Scratches... wear and tear?

I have a few good scratches on my PA12... or at least to me they are... Just wondering if anyone else has some decent scratches that look rough but are not cause for concern. I have a few on the sides from trying to get my yack up on my CRV with out help and a few in the front from pushing it into the water from the shore. Just wondering if its normal. I will post pics of mine soon. Also is there anything that can be done to fix them?

Thanks!

Absolutely normal. As long as there are no deep gouges, don't swet the normal stuff. Think of them as battle scars from the big ones that got away.

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Southwest Hobie Island Club
http://www.facebook.com/southwesthic

I have the usual scratches on the bottom of my PA from handling it at the launches and boat ramps...I was crazy about keeping it scratch-free when I first got it, but it is impossible to prevent them all. Now, I just try not to run it over really rough stuff and do major damage, nor drag it long distances.

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I was paranoid about scratching the hull up as well. I got the Dune color because the scratches are not as obvious on the Dune color as they would be on the other 2 colors. I found I was scratching the sides just by carefully rolling the PA on the side to clean it after use. Minor scuffs/scratches on the side can't be avoided sometimes, so I just accepted it as part of using the PA. I do have some decent scratches on the bottom from oyster beds, ramps, etc., but I always inspect the bottom after each use and none of them are a cause for concern. If they were, I would work on fixing them.

Folks that I have fished with think my PA is brand new. I just make sure I clean it after each use so that any stains from the water or plant life do not permeate or settle in the plastic where you cannot get them out. Being aware that it's a plastic boat and handling it with that in mind will make it look better longer.

Like the other folks have stated...it's normal for any PA or plastic kayak.

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Steve Stubbs
USAF (retired)

SeaDek Fishing Team
Unfair Lures Pro Staff
Ziptailz Ambassador

2015 Pro Angler 14 - Papaya
2018 Compass - Sea Grass

It's just a piece of plastic

I consider scratches a sign of beauty marks...but, my PA14 was becoming too beautiful under the bow area due to a very rough concrete tiled surface I frequently launch at.....I came across a past posting that talked about a product called "KeelEazy"......I bit the bullet and bought a 4" wide x 4' long strip in white....followed the directions and applied it forward of the Mirage Drive well and just up the start of the curved bow about 2".......I had a 6" piece left over and doubled up at the bow.

I have now made several trips with the KeelEazy protective strip applied. It has taken the brunt of the abuse the hull would have normally taken and works well......it's not cheap.....I paid $8 per foot + $10 to ship it......so, a $42 investment has moved the beauty marks to the KeelEazy strip

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Dr.SteelheadCatcher
Warrenton, OR

I forgot to add the KeelEazy link http://www.keeleazy.com/page1/page1.html

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Dr.SteelheadCatcher
Warrenton, OR

The best thing you can do about the scratches is be careful and keep them to a minimum. However, if you fish salt water around oyster reefs, some deeper scratches are inevitable. My first Pro Angler was an abused 2012 model with numerous scratches and gouges. Along with that, the owner had two of them side by side on a trailer and the logos were nearly rubbed off. The owner made me an offer I couldn't refuse, so I accepted the damage and set about fixing them. My brother actually did the work of making them new looking again. First, we turned them upside down on a pair of saw horses for easy access. Then he took his buffing wheel on a power drill, applied some polishing wax to the buffing pad, and began the polishing. The pad generates lots of heat, so plenty of water has to be continually applied. The wax smooths the rough spots and the heat seems to make the plastic fill in on itself. Regardless of how the process actually works, it did the trick. After several hours of polishing, we had two boats that looked brand new except for the fact we had removed the Hobie logos, but no one seemed to notice that. He contacted a Hobie rep and acquired a large Hobie decal that he applied to his boat, and now he has a boat that still looks almost new and very well cared for. Now, two years later he only worries about the deep gouges we occasionally get, and about once a year he does a complete polishing again to keep it looking good. These days we launch our boats from a trailer, but on the rare occasion we have them on the ground, we have one other technique to keep them looking good. I always carry a small (3' square) piece of old carpet in my truck. We put it on the ground, roll the boat right onto the carpet, and put the wheels in. The carpet protects the side from anything that will scratch it, and the minor inconvenience of using the carpet is small payment for protecting the boat.

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Richard Laughlin
Lafayette, LA

Finally Retired, Fish Beware!

2013 Hobie Pro Angler 14
2012 Hobie Pro Angler 12
2001 Hobie Hank Parker Edition Outback

That sounds awesome! Could you post exactly the pad and wax you use? I think I might like to try that!

Thanks to all who posted... I feel a bit better about the scratches now

That was two years ago and I don't remember what wax we used. All I remember is that it was left over from when my brother polished his bay boat. When we ran out of that one, we got another at Auto Zone designed for fiberglass cars. It was NOT polishing compound. It was just a polishing wax. The polishing attachment he has had for many years for waxing and polishing cars. It's just a round attachment that fits any electric drill, preferably electric ones. Battery operated ones don't hold a good enough charge. The polishing cloth we got at Auto Zone also. It's just a round cotton cloth and fits the attachment perfectly. I tried the same process with an orbital buffer but it wasn't nearly as effective.
CAUTION: When polishing, have a bucket of water handy. Dunk the polishing cloth in the water every couple of minutes. Keep it damp, not soaked. Use lots of wax. It also helps if you have a second person dripping water on the area as you polish it to keep it cool. The water will discolor with the wax and the dripping keeps putting more wax on the spot you are working on. Start slow on the bottom until you get the hang of it. Save the sides for last once you are confident it's working as you expect it to. You may notice a small loss of gloss, but it seems to return after some time has passed...or maybe the rest of the boat fades! When we finished, we went ahead and did a light coat on the entire boat. The wax makes it easier to clean after a day in salt water...and who knows? We might be going a couple of tenths of miles per hour faster!

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Richard Laughlin
Lafayette, LA

Finally Retired, Fish Beware!

2013 Hobie Pro Angler 14
2012 Hobie Pro Angler 12
2001 Hobie Hank Parker Edition Outback

My 2009 14' PA has almost 5 years of scratches in it, I put keeleasy on it a few years ago and it is due to be replaced since it got torn up pretty good at a rough concrete launch.