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When you think of an inflatable boat, what do you think of? A rubber dingy? That’s probably what most people think of. But since their inception, inflatable boats have come a long way. There are many types of inflatables available today, with many different uses. And through this multi-purpose use, inflatable boats have to endure many environments and hazards that can damage them, as well as normal wear and tear. So what the industry needs is a superior product that can repair and restore your inflatable boat to its original sparkling condition. Enter SRC Tuff-Coat – the inflatable boat repair kit that comes in a can. The history of Tuff-Coat is an interesting one and leaves no doubt as to the high quality of this product. Let’s take a look.

Inflatable boats experience many hazards

The inflatable boat industry truly has an international face. Zodiac, probably the oldest and most respected of all inflatable boat manufacturers, is based in France. Italy’s made its mark with several contributors to the industry, like Artigiana Battelli (AB) and Lomac. The Badger brand comes from Russia. Mako International is made in South Africa. And the United Kingdom has its share as well, like Avon, Gemini, and Ribcraft. Osprey is from Belgium. Brig is from the Ukraine. Caribe is from Venezuela. Get the picture? About 75% of the Earth’s surface is covered with water, so it’s no surprise that the inflatable boat industry is doing so well.

So with so much water to navigate, inflatable boats are used in all kinds of environments, like shallow and rocky waters, hot climates, fresh and salt water, which may be contaminated by pollutants. There are any number of things that can happen to your inflatable boat that’ll necessitate repairs. There are leaks, pinholes, UV damage, worn fabric, just to mention a few. So you need to know how to repair and restore your inflatable boat. Many products were developed to do this, but none of them worked very well, which led to many inflatable boats ending up in a corner of the garage, waiting for that day when the garbage man would come along and take virtually anything away.

The inflatable boat industry, although they tried, couldn’t come up with the right formula for a product that would create perfect repairs. They weren’t completely shut out of the inflatable boat repair business, but the products that they developed provided little or no effect. Although they covered damage, like pinholes or worn fabric, they left a very sticky surface. And then you had to apply baking soda or talcum powder to compensate. What a mess! This was not a suitable solution.

To properly renew and restore an inflatable boat, it would take a unique and well-thought-out product, a product that could completely renew the original look of the boat, while leaving a surface similar to the original. Was there nobody who could solve this dilemma? Actually there was – Michael Fry.

Michael Fry uses his ingenuity to fill a void

Michael Fry is one of those people who never sees the reason why not. He sees challenges, then solutions. His entrepreneurial spirit has carried him through many successful ventures. So when he found an old discarded inflatable boat, he knew there had to be a way to repair it. And Michael was even more motivated with this particular challenge because he already had the spirit of the sea deep within his heart.

You see, when Michael was 11 years old, he’d established a connection with the sea. His dad had bought him a little Morris Lapstrake dingy (that’s a boat made with overlapping wooden boards). Michael sailed his little dingy off the shores of his hometown, Halifax, Nova Scotia. For a while, he stayed fairly close to shore, sailing in and around Hens and Chickens reef. But then, curious as young boys are, he ventured out one day beyond the reef to McNabs Island, which gave him his first real feel of the power and magnitude of the ocean. Since then, Michael has pursued any interest he can in connection with the sea. That’s why, when it came time to move his family, there was only one other place in Canada to go, where he could still pursue his love of the ocean. And that was British Columbia.

Here, Michael pursued several successful business ventures. For example, have you ever heard the expression “the Father of Portable Hard Drives”? That’s Michael. He had the vision to create the concept. Then, when the rest of the world learned of the brilliance of this device, they all got into the act which, as usual, watered down the system. So Michael sold his concept to Advanced Gravis, a thriving public company at that time, and served on their board of directors for about five years. During that time, he was instrumental in developing another cutting edge system, leading to his design and manufacture of sound boards. We tell you of Michael’s successes to show that he was indeed a man of vision. And that vision was always seeking more challenges – more solutions.

Throughout Michael’s history of cutting edge achievement, his love for the sea never left him. He loves to go out in his boat, “sailing the ocean blue”. And it was that deep bond with the sea that led him to develop his next cutting edge product. And of all his ventures, this one was closest to his heart – it was close to the sea.

Remember those “unrepairable” inflatable boats we talked about, waiting, or perhaps forgotten, in the corner of the garage? Well, Michael came across one and, being a man of vision, got to thinking of how he could develop a suitable repair system that would really renew and restore the boat to it’s original condition – just like new! Michael was a possibility thinker – the word “can’t” wasn’t a part of his vocabulary. So with this productive attitude, he consulted his chemist, a man he’d already successfully worked with in a previous venture.

Michael and his chemist knew of the inflatable boat “repair” products already on the market. They also knew that the results were less than desirable – nothing more than a patching kit. What the market needed was a product that would not only repair the boat, but restore it and renew it to its original condition. After discussing the possibilities, it didn’t take long to come up with a workable formula. Remember, Michael knew there was always a solution. And what he had created was indeed the solution to a challenge the inflatable boat industry hadn’t been able to solve. Another first for Michael, and another first for the industry. The product that couldn’t be developed, had been developed – the void was filled.

SRC Tuff-Coat – a revolutionary product

The product Michael and his chemist developed was called SRC Tuff-Coat. SRC stands for Synthetic Rubber Coatings, which is exactly what the product is. It’s actually two products, which come together in a kit – a Basecoat, and a Topcoat. The Basecoat is the repair part; the Topcoat is the restore part. They work together in a unique way to completely renew and restore your inflatable boat to its original strength and luster.

What makes this great product so different from its predecessors is its ability to bond to the original surface, then cover that surface with a vinyl coating, giving added protection, with a beautiful finish. And because this product is vinyl, it allows the use of many more colors.

So no matter what type or size of inflatable boat you have, this is the product that can repair it. It can be used on Avon, Bombard, Caribe, Quicksilver and Zodiac inflatable boats, just to mention a few. It can be used on inflatable sport boats, reconnaissance boats, tenders, riders – literally any and all kinds of inflatable boats.

We mentioned Zodiac inflatable boats. Zodiac is an international designer and manufacturer of inflatable boats, based in France. They’re recognized as an industry leader, and are always developing cutting edge products. Michael Fry, with his usual vision, approached Zodiac with his own cutting edge product. Michael saw his product as a welcome addition to the successful Zodiac line. And so did Zodiac – they agreed to distribute SRC Tuff-Coat, but with a Zodiac repair kit name on it (they just call it SRC). Same product – same great results. Michael had created another win-win situation!

SRC Tuff-Coat is going to revolutionize the inflatable boat repair industry. Unlike similar products, it can be used on both Hypalon and PVC boats. It can be used to repair UV damage, worn fabric, pinholes, and any other kind of damage your inflatable boat may have picked up over its years of use. It’ll leave your boat totally waterproof and free of leaks. And it’ll protect your boat from further deterioration caused by sun, salt, gas, oil, and all the other things that can damage your inflatable boat.

Another advantage SRC Tuff-Coat has over its competitors is its ease of application. If you follow the directions, which are very simple, you’ll complete your inflatable boat repair quickly and efficiently, and you’ll be back in the water before you know it. Simply put, SRC Tuff-Coat does everything that similar products don’t.

The inflatable boat industry is thriving

The direction the inflatable boat industry is taking for the future is definitely upwards. And as public interest increases, and people recognize the advantages of inflatable boats over traditional boats, stand-out products, like SRC Tuff-Coat, will become even more prominent and respected. Read the testimonials of people who have used Tuff-Coat on their inflatable boats and see for yourself what this product can do. All those old inflatable boats that have been abandoned can now be restored and renewed. All those amateur boaters will realize that you don’t have to be a professional to efficiently carry out inflatable boat repair. It’ll become quite clear that all they need to know is how to paint, because using SRC Tuff-Coat is that easy.

So as SRC Tuff-Coat grows in popularity, along with the entire inflatable boat industry, the real winners are everyday consumers. They’ll have more choices with new inflatable boat models and designs, and they’ll have more choices in repairing their existing inflatable boats.

So when you think inflatable boat repair, think SRC Tuff-Coat, the synthetic rubber coating repair kit. And happy boating!

To order direct from the manufacturer, click here! 

About The Author

Gareth Marples is a successful freelance writer providing valuable tips and advice for consumers. His numerous articles offer moneysaving tips and valuable insight on typically confusing topics.