| What are you looking for in an inflatable?
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| | Hypalon Construction The seams in Hypalon
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| Storage, environment, and purpose are all
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| | boats are either overlapped or butted, and
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| factors you should consider when choosing
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| | then glued.
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| your inflatable. Some fabrics and designs
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| | Butted seams produce an aesthetic, flat,
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| are better suited for certain conditions.
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| | airtight seam, without the ridge or air
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| The following questions will help you
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| | gaps left by some overlapped seams.
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| determine which type of inflatable is best
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| | However, butted seams are more
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| for you.
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| | labor-intensive, thus the boats are
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| • How will I be using the inflatable?
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| | usually more expensive. It is always wise
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| • Where will I store the boat when I’m
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| | to look for an inflatable boat with seams
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| not using it? • Am I going to use the
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| | that are double-taped, and are glued on
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| boat in an area constantly bombarded by
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| | the both sides. In stress tests, Hypalon
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| extremely harmful UV rays? • Do I have
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| | and neoprene glued seams are so strong and
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| an outboard motor that I would like to use
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| | reliable that the fabric will fail before
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| with the inflatable? • Will I be
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| | the seams.
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| primarily using an outboard motor or
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| | PVC Construction The seams of PVC-coated
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| rowing the boat? Hypalon® and Neoprene
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| | inflatables can be fused together using
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| Coatings (Synthetic Rubber Coatings)
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| | several different welding techniques. Some
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| Hypalon is a synthetic rubber material
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| | manufacturers use either high heat
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| patented by DuPont. Hypalon has many
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| | pressure, radio frequencies (RF), or
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| applications in many industries: holding
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| | electronic welding.
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| contaminated wastewater, a roofing
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| | Large, specially developed welding
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| material, cable covering, and other uses
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| | machines must be used to fuse the fabric
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| where high temperatures, oil, and UV rays
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| | together. Again, this makes it easier and
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| could weaken other materials. The majority
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| | faster to produce PVC-coated boats,
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| of inflatable boat manufacturers choose
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| | especially over handcrafted Hypalon boats.
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| Hypalon as an exterior coating, and
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| | Despite many technological advancements,
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| neoprene to coat the interior side of the
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| | the heat used to weld the seams is not
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| fabric. Neoprene was the first synthetic
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| | always distributed evenly across the
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| rubber and has been in use over 70 years.
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| | seams—which creates pockets where air
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| It has proven itself as a material with
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| | may escape—and welded seams tend to
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| excellent air holding capabilities and oil
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| | become brittle over time. PVC seams are
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| resistance.
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| | also glued, but the process of gluing PVC
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| PVC (Plastic Coatings) PVC is a vinyl
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| | seams can be extremely difficult—skilled
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| polymer chemically known as polyvinyl
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| | workers and practiced techniques are the
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| chloride. It has several applications in
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| | only guarantees of a strong seam. Fabrics
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| the leisure and construction industries:
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| | coated with PVC are also more difficult to
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| making inflatable pool toys, mattresses,
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| | repair than those coated with Hypalon.
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| beach balls, above ground pools, capping
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| | Hypalon Use Because Hypalon-coated boats
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| for soffits, and more. In the inflatable
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| | are extremely resistant to environmental
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| industry it is used as coating on
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| | caustics, they are recommended for use in
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| polyester or nylon to increase the
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| | severe climates, for boaters who plan on
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| strength and tear resistance.
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| | leaving their boats inflated, or for those
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| Because it is a type of plastic, it can be
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| | who plan on using them frequently.
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| thermobonded or glued. This allows the
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| | PVC Use PVC boats are generally good as
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| manufacturer to mass produce the boats on
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| | limited-use boats that won’t be
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| a large scale with machines and unskilled
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| | subjected to the sunlight or elements for
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| labor. But repairs can be difficult on PVC
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| | any sustained amount of time.
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| boats because thermowelding is not
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| | Inflatable Boat Design There are many
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| feasible outside of the factory and it is
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| | designs and types of inflatables available
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| very hard to repair even a pinhole leak in
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| | in the marketplace today. From rigid to
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| a seam.
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| | roll-up floorboards, hard transoms to
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| Hypalon Features Hypalon is mainly used as
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| | soft—inflatables come in just about
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| an exterior coating for inflatable boats
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| | every combination you can imagine.
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| worldwide, as it has the best properties
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| | Dinghies Dinghies are smaller, lighter
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| for resisting abrasion, extreme
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| | boats with soft transoms that can be used
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| temperatures, UV degradation, ozone,
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| | with oars, a paddle, or even a low
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| gasoline, oil, chemicals, and
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| | horsepower motor if a motor mount is used.
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| environmental factors like mildew and
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| | Sport Boats Sport boats are inflatable
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| fungus. When manufacturers use neoprene as
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| | boats with a hard transom, and a sectional
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| the interior coating the blended fabric
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| | floor made of wood, fiberglass, composite,
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| only gets better. The neoprene increases
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| | or aluminum. They also have inflatable or
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| strength and tear resistance and provides
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| | wood keels. These boats can be rolled up
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| the ultimate in air holding ability.
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| | once the floor is removed.
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| Hypalon coated onto polyester or nylon
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| | Roll-Ups These boats have a hard transom
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| fabric with an interior coating of
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| | that can be rolled up with the floor
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| neoprene is the most reliable and durable
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| | remaining in the boat. The floor can be
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| inflatable boat fabric available and can
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| | made from any material. The boats perform
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| last for more than a decade even in the
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| | very well, almost identically to
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| harshest environments —which is the
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| | traditional sport boats. The main benefit
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| reason for warranties of five and 10
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| | is easy assembly and storage.
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| years. Inflatables with external
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| | Inflatable Floor Boards Inflatable floor
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| protective coatings of Hypalon have been
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| | boats usually have hard transoms,
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| chosen for the toughest duty by the U.S.
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| | inflatable keels, and high-pressure
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| Military and Coast Guard.
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| | inflatable floors. This decreases the
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| PVC Features PVC was designed to maximize
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| | weight of these boats and makes them
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| the portability, durability, and
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| | easier to handle if you must inflate
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| convenience of many products. PVC coated
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| | deflate your boat often.
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| fabrics come in a larger array of colors
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| | Rigid Inflatable Boats (RIBs) RIBs are
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| than Hypalon® or neoprene coated
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| | more like traditional boats, with hulls
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| fabrics—and that’s why pool toys and
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| | supported by a rigid material, usually
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| floats have such wild, bright patterns.
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| | fiberglass or aluminum. The main benefits
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| While some manufacturers have developed
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| | of these boats are superior performance
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| strains of PVC with “memory”
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| | and easy assembly (just inflate the
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| —allowing products to return to their
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| | tubes). However, storage can be a problem
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| original size after deflation—and some
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| | because they can’t be made smaller than
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| are strengthened to be more cold
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| | the rigid portion of the boat. Since a RIB
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| resistant, PVC fabrics are not as
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| | is heavier, a davit system is usually
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| resistant to chemicals, gasoline,
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| | required to bring it back onto your boat.
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| temperatures, abrasions, and sunlight as
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| | Choices There are many boats out there to
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| Hypalon-coated fabrics. All of these
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| | choose from, but a careful analysis of
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| factors are common place in boating
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| | your boating lifestyle and needs should
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| environments.
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| | help you make the right choice.
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