How To Repair A Small Hole In A Kayak

Information technology doesn't matter if your Tommy Hilleke on the Stikine River, or paddling with a commercial group on the Middle Fork of The Salmon, getting a pigsty in your gunkhole will put you lot out of commission. Fifty-fifty if your paddle destination is not that far from civilization, I would recommend having a temporary gunkhole patch solution in your armory.Yous never know when a nasty razor fin rock volition make up one's mind to piece the hull of your precious boat.

Here are 3 cheap ways to patch your kayak in desperate situations:

Duct Record

Desperate times call for desperate measures. The to the lowest degree expensive fashion to patch a pigsty in your boat is with duct record. This the virtually primitive of the three means, which means that it may not hold equally well as the others. It can be combined with the other two ways or done on its own.

How to: Clean the unabridged crack likewise as y'all tin can. Drill the ends of the split, (or use a corkscrew from a Swiss army knife, or something like that if you are in the backcountry) to ensure that the open seam does not go along on splitting. After that, utilise layer after layer of duct tape over the crack and melt information technology into the gap with a heated spoon. The duct record will eventually melt into the hole and temporarily fill the gap.

A prissy thing about pocket duct record is that information technology is just a few strips of tape, with paper on the back (to ensure maximum stickiness). The problem with using a gyre of duct tape wrapped effectually itself is that it tin lose the stickiness for other applications. The pocket duct record is besides in a waterproof plastic parcel.

Weight:1 oz.
Size: 2" by 72", and no cardboard whorl

Bichathane

Bichathane is basically Water ice and Water Shield. Information technology is is a self adhesive rubberized asphalt membrane. In short, it is made of rubber and is Really sticky. Information technology is used normally in construction on the roof's of houses to keep the H2O out. Simply certain paddlesports vendors will sell this material in less than a 50 human foot curlicue. Information technology is for sale in one square foot increments here at CKS. If you're a habitation builder you probably have a agglomeration that you tin sell to people at the put in to OBJ or Stone Creek. CKS team fellow member Joe Keck says: "Sometimes things happen and sketchy situations occur. This stuff has bailed me out of more than i jam. The Mank Crew takes information technology on every trip".

How to: Clean the infected wound and drill the ends of the gap to go on it from splitting even more (same bargain as in a higher place, utilize a knife in the bully outdoors). Crude the interior of the boat up a piddling (use sand newspaper or a knife). This will help the agglutinative to stick better. If you're going to melt duct record into the pigsty, at present's the time to heat the spoon. Apply the bichathane to to the cracked area. Make sure to press it down and get rid of the air bubbles. You can duct tape over the patch if you have enough record. Either way you're skilful to go until the take out or next rock.

Hippo Patch

The Hippo Patch is probably the most user friendly boat repair solution, and a favorite among CKS staff and squad members. At that place are a few reasons for this:

The Hippo Patch kit comes in a small plastic, watertight package that will fit in nigh whatever dry out pocketbook, no thing how pocket-size information technology may be.

It does not crave heating or any difficult awarding techniques.

It is very inexpensive and adheres to all types of surfaces, non merely kayaks. The Hippo Patch can be used on fiberglass, aluminum, sail, plastic, metal, nylon, woods, concrete, glass and anything else that you desire to experiment with.

Clean the hole in the gunkhole, rough up the application surface, cut a patch the size of the hole (or a little bigger) and presto....Your gunkhole is temporarily patched.

Go on in heed that all of these repair solutions are for temporary employ. They are designed to go you to the accept out safely. If you have access to older kayaks or canoes that have holes in them, practice at home and figure out a repair method that works for you.