Pierre Debroutelle, the inventor of the tire
In the 1930s, the Zodiac company specialized in aeronautics and airship design. Pierre Debroutelle, the company's own engineer and pilot, adapted airship technology to a floating boat. He used this reliable process to design the floats, adding a stretched canvas to ensure buoyancy.
After the war, the invention of the young engineer will meet a great success with the development of nautical leisure in the 50s.
A unique experience that will create a worldwide reputation
In 1952, Pierre Debroutelle met Doctor Alain Bombard. He wished to develop rescue equipment at sea and was interested in Debroutelle's invention.
He built the Hérétique, a 5.5-meter pneumatic boat equipped with a rig with which Alain Bombard crossed the Atlantic to prove that survival at sea is possible on a small boat. The 65-day voyage from the Balearic Islands to Barbados was a success and established Zodiac's reputation around the world.
Three years later, self-inflating liferafts were made mandatory on all commercial vessels.
A development in the leisure industry
Building on this reputation, Zodiac entered the fledgling boating industry. Many new boaters appreciate the qualities of a Zodiac: light, seaworthy, stable and easy to operate.
At the beginning, a zodiac was made of rubber fabric on a cotton weft. The first press to make wooden templates was installed in 1960.
An adventurer's DNA
From the very beginning, Zodiac has found its place among marine professionals. During his first expeditions, Captain Cousteau equipped his Calypso with several inflatable boats, which were ideal for his diving teams.
In 1961, he even developed a 19m prototype, the Amphitrite, but it was limited to a few voyages on the French coast.
Zodiac has also equipped many marine professionals, including the French Navy, the Maritime Affairs and the marine rescue services.
The arrival of the semi-rigid on a conservative market
Based on a patent purchased from Paul Brot, Zodiac was one of the first to market a range of semi-rigid boats. After a very mixed commercial success, the semi-rigid proved all its advantages to impose itself on the market. With marine qualities far superior to its soft-bottom cousin, it is now favored by a majority of users, both pleasure boaters and professionals.
Today, it represents a large majority of sales, the soft tire being reserved for appendices or for very targeted use programs.
Zodiac becomes the reference in tires
In the early 1990s, Zodiac integrated PVC fabric into the manufacture of its floats. The Futura hull, reminiscent of a catamaran, appeared in several versions to improve the "banging" behavior of a flexible boat with an almost flat bottom.
Zodiac has also adopted a sliding hull-float connection, instead of being glued. This innovation facilitates float maintenance operations and saves time when changing floats.
The wooden floor of the soft bottoms is replaced by aluminum panels, which have a better longevity.
In a booming market, the French manufacturer adapts all kinds of engines and transmissions: outboard or inboard, with base or waterjet.
But some innovations, such as the semi-rigid dismountable, will not remain long in the catalog.
A player that continues to fight in a competitive market
Today, Zodiac has been integrated into the Z-Nautic group, which also owns Bombard and Aka Marine, the latter being reserved for professionals. In 125 years of existence, a little more than one million Zodiacs have been manufactured.
Its catalog is now divided into seven ranges from 2 to 9 m in length, only in semi-rigid.
Like the refrigerator, Zodiac has become a generic name for an inflatable boat. An example of French success.
