SITE MAP | SEND TO A FRIEND | BOOKMARK THIS PAGE
 

Caribe Technology - Tubes & Hulls

Tubes

Caribe Inflatables only use the best materials in the construction of their boats. Caribe Inflatables for the first ten years or so were mostly used in the Caribbean sun, and it became very clear early on the only material that could withstand the constantly high UV, heat and salty conditions was the material ‘Hypalon’ by Du Pont. This product is now used by many inflatable manufacturers, and is the only material accepted by the US military and coast guard, the Royal National Lifeboat Institute, UK and the Royal Navy.

The harsh sunlight of New Zealand and Australia are particularly tough on tenders and demand a rugged durable material. Some of the manufacturers in Australasia still use PVC to make their tubes and though this does result in a cheaper product, it is an inferior material to Hypalon. (See article below.)

Caribe’s tube ends are rounded, which are not found on lesser-quality inflatable boats which typically have pointed cones. It takes superior craftsmanship and more cost to make round tube ends but the result is a neat finish, with a rub strake that runs the full length of the boat, and more buoyancy in the area of the engine. Every seam in our multiple air chamber tubes are overlapped and reinforced by taping on the inside for 100% air retention. Also our tubes are much larger than most of our competitors which provides a safer, drier ride, increases payload capacity and increases seaworthiness.

Here is a comparison of PVC to Hypalon written by the biggest chandler in America: Boat U.S.

“PVC: …often used for making inflatable pool toys, mattresses, beach balls, boats and above ground pools, because it is a type of plastic it can be thermobonded easily and comes in many colours. This allows the manufacturer to mass produce boats and toys on a large scale with machines and unskilled labour but repairs can be difficult on PVC products because thermo welding is not feasible outside the factory and it is very hard to repair even a pinhole leak in a seam. PVC are not as resistant to chemicals, gasoline, temperatures, abrasion and sunlight as Hypalon-coated fabrics, all of these factors are common place in boating environments…PVC boats are generally good as limited use boats that won’t be subjected to the sunlight or elements for any sustained amount of time…”

“HYPALON…is mainly used as an exterior coating for inflatable boats worldwide as it has the best properties for resisting abrasion, extreme temperatures, UV degradation, ozone, gasoline, oil, chemicals and environmental factors like mildew and fungus. When manufacturers use neoprene as the interior coating the blended fabric only gets better. The ultimate in air holding ability, which is the reason for warranties of five to ten years. Inflatables of Hypalon have been chosen for the toughest duty by the US Military and Coast Guard.”

“Hypalon boats are highly recommended for use in severe climates, for boaters who plan on leaving there boats inflated or for those who plan to use them continuously.”

Hulls

Caribe uses only GRP (fibreglass) for its hulls. The reason Caribe prefer to use GRP, rather than aluminium, is because it is a more durable material in the marine environment; it is strong and impact resistant, it does not corrode or deteriorate in salt water and therefore requires almost zero maintenance.

A fiberglass hull will provide a safe, much quieter ride without being too light and ‘flighty’. It generally has a more solid feel to it. Our hulls are designed to give ultimate performance and seaworthiness, and with a well designed hull it allows for a smaller outboard to achieve the same speed. For example our Light series has a deep V bow section and then the aft third of the boat is flat, this allows for more lift in the back and gets the boat ‘on step’ at a lower speed with less power.

Some inflatable manufacturers choose to use aluminium for their hulls, as this is typically a cheaper way of making a hull and its supposed advantage is a weight saving. Most of our boats are made with a double skin (with the exception of our Light series). This extra layer adds heat and sound insulation and buoyancy.

Aluminium suffers from electrolysis corrosion if left in the water, and if there is contact between the hull and other metals (such as anchors, stainless steel shackles etc) there will electrolytic action, especially in a wet area, causing rapid deterioration.

Repairing a GRP hull is a straight forward process that can be handled by most people and without the need of specialist welding. Small repairs can be effectively made on the beach, and professional repairs can return the hull to ‘as new’ without great expense.