Information on raft and paddlecat materials by Ben Robinson

My friend Ben Robinson shared his families' findings on raft and paddlecat construction and materials:   "We researched for rafts and here’s the quick and dirty I learned. Keep in mind that all the common rafts and cats are over-built as they are designed for commercial use. The four main inflatable boat materials are PVC, Urethane, Hypalon, and Neoprene, the first two being plastics and the second two being rubber based. Only the Shredder cats use Neoprene to my knowledge and I don’t know much about it. The other three materials are all applied to a center layer of strong woven nylon or similar fabric. Hypalon is a trade name for a rubber-based coating and it is grippy, rolls up very small, and is the easiest to glue on accessories or patches to in case of emergency. Being rubber based, all the seams are glued, not welded. Over time the glue can break down but it takes many years for this to happen. Like 20+ years. It is expensive as far as materials go. It’s probably the material to choose if you pack it up often due to its foldability. It also makes for a soft ride. PVC is stiffer, can have welded seams instead of glued seams, but it doesn’t pack as tightly. It’s super tough and slips over rocks easier than rubber and it can offer a “sportier” ride due to its rigidity. Pump it up tight and you’ve got a flipping machine! PVC is less expensive than rubber but the labor to weld the seams washes out any savings. The only drawback I could tell was that over time PVC can develop tiny pin holes, or so I read. Again I am talking many years down the road, and that’s what pumps are for. Finally, urethane is also very stiff, is very slippery (I have learned this is both good and bad), but rolls up about like a refrigerator does. Urethane is a different type of plastic than PVC, I think it’s maybe a composite rubber plastic blend or something. It can also be welded so the delamination of seams in the future is a non-issue. It supposedly holds air the best and it can be easily glued just like rubber so long as you don’t ever apply 303 Protectant. It is the most expensive material so it is not used very often. At the end of the day they each have their advantages so I would say choose the boat design and company/warranty over the materials used as they are all good. Also check out which ones are made in the USA because sending one to Mexico or China for a major repair would suck. "