Kayak maintenance

[Dee84cali]

Hey fellas i just purchased my first yak and used it twice. When I get home all I do is rinse it with my water hose. Is that all the maintenance it requires? I've also read online about applying WD-40 if so how often?


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[Kaleb]

What type of kayak?Do you have a Rudder and fins?

[Dee84cali]

X factor.. No rudder or fins


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[HobieScot]

Just rinse it down and make sure you check all the little nooks and crannies for blood.

Rinse all your gear, not just your kayak. Paddle, rods n reels, gaff and so on. One place I never thought to oil was where the two piece paddle connects in the center. Mine rusted up and made the button not snap into place so now I spray that down with corrosion x every time and it works again.

You basically just want to get the salt water and blood off of everything. Salt water corrodes everything


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[Rocketfish]

Originally Posted by HobieScot

One place I never thought to oil was where the two piece paddle connects in the center. Mine rusted up and made the button not snap into place so now I spray that down with corrosion x every time and it works again.

Thanks for this tip! I never thought about that and have been using my paddles several times a week for 4 months now. I'm surprised that my paddle hasn't rusted up.

[Dee84cali]

Thanks fellas


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[Jimmyz123]

Originally Posted by Dee84cali

Hey fellas i just purchased my first yak and used it twice. When I get home all I do is rinse it with my water hose. Is that all the maintenance it requires? I've also read online about applying WD-40 if so how often?


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I have known some people that will use WD on the hatches so that they don't look faded from the sun. I've done it to help restore the look of the hatches, but it's not something that has to be done.

[YakDout]

This stuff is the bomb! I spray mirage drive, hatches, reels, anything really. Awesome awesome stuff.

http://www.amazon.com/Essentials-Sil.../dp/B003V6ZQR2

[Dee84cali]

What about that 303 aerospace protectant?


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[bluesquids]

The carry handles and other straps will deteriorate over time, the screws that hold them down will seize up really good by the time you want to replace them, some type of anti seize on them would be a good idea.

[bluesquids]

Originally Posted by Dee84cali

What about that 303 aerospace protectant?


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I use to put that on my yak often....i did it cause i also put it on my hot tub cover religiously...the cover got fried pretty good anyways. It probably works to some extent....I would just not leave it in the sun during storage.....yaks kept out on yachts for years fade and turn pretty brittle.

[Hunters Pa]

I was really expecting at least a couple smart-ass comments here.

[Dee84cali]

Originally Posted by Hunters Pa

I was really expecting at least a couple smart-ass comments here.

Made it threw without a scratch... Lol


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[Hunters Pa]

Originally Posted by bluesquids

The carry handles and other straps will deteriorate over time, the screws that hold them down will seize up really good by the time you want to replace them, some type of anti seize on them would be a good idea.

Good call. I had one seize up. Had to heat it with a soldering iron until the plastic around it melted enough for me to pull it out about 1/8 inch and get a wrench on the molded in nut that was spinning. Put in a new screw, reheated and was able to push it back in.

[HobieScot]

That Corrosion X Stuff works really well. I also spray it on my pliers, lip gripper, boat trailer, tow hitch and pretty much anything else I see rust on or expect to rust eventually.

It doesn't claim to be able to unstick rusted items but it does. I had a pair of pliers in a tackle box that I put away wet and forgot about for half a year that completely rusted shut. I was planning on throwing them away. But I decided to spray them with the corrosion x before I did. I let it sit for 24 hours and then tried to open them again. At first they barely opened. But after working them a bit they started working again. I still have and use those pliers. They look like hell but still work just fine.


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[HobieScot]

This is the stuf I use and swear by. I'm on my 2nd 6oz can in 15 years. This stuff lasts forever because you barely need to use any for it to work. And as they say "I put that shit on everything!" Anything metal on my fishing, spearfishing, boat, trailer, and dive gear gets a squirt. My dive knife especially. The dive knives all say that they don't rust but when you have it under water for hours and hours each day they all eventually rust. But a coating of this stuff keeps the rust off. On my dive gear all the little metal buttons/snaps used to rust and stop working. Then I sprayed them down after Every ten dives and they stay brand new.

[FlyFishinYakr]

Originally Posted by Dee84cali

What about that 303 aerospace protectant?


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I bought that stuff by the gallon (I think I still have about 1/2 gallon left) when I had a float tube and PAC 800 Pontoon boat. It kept them from fading to a minimum and because of the slick coating it seemed to help me glide through the water. It also reduced the slime/algae coating from some of the lakes I've fished which I hope will do the same for my kayak (or rather oil and tar balls up here)!.
As with my reels during the season or between servicings I use this to keep screws and bolts from freezing or corroding also (along with Corrosion X) ;
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss...sporting%2C402
I was introduced to this cleaner when I was working in a tackle shop and trained how to properly service reels, it seemed to help frozen screws and bolts when soaked overnight.
FFY

[HobieScot]

Originally Posted by FlyFishinYakr

I bought that stuff by the gallon (I think I still have about 1/2 gallon left) when I had a float tube and PAC 800 Pontoon boat. It kept them from fading to a minimum and because of the slick coating it seemed to help me glide through the water. It also reduced the slime/algae coating from some of the lakes I've fished which I hope will do the same for my kayak (or rather oil and tar balls up here)!.
As with my reels during the season or between servicings I use this to keep screws and bolts from freezing or corroding also (along with Corrosion X) ;
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss...sporting%2C402
I was introduced to this cleaner when I was working in a tackle shop and trained how to properly service reels, it seemed to help frozen screws and bolts when soaked overnight.
FFY

Good call on the CLP. That's another product I use. It's designed for the firearms industry and its what I use on all my guns for hunting season. I never thought to use it on fishing gear.




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[SASQUATCH]

A great solution for stuck bolts/ rusty hardware is 50% acetone and 50% transmission fluid. Was tested against all the top brands of break free solutions and beat them hands down. I've used it many times and swear its the only way to go. Way less expensive too. Try it, you'll be a believer.

[YakDout]

Just don't put that on plastic.