Trampoline Color

We are getting a new sail for our H17 and would like to change the color of our trampoline. Can anyone recomend a product that would stick good to the mesh. Thanks in advance for the help.

As in a paint???? Good Luck.

Thanks for your post but I knew it would not be PAINT. I also know this tramp material does not get handed down from GOD in the varity of colors it comes in. There is a coating substance/process when it is made and that was my question. If anyone knows what is used to color/coat this material.May be over everyones head and if so please spare me you intellgent dialect. If you know of a substance or know of someone who has susesfully coated the mesh tramp material with something that last I very much appreciate your help. If/when I find a quality product i will post here also.

I would suspect the color is integral to the material used to make the mesh. In other words, it's IN the material, not ON the material.

At first I was thinking the same. After I inspected ours very closely I realized the material was not dyed and then woven or dyed after it was woven, it appeard to be woven and then coated. If you look closely you can see where the strands intersect are bound together with some type of coating. Also when you look closely you will see sections where the coating is thick enough to fill the hole in the mesh. It appears they did this in sections that needed additional support/strength.

Back in the 1970s, someone made vinyl dye. I know it came in black. It was used to dye tops of cars from a lighter color to black. I have no idea if it came in other colors or if it still exists today.

_________________
JKK
83 yellow/ white decks Hobie 14 Corando turbo
82 yellow hulls Hobie 16 Cat Fever
84 yellow hulls hobie 16 Yellow Nationals
plus a few extras that I'm restoring

The material is woven and then passed though a hot bath of liquid vinyl plastic. It is not something that you can reproduce outside of the factory that makes the material and once it's done, it's done - there is no changing the color.

I've been sailing / racing Hobies for over 40 years and while I've seen the results of the dye on solid vinyl tramps (which produced splotchy, more-purple-than-black coloring), I have never seen or heard of a product that can change the color of a mesh tramp. The color is integral to the plastic coating on the mesh.

Interesting stuff, Matt! That is not at all surprising really, I wouldn't have thought it would be a process easily duplicated outside the factory. It's a shame Hobie doesn't supply the variety of tramp colors and sail patterns that they used to, but if they did they probably couldn't sustain the business anymore. Sadly, people just aren't interested in catamarans anymore. Hopefully the AC World Series and the Cup itself can build a bit more momentum into the sport.

As far as changing the color is concerned, there are a few options for aftermarket trampolines, which come with a bit more variety, but I hear it's a considerable step down in quality, so I guess you'll have to decide what's more important to you.

As for me, I'm still hoping to see the H18 make its comeback!

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Mike

'79 H18 standard 'Rocketman II' sail #14921 RIP
'78 H18 (unnamed) sail #14921
'08 H16 sail #114312
'97 H21SC sail #238

Guess my sarcasm was not far off the mark............ Good Luck Sir.