France · Tier 1
Zodiac Dinghies in Australia
The name that defined the category
Brand profile
Zodiac at a Glance
Zodiac remains one of the industry's defining inflatable-boat brands and still covers an unusually wide span of the market, from the Cadet packable tender that hangs off a 34-footer to Milpro professional craft used by rescue and defence operators. The Cadet is the family most cruising sailors will actually shop.
Australian distributor listings currently cover Cadet, Yachtline, Open, Pro and Medline families.
- Market position
- The name that defined the category
- Best matched to
- Sailing yachts · Portable tenders · Compact storage
- Australian access
- Official distributor
- Range footprint
- 5 families · 15 models · 2.3–9.0 m
- Boat types
- Inflatable · Fibreglass RIB · Professional RIB
- Main markets
- Packable Tenders · RIB Tenders · Club & Rescue
Our take
For a packable tender, shortlist the Cadet Aero and ALU against Highfield Roll Up, Mercury and Talamex. For everything above roughly 4 m, you are shopping a different category of boat entirely.
Editorial fit scores
Brand-level scores against each job. Individual models are scored separately — see any model page. Methodology.
Range architecture
How the Zodiac Range Is Organised
Use the family structure to eliminate the wrong part of the catalogue before comparing individual models.
| Family | Role in the range | Models | Length band | Primary market |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cadet | The small-tender end of the range and the family most relevant to sailing yachts. | 4 | 2.30–3.10 m | Packable Tenders |
| Yachtline | Fibreglass RIB tenders with substantially more finish and capability than a roll-up. | 3 | 3.60–4.40 m | Premium & Jet |
| Open | Recreational dayboat territory rather than conventional yacht-dinghy territory. | 2 | 5.50–6.50 m | Club & Rescue |
| Pro | Diving, commercial support, clubs, fishing and workboat use. | 2 | 5.50–6.50 m | Club & Rescue |
| Medline | Recreational RIB and dayboat family. | 4 | 5.80–9.00 m | Club & Rescue |
Starting points
Zodiac Models Worth Opening First
These are the best-documented starting points across different Zodiac families—not a paid ranking or a claim that one model suits every buyer.
Cadet
Zodiac Cadet 230 Aero
- Length
- 2.30 m
- Power
- —
- Capacity
- —
- Hull weight
- —
Air-floor packable tender
Open model profile →Open
Zodiac Open 5.5
- Length
- 5.50 m
- Power
- —
- Capacity
- —
- Hull weight
- —
Also listed as Open 550
Open model profile →Medline
Zodiac Medline 680
- Length
- 6.80 m
- Power
- —
- Capacity
- —
- Hull weight
- —
Also listed as Medline 6.8
Open model profile →Yachtline
Zodiac Yachtline 360
- Length
- 3.60 m
- Power
- —
- Capacity
- —
- Hull weight
- —
A representative model from the Yachtline family. Confirm the current Australian specification.
Open model profile →Buyer due diligence
Buying Zodiac: questions to ask
Before choosing a model, ask the dealer to confirm availability, the complete package weight and local service support. Get the answers in writing so you can compare quotes on the same basis.
- Which Zodiac models are physically stocked in Australia now, and which are special-order only?
- What is included in the quoted package, and what will the complete ready-to-use weight be with propulsion, fuel or battery, safety gear and normal accessories?
- Who performs warranty assessment and supplies replacement parts in the state where the boat will be used?
- What tube fabric, seam construction and repair materials are supplied on the exact Australian configuration?
- Can the complete boat-and-engine package be demonstrated with the buyer's normal passenger and gear load?
Take the answers into the comparison tool, then use the sea-trial protocol or, for sailing boats, the sailing dinghy buying guide.
Zodiac
Cadet
The small-tender end of the range and the family most relevant to sailing yachts.
| Model | Length | Max power | Persons | Hull weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cadet 230 Aero Air-floor packable tender | 2.30 m | — | — | — |
| Cadet 270 Aero Air-floor packable tender | 2.70 m | — | — | — |
| Cadet 310 Aero Air-floor packable tender | 3.10 m | — | — | — |
| Cadet 270 ALU Aluminium floor — stiffer, planes earlier, heavier | 2.70 m | — | — | — |
Zodiac
Yachtline
Fibreglass RIB tenders with substantially more finish and capability than a roll-up.
| Model | Length | Max power | Persons | Hull weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yachtline 360 | 3.60 m | — | — | — |
| Yachtline 400 | 4.00 m | — | — | — |
| Yachtline 440 | 4.40 m | — | — | — |
Zodiac
Open
Recreational dayboat territory rather than conventional yacht-dinghy territory.
Zodiac
Pro
Diving, commercial support, clubs, fishing and workboat use.
Zodiac
Medline
Recreational RIB and dayboat family.
| Model | Length | Max power | Persons | Hull weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Medline 580 | 5.80 m | — | — | — |
| Medline 680 Also listed as Medline 6.8 | 6.80 m | — | — | — |
| Medline 750 Also listed as Medline 7.5 | 7.50 m | — | — | — |
| Medline 9 | 9.00 m | — | — | — |
Direct alternatives
Brands to Compare with Zodiac
These brands overlap with Zodiac in at least one Australian market. Compare the exact model, support path and complete operating package.
France / China
Highfield
The aluminium RIB benchmark
Japan
Achilles
CSM tubes for tropical UV
Ukraine
BRIG
Fibreglass refinement, tender to flagship
Australia / International
Easy Inflatables
Aerowave boats, supplied and supported by Easy Inflatables