1. "Five-layer PVC" The most common myth associated with inflatable boats

Everyone who chooses an inflatable boat encounters this myth. Its influence affects everyone, from buyers to sellers. Both parties are perfectly reasonable individuals, but they're what you'd call "unaware of what they're doing." To dispel this myth, it's necessary to explain a little about the PVC material itself, which is used to make inflatable boats.

So, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a very thin layer of material, slightly stronger than regular plastic bags from a store in terms of strength. To enhance its strength, a process called reinforcement is carried out. A rather rigid mesh of intertwined polymer threads is adhered to both sides of the PVC layer. The bonding is achieved using a highly adhesive compound (adhesion - the property of particles from one material penetrating into another) that establishes a connection between the PVC and the rigid cord on a molecular level, essentially making them a single entity. The resulting multi-layered fabric thus possesses high resistance to tearing, cutting, punctures, and wear. But where are the five layers? Well, some manufacturers employ a clever marketing tactic and claim that the adhesive compound also adds two additional layers. This is convenient for giving their product a "better" PR angle, as they can always say: "Here, our material is five-layered, while theirs is only three-layered or even two-layered!" If we dissect it in detail, the fabric's structure reveals the following: film - cord - film, and there's nothing else. So, it's accurate to label the material for boats as "reinforced PVC" and forever forget the notion of "five-layered." However, an additional note must be made here: besides reinforced PVC, there are inflatable boats made of hypalon, which is a completely different material with distinct properties. There are also Chinese paddle boats made of non-reinforced PVC, but considering them as a serious watercraft is out of the question under any circumstances.

2. "Greater Density Means Stronger Boat"

Second in popularity is the myth about the density of the fabric from which the boat is made. It claims that the higher the fabric's density, the stronger the boat. This is pure marketing! The fact is, the PVC fabric used in inflatable boat manufacturing comes from Europe (Finland, Germany, and the Czech Republic) and South Korea. One cannot definitively say which manufacturer is better, but the fact remains — Korean fabric always has slightly higher density than European fabric (the most common Korean boat PVC has a density of 1100 g/m2). Initially, most domestic manufacturers used European fabric for boat production, but the "Asian" option turned out to be much cheaper, and as a result, almost everyone shifted to it. Faced with this, it became necessary to convince the buyer somehow that this fabric was better, and bingo! The solution was found in a classic marketing move when someone with a keen mind came up with the idea: "Let's say it's stronger." If you were to compare European boat fabric with a density of, let's say, 850 g/m2 and the same Asian fabric with a density of 1100 g/m2, you'd find that their characteristics for wear, tearing, and puncture are the same! However, a boat made from "Asian" fabric will weigh slightly more than its counterpart made from European material. Another important aspect is that, besides PVC fabric specially certified for inflatable boat production, there are fabrics for making covers, pools, etc., which come at a lower cost than boat fabrics. Now, some unscrupulous manufacturers use these materials for their boats. And usually, these fabrics have low density. So, if you want a sturdy boat, don't focus on fabric density; just ask for a certificate of compliance.

3. "Five-Year Warranty"

Whoever came up with this idea deserves a monument, just like the Germans did for Hindenburg in 1914. Due to a severe shortage of metal, they erected a wooden monument for him, with a pile of nails and a hammer beside it. Those wishing to express their respect were offered the chance to "nail" a nail into the monument, thus "metallizing" it. But getting back on track. Let's closely examine what this warranty actually covers. It applies to the seams and the material itself. Upon closer inspection, the seam is the strongest part of the boat, as the adhesive used in the seams of PVC inflatable boats has extremely high adhesion. In reality, the seam of the boat is a monolith, where the connection between the fabric occurs at the molecular level. Over time (well beyond five years), the fabric might be affected by external conditions, but a properly glued seam will remain undamaged! If there's something wrong with the seam, and there's a defect in the adhesion, it will show up 99.9% of the time during the first launch into water and the remaining 0.01% during the second! Not noticing a seam defect is practically impossible. The logic is quite simple here — if something is wrong with the boat, it will become evident immediately; if everything is fine, it will remain so in the future. The warranty on the boat's material is provided by the fabric manufacturer themselves, but it doesn't commence from the date of product sale, rather from the date of manufacturing. The five-year warranty doesn't apply to the boat's hardware — oars, pumps, containers, etc. No one will give you a warranty longer than a year for those components, and that's in the best case scenario. So, the five-year warranty covers the seams that are not eligible for warranty repairs by definition, if they were initially done properly. And it covers the material, for which the fabric manufacturer does not assume any responsibility.

4. "Welding or Gluing"

Indeed, which is better, a welded seam in an inflatable boat or a glued one? The fact is, fundamentally, these two methods are the same. It's just that welding is done by a machine, and gluing is done by a human. Adhesive bonding is used in boat production, and it requires high temperature for activation. Thus, in manual gluing, a high-temperature heat gun is used, while in welding, a machine performs the task. Manual gluing is a rather expensive and labor-intensive process, so it can be automated to reduce costs and speed up the process. However, the welding equipment itself is far from inexpensive. When it comes to quality and durability, in automated processes, there are inevitable malfunctions in system tuning that can result in overmelting or, conversely, insufficient bonding of the fabric being welded. This is a common issue in all welded boats, from elite to budget models. On the other hand, in manual gluing, the human factor comes into play, and the adhesive bonding quality can vary based on the person's mood, for example. So, it's all quite relative. In any case, neither of these manufacturing methods is better or worse. As they say, it's all the same!

5. "PVC Boats Can't Be Repaired"

This myth was concocted by users themselves, who constantly tried to compare PVC inflatable boats with rubber-fabric boats. Fortunately, this myth has faded away. The fact is, if you compare PVC boats to rubber ones in terms of repairability, repairing PVC boats is indeed more labor-intensive. But that's where the comparison ends. Any puncture or cut smaller than five centimeters in length on a PVC boat can be repaired, even under field conditions. All you need is a repair kit, which is included in the standard equipment, consisting of fabric patches and special PVC glue. To conduct a repair, it's necessary to carefully read the instructions on the repair kit or the glue tube and follow them precisely. It's important not to attempt gluing a patch on a damp, wet surface, to do it at a temperature above 0°C, and not to fix a puncture on an uninflated balloon. Someone might be smiling now, as these are real cases, after which users wholeheartedly believed in the non-repairability of PVC boats and actively spread this notion among others! Naturally, repairing a one-meter cut on the balloon is only possible in a specialized service center, just like fixing a boat riddled with shotgun pellets. It's essential to realize that while fishing, hunting, and during general usage, anything can happen. After all, even space shuttles can experience failures, and everything is meticulously calculated there. The simplest approach is to try to avoid unpleasant incidents whenever possible, but if they do occur, strive to be as prepared as possible.