To: >internet:paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net >> I'm confused ... after many of the reps told me about how careful one has to be with a fiberglass OR kevlar boat ... Plastic kayaks got their "indestructable" reputation on whitewater rivers, where impact breakage is a major concern. But in other types of use I am convinced fiberglass (or kevlar) kayaks have a clear advantage for long term durability. Polyethylene is a soft material, and it shaves easily on barnacles and sharp rocks (like shale). Deep gouges and cracks can be repaired in linear polyethylene with a hot air gun and a stick of the material; however, none of the manufacturers have been able to tell me how to repair wear over a wide area, such as under the seat. We have never had a plastic kayak in our rental fleet for more than one summer for this reason, and I think you will find that most plastic sea kayak rental outfits turn their fleets over rapidly. Fiberglass is a much more durable material for sea kayaks in my experience. While the gel coat is thin, it is harder and can be repaired (if necessary) over and over. We keep each fiberglass kayak in our fleet for many years. For example, I recently had the bottom of an Eddyline Wind Dancer that had been in our fleet since 1992 resprayed with gelcoat at a local fiberglass shop. It looked great, was in top condtion, and we got top dollar for it despite the considerable use it had received. And it was a good long term buy for the folks who have it. Provisos: We give our rental customers very thorough instruction, both relating to their own safety and the care of our equipment. We teach doing parallel landings in protected places, so the kayaks can be kept floating while being loaded and unloaded, then picked up and carried rather than dragged. Most of our beaches here bedrock or cobble, gravel if look around a bit, and very rarely sand. Even with care, though, the boats do get their scrapes over time. Landing hard on sand will eventually wear away the gelcoat, but that's no big deal if you paint on some more before you start cutting into the fibers underneath (usually it's just in a few spots). Fiberglass & kevlar kayaks have the advantage of light weight, making it easier to carry the kayak rather than dragging it. Also being more durable than plastic kayaks for sea kayaking, their only downside is higher initial cost. Despite the higher initial cost, all of the hardshell kayaks in our rental fleet are fiberglass (we also have folding kayaks). Generally, I recommend against kevlar for single seaters due to slight bang for the buck in weight savings. With doubles though, enough weight can be saved in some models for one person to pick up the kayak and carry it gunwale on-shoulder, perhaps making the cost worthwhile. If durability is important, don't urge the manufacturer to make a kevlar kayak "real light." The panels may be too flexible and you will get gelcoat cracks, and perhaps even structural problems at hard points. A kevlar single properly built for expedition use will weigh almost as much as its fiberglass counterpart. A similar double may be 8-10 lb lighter than its counterpart. Sorry for the lengthly reply. -- Larry Edwards Sitka, Alaska http://execpc.com/~bboats *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List Submissions: paddlewise_at_lists.intelenet.net Subscriptions: paddlewise-request_at_lists.intelenet.net Website: http://www.gasp-seakayak.net/paddlewise/ ***************************************************************************Received on Tue May 19 1998 - 12:41:00 PDT
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