How To Protect The Bottom Of Your Kayak?

Protecting your kayak bottom is crucial for prolonging its lifespan and maintaining performance. To do this, you can use a protective layer that covers the hull, such as a Gator Patch and 5 minutes of sunlight. This layer will prevent damage from oysters, rocks, or dragging the kayak.

To clean and protect your kayak hull, rinse it with clean, fresh water and allow it to dry thoroughly inside and out. Wax can be applied using a peel-n-stick tape, which is usually PVC material and sold per foot. Place the kayak in direct sunlight with the hull facing upwards without pressure. A soft spot like a grass lawn is ideal, but a harder surface like a driveway can work with some Kydex. Cut it to shape and heat it up until pliable.

PereGuard is an easy-to-use protective guard that can be applied to any location that will receive extra wear and tear. It can also be used to add extra weight and drag in the water. For areas that get the most abuse, such as the stern, you can mount extra plastic or scuff plates.

To ensure a good bond, use a roller to press down firmly on the Gator Patch across the keel area, ensuring firm pressure across the patch. Be sure to use your Gator Guards and other protective measures to ensure a long-lasting and reliable kayak.

What to put on a kayak to protect it?

• Clean your polyethylene kayak with mild soap and water.
• Use 303 Protectant or a similar plastic protectant to guard against UV rays and to help your boat shine.
• For composite boats, you should apply a car wax that is recommended for fiberglass from time to time to protect the finish.

How to protect the bottom of an inflatable kayak?

Use a Bottom Protection Layer. When navigating shallow or unfamiliar waters, consider using a bottom protection layer to shield the boat from potential hazards. Rocks, submerged objects, and rough surfaces can pose a threat to the underside of your inflatable boat. A protective layer, such as a reinforced inflatable keel or an additional floorboard, can help minimize the risk of abrasions and punctures, enhancing the boat’s durability.

Maintain Proper Pressure. Inflatable boats rely on air pressure for stability and buoyancy. Check the boat’s pressure regularly, especially before extended trips. Changes in temperature can affect air pressure, causing a need for adjustments. Keeping the boat at the recommended pressure ensures optimal performance and helps distribute stress evenly across the fabric and seams, preventing unnecessary wear and tear.

Follow Manufacturer Guidelines. Perhaps the most important tip for extending the life of your inflatable boat is to follow the manufacturer’s guidelines and recommendations. Each boat model may have specific care instructions, and adhering to these guidelines is essential for preserving warranty coverage and ensuring the longevity of your aquatic investment. Familiarize yourself with the owner’s manual, warranty information, and any additional resources provided by the manufacturer to maintain your inflatable boat effectively.

Can I sand the bottom of my kayak?

Obviously you need to be pretty careful using the aggressive grit. And not use this too much you know just a light sanding of that to knock down those edges. And then as you get up to the 600.

Is it better to store a kayak vertically or horizontally?

If you are looking for short term storage for your kayak, consider a vertical position. This helps to save space and should not create problems in the short term. However, if you plan to store your kayak over the winter months or longer, you need to keep it off the ground, inside (when possible), and out of UV rays.

Should I plug the holes in my kayak?

Whether you plug the holes in the seat area may depend on your size and weight. If you need extra lift, then plug them. If you’re a lightweight and need more depth in the water, keep them unplugged.

If Gene is getting water in the boat due to waves or rain, he’ll unplug the holes to let the water drain out.

Gene uses his forward scupper holes as his main drains and leaves them unplugged almost all the time…except in colder weather. When Gene fishes in cold weather he keeps his holes plugged to keep that cold water out of his boat. A drier boat is more important in that case.

For more info about scupper holes and plugs read this article from our friends at AustinKayak. Here’s a conversation about scupper plugs on BassResource.com.

Should my kayak have holes in the bottom?

What Are Scupper Holes?. Scupper holes are intentional holes in sit-on-top kayaks, like fishing kayaks. It seems counter-intuitive to have holes in a boat, but they serve a couple important design purposes:

• They help give structural integrity to the kayak…
• They operate as a drain hole when you get water in your boat. This is especially key in rapids or waves when water can come in over the top.

If you plug your scupper holes, the water is prevented from coming up in the holes, as well as prevented from draining out of them.

When you plug the scupper holes, your kayak will sit higher on the water. When they’re unplugged, you’ll sit a bit lower on the water. So plugging them helps you paddle faster when you’re on your way to your fishing destination or heading back to the launch.

Is it OK to leave inflatable kayak inflated?

It’s up to you whether you prefer to store your kayak partially inflated or completely deflated and rolled up. If you want to keep it ready and waiting, reduce the PSI until it is compressible by hand.

Always let your inflatable kayak air-dry before packing it up and storing it. You can throw a DampRid packet into the bag as an added measure. This will help keep it from building up mildew and taking on that high-humidity summer stink.

Pro Tip: Make your life a little easier and leave your inflatable in the sun for 5-10 minutes before rolling it up. This short burst of sunshine warms the material and makes it more pliable for easier packing.

Storing Your Inflatable Kayak. There is such a thing as too much sun, however. It both weakens the material and the seams and increases the pressure beyond its design limits. Do right by your inflatable by storing it out of direct sunlight when not in use and keep it in a cool, dry place. This will help avoid bursting or fading of colors.

Why plug scupper holes in kayak?

When you plug the scupper holes, your kayak will sit higher on the water. When they’re unplugged, you’ll sit a bit lower on the water. So plugging them helps you paddle faster when you’re on your way to your fishing destination or heading back to the launch.

On the flip side, if it’s windy you’ll want those scupper holes unplugged so you sit lower on the water. That way the wind will have less boat to catch and move around.

The average kayak has 6-8 scupper holes in various sections of the boat. Gene likes to keep the rear holes plugged because that’s where most of the weight is carried. Plugging them helps give the boat a bit of lift out of the water. It also keeps that area drier.

Is the styrofoam supposed to stay in my kayak?

Do not remove the styrofoam blocks. These blocks will keep your kayak above water in case of capsizing or if it fills up with water.

What keeps a kayak from sinking?

Although most kayaks are engineered to remain buoyant even after filling with water, adding float bags various shaped bags inflated with air in the bow and/or stern keeps your boat higher in the water when overturned. More importantly, floatation bags displace the water that would normally swamp your kayak, making it difficult or impossible to empty or right it. This short video provides a good overview.

Creative kayakers like to improvise by adding other inflatable devices, but float bags made specifically for kayaks are preferable as they are shaped to fit the curvatures of the boat, are more durable and can usually be secured inside with rings or straps.

“When I first bought my rec boat long ago, I stuck a beach ball in there. A year later I had a flip and the beach ball and factory floatation (material) was floating alongside me. I had a life jacket on and was fine, but hijinks ensued as I made attempts to keep my kayak from sinking (too heavy to lift past rocks to get into eddy). Eventually, I got help to empty the water and be on my way, but now I always put in blow up floatation.” Lyn Dahlstrom.