Advice needed on Aquamarine boats

[tdot416]

Hello,

I am looking to buy an inflatable boat for for dropping off crab traps and some fishing. I came across Aquamarine boats on the internet, anyone have feedback on this company? Also, any recommedations on brands? I just moved out to B.C and looking forward to this season.

Thanks,

T

 

[TOHATSU GURU]

Re: Advice needed on Aquamarine boats

Another cheap PVC boat to be avoided at all costs.

 

[john3497]

Re: Advice needed on Aquamarine boats

Another cheap PVC boat to be avoided at all costs.

What's wrong with cheap PVC boats ?

 

[TOHATSU GURU]

Re: Advice needed on Aquamarine boats

Not a thing, as long as you are told when you buy one that they will not last...Average life expectancy of a PVC boat along the equator is less than five years. Average life expectancy of a hypalon fabric boat is 20 years. There is a reason for the price difference between the two fabric types.

 

[john3497]

Re: Advice needed on Aquamarine boats

Ok I will list your previous post, this stuff is good to know

Re: AquaMax Inflatable
Standard cheap Asian import with no warranty stations. It's what we call a " throw a way" boat. If you get X amount of use out of it versus X purchase price it might be the boat for you. But, long term, its not going to be worth repairing in 5 years.

It would be cool if these could be UV coated or painted with something to make them more durable.

 

[TOHATSU GURU]

Re: Advice needed on Aquamarine boats

Nature of the material...UV rays cause the PVC polymers to lose their elasticity. Unfortunately, anything that you can put on the boat to stop that, like Armor All or Son of a Gun, bond to the PVC preventing it's repair if it becomes holed. The secret to happiness with a PVC boat is to not expect it to last. Economically, a PVC boat with service stations, can make a lot of sense. They just should never be compared to a hypalon fabric boat.

 

[ill13]

Re: Advice needed on Aquamarine boats

I have a 14' aluminum floor Aquamarine, bought used off of craigslist. It's okay, it's worth the $550 I paid for it, I guess. If I get two seasons out of it, I'll be happy. No way would I pay $1400 for this thing, I'd buy another used Hypalon boat first.

I think I put a small tear/hole in it when I scraped it against a a piece of wire on my neighbor's fence. I say "think" because I am not sure if it was already there when I bought it or I did it while transporting it.

Either way, my Hypalon Achilles feels -and is- much tougher than PVC. I've manhandled that thing over rocks, ashpalt, cement, and more with nary a care. This PVC boat feels much more "delicate". I have yet to take it on the water [repairing it as I type], but I am sure it will be fine on the water -as long as I keep it away from dangerous areas. I just don't expect to be able to treat it as rough as my Achilles.

Really, the only reason I bought this was because it was basically brand new, dirt cheap, and can hold 4-5 people comfortably. That and I already had a motor too big for my Achilles!