Zodiac 3.4 Activ

Chocs · 22 May 2013, 16:49

I have a Zodiac 3.4 Activ and want a repair kit to make good a weak spot I have noticed in one tube.

The dealer is asking whether it is Hypalon or PVC so he can provide the right kit.

I thought it was Hypalon but the dealer thinks that as it was manuafactued in 2006, it will be be PVC. Does anybody happen to know?

Thankyou

S4Simon · 23 May 2013, 00:05

I'd say 99% of Zodiac craft manufactured are PVC. Only the heavy duty surf and military boats were Hypalon. The 3.4 Activ is one of their standard boats and would definitily be PVC.

I Just looked at the online Zodiac Activ brochure and it confirms that the fabric is PVC (Zodiac Strongan).

FYI: The last two digits of the inflatable serial number will be the year of manufacturer.

Chocs · 24 May 2013, 14:19

THANKS for the reply

I have ordered some PVC fabric, 2-part adhesive and some MEK and will try and do the repair this weekend.

I have a few [probably very naive] questions:

I understand that MEK cleans and also softens the PVC and that it should be applied to both the boat and the patch. How important is it that it is kept to just the area that is to be covered by the patch? If it goes outside the area will it show or will it simply evaporate without trace? I am planning to mask the area with tape but is there a risk of it seeping below the tape and causing noticeable blemishes? How careful do you need to be?

Following on from the above, I understand that surplus adhesive around the patch should be removed with MEK on completion. Again, is this going to affect the surrounding fabric? I understand the masking tape should be removed after the adhesive has been applied and before the patch is positioned.

Can the surplus adhesive be removed immediately after the patch is in place or do I need wait for it to go off a little?

The glue suppliers tell me that the adhesive sticks like **** and doesn't allow repositioning. The patch is to cover an approximately 400mm long scrape and will be say 75 x 450mm [3" x 1' 6"] with rounded ends. Are there any 'tricks of the trade' for aligning it perfectly first time?

I understand that the masked area should be 3mm bigger than the patch. Is that correct?