Leak Tests

[wade]

Hey, wondering what different types of leak tests u guys know of, to find a possible hole I cant seem to locate by inspection..

keep ending up with 2+ gallons ..

Thanks!

W

[Rik]

Fill the hull with water and keep an eye on all the scupper holes. Most leaks occur in the scuppers.

[Iceman]

First off is the water getting in when launching? 2 gallons sounds around the water line or above. After really eyeballing the whole hull, I plug the scuppers from underneath and pour water into the scuppers from above, come back after a few minutes and see if they are still all full.

[dsafety]

Put your kayak on a stand. Fill the kayak with a few inches of water and add some phenol red (available at any pool supply place). Tilt your kayak in various directions until all areas of the hull have been under water for a test period. When you find the place with the leak, it will show up red the outside of the hull. This test will probably not be very good for finding leaks in hatches but it should find any cracks in the hull.

This chemical is not harmful and the color will disappear after a short while. You could also use food coloring but that is a dye that will stain anything it touches. Phenol is much better.

Bob

[wade]

i have a old Ocean prowler 15.

seems to happen even on dry launches & Landings..

[lamb]

if it was eX, I was going to say it's a built in feature. Gotta hate that leaky hatch. But you gotta love it for storage.

I still love my eX, sorry.

It sounds like a leak. Get it fixed it or get a new one. Not safe for operating if it's that consistent.

Fill it up with water and put on a dry surface. Never tried, but often read about folks doing that. See if, and where, the water is coming from.

Have a water pump on board if you have to go out, have a radio.
Carry a sponge - works great.

Not to say it is bad idea to have all these things on board even on a perfectly tight and healthy kayak.

[Holy Mackerel]

Originally Posted by Iceman

First off is the water getting in when launching? 2 gallons sounds around the water line or above. After really eyeballing the whole hull, I plug the scuppers from underneath and pour water into the scuppers from above, come back after a few minutes and see if they are still all full.

This is a good idea, and where I would start.

[greenscales]

I had a lot of problems solving similar problems with my kayak--and after 10 years it is the driest it has ever been.

Diagnostics - you need access to an air compressor then get soapy water and a rag or sponge. Keep everything sealed except your drain plug. Soap up all seals around hatches, if you have any other known holes (like for transducer wires) cover them with duct tape, then blow air in the drain plug. You may need a second person to do this while you use the soapy water to recover all of the seals and look for bubbles. If you have any leak issues, the bubbles will be apparent. If none show, then hit the scupper holes and other likely areas. If still nothing shows - then definitely get a second person and cover the whole kayak with the soap and water.

Once you determine where the leak is located, then re-post and you will get a bunch of fix recommendations. If you still do not find the source of the leak, then at least you now have a clean kayak.

Good luck.

[RASTAn]

Bring that fish killer up to us in Oside Jay!

[467echo]

Originally Posted by wade

Hey, wondering what different types of leak tests u guys know of, to find a possible hole I cant seem to locate by inspection..

keep ending up with 2+ gallons ..

Thanks!

W

what kind of yak do you have? I have a Malibu X-Factor and before I weatherstripped the front hatch I would easily get 2 gallons just from hitting a small wave or two on the launch. Now I get about a half a gallon, might just be spilt beer though.