does not seem to be a problem that greatly affects PVC inflatable boats in the temperate zone. However, PVC boats that suffered damages due to the sun's rays were almost always beyond the point of repair.
The lifespan of any inflatable boat depends largely on how you take care of the boat. You may own the most expensive Hypalon boat your side of town but if you don't take care of your inflatable properly it still won't last. Even the most expensive inflatable boat will not last long if is neglected and abused. O the other hand, even the cheapest PVC inflatable will last for years and years if taken care of properly. A boat that is properly taken care of even if used every day is good to use for 5 years. A well maintained boat that is occasionally used can last up to 20 years.
Hypalon boats have guarantees of 10 years while PVC boats usually have 5 years warrantees. Note that there are some boat companies that do not honor their warrantees.
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Inflatable Boats Materials: Polyvinyl Chloride
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