Zodiac

Zodiac is a French boat builder best known for inflatable boats and rigid-hull inflatable boats. The brand traces its origins to the Zodiac airship company founded in France in 1896, and its boating division later became Zodiac Nautic.

Zodiac’s history begins in French aviation and lighter-than-air craft before moving into inflatable boat design in the 1930s. Engineer Pierre Debroutelle developed early inflatable boat prototypes for the French Navy, and the company began marketing boats to private customers in 1949. Zodiac gained wider public recognition after Alain Bombard’s Atlantic crossing in a Zodiac inflatable in 1952. By the 1960s, the company had shifted strongly toward leisure boating as recreational demand grew.

Zodiac builds inflatable boats and rigid-hull inflatable boats for a range of uses, including leisure boating and professional applications. Its current branding emphasizes the Medline line among its recreational models, alongside other RIB and tender-style boats. The company is widely associated with practical, lightweight craft that are easy to transport, launch, and use in coastal or inland waters. Zodiac’s name has also become closely linked with inflatable boats in general, especially in French boating culture.