When two boats share the same hull type — in this case both the Zodiac Medline III 2012 and the Zodiac N-ZO 690 2012 are deep vee designs with fiberglass 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?
On paper these two are close siblings in the size department — Zodiac Medline III 2012 at 24,0 ft versus Zodiac N-ZO 690 2012 at 22,9 ft. Weight tells a clearer story for trailering families: the Zodiac Medline III 2012 tips the scales at 3 087 lbs — 2 754 lbs more than the Zodiac N-ZO 690 2012 at 333 lbs. That difference is meaningful if you're working within a half-ton or three-quarter-ton truck's tow rating, especially once you factor in a motor, gear, and fuel.
Both boats share a closely matched power ceiling — 250 hp for the Zodiac Medline III 2012 and 250 hp for the Zodiac N-ZO 690 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. Fuel capacity breaks the other way: the Zodiac N-ZO 690 2012 carries 106 gallons versus 47 gallons in the Zodiac Medline III 2012. On a lake day that's negligible, but for coastal cruising or long reservoir runs the extra range matters.
For family outings this is probably the sharpest distinction between the two. The Zodiac Medline III 2012 is rated for 8 passengers, while the Zodiac N-ZO 690 2012 caps at 5. If you're regularly pulling extended family or a group of friends onto the water, the extra seats on the Zodiac Medline III 2012 could be the deciding factor.
At this size, power-to-weight ratio matters more than outright horsepower. The Zodiac N-ZO 690 2012 comes in at 1 lbs per hp versus 12 lbs per hp for the Zodiac Medline III 2012. The lower the ratio the more explosive the acceleration — meaningful on a short RIB where bursts of speed, quick planing, and agility in surf or tight waterways define the experience.
Top speed is rated at 53 mph for the Zodiac Medline III 2012 and 52 mph for the Zodiac N-ZO 690 2012.
Both are inflatable designs, which means they pack down for compact storage, can be carried in a bag, and are dramatically lighter than equivalent rigid hulls. The trade-off is setup time and the need to monitor tube pressure regularly. Tube diameter differs: 1 ft. 11 in. (0.575 m) on the Zodiac Medline III 2012 vs 2 ft. 2 in. (0.65 m) on the Zodiac N-ZO 690 2012 — larger tubes generally mean more buoyancy and a drier, more stable ride.
Bottom line: Choose the Zodiac Medline III 2012 if your priority is putting more people on the water — it handles 8 passengers and at 24,0 ft it has the deck room to back that rating up comfortably. The Zodiac N-ZO 690 2012 is the smarter pick if you want a lighter, easier-to-trailer boat rated for 5 that costs less to run day-to-day.