Basic kayak maintenance

Basic kayak maintenance

We’ve put a lot of time and thought into providing you with a quality craft and we stand behind our product 100%. By reading your kayak’s warranty agreement and following these few simple maintenance steps, you should have years of problem-free fun ahead:

Maintenance

  • Empty any water from the boat and let kayak ventilate and dry.
  • Be careful when setting your kayak down on rough or hard surfaces.
  • You can slide in and off a sandy beach but avoid sliding on a surface that may gouge or scrape your hull during entry and exit from water.
  • Inspect the hull and outfitting (seat, thigh and foot braces, backband) of your craft to ensure their good condition.  Tighten screws if necessary.
  • Pay specific attention to the grab handles, making sure they do not become loose or damaged.
  • Take care to protect your craft from long-term exposure to the sun or extreme heat, which can contribute to weakening the Rotomolded HDPE / Thermoformed ABS / Composite FG, and cause hull deformations.
  • After use rinse your kayak well with fresh water to help get rid of sand or salt that can affect the performance of movable parts and gradually wear down the hull.
  • Cleaning your craft is best with mild soap and water and a non-abrasive cloth or brush.
  • Regularly wax your composite or thermoformed ABS with a high UV inhibitor to keep it in the best condition possible.
  • Rinse your craft well with fresh water to help get rid of sand or salt that can affect the per formance of movable parts and gradually wear the hull.
  • Never leave salt water inside a composite kayak as it will not dry out. The kayak may absorb the water and become heavier.
  • Cosmetic scratches can be removed on plastic kayaks by passing a hair dryer over the area to lightly melt the surfaces.  Be careful not to overheat.  
  • Rubber hatch covers should be sprayed inside and out with proper UV protectant such as 303, Meguiars Supreme Shine, or other protectants for plastic and rubber with UV inhibitor.
  • For hatches with neoprene seals, make sure you rinse the neoprene seal and hatch rim free of any sand or salt and inspect seal regularly to detect damage.
More maintenance tips can be found in this video. 

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