There are lots of PVC boats out there that hold up.

Just as their are varying grades of carpet, there are varying grades of coated (or "supported") fabrics.

There are good PVC fabrics and their are lesser grades. There are good Hypalon/CSM fabrics and there lesser grades.

There are also preferred methods of seam production and there are less favorable methods. Good quality seam adhesives and not so good....

It is not as simple as Hypalon = good, PVC = bad.

There are far more PVC supported fabric boats on the market. Some brands come and go like a flash in the pan, some have been around for decades.

After over 25 years of selling, repairing, distributing, designing and building inflatable boats.......I have come to one very simple rule. You do not get what you don't pay for.

That doesn't necessarily mean that if one spends little, the product will not work for his/her needs. Some folks are not cruising the islands and a lower-price, glued-seam PVC boat will be fine for them (they might only be expecting it to hold up for a few years anyhow.....or it might be an "interim" boat until the boat kitty allows for a nice Achilles or Avon investment).

I agree that Hypalon/CSM coated fabric is the preferred fabric, but the cost delta is quite significant. For long-term cruising, or higher UV exposure....it is the only fabric I would consider.

Cheers

Stephan

PS Bombard is PVC, not Hypalon. Again, doesn't mean it is bad. Just less money / different. It has it's place in the market.