When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Zodiac Cadet Airlite 260 2009 and the Zodiac Zoom 230 2012 are inflatable non rigid designs with inflatable construction — the buying decision usually comes down to a handful of practical questions: how many people are you putting on the water, how far do you trailer, and what does your tow vehicle weigh?
Both boats share a closely matched power ceiling — 4 hp for the Zodiac Cadet Airlite 260 2009 and 4 hp for the Zodiac Zoom 230 2012. Real-world performance will come down more to which motor is actually bolted on, its load at the time, and whether it's a 4-stroke or 2-stroke setup.
For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Zodiac Cadet Airlite 260 2009 is rated for 3 passengers, while the Zodiac Zoom 230 2012 caps at 2. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Zodiac Cadet Airlite 260 2009 could be the deciding factor.
The Zodiac Zoom 230 2012 is an inflatable design — lighter, easier to store, and quicker to launch from a beach or dock without a slipway. The Zodiac Cadet Airlite 260 2009 is a rigid hull, which typically offers a more confident ride in chop and easier maintenance over the long term.
Bottom line: Choose the Zodiac Cadet Airlite 260 2009 if your priority is putting more people on the water — it handles 3 passengers and at 8,5 ft it has the deck room to back that rating up comfortably. The Zodiac Zoom 230 2012 is the smarter pick if you want a lighter, easier-to-trailer boat rated for 2 that costs less to run day-to-day.