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There are two main types of fabric that most inflatable boats are made of. They are either PVC or Hypalon. Most Mercury, Sea Eagle and Zodiac inflatable boats are made of PVC. Caribe, AB and Achilles inflatable boats are made of Hypalon.

PVC
Pro - Significantly less expensive then Hypalon.
Con - Won't last as long in the direct sunlight as Hypalon before it starts to fade out (if left unprotected). Does not tolerate sunscreen and insect repellent as well as Hypalon.

Hypalon
Pro - Will last significantly longer than PVC when exposed to prolonged periods of direct sunlight. Will tolerate fuel spills, sunscreen, insect repellent, and exhaust fumes better than PVC.
Con - Significantly more expensive then PVC.

In general PVC fabric won’t last as long as Hypalon fabric if the boat will be subjected to prolonged periods of direct sunlight and no measures have been taken to protect the PVC fabric from the sun (i.e. boat cover or UV protectant). After a number of years in direct sunlight the PVC fabric will become sticky and fade out.

Exposure of PVC inflatable boat to direct sunlight is not a problem unless your boat is going to be outside and unprotected all year long. If you only use the boat occasionally such as on weekends or while on vacation then it isn't a factor at all. Even if you leave your boat outside all the time the issue can be solved simply by putting a boat cover or piece of tarp over your boat when it is not in use.

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