Very Fast Advice Needed.. Hypalon Vs PVC

[Midger]

Morning All,
Visited Southampton yesterday, 2 possible RIBS , 1 Hypalon one PVC, each dealer suggesting different benefits. Any chance of some straight answers on which you could go for.

5.5 metre RIB so no issues with folding, may rub against pontoons so I am led to believe PVC will stand that better than Hypalon, but one dealer telling me Hypalon better and the boat he is selling has hypalon but at a pvc price.

Help required quick as going back to show tomorrow.

Thanks all,
Midger

[PeterM]

For the same money I'd go Hypalon .....

There is a reason the MOD/RNLI etc all have Hypalon ...

[willk]

Hypalon for me too. Worth mentioning that anything will suffer if being rubbed against pontoons - everyone (other than Humberp4wl) in the world would try to avoid this at all costs.....

[C2 RIBS]

Originally Posted by Midger

Morning All,
Visited Southampton yesterday, 2 possible RIBS , 1 Hypalon one PVC, each dealer suggesting different benefits. Any chance of some straight answers on which you could go for.

5.5 metre RIB so no issues with folding, may rub against pontoons so I am led to believe PVC will stand that better than Hypalon, but one dealer telling me Hypalon better and the boat he is selling has hypalon but at a pvc price.

Help required quick as going back to show tomorrow.

Thanks all,
Midger

Does the RIB manufacturer make a difference, are costs spared in other areas of the build to keep price down?
Dont forget if on a pontoon we see a large number of RIBs using fenders so rubbing not an issue.

I know one manufacturer who offers both on one size of RIB and costs are very different and if cost is an issue -no issue with PVC/PU

[Poly]

Midger,

Are you sure the choice was PVC v's Hypalon? Not Polyurethane (PU) v's Hypalon. I've heard it claimed that PU is better than Hypalon in some 'high wear' uses (such as rubbing). I've never heard anyone claim PVC was better than Hypalon except for cost.

• Hypalon v's PVC at the same price, on equal boats you will almost resoundingly get a Hypalon answer on this forum.

• Hypalon v's PU at the same price, will usually get a Hypalon answer here too - but there are some PU users who are very happy and many of the Hypalon users actually have no personal experience and confuse PU and PVC.

Are the boats otherwise identical? If it is definitely PVC I wouldn't trust the dealer if he claims it is better. But then I'd also be suspicious of any dealer saying "Hypalon at a PVC price". Was it over priced to start with? Why would you discount your apparently better product if you don't need to?

[jwalker]

If the price is right, don't be afraid of PVC. PVC tho isn't as abrasive resistant as hypalon because sharp edges slice it more readily, eg. shell edges, barnacles etc. Having said that, you would not normally park your boat with the tube fabric against a wall, pontoon etc., it would be the rubbing strake that should be taking any abrasion and it is thicker and generally chunkier, or fenders if you wish to use them.
On the positive side, PVC makes for a much more rigid tube, it's much easier to walk on the tubes, there's less bounce as you come alongside so you don't spring off before you grab the cleat or ladder, it's more rigid against the water when travelling so behaves more like a boat hull than a bendy tube. I've had boats with both types and you do get used to handling them as necessary. As to longevity, I guess that's more down to how you look after your boat than other factors. My present boat is hypalon but I have a PVC tender for it which is the same age and doesn't show any sign of deterioration.

[Poly]

I've had a message from Midger and can confirm it is definitely PVC not PU.

He's looking at 2 different boats. I'll leave the makes out as it will otherwise dissolve into a "what about xyz" discussion (which he might want, but I'll leave that to him).

One is 5.75m PVC,
The other is 5.25m Hypalon

Both with 90 HP Etecs. The PVC boat is 10% cheaper.

[HUMBER P4VWL]

Originally Posted by willk

Hypalon for me too. Worth mentioning that anything will suffer if being rubbed against pontoons - everyone (other than Humberp4wl) in the world would try to avoid this at all costs.....

Defo go for Hypo

... and I'd tie off to the pontoon with my rubber cleat too

[C-NUMB]

Originally Posted by Polwart

I've had a message from Midger and can confirm it is definitely PVC not PU.

He's looking at 2 different boats. I'll leave the makes out as it will otherwise dissolve into a "what about xyz" discussion (which he might want, but I'll leave that to him).

One is 5.75m PVC,
The other is 5.25m Hypalon

Both with 90 HP Etecs. The PVC boat is 10% cheaper.

If the size does not matter, I would recomend the Hypalon one. Hypalon is much more resistant to most solvents and cold temperature. I am pretty sure that the longewity of the seams/glued parts is also better as well as UV resistance on hypalon. PVC has its advantages,one it is easier to keep tidy. I guess also the second hand value on the hypalon boaut would be better?

[m3mm0s rib]

With a sturdy construction and vessels over 5m I think that is necessary hypalon

[diverdad]

I won't go into specifics, tried PVC, total garbage.

I'd go with Hypalon every time.

Good luck with your choice

Lee

[Threepointer]

Anybody got a view on whether the resale value of a boat with hypalon tubes would be higher than an otherwise identical PVC-tubed boat?

[Poly]

3-pointer - resale will usually be higher for a hypalon v's a PVC boat. Obviously other factors affect price but an educated buyer would be avoiding PVC on an older boat. Although bear in mind a retube might be less that 20% of the cost of a fancy boat.

[ssobol]

Good PVC boats have thermo-welded seams. This fuses the fabric essentially making it one piece. When PVC is glued with solvent glues, pretty much the same thing happens (fabric partially dissolves and flows together).

Hypalon boats are glued together. The glue flows into the fabric and holds the fabric pieces together. The boat is only as strong as the glue is. The Hypalon fabric will often last longer than the glue. Gluing properly can be a tricky job if you don't know what you are doing. Repairing PVC is easier than Hypalon.

The PVC fabric will eventually get stiffer and more brittle. How fast this happens depends on the care given the boat. The Hypalon fabric itself will last longer and is more durable than PVC. The glue joints on the Hypalon boat will eventually discolor and will show more.

My first RIB was Hypalon (supposedly from a reputable manufacturer). It was bought new. After only a few hours the glue joints at the transom started separating. While it was fixed under warranty it involved a couple of weeks without the boat and traveling some distance to the repair facility.

My current RIB is PVC. The tubes are new, and so far I have not had any issues with this boat. A set of hypalon tubes for this boat cost about 2x what the PVC tubes cost.

[ribraff]

Originally Posted by ssobol

Repairing PVC is easier than Hypalon

I would have to disagree with you on that!