Whether you spent $500 or $5,000 on your kayak, it is now your baby. Like any baby, you want to learn how best to take care of it. Well, consider us the Dr. Spock of kayaks. Keep reading to learn how to protect your kayak hull from the vicissitudes of paddling life.
We have distilled four items that are key to helping you protect your kayak hull. First, consider applying protective layers. This could include wax, UV protection and even a keel guard/skid plate. Next, follow a rigorous seasonal maintenance routine like it is religion. Then, store your kayak in a way that avoids undue stress that could bend the hull. Finally, when you are on the water, do your best to avoid running into sharp, abrasive hazards. (Easier said than done, right?)
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Table of Contents
OK, should I wax my kayak or not?
If you paddle a polyethylene and/or inflatable kayak, then the answer is clear. You do not need to apply wax to the hull of your kayak. If you want to, go ahead. The wax should make your plastic kayak look shiny for a little while. But really, the benefits aren’t significant.
If, however, you paddle a kayak constructed from composite materials such as fiberglass, carbon fiber or Kevlar, then there may be benefits to applying a wax coating to the hull of your boat.
First of all, a wax coating makes your kayak look great. More important than aesthetics however, is that a wax coating keeps your hull clean and protects it from scratches and gouges caused by running your boat over shallow gravel beds or gnarly submerged trees.
Now, there two arguments against using a wax coat to protect your kayak hull.
The first argument is that wax is expensive and takes a long time to apply. To me, this argument is silly. You have to look really hard to find a wax that costs more than $25. Frankly, paying $25 per year to protect my $2,000-$4,000 kayak is a bargain.
(I do recognize that, if you own a fleet of kayaks, the economics of continuously waxing your fleet are more challenging.)
While it takes a little bit of time to apply, wait and then buff, it doesn’t take that much time.
So, argument number one against waxing the hull of your composite kayak is unreasonable. At least to me.
The second argument is that wax slows down the speed of your kayak. This may or may not be accurate. One school of thought suggests that a layer of wax makes the hull surface of your kayak smoother, slicker and faster than it would otherwise be. The other school of thought postulates that wax causes water beads to form on the hull and this adds surface tension that actually makes your boat slower. I feel that neither of these ideas properly reflect reality.
There are a couple of products that do actually help a kayak glide faster. You can read about them here. If you are interested in more organic ways to get your kayak up to speed, check out the article I wrote here.
My sense is that the hull protection provided by a layer (or two) of wax provides significant positive benefit that more than offsets any (largely imperceptible) reduction in speed.
How do you apply wax to your composite kayak?
If you have answered the existential question of whether to wax or not and have decided to go for it, here’s how:
Step 1. Rinse your kayak. Spray down your kayak with your hose. This is a great time to loosen and sand, gravel and sea salt deposits.
Step 2. Create sudsy bubbles in your bucket. Drop some detergent in the bucket and create suds with water from the garden hose. If you are using, a detergent that is specially formulated for marine vessels, be sure to follow the instructions on the container.
Don’t use dish soap. This stuff wears down the finish of your boat.
Step 3. Give your kayak a bubble bath. Using the sponge and sudsy water, scrub your kayak thoroughly. Pay particular attention to problem areas on the hull. You require as clean and smooth a surface as possible to get the most impact from the application.
Step 4. Rinse off your kayak. Use the hose to remove all the suds from the boat.
Step 5. Allow your kayak time to dry (or do it yourself manually). Either give your kayak an hour to air dry or use towels to speed up the process.
Do your best to not leave any towel lint on the hull.
Step 6. Apply the wax to your hull. If you are using a spray wax, then spray a small-to-medium section of the hull and then use a microfiber cloth to spread the spray evenly around. (Remember that your purpose is to build a layer of wax around the hull. You aren’t trying to rub anything off.) Repeat this process across the entire hull of your kayak.
If you are using a paste wax, then collect a modest amount of the stuff on a microfiber cloth and spread it evenly across a reasonable section of the hull. Repeat until you have spread a layer of wax across the entire hull of the boat.
(Please note, I provided some Amazon links above to get you to the right products quickly.)
Step 7. Give the wax time to dry. This could be anywhere from 20 minutes to upwards of an hour. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions on the container.
Step 8. Make your hull shine with a good buffing. Once the wax is sufficiently dry, use a new, clean microfiber cloth to buff out the hazing and draw out the shine.
How much protection do you need? If you spend a lot of time on the water scraping your hull across hazards, your kayak might benefit from more than one coat of wax. If so, simply apply an additional coat of wax to the dry hull, wait for the wax to harden and buff out the haze.
Your call as to whether this is necessary.
How do you protect the keel of your kayak hull?
Don’t drag your kayak to and from the water. The keel of your kayak is the bow-to-stern ridge on the hull of your boat. If you drag it along dirt, roots and rocks, you will damage it. Do your best to pull up to shore via the side of the kayak, whenever possible.
Consider a keel guard. This is a patch that is applied to your keel to give it a significant layer of protection against rogue roots and rocks (in the water, not on land).
A keel guard is a sacrificial protector. The purpose of a keel guard is to provide a layer of sacrificial protection. In other words, its purpose is to receive the contact from rocks and roots so that your hull is not damaged. Over time, the keel guard will wear down at which point it will be necessary to scrape off the incumbent keel guard (including the sticky adhesive) and apply a new one.
Think of a keel guard like hockey tape on hockey stick. It is there for a good time, not a long time.
Be sure that the adhesive securing your keel guard is compatible with your kayak (or canoe) material. It is common for keel guard adhesives to adhere to fiberglass, composites and most plastics except Polypropylene. (This type of plastic is typically found on inflatables and less-expensive pool toys.) If you have a plastic kayak, double-check its material and confirm that that keel guard you are considering will adhere to it.
Keel guards don’t seem to impact tracking. Kayaks still seem to track straight following the installation of a keel guard patch. It is possible that a racing boat would be noticeably impacted, but anything in the recreational or touring worlds accepts the protective strip well.
How to protect your kayak hull with regular maintenance
An important part of keeping a kayak is caring for it – at least if you want it to have a long, productive life. Indeed, your kayak can enjoy such a life if you are intentional and consistent about its maintenance.
At minimum, consider a kayak maintenance schedule that includes a spring-time preparation and an autumn hibernation. If you kayak all year round, then your kayak will likely appreciate some love every three-to-four months.
Spring-time preparation to protect your boat
Position your kayak on sawhorses. Set up two sawhorses that are positioned approximately under the bulkheads of your boat. From this position, inspect the hardware on the boat deck, including the perimeter lines and bungee cords. Look for damage that might have been caused by UV radiation or friction.
If you find that the end of your bungee cords are fraying, apply a dab of silicone or hot glue. Then cut a short sleeve of electrical heat-shrink tubing and attached to the bungee ends. Apply heat to shrink the tubing.
Inspect your rudder/skeg. Both of these components impact your kayak hull and benefit from periodic maintenance.
Take a close look at stainless steel cables, deployment lines and pedal hardware – looking for damage.
Apply a squirt of WD-40 or even a dry lubricant on the main pivot points, pedals and sliders. Also fire a judicious amount of lubricant through any cable housings. (Actually, this is often most effectively done with the kayak standing on its end.)
Inspect the hull of your Polyethylene or Royalex boat. These plastics are soft and heavy, however they are particularly strong when protecting against hard, blunt impact. These plastics are known to collect small, topical scratches the way some people collect stamps.
In terms of repair, there isn’t a lot that can be done to the small scratches.
Occasionally your plastic kayak will sustain a deeper gouge creating a raised burr. If you are keen, take a razor blade or flexible X-Acto knife and shave down the offending strip of plastic that is pointing up to the sky.
Inspect the hull of your fiberglass, Kevlar or composite kayak. These boats have a hard outer gelcoat that resists the superficial scratches that plague polyethylene boats. When damage does occur to a fiberglass or composite hull, it is often quite noticeable. The good news is, even major damage can usually be repaired or rebuilt without a lot of heartache. We’ll discuss how, later.
Protect your kayak from UV radiation. If you paddle a poly boat, then perk up your ears… or eyes. UV radiation is not only bad for your skin, it is also bad for the skin of your kayak. To protect your skin from UV rays, you apply sunscreen. To protect your poly boat from UV rays you apply 303 Aerospace Protectant. Everyone calls this stuff ‘sunscreen for your boat’. So do I.
Apply the 303 spray with a cloth (to the top of your boat) to make sure that it spreads evenly. When complete, buff away any excess that remains. 303 protectant does not contain silicon, does not leave greasy residue and can be used on composite plastic boats, as well.
303 can also be used on virtually any paddling gear that is exposed to the sun, including your PFD, neoprene wetsuit, dry clothing, dry bags and sprayskirt.
While 303 Aerospace Protectant can be tricky to find in brick-and-mortar stores, it is readily available on online. Find out more information and current pricing with this Amazon link.
While 303 can be used on composite plastic boats to protect from UV radiation, sometimes wax is better. Marine waxes and polishes not only protect composite boats from UV radiation, but also remove oxidation from finishes, intensify color, and seal and protect the hull from damage.
Fall maintenance to protect your kayak hull
Pull out your saw horses again. Set your kayak, upside down, on top of them. Again.
Wash your boat. Don’t use dish soap. This can ruin the finish of your gelcoat. Use a bucket of water combined with a detergent formulated for use on boats and RVs.
Lather up a sponge and get your kayak nice and soapy. Scrub away any ‘friendlies’ that may have secured themselves to your boat.
Be sure to spray water throughout the cockpit and interior of the boat as well, including inside all the hatches.
Remove all of the loosened dirt, rocks, sand and dead bugs (hopefully they’re dead, anyway).
If your kayak seat is removable, then remove it and spray down its underside.
Get your rudder ready for winter. If your rudder utilizes bungees to provide tension to the steering pedals, loosen the adjustment straps to remove some of the tension and allow the bungees to retain their elasticity for longer.
Winterize your hatches as well. While your hatches do not directly impact your kayak hull, they still benefit from attention during fall maintenance.
Undo the hatch quick-release buckles and remove the hatch covers from the rims. This will help your hatch straps retain their elasticity for longer. To allow air to flow and keep pests out, place pieces of window screen (or some similar cover) over the hatches and attach them to the kayak with long rubber bands.
How to store your kayak to protect its hull. First of all, if you paddle an inflatable kayak, check out our article about drying it and storing it here.
If your kayak is rigid, then you’ll need to store your boat differently. The owner’s manual indicates the best way to store your kayak.
Most rigid kayaks should be stored on well-padded brackets or suspended in slings constructed from seat-belt-like nylon straps.
Typically, these brackets or straps should be spaced such that they align with the bulkheads in your kayak. The location of the bulkheads marks the points of greatest strength of your boat.
For recreational kayaks with large cockpits, position the cockpit combing so it rests on the storage bars.
The owner’s manual answers the question as to whether your boat should be stored right-side-up, upside-down, or on its side. Don’t assume. You need to get this right in order to maintain the proper shape and protect your kayak hull.
Whatever you do, do not suspend your kayak from the ceiling by it’s carrying toggles. Several months of this will brew all kinds of damage to your boat, most of which is not easily repairable.
Assorted other non-hull related fall maintenance tasks.
Clean your bilge pump with a mild detergent and inspect it for damage.
Sea water makes life difficult for soft and hard goods alike. Use a neoprene shampoo to clean your PFD, wetsuit, hatch covers, spray skirt, gloves and booties.
Apply a spritz of spray lubricant to zippers snaps and plugs and even the bilge pump shaft to keep any sea salt from sealing them up.
How to check for hull leaks in a rigid kayak
As part of your routine maintenance, check for leaks in your kayak. You’ll already know if you have a big one, but it may not be clear whether you have a small one and where it resides
Step 1. Fill your cockpit with water and tilt the boat on one end. Look for leaks along seams as well as along flush areas of the hull.
Step 2. Fill the hatches up with water, secure the hatch covers and then tilt your kayak upside down. Often tiny leaks emerge as bulkheads slowly separate from the wall. This technique will help you find them.
How to repair the hull of your polyethylene kayak.
Kayaks are not family heirlooms, they are tools to facilitate fun.
If you agree with this statement, then it is probable that your kayak (most likely the hull) will eventually require repair. Good for you!
I wrote a veritable tome on how to repair inflatable kayaks here. If you paddle an inflatable kayak, check it out.
Small hole repair. If you paddle a polyethylene kayak that requires some small-hole repair, here’s how to do it:
Step 1. Clean the area of repair with rubbing alcohol (the kind you buy at the pharmacy).
Step 2. Press Gorilla or other duct tape to the underside of the hole.
Step 3. Apply hot glue or Ptex to the top of the hole. Overfill it.
Step 4. Wait for the application to dry. Then use a razor blade or X-Acto knife to cut the excess glue flush.
Repairing hull distortion. Although impact resistant, polyethylene is also soft. When left in the hot sun or tied down incorrectly, its hull can distort. If this problem has befallen your poly kayak, here’s how to try to fix it:
Technique 1: Place the kayak upside down, in the sun. Allowing the heat to build up and rise is often sufficient to eliminate hull distortion.
Technique 2: Fill the distorted area of the hull with hot (but not boiling) water. Over the span of a couple of hours, the weight of the water, combined with its heat, will hopefully convince your boat to return to its original, uniform shape.
As hot water becomes cool water, you will likely need to replace it.
Repairing foam bulkheads in a polyethylene kayak. Over time, it is likely that the foam bulkheads in the interior of your kayak will begin to separate from the hull. This is usually due to repeated stressors on the hull as well as the build-up of heat.
Simply apply a quality marine sealant to reattach the bulkhead and return your front hatch to its former air-tightness.
How to repair the hull of your composite kayak
The first question to ask is, does your composite kayak actually require repair? If you see clearly visible spider cracks or holes, or if the underlying fabric is beginning to show, then your composite kayak would benefit from repair.
Step 1. Use 100-grit sandpaper to rough up the area of your repair. This will serve to remove the gelcoat and smooth the surface.
Step 2. Clean the dust away and apply acetone to the repair area. This will further clean the surface and provide for optimal adhesion.
Step 3. Apply tape to the edge of the repair to protect the part of the hull that you don’t want to receive resin.
Step 4. Mix the resin and catalyst/hardener in a graduated measuring cup. Allow a few minutes for the bubbles to rise to the top.
Step 5. Apply a thin coat of the resin/catalyst mixture to the repair area with a disposable brush.
Step 6. Position a piece of Kevlar fabric over the repair area. (The fabric should already be measured and pre-cut before the catalyst hits the resin.)
Step 7. Wet-up the fabric. Apply judicious amounts of resin onto the situated fabric, completely saturating it.
Step 8. Apply a second, slightly larger, Kevlar patch on the top of the first patch. Impregnate this second patch with the resin/catalyst mixture, as well.
Step 9. Position a layer of plastic kitchen wrap over the patch (while still wet). Tape the edges of the wrap to the hull to secure the plastic wrap. Then, use a roller to smooth the surface of the patch as well as roll out any bubbles.
Step 10. Remove the plastic kitchen wrap and let dry.
Step 11. Use a razor blade or X-Acto knife to cut any excess fabric flush with the hull.
Step 12. Use 400+ grit sandpaper to smooth the transition between the repaired and unrepaired areas.
Step 13. You can paint out the area of the repair, if so inclined.
How to repair the hull of your fiberglass kayak
The method to execute a repair involving a fiberglass patch is exactly the same as that of the Kevlar patch (above).
Sometimes a lesser repair doesn’t require a fabric patch, but simply an application of gelcoat.
Gelcoat is similar to the resin used in the previous repair example, but is used to provide a high-quality finish to your repair.
To match the color of your kayak, you will have to source the appropriate gelcoat from the manufacturer of your boat or, mix the pigment yourself and add it to a white gelcoat or, use the services of a custom gelcoat manufacturer.
Here’s how to execute the repair:
Step 1. Clean and dry the damaged area. Scrape away dirt from the broken gelcoat edges.
Step 2. Further clean the area with acetone and a rag.
Step 3. Mix the gelcoat according to the instructions. Remember that the more catalyst you use, the quicker the mixture will harden.
If you have a custom pigment to add to the gelcoat, do so now.
Step 4. Apply the gelcoat to the repair area with a spatula or other similar tool.
Step 5. If the repair is sufficiently small and contained, use a piece of wax paper to smooth out the repair (while it is still wet). This will reduce your sanding burden later.
(If the repair is too large, don’t worry. The wax paper technique isn’t a deal-breaker.)
Step 6. Allow your gelcoat repair to dry.
Once the gelcoat is dry, you can use the kayak again. It just won’t look very good. Yet.
Step 7. If you want your boat to look better, use 400-grit wet sandpaper to sand away the surplus gelcoat and return your hull to its original shape.
(If you find that you didn’t apply enough gelcoat, then you’ll need to again clean with acetone and apply another layer of gelcoat.)
Step 8. Once you are satisfied with the shape of your work, smooth the repair further with increasingly higher grits of wet sandpaper. Start at 600 and work your way up to at least 1200.
Use lots of water all the time.
Step 9. Apply polishing paste to the repaired area. Then, use either a polishing machine or your own elbow-grease to finally restore your kayak hull to
Parting thoughts
You can protect your kayak hull in many different ways. If you protect it with chemical elixirs, repair it when it breaks and store it in a friendly manner, then you have done what you can do.
And sure, you can try to avoid running over sharp hazards, but how likely (or fun) is that, really?