Zodiac Pro Open 650

Name: Zodiac Pro Open 650
Brand: ZODIAC

Big, powerful and fun, a sizeable RIB has a lot to offer

LIKES

- Very stable platform for a variety of functions
- Comfy ride and great through chop
- Light and easily driven
- Very dry

NOT SO MUCH

- Not a lot of storage
- Could do with more fuel load
- Finite life

OVERVIEW

- The inventors of the inflatable boat

It’s a little-known fact the Zodiac company started out in aeronautics. The company began as Mallett, Melandri et de Pitray in 1896 specialising in non-rigid airships. It wasn’t until 1937 that an enterprising scientist, Pierre Debroutelle, designed the prototype of an inflatable two-man kayak.

Three years later, he was commissioned by the French Navy and invented a new type of sea craft capable of carrying bombs and torpedos. The result was two air chambers assembled in a U shape joined together by a wooden floor -- the inflatable boat was born.

From there, the Zodiac brand has gone from strength to strength and has become so popular that the name, in many circles, has become a generic term for an inflatable boat.

Zodiac has become world-renowned as the leader in inflatable boat technology and the French company has many world firsts to its name.

Today, it manufactures inflatable boats for many and diverse uses including rescue, military, border patrol, life rafts and, of course recreational applications. In the recreational market, the company offers boats of all sizes including dinghys, tenders, sports and cruising models.

The Zodiac company also includes the Bombard and Avon brands of inflatables.

But why an inflatable? Well, first they’re light. This means they are easily driven by lower-horsepower motors. Also they're not deep in the draft which is another factor that makes them quick. They're also extremely stable and can carry very heavy loads, and they’re versatile.

The Pro Open range from Zodiac is designed as a family boat that can be used in a variety of ways. The centre console design makes it easy to get around so it’s great for fishing. The performance of the boat means that it can be used for skiing or wakeboarding, and the seating and comfort means it can used for day cruising, sunbaking or even as a commuter.

Sizes include the 5.5m (550) and big 8.5-metre boats and the 6.5-metre model like the one loaned to us by Victoria's Inflatable Boatworx for this test.

PRICE AND EQUIPMENT

- Well-priced package

The boat you see here retails for $69,900 but prices start from $59,900. This price includes a terrific Danbier multi-roller trailer, and the people at Danbier have done a fabulous job with this trailer. The boat fits like a glove and it rolled off and back on with ease.

Our test boat was fitted with a 150hp Mercury four-stroke motor which is a new model recently released on the Australian market. An in-line four-cylinder engine with eight valves per cylinder and electronic fuel injection, it displaces three litres and revs to around 5600 rpm in this application.

It’s a smooth and quiet motor that is the maximum recommended horsepower for this boat.

The recreational purpose of the Zodiac Open Pro 650 is immediately evident as soon as you see the boat. A two-tone grey colour scheme is broken by bright a orange stripe along the black rubbing strips, giving this boat a sporty and exciting look. Up front there’s a substantial bow unit that contains the anchor roller, lights and fairleads for mooring lines.

Along each of the buoyancy tubes is a rope lifeline which I assume is for hanging onto while seated on the tube. It’s not for hauling oneself out of the briney after a dip as there’s a stainless-steel boarding ladder on the transom for that purpose.

It’s a good-looking boat that I thought looked impressive whether in the water or on its trailer.

INTERIOR LAYOUT

- Comfortable seating and easy to get around

As mentioned, this is a centre console boat and it features a big helm seat for those lazy summer cruises or plenty of room to stand and brace against the seat when giving the boat a bit of hurry-up through the chop -- as we did.

The console contains the Mercury SmartCraft gauges and on this boat, the optional Lowrance HDS 10 multi-function display which fitted neatly onto the dash -- even looking like it belonged there.

Under this is the Lowrance 'audio hub' sound system which is linked to the waterproof speakers in the bow.

The console folds forward to give access to the electronics and also to reveal a large storage area that goes right under the cockpit. This can be utilised for all your toys -- in this case spear guns, as our host Jeremy Wiggs from Inflatable Boatworx, likes to go diving.

It’s worth noting that the solid floor of the Pro Open is covered with an excellent non-skid that promotes a feeling of security when walking around. The cockpit is self draining through aft scuppers and the hull has an automatic bilge pump should water enter there.

Down aft there’s a comfy three-seater lounge with storage under each side and room for the supplied Esky under the centre of the seat. The backrests are interesting in that they pull out to reveal four rod holders where the rests were mounted. Quite clever.

Up in the bow, there’s another comfortable seat which covers the anchor locker and more storage. Jeremy tells us that there are moves afoot to have an optional infill for the whole front section of the boat so it becomes one big sun lounge.

POWER AND PERFORMANCE

- Mercury’s new 150 four-stroke is a good match

The Mercury 150 was a good match for the boat. It got out of the hole quickly and efficiently. Although, due to the weather conditions, we couldn’t get the boat flat out, Jeremy told us it was good for at least 42 knots – and maybe more in the right conditions.

Jeremy has tried a variety of props on the boat and found a 17 1/2 inch was the right choice for the motor and the boat.

We found a comfortable cruise under the conditions was 3000 rpm giving around 22 knots. At 4000 we were showing around 30 knots... which was enough for the prevailing conditions.

ON THE WATER

- Smooth and dry in the lumpy stuff

Our day on the water kicked off with a 20-knot westerly which was onshore at Patterson Lakes where we launched. With an outgoing tide against the wind and sea, the entrance to the Patterson River can get fairly bumpy, but the Zodiac handled it superbly. The fine, upswept bow gets the spray away and cuts the chop like a knife.

This really was the perfect boat for the conditions. Short, sharp chop is the Zodiac’s forte. It gets up on top and skips across the waves... grabbing a bit of air along the way. Trimmed correctly, the boat is a real hoot and the landings are soft and controlled.

Tight turns are not an issue but due to its buoyancy, the Zodiac tracks with a flat aspect and doesn’t lean into turns like a conventional boat. Jeremy had done a good job with the prop so there was minimal cavitation when we threw the boat around.

Driving the boat, I found that standing was the go, while as a passenger, the rear lounge proved comfortable with sturdy hand holds for the rough stuff.

As our day progressed, the breeze softened and the sun came out providing us with a pleasant day for zooming around the Bay. We could quite see ourselves heading for a pleasant lunch venue, beaching the Zodiacs and then heading back in the afternoon.

The Pro Open 650 has a 120-litre fuel tank which might be a bit light on. Jeremy told us that there is provision for a second tank as an option but it will eat into your storage space. However, we got some fuel figures which we can use as a guide.

At our comfortable cruise we managed 14 litres per hour at 3000 rpm for 22 knots of boat speed. At wide open throttle, around 5600 rpm, the boat will be doing around 42 knots and burning 51 litres per hour. Leaving a margin for error, this will only give you a couple of hours of adrenalin-pumping fun. Admittedly this is a day boat but a bit more fuel for an adventure would be handy.

VERDICT

- Versatile fun machine!

The Zodiac Pro Open is nothing if not versatile. It can be used for fishing, diving, skiing or wakeboarding (when fitted with the optional ski pole) or just gadding about the bays and harbours. It’d also be fine for a bit of light offshore adventuring.

It’s a tough, seaworthy boat that Zodiac is promoting as a kind of ‘four-wheel-drive of the sea’.

The Zodiac is an easy boat to launch and retrieve and with a combined towing weight of around 1500kg, it’s easy to tow with an average car.

The boats are easy to trick up for your favourite pastimes with things such as a bimini, a T-top for holding more rods and lights, twin battery systems,... the list goes on.

Good looking, safe, fun and not too expensive... there's a lot to be said for these inflatables!

SPECIFICATIONS

Price as tested: $69,900 with Mercury 150hp four-stroke motor, twin battery set up with voltage sensitive relay and isolator switch. Lowrance HDS10 unit with Lowrance audio hub.
Priced from: $59,900 with Mercury 115 OptiMax
LOA: 6.5m
Beam: 2.50m
Engine: Mercury 150hp four-stroke EFI
Weight (Boat only): 670kg
Max weight capacity: 1600kg
Max passengers: Five
Max horsepower: 150hp
Fuel: 120 litres
Airtight compartments: Five

Supplied by:

Inflatable Boatworx
3 Satu Way,
Mornington, Vic 3931
Tel: 03 5975 1991
www.inflatableboatworx.com.au

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Zodiac Pro Open 650

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