If you have a nick in your tube, a weeping seam or a rubbing strake starting to lift, the very first question is not “which glue do I buy?” — it is “what is my boat actually made of?” Inflatable boats and RIBs are built from two very different fabrics, and each needs its own adhesive. Use the wrong one and the repair will look perfect on the driveway and peel off the first weekend you leave the boat on a mooring in Galway Bay.
This guide shows you four simple checks you can do at home in ten minutes, tells you which adhesive matches which fabric, and covers the bits that catch people out on the west coast — cold, damp air and salt.
Why the fabric matters more than the glue
Inflatable tubes are a woven fabric — usually polyester — coated on both sides to make them airtight. It is that coating, not the weave, that the adhesive has to bond to, and the two common coatings behave in completely opposite ways.
- Hypalon (properly CSM, chlorosulphonated polyethylene — often with a neoprene inner layer) is a synthetic rubber. It is bonded with a two-part contact adhesive that cures chemically. Very tolerant of UV, ozone and diesel, and typically found on commercial and higher-end RIBs.
- PVC is a plastic. Its adhesive works partly by softening and fusing the surface — the bond is a weld as much as a glue. Lighter, cheaper, easier to repair, but less happy with long-term UV and heat.
The key fact: PVC adhesive will not bond to Hypalon, and Hypalon adhesive will not bond to PVC. There is no reliable "does both" glue for a structural tube repair, whatever the tube on the shelf claims.
Cost is a factor too. Hypalon adhesive is a two-part system with a limited pot life once the accelerator goes in — so it is worth spending ten minutes identifying the fabric before you open a tin you cannot put back on the shelf.
PVC or Hypalon at a glance
| Hypalon (CSM) | PVC | |
|---|---|---|
| Feel | Slightly rubbery, matt, a bit "grippy" | Smooth, plasticky, often glossy |
| Inside of tube | Dark grey or black — different to the outside | Same colour inside and out |
| Seams | Overlapped and glued, often with a taped strip | Frequently heat-welded — a neat, hard line |
| Ageing | Chalks and fades, stays flexible for decades | Goes hard and brittle, seams can lift |
| Repair adhesive | Two-part Hypalon adhesive + accelerator | One or two-part PVC adhesive |
| Typical use | Commercial RIBs, workboats, long-life leisure RIBs | Production leisure inflatables, tenders, SIBs |
Four ways to identify your tube fabric
Work through these in order. The first two are free and non-destructive; the last two need a small, hidden area — under the rubbing strake, inside the transom pocket, or on a scrap of the original repair kit fabric if you still have it.
1. Look at the back of the fabric
This is the quickest and most reliable check. Deflate the tube, remove the valve insert, and look at — or reach in and photograph — the inside face of the fabric.
- Hypalon: the inside is a dark grey or black neoprene layer, clearly different to the outside colour.
- PVC: the inside is the same colour as the outside — a grey boat is grey right through.
2. Look at how the seams are made
Get down close to a main tube seam. A heat-welded seam — a narrow, hard, slightly shiny line where the two layers have fused with no visible glue edge — is PVC. A glued overlap, often with a separate taped strip over it and a faint adhesive line at the edge, points to Hypalon. This is not foolproof (some PVC boats are glued), but combined with test 1 it usually settles it.
3. The sanding test
On a hidden spot, rub gently with fine abrasive paper — 80 to 120 grit is plenty. Do not go through the coating.
- Hypalon: mats down to a dull, suede-like nap and produces a fine dust. The colour lightens.
- PVC: scratches but stays glossy. Little or no dust, and no change in colour.
4. The solvent test
Dampen a clean white rag with acetone or an MEK-based solvent and rub a hidden area for a few seconds. Read the rag and the surface.
- Hypalon: some colour lifts onto the rag and the surface may look slightly oxidised, but it does not go sticky.
- PVC: the surface goes noticeably tacky — the solvent is starting to soften the plastic — usually with some colour transfer.
Safety: acetone and MEK are highly flammable and the vapour is heavy. Work outdoors or in a well-ventilated space, keep them away from any ignition source, wear nitrile gloves, and never do this inside a boat shed with a heater running.
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What is my boat likely to be? A manufacturer guide
Use this as a starting point, not gospel. Several builders have changed material over the years or offer both, and second-hand boats get re-tubed. Always confirm with one of the tests above.
Usually Hypalon
AB, Achilles, Avon, Ballistic, Beaufort, Brig (some models), Caribe, Delta, Flatacraft, Gordon, Humber, Lomac, Novamarine, Novurania, Osprey, Red Bay, Revenger, Ribcraft, Ribtec, RIB-X, Ring, Scanner, Scorpion, Selva, Tinker, and some pre-1968 leisure Zodiacs.
Usually PVC
Arimar, Bombard, Brig (some models), Excel, Honda, Lodestar, Narwhal, Plastimo, Quicksilver, Ribeye (some models), Sevylor, Suzumar, Tohatsu, Typhoon, Waveline, Yam, Zed, Zoom, and most modern Zodiac leisure boats.
Polyurethane
Tornado, and the larger commercial Valiant RIBs. Polyurethane is a third material again — tough, very abrasion-resistant, and increasingly used on commercial and rescue craft. It will fail both the Hypalon and the PVC tests and needs a dedicated PU adhesive or, more often, a professional welded repair. If your tests are giving you contradictory answers on a modern commercial RIB, PU is the likely explanation.
Choosing the right adhesive
Once you know the fabric, the choice is straightforward.
- Hypalon tubes — a two-part Hypalon adhesive with its accelerator (hardener). Mix only what you will use: pot life is typically under an hour once the accelerator is added.
- PVC tubes — a PVC adhesive, available in one-part or two-part form. The two-part version gives far better heat and water resistance and is the one to use for anything structural or below the waterline.
- Polyurethane tubes — a specific PU adhesive; check with the builder or a repairer before you start.
You will also want the matching surface preparation solvent for your fabric, a patch of the correct material (always cut it round — square corners peel), abrasive paper, a small roller and clean, lint-free cloths. We stock repair adhesives, solvents and patch material in our Resins, Fillers & Adhesives range, alongside abrasives and rollers in Tools.
Worth knowing: two-part adhesives are consumables with a shelf life. A tin that has been open in a damp shed since last season is a false economy — it will go off in the tin long before the repair goes off on the boat.
Getting a lasting bond in Irish conditions
Most failed inflatable repairs on this coast are not the wrong glue — they are the right glue applied in the wrong weather. Contact adhesives are fussy about two things: temperature and moisture.
- Work warm and dry. Aim for 18–25 °C and below about 60 % humidity. A damp shed at 8 °C in November is the single most common reason a patch lifts. If you cannot get the boat warm, wait for a better day or bring the tube indoors.
- Rinse the salt off first. Dried salt is hygroscopic — it holds moisture right at the bond line. Rinse with fresh water, dry thoroughly, and only then start abrading.
- Clean, then abrade, then clean again. Remove any silicone polish or UV protectant completely; it is the enemy of adhesion. Abrade to key the surface, wipe with the correct solvent, and do not touch the prepared area with bare fingers.
- Two thin coats, not one thick one. Coat both surfaces, let each go touch-dry (tacky, not wet), then bring them together and roll firmly from the centre outwards to push the air out.
- Leave it alone. Handling strength comes in hours; full cure takes 24–48 hours depending on the product and temperature. Do not inflate to full pressure until it has cured.
Prevention counts for a lot too. On the Atlantic coast, UV and constant salt do more damage over a season than any single knock. Rinse after use, keep tubes covered when stored, and use a UV protectant made for your fabric — you will find suitable cleaners in Cleaning, Polishing & Teak Care.
When to stop and call a professional
A puncture, a small tear away from a seam, or a lifting rubbing strake are all sensible DIY jobs. Hand these over instead:
- Any seam failure, or a tear that runs into a seam.
- Splits longer than roughly 150 mm, or any damage across a baffle between chambers.
- Damage where the tube meets the transom or the hull-to-tube joint on a RIB.
- Fabric that is chalky, brittle and cracking across a wide area — that is a re-tube conversation, not a patch.
- Anything on a boat working under a Code of Practice, where the repair may need to be documented.
If your inflatable also carries the safety gear for the boat, it is worth checking that at the same time. We offer lifejacket and liferaft servicing from Galway — one trip, two jobs done.
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Frequently asked questions
Can I use a PVC repair kit on a Hypalon boat in an emergency?
It may hold for a few hours as a get-you-home fix, but treat it as temporary and expect to remove it entirely — including all adhesive residue — before making a proper repair. Do not rely on it for a passage.
My boat has no builder's plate. How do I identify it?
Skip straight to the tests. The inside-of-the-tube check via the valve is the most reliable single indicator, and it costs nothing but a deflated tube.
Is Hypalon better than PVC?
Better for longevity and UV resistance, yes — a well-kept Hypalon tube can last 20 years or more. PVC is lighter, cheaper and easier to repair yourself, which suits a tender that lives under a cover and gets moderate use. For a boat that sits on a mooring on the west coast all season, Hypalon or polyurethane earns its extra cost.
Why does my repair keep lifting at the edges?
Almost always one of three things: square-cornered patches, contamination from silicone polish or salt, or gluing in air that is too cold or too damp. Round the patch corners, prepare properly, and work at room temperature.
Can I glue a Hypalon patch onto a PVC boat?
No. The patch material must match the tube material as well as the adhesive. Buy the correct fabric with the correct glue.
How long should I leave a repair before using the boat?
Allow 24 hours before partial inflation and 48 hours before hard use, longer in cool conditions. Rushing the cure is the most common way to waste a good repair.