Zodiac Inflatable vs No-Name Inflatable???

barryg

barryg

Member
Jun 24, 2007
966
Fort Lauderdale
Boat Info
2005 320 Sundancer, Garmin 5208
Engines
Twin V-Drives 350 Mags
Ok, need some opinions here...I've narrowed down the size of the dinghy I want to 9'4" to 9"6", with inflatable floor. I'm close to making a deal on a brand new in the box NEVER USED leftover 2006 Zodiac 285 Fastroller with inflatable "Activ-V" floor; which is 9'4" x 5'3" which I can get for about $1,500.00 (about $700.00 less than even defender sell it for). BUT.... Tonight I got a call from a "local" company that imports their own line of inflatables from China that I saw at the local boat shows that looked pretty nice; and he has a brand new 2008 (both are PVC) 9'6" x 4'11" air floor inflatable that just came in with their new order; which lists for about $1,000 but since I know someone in their family; will deliver it to me for approx $850.00. Has 4 air chambers to fill vs 3 for the Zodiac, and the shape of the tubes at the ends are a little different but wondering if it makes a difference. Sounds like a no brainer; take the no name and use the $700.00 towards the motor but I know resale (if there is such a thing) will be fairly easy with the Zodiac and non-existant with the no name. Any Zodiac air floor Activ-V users? Any no-name? (ok the website is aakronboats.com, go to products and also photos if you want to check them out and let me know what you think)...

I have to make a decision tomorrow which way to go..Any feedback would be great.
Barry
 
Tough decision! I looked at the Zodiac and liked what I saw, but for half or less I could get a Baltik. Both were PVC and I was scratching my head wondering why I would pay so much more for the name? I agree, Zodiac would resell quickly but I know once I buy one I won't be reselling it. I'm guessing the Zodiac has a better hull for planing, but I don't have any proof since I've never even been in one. I actually prefer the 4 chambers as opposed to 3, but it's not a deal breaker. Somebody, maybe Mercury advertises that shape of the cone at the end actually helps it plane faster. Marketing hype? Beats me! The other issue with the Baltik would be warranty considerations. I'm guessing it would be tougher to get reapaired on a warranty than Zodiac. There are a lot of happy folks that own the Baltik. I still haven't made a purchase, but time is running out and we'll need to do it soon!
 
I'd have to weigh in for the "generic" inflatables. I was in a similar position 4 years ago and opted for a Titan-brand dinghy (http://www.barrettmarketingltd.com/titan/productline.html). It's a 10'6" 310RIB and I've had no problems with it. No, it may not have all of the bells and whistles of the Zodiac, but it suits us just fine. We have it fitted with a 2-stroke 15HP Mercury with a Stingray hydrofoil and it gets along just fine. The savings on the boat paid for half of the outboard! With 2 people in it, it cruises along around 20 mph which is more than enough most of the time. That's my 2 cents worth!
 
Barry,
Right before last season we felt a need to have a dinghy on our 240. I've puzzled for a while and knew that this would be something for a short-term since we needed something smaller and lighter. After some research I've decided to spend minimum and went with Baltik boats from ebay. I just want to say that for the money, I think it's a good boat. As for more expensive and long-term solution I can't say 100% that this is the way to go since I had mine only for one season. BTW, the soft floor is great.

I'm curious to find out opinions from other members on this.

Good luck,
Alex.
 
Sorry, but I disagree with those who favor the cheap no-name imports. I'm in Florida, and the sun and salt water do make a difference, but by the number of no-names and Quicksilvers I see tossed in the dumpster, I'll stick with my Zodiac.

I bought a left over in 2003 and store it inside out of the sun and it looks like a new boat today. The hard air floor really works. It is rigid enough yet keep the weight of the inflatable down to a managable 56 lbs.
 
There are so many choices...It's hard to decide. Mercury vs Zodiac vs no-name...Warranty and repairs on no names??? Is buying a Zodiac just paying more for the name, or is their product that much better???

Did anyone go to the site I posted for the "no-name" brand I was offered the deal on? aakronboats.com? Any thoughts? do the shapes at the end of the tubes mean anything other than asthetics?

HELP!!!!
 
Frank,
Am I paying too much? The list on the Zodiac is about $2100.00, and they will sell the new in the box leftover 2006 to me for $1499... It's the 285 Fastroller (Airfloor Acti_V)

The aakronboats.com boat is a new 2008 air floor that I can get for about $850.00

I can almost get 2 of them for the price of one of the Zodiac's. Both have a 5yr warranty...and the aakron has a 30 day money back guarantee, but of course they need to be in business 5 years from now in order for that to mean anything.. I like the people there, they are local...

Barry
 
I have found Zodiac's quality to be superb. I haven't needed the warranty at all on mine, but that is a serious consideration......i.e. if you buy from an unknown source, how do you get a warranty repair. Having had a teriible experience with Quicksilver......I couldn't buy enough glue to keep that danged thing in one piece........I bought my Zodiac from my local Sea Ray dealer (who stopped selling Quicksilver and picked up Zodiac because of quality). I had to force them to meet a price, but we were able to find a left over and I paid about $1500 for a 310FR with the air floor.

I'd say a $1500 price now is decent, but I haven't been shopping inflatables recently.

But, I do have one other observation......buy as long a boat as you can accomodate and store. The shorter inflatables handle like an inner tube and getting then to run or paddle in a predictable manner gets more difficult the shorter they are.
 
Thanks Frank,

I wanted the 310, but even though the beam of the boat is 11'6, the width at the transom is just at 10' and I didn't want the dinghy sticking out past the end of the boat, let alone the swim platform... Hopefully at 9'4 or 9'6, it will be ok.

I still don't really know which way to go as the $700.00 difference is a lot of money but with Zodiac I know I shouldn't have any problems and if I do can get them resolved...with the other, as long as they are in business I know I can get it resolved but...who knows either way...
 
I can attest for Zodiac's warranty support - it is first rate. We had a section of the hull go bad on a Futura after it was a couple years old, and they couldn't do enough to make it right. They replaced the whole thing on warranty.

As for the Cadet with Activ V floor price, we paid the same for our 260 Cadet Fastroller last summer, so I would guess it is a good deal.

Henry
 
I really like Zodiac's, but couldn't justify the price difference. I went with a no name, and the quality has been suprisingly good. (Aquamarine, via ebay 9'8" with fiberglass floor paid $800 including shipping and customs from Canada)
The dinghy it replaces (nissan) was almost twenty years old, and still in very good condition, but I got 12 inch-itis and needed a little bigger. The transom is very solid on the new boat, and it appears to be very good. No complaints yet, but its still early. I figure for the price difference, its worth the gamble.
 
I'm still wavering...I went for a ride on an Aakron 11'6", with a 2 stroke 15hp and in light chop and 3 of us weighing about 200lbs each and it moved pretty fast, but I know it will be a lot different in a 9'6 with a 6 or 8 4 stroke Tohatsu... I'm going to go look at it tomorrow, have them unpack and inflate and see how it goes.

I'm also going to see if I can have the Zodiac dealer throw in a cover, an electric pump and sweeten the deal and then try to make an educated decision...

Any more info would be great; and thanks to everyone for their input and advice.

Barry
 
Just a follow-up...I couldn't get the Zodiac guy to move from $1450, and the more I looked at both I couldn't see justifying an extra $700.00 for the Zodiac when I probably won't be using the dinghy more than half a dozen times a year; and so I had the Aakron boat delivered to me last night. I'll be inflating it tomorrow and the next task is the motor; where I'm leaning towards a 6hp tohatsu as it is only about 55lbs.

Barry
 
I bought a Coastal 9'6" with a 6HP Tohatsu from Coastal Inflatables (coastalinflatables.com). It has been a great boat and really moves. The Coastal boat had more features than other dinghys I looked at. It came with davit lift points & splash guards just to mane a few. The dealer gave me a nice package deal that included the boat/motor as well as a cover, storage bags and the boat regristration number plates for $2150. I have no complaints at all, boat seems to be every bit as good as a Zodiac and I'm seeing more and more Coastal boats up here in New England.
:thumbsup:
 
My $.02 worth - was in the same situation 3 years ago - ended up buying the baltik - boat in Lake Michigan - boat sits out in sun (uncovered) and has held up very well (I invested the extra $$ in a tohatsu 9.8 4 stroke) and could not be happier. Air floor is great (especially if you need to deflate to store) but friend has fiberglass rigid hull (RIB) and it does handle and plane out much better. The air floor is comfortable for cruising the harbor and short trips to the beach. Good Luck - Jeff
 
Thanks Jeff,

Tomorrow I'll get to inflate the boat and then search for the motor. The max allowed is 10hp, but since I want to watch the weight, I'll probably go with a 6hp Tohatsu 4stroke at about 55 lbs.

Barry
 
Alex,
Looked at the one on the Costco site. For that size boat it doesn't take much of a motor, and doesn't have the inflatable floor. I'm happy with the Aakronboats.com boat I bought, and the price was right.

Thanks!
Barry
 
I'm have been considering a Baltik, but recently found the Nordik' 9'-6" at Costco for $699. I don't intend on keeping it exposed in the Sun(not like we get any) and intend to rinse it after being in the saltwater.

I won't get the Nordik from Costco as it's too long for us, but they make other smaller sizes and will use Costco's price as a negotiation.

I've also seen the Baltik and it's looked pretty nice as well.
 
Todd,

Last year I got a 6'5" Baltic under $400 from ebay. This was intention to play with kids and get to shore. I wanted something small and light. It wroked very nice for our 240DA. I'll be using it for now our our 320 until I find a need for bigger one. I think for no name and price it's a good buy. I was surprized on the quality. The look and feel is like the same boat you see at WM for double the price. Since I only have it for 1 year I can't say that it'll last for 10. But, if I'm not mistaken it has 5yr warranty.

Alex.
 
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