Zodiac fastroller 325 Acti or Honwave T 32

[richardjawilson]

Hi, Zodiac costs more than Honwave, is the extra increase in quality worth the extra expenditure?

It will be powered by tohatsu 9.8 2 stroke.

Thoughts most appreciated

Regard Richard

[Fenlander]

From personal experiance of the two makes I'd say there are differences but examine/use both and if you didn't know then it's not entirely obvious which costs more... so I'd be pushed to pay the premium for the Zodiac unless it has features that matter to you.

[richardjawilson]

Is there any difference of chop they can handle at displacement speeds? The Zodiac looks like its bow could handle bigger waves?

The reason I ask is that it will mostly spend its time on the tidal thames upstream of Putney which can get bumpy with wash from other vessels.

[richardjawilson]

Decision made, bought Zodiac Cadet Fastroller NEO 325

[Max...]

Sitting on the tubes in any SIB at displacement speeds (or otherwise!) with any sort of chop/wind slapping on the tubes you will get wet!

[richardjawilson]

Yep true, I'm just looking forward to getting back on to the Thames. I used to keep my rib there before moving it to Dartmouth.

[tacker]

Originally Posted by richardjawilson

Decision made, bought Zodiac Cadet Fastroller NEO 325

Good decision - am selling my Honwave to get a Zodiac - Honwave quality has been very disappointing. See you on the Thanes or Dart - we are also on both.

[Fenlander]

Be very interested to hear the specifics of your Honwave's failings.

[tacker]

Originally Posted by Fenlander

Be very interested to hear the specifics of your Honwave's failings.

My 2006 Honwave lived outside on dinghy rack at marina: from new the inflatable floor never held air. After complaint to Honda they replaced entire boat - apparently a design flaw.

Next, the eyelets through which all the grabropes threaded around the boat rusted away, flaking splinters into boat. Had to cut them all out.

Then the outer layer of paint or colouring started to disappear - maybe a reaction to UV. This left the areas (topsides) where it had gone with a sticky residue - not nice!

I was very disappointed because the boat felt robust and performed well; I expected Honda reliability but it's just their name given to a lower quality manufacturer.

[BobTender]

Richard

How have you found the Zodiac Cadet Fastroller NEO 325? I'm thinking about buying one of them or a NEO 285. Thanks.

Bob

[Locozodiac]

According to my experience, have had 2 air deck sibs and 3 spare air decks all of them lost top air when measured next day with gauge, that's without having a single pin hole. The tech issue with air decks is they work with high pressure, very low volume and seems to lose PSI very fast along deck rigidity due to atmospheric conditions, much worst if kept shaded for days.

I's the nature of the beast. Need to top it at each outing if wanting near boating perfection. It's a imperfect world, need to live with it.

Happy Boating

[SpearRib]

Good choice. Selling my Zodiac though and looking at a Honwave possibly, funny world. I do like Zodiacs though and if the used one I recently saw was activ I might have gone with that.

I agree re deck pressure, Im going to miss my wooden floors in that regard. I do wonder if the aerotec or even the honwave for that matter style of using the air deck as the same piece as the hull (vs an air deck on top of the keel on top of the outer hull material) would be better for structure purposes. i guess only a designer would know.

All I want for xmas is a 380 :-p

[Locozodiac]

A Acti V keel being the full hull's lenght will perform much worst if under inflated as opposed to a flat air deck in which you have a lower V fabric along a upper inflated keel. Anyway, non of them top inflated to can be compared to the opt water performance a rib has.

Happy Boating