Guns, Bows, Shooting Sports, and Hunting Anybody own or use a Zodiac Boat.......

[hammersley]

I was looking at getting a Zodiac Classic Mark 2, 13. 9ft for some high mountain lakes that you can't have a Gas motor on... but you can have an electric... . and some of these you can't get a trailer into... ... they sure are built very well..... surely not the one camping trip cheap models that we often see... .

Zodiac Classic Inflatable Boats on Sale

 

[surfbeetle]

Zodiacs have been around for a long time. I have not heard much bad about them. There is another brand I believe called Achilles. I was a lifeguard in San Diego and I think that was the brand used. In open surf, they are rough riding but I would think be great in a lake.

 

[SNGLESHOT]

Hammer:
The Zodiac is the only inflatable that I have had any experience with. While I am not sure the civilian versions are built with same standards as the milpro versions, I can tell you from personal experience (26 years military) that the Zodiac is one hell of a RIB without getting into old war stories.
Research their product line to make sure you get one that will suffice for your needs. Good luck.

 

[David Pendleton]

I have an 8. 5 Zodiac Cadet. I've very happy with it.



I'm not familiar with the particular options for the Classic Mark II, but I would recommend a wood floor and inflatable keel.

 

[hammersley]

The one I have has

both the floor and keel... ... looking forward to the high mountain lakes next week.....

 

[VZarich]

I had a Zodiac by West Marine (pvc boat) that gave me problems and leaked from the day that I bought it. I brought it to a shop that repairs inflatable boats that was able to locate the leak, he showed me how the boats are constructed and showed me how no matter how well the repairs are made that pvc are not as durable or as well made as the hypalon boats. Based on his explanation and the physical evidence presented I believe his assessment to be true. I ended up trading it in to an inflatable boats dealer towards the purchase of an Achilles (hypalon boat) that has been flawless. I know that the hypalon boat is more expensive, if I were to do things over again I would buy the Achilles to begin with and stay away from the Zodiac. By the way, the Zodiac that I bought was 2 years old, owned by an older gentleman and looked to be almost new. When I contacted Zodiac directly about a possible warranty repair they left a great deal to be desired. Put your money towards an Achilles, you will be happy with it.

 

[JLEONARD]

I'm a boater and have owned both Hypalon and PVC inflatables and there are many of each that are around the marina.

Without a doubt the Hypalon wins for longevity, but mainly because of it's UV resistance. I had a Hypalon that lasted 15 years and took a lot of abuse. I gave it away and it was still going.

I now have a PVC (Mercury RIB) and after 3 seasons the outside is getting sticky from the UV breakdown. I knew that would happen, but the PVC boats are quite a bit cheaper to buy than Hypalon.

So as always it's a trade off.

There are many PVC boats in my marina that have been patched and hold up just as well as a Hypalon patch. I have successfully patched Hypalon several times... never tried PVC.



I would say that if you can keep it covered out of the sun most of the time, then go with PVC.



And about Defender... great outfit. Luckily for me I can easily stop there and do often for boating supplies. That's where I bought my current inflatable, they had a closeout deal on a some with poor fitting seats, which I don't use anyway.

 

[sarj]

Everything theses guys said about the hypalon boats is accurate. It's the only type to get. We used a little 14 footer to beach launch through shore break and make a 10 mile run into some coastal surf spots you'd otherwise not get into. Our little zodiac held up great. We ran a built 18 horse on it and it moved three guys with boards no problem.

I took it out on a lake once for the reasons you mentioned. No problems with it. I also looked for a little smaller one, and looked at an achilles. It was much narrower, and I'd stay away from it.

For transport, I used a vacuum with my generator to inflate, but more importantly to deflate. It made transportation in a truck much easier. They're heavier than you think. Also, the zodiac we had had wood floor panels and an inflatable bow... made for a nice boat. Normally we transported it on a trailer, and then used some ATV tires rigged on an axle to get it down to the sand.

Plenty of good times with that boat. We tried to punch through some four foot surf once, and ended up with a yard sale on the beach. It wasn't fun then but we laugh about it today.