Look at my SIB floor! What happened? How to fix.

ronaldj

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Apr 1, 2013
Messages
655
The Zodiac FR series is very sensitive to air pressure. Your boat is suppose to get 3.5 psi in the tubes and 11.5 psi for the floor and the keel. If the floor and keel are not properly inflated , all kind of issues happen
 

Sea Rider

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 20, 2008
Messages
12,345
Now you know than when fishing from an inflatable specially an air deck you need to cover deck with a proper thick mat to avoid fish spines pinholes, that goes for tubes too. That air deck died of old glue age. I'm not a big fan of inflating any keel beyond 3.5 PSI, with time use and boating abuse, keel will end cracking or concave deforming wooden keel's floorboard if you happen to have sib living inflated.

Happy Boating
 
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frogseatflies

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Aug 1, 2010
Messages
45
Yeah, I've noticed that the air deck is slowly dying. And it's the glue or something inside that is peeling away from another layer. So, yep, I think it's shot. After being quoted $825 for a new air deck, I'm pretty sure I'm leaning toward making my own plywood floor or pvc sheet floor. I can only guess the boat will run better with a stiff floor than the air floor.
 

ronaldj

Senior Chief Petty Officer
Joined
Apr 1, 2013
Messages
655
Who every quoted you that price was lying to you. That's the cost of a used FR310 complete with air floor. You should be able to get that floor for under $400. I wish I had known you needed a real price. I just came back from the Zodiac dealer
 

Sea Rider

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 20, 2008
Messages
12,345
Gee Zodiac is extremely pricey, a machine gun robbery to say the least, no wonder no one repairs Zodiac sibs when any accessory or main floor is shot. Same size good quality air deck just costs around $ 120.00 where Saturn assembles their sibs.

Happy Boating
 

frogseatflies

Seaman Apprentice
Joined
Aug 1, 2010
Messages
45
Hi all, I figured I'd share what I've done to replace my inflatable floor. I cut a 1/4" piece of exterior AB plywood to the shape of my floor. I took measurements of where the floor is glued to the tubes. I then fiberglassed the board and epoxied 2 small stiffener boards to it, long-wise. Maiden voyage will be this week sometime.
 

Sea Rider

Supreme Mariner
Joined
Sep 20, 2008
Messages
12,345
Hi all, I figured I'd share what I've done to replace my inflatable floor. I cut a 1/4" piece of exterior AB plywood to the shape of my floor. I took measurements of where the floor is glued to the tubes. I then fiberglassed the board and epoxied 2 small stiffener boards to it, long-wise. Maiden voyage will be this week sometime.

Great, post some pics to illustrate better your work.

Happy Boating
 
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