Aerotec - now discontinued!

[Fenlander]

Well the end of an era... word is that the Aerotec has been discontinued for good.

On something of a whim this morning I phoned round dealers wondering if anything had come of the Aerotec re-certification/redesign which was rumoured a year or so ago. Ours is five years old now and looking out at decent boating weather with a possibility of spare cash thought I'd investigate in case an upgrade could be justified.

As far as I can sort out from several sources there was some change in certification that needed the Aerotec to be re-tested to remain on the market. The problem was said to be due to internal size and floor shape the certification was reduced from 5 person to 3 person.... so Zodiac/Bombard deemed it easier to just stop production than try and make changes to achieve the 5 person result.

To be honest I've always though 3 persons ideal anyway... one on tiller... one on seat as central ballast.. and one smaller person as moveable ballast.

Great shame though. The Aerotec was always a niche SIB due to cost, small interior dimensions and sloping floor... and of course a few loved to hate it for no good reason... but for those such as ourselves who it suits perfectly it leaves a hole in the market.

This unavailability feeding back down the used market will perhaps make more sense in future to justify a full pro re-glue when needed.

[Max...]

If so for sure then sad news.

It's a crying shame that no-one has really innovated in the leisure SIB market since the HP drop stitch air floors came into production.

Bombard/Zodiac or whoever owns them now are as guilty as most and did nothing to update what is still IMHO the very best all round, all things considered 'performance' SIB available. The 'wrong' height transom they never bothered to fix is a prime example.

Many of us have tried various Hypalon, PVC, solid floor, air floor, flat floor, hardly a V floor SIBs but the 'actual deep V' of the Aerotec combined with the lightweight build makes it still the ideal typical UK conditions SIB.

New price is (was) still silly though.

[jeffstevens763@g]

I guess that the AKA range has taken over to some extent although the 3.8 with air floor, speed tubes and 500 MM tubes retailing at £5000 has certantly upped the price on the aerotec

[chriswjallen]

A great shame but assume one positive is that it will improve used values

[Fenlander]

>>>New price is (was) still silly though

Thing is the Aerotec was a Zodiac/Bombard premium product. Apart from Zodiac's built down to a price cheaper models you had Aerotec around £2600 when last sold... Classic 3.8 £3400 and Futura 3.7 £4050. Even an Frib 3.6 would be £2995.

So actually given those examples it seems quite reasonable! Anyway no longer will we have to disagree over this as they're done now.

It will be interesting to see where it leaves their used prices as chrisjwallen says.

[Poly]

Be interesting to see if any lower cost manufacturers try to fill the gap, or perhaps someone like takacat who have the technical expertise and aren’t ashamed of premium pricing can plug the gap.

[Fenlander]

Yep... I've always wondered why Honwave didn't have a go at about half the price... I mean a total copy not the T38. I'd have happily bought a Honwave Aerotek.

[Max...]

Me too - especially when you see the price of SUPs coming out of China using the exact same drop stitch tech. The volumes are huge compared to the amount of BATs made.

[Fenlander]

Hmm got me thinking. Get a used Honwave 35AE, junk the alloy floor, let in some extra floor fabric and wedge two SUP boards the length of the interior. Sorted.

[SeanKent]

Have zodiac gone all together? I happened to have a look around for a new m2c or futura earlier and nobody seemed to have any. Then just spotted this thread...

Be nice if used values do increase, keep hoping I'll get into mine (haven't used it since last posting) but would be surprised if it didn't end up being sold when I find its replacement.

[Newtec380owner]

Hi can all supply me with the mod to stop water pouring over my transom on areotec 380 with 15hp fourstroke on it. One really happens 1 up when on plane.

[Newtec380owner]

Sorry meant to say any one supply me with mod��

[Fenlander]

Hello Newtec, welcome to the forum.

All outboard make/models, loading & setups etc are different with an Aerotec and how splash is affected.

Usually owners start with modest spacers either loose or screwed to the transom then some of us go a bit further.

See this thread which from post #69 shows my current mod plus loads of ideas of other folks...

http://www.rib.net/forum/f50/aerotec...e-71528-2.html

[Newtec380owner]

Thanks for replay
Thought about using a nylon block on top of transom. What height would you recommend and would my Suzuki still fit on mounting plate still

[Jerry]

Originally Posted by Fenlander

I'd have happily bought a Honwave Aerotek.

Now that most of the things on my Aerotec are sorted (only GPS remains) I'd happily buy a new Bombard/Zodiac Aerotec at advertised prices, to keep it as a spare.

The experience is fantastic - it's way more portable than my 6m RIB, provides similar fun, doesn't tempt to go out in bigger chop (yet!), launching is a no brainer with Trem wheels, I'm only wondering why it's taken me so long to do it!!

Is that really true and confirmed that Aerotec won't be made any longer? Given the age of mine (I expect glue failures next year), I was considering testing the setup over the summer and, if everything checks out, getting a new one for next year.

[Newtec380owner]

Sorry I’m on wrong thread here by looks of it

[smallribber]

Is the Aerotec really that much better than the Honwave T38IE for the price difference. Is it perhaps the price of the Honwave that killed the Aerotec

[Max...]

Not sure with Zodiac - they have been in trouble for years.

Re' the Aerotec - it's the only SIB with a proper deep V floor.

That makes it very much more capable and usable IME than a typical *airfloor* SIB (but not so far ahead of the hard floor you mention).

It is overpriced IMHO but I never have or would buy a new boat and looked after a used one will cost you nothing come resale (if not at the end of life glue time) but if you have not tried one in typical UK conditions then it's hard to say if it's worth it. Depends on how and where *you* use your boat.

But a lot of people on here who have spent years progressing through all the typical range of air floor/hard floor SIB's in the search for the best performance, convenience and compromise end up with the Aerotec and don't look back.

Of course if you have a trailer and easy launch facility then I'd go hard floor but then it would have to be a Y Class or older Avon, or the lovely little IRB SIB in the SIB's spotted on eBay.

Nothing compares to that for capability IMHO.

[Fenlander]

>>>Sorry I’m on wrong thread here by looks of it

No problem... just tag on the end of the one re the splash issues I linked above in post #13.


>>>Is the Aerotec really that much better than the Honwave T38IE for the price difference. Is it perhaps the price of the Honwave that killed the Aerotec

Well price will always have an effect on sales figures but that hasn't stopped Zodiac selling SIBs such as the Classic which has a design very closely matched by the Honwave T35/T45 but at over 3x the price.

Is it that much better... hmmm? Well for a start in 2015 I bought a cheap one (£350 or so) to take to the Scottish West coast for two weeks to see if what some folks (Max and others) said about their abilities was true... I also had a Zodiac 340 air floor with me as direct comparison. I was so impressed by the Aerotec the next day I ordered a new one for delivery to the Holiday cottage.

With a lifetime on the water and more recently 20yrs with smallcraft I knew we'd found our sweet spot in sub 4m boating with the Aerotec.

The Gurnard has commented in the past when on some of the Scottish West coast group sibbing trips that all makes are represented and all made it through the sometimes difficult conditions regardless of floor design etc. And that is true... but from our experience the Aerotec does it with a greater degree of comfort and reassurance.

On here I rarely try and persuade a sibber asking for buying advice that an Aerotec is for them due to the difficulty justifying the cost new or used over a Honwave. I think the Aerotec is a niche product best bought with the experience of a few other sibs under your belt first.


>>>Is that really true and confirmed that Aerotec won't be made any longer?

Well that's what every UK dealer I phoned has told me. But there was a guy on here a couple of months back (from the Netherlands?) who Zodiac supplied to order so if you really wanted a new one Jerry that might be possible.

[Fenlander]

Too late to edit... of course meant Honwave T35/T40 models.