Comments on: New Hull Material

By: Steven F

Steven F — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 16:11:23 +0000

Thanks but have already done the ‘google-fu’ on Elvaloy and read all the websites. Folbot tells me they need to use a 3 part epoxy that runs $100 a pint. Not something you can just go find on the shelf, has to be special ordered from Clifton Adhesives. Seaman’s website for their Elvaloy boat hull fabric specifies 3 different glues, only one of which is suitable for fabric to fabric repairs, and requires something like a full week to cure properly. So far this new material is a big fail on durability and maintainability in my opinion, but maybe I just got a bad batch.

By: brdtorrence@yahoo.com

brdtorrence@yahoo.com — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 15:44:33 +0000

I’m sorry to hear about your experience. If it helps, Folbot has been extremely generous and fair with me over the years. their warranty and customer service are unparralled. I’m sure they will make it right.

Googling Elvaloy, it sounds pretty impressive. And it does say you can glue it. They use it on inflatable boats for running white water, and other things. Paste this into your address bar and check it out: http://theboatpeople.com/rubber-vs.-pvc-the-raft-kayak-great-debate/

I’m not sure what happened to yours. Maybe a bad batch. As far as I know, no one else has reported a problem with elvaloy.

By: Steven F

Steven F — Tue, 09 Apr 2013 14:00:01 +0000

My experience with the Elvaloy hull so far is very unsatisfactory. I managed to abrade a major hole in the hull of a brand new Cooper simply by assembling it on a concrete sidewalk. No way is this stuff as good as hypalon. Then there’s the unfortunate fact that apparently, no glue will stick to the fabric and now I have to send in my hull (at my cost) and pay Folbot for a patch. Not impresed with Elvaloy at all!

By: Ashley

Ashley — Mon, 28 Jan 2013 14:49:01 +0000

Hi Frank – Email us at info@folbot.com
A new skin is 1/2 the cost of the current kayak price you see online.

By: Frank R Meyers

Frank R Meyers — Sun, 27 Jan 2013 00:08:40 +0000

Being in the Florida Panhandle and fishing the oyster bars for reds and trout, I am glad to see this improved material.

What is the cost to retrofit an older Folbot?

By: richardbrunt123

richardbrunt123 — Thu, 13 Dec 2012 22:01:45 +0000

Personally, I think black looks waaaayy better. White looks funny, like a toy boat. Note Feathercraft and Klepper and all others are black. Cheap inflatable toys are white.

By: jim weathereax

jim weathereax — Tue, 09 Oct 2012 20:06:27 +0000

I think I want to have the Hypalon hull material for the new Gremlin I just ordered. Thenk You.

By: flatwater

flatwater — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 14:50:11 +0000

Nice. This is the kind of info the geeks on the forum love to see.
Looks like this new stuff will vastly out-perform the old Hypalon. Especially nice that it’s no heavier nor more expensive.
It’ll be interesting to see how things develop on the subject of hull reinforcement strips. What to use and how to glue them on? And even more basic, will we need reinforcement strips? Will the new fabric be so strong that it won’t need extra protection? Time (and abuse) will tell.