How to take care of your kayak

Hi there! Tune in this article for more tips on how to keep your kayak in top shape. Yes, we know that she is a beauty and she may as well be your best friend. You’ve gone on a lot of trips together and you wouldn’t want to let her down. So, read and learn more about kayak maintenance!

1) Check the Hull:

If you haven’t taken her out in a very long time, she might as well be depressed. Of course, not literally! But you might end up with a depressed hull. Thanks to science, heat will do just the trick to get her back into tip-top shape. Just place her under the sun and she should pop back into her original shape.

2) Keep her clean:

Fresh water should be good enough to keep the hull clean and functioning. This is a must. We repeat – a must after you just paddled in salt water. Especially clean the rudder system, cables, and foot braces to make sure all traces of salt have been washed off. Boat polishes should do the job in removing scratches. Lastly, we need sunblock when we go out to paddle in a day, but so does your Kayak! So get a protectant that will minimize its UV exposure.

3) Check the rigging:

Check the hardware, the perimeter and bungees. Like we said, the UV can increase deterioration and potentially cause big damage in the pad-eyes and bungees. Thoroughly inspect the rudder and see if it has then quickly repair anything that may be scathed.

4) Change up the old accessories:

Come one! Every woman deserves new accessories. Well, in this case, your kayak. This is the time to reward her with some new seat or bulkhead. Pretty sure while you were out kayaking you discovered something you wanted to replace and promised to get it first thing when you landed. Maybe, unfortunately, you somehow forgot then this is the time to go and get it!

5) Store it well!:

Make sure you store the kayak well and properly. It helps to use a cockpit cover to protect it from environmental factors and critters. Keep it dry once you store it, you don’t want mould growing on it the next time you take her out for a trip.

So, there are five tips that should be well and enough during your regular inspections and cleaning. Remember prevention is better than cure. Take care of her now and you’ll keep her from bad damages in the future.