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 Post subject: Hull Protection???
PostPosted: Tue Mar 29, 2011 11:29 am 
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Site Rank - Captain

Joined: Tue May 04, 2010 5:55 am
Posts: 111
Location: Cary, NC
Purchased my HPA almost a year ago and have fished/explored many different bodies of water, with almost 300 miles logged. After each trip, the PA gets a bath with mild soap. Even with the sand color…it still looks very good.

The hull is my only concern…it seems that you cannot avoid getting scratches and nicks on the bottom of our yaks as we venture out over all kinds of sharp objects.

My question:
Has anyone found a way to help better protect the bottom of the hull? The hull on the HPA is pretty soft…was thinking that someone with more YAK experience, may have tackled this situation already and has a good remedy.

Thanks in advance.


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 Post subject: Re: Hull Protection???
PostPosted: Tue Apr 05, 2011 6:01 pm 
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Site Rank - Old Salt

Joined: Tue Jul 19, 2005 6:29 pm
Posts: 2763
Location: High Point, NC
We all hate to put those first few scratches on the bottom of a new yak. But once you "get the new off of it" you'll relax and just enjoy it.

You'll never wear through the hull. I have a WS Tarpon that's going on 10 years old and looks like somebody took an orbital sander to the bottom of it. It still doesn't leak. The plastic is darn tough. Don't sweat it. Just use it and enjoy it.


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 Post subject: Re: Hull Protection???
PostPosted: Tue Apr 05, 2011 7:06 pm 
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Site Rank - Admiral

Joined: Fri Feb 25, 2011 11:02 am
Posts: 164
Location: Central New York
If you google 'kayak hull protection' you can see a few posts of people who have applied a truck bed liner material (Line-X, Herculiner, etc.) to the bottom of their kayaks.
I wasn't able to find a wealth of information on the topic and wouldn't consider doing anything until then, but I too thought about something to help protect my hull.

I just got the KC Welder Pro, from the Hobie catalog, to fill in some holes I drilled after I decided to move an accessory and it's also in case of an emergency, should that day come.

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MrGreen


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 Post subject: Re: Hull Protection???
PostPosted: Sun Apr 10, 2011 6:39 pm 
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Site Rank - Captain

Joined: Sun Sep 27, 2009 3:10 pm
Posts: 37
scratches are kool man war wounds :wink:


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 Post subject: Re: Hull Protection???
PostPosted: Sun Apr 10, 2011 10:55 pm 
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Hobie Approved Guru

Joined: Sat Nov 12, 2005 10:46 pm
Posts: 3017
Location: Escondido
joeyb wrote:
Has anyone found a way to help better protect the bottom of the hull?
I don't care much for scratches either -- they look unsightly and slow the boat down. For exposed bottom surfaces, clear shipping tape is tough, easy to apply/replace and inexpensive. It will take the abuse on wearing surfaces instead of your hull:
Image

Wheels go on and off in the water so the boat rolls in and out without touching the ground. You can also use the wheels to act as a parking brake without having to beach the boat for short trips ashore (with obvious limitations):
Image

Any place the boat needs to be set on the ground, a small carpet sample goes between the boat and the pavement.

For scratched surfaces, a razor blade trims off any material that sticks up. Scratches can also be "flamed" off, but it's a tricky process.

With a little practice and advance planning you can keep that boat looking new for years! 8)


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 Post subject: Re: Hull Protection???
PostPosted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 3:46 am 
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Site Rank - Captain

Joined: Sat Jan 01, 2011 9:07 am
Posts: 101
Location: NW Arkansas
I just use mine and don't worry about the scratches.

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Mike
2015 Pro Angler 12
Yellow with Humminbird side imaging


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 Post subject: Re: Hull Protection???
PostPosted: Mon Apr 11, 2011 8:21 am 
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Hobie Approved Guru

Joined: Sat Nov 12, 2005 10:46 pm
Posts: 3017
Location: Escondido
mb4859 wrote:
I just use mine and don't worry about the scratches.
Most owners feel the same way. In fact, examining the hull bottom is an excellent way for a perspective buyer to assess the wear, tear and care on a used boat. 8)


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 Post subject: Re: Hull Protection???
PostPosted: Tue Apr 12, 2011 6:11 pm 
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Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Wed Mar 16, 2011 6:40 pm
Posts: 6
I recently acquired bassnflash's PA (which was immaculate btw) and found this product which I applied to the bottom of the hull http://www.mightylinetape.com/products/Sample-Roll.html

I bought the 6" x 10' sample roll (only $14!) and split it in two. I then applied it to the bottom of the hull and it's held up well. I've only gone out once so far (in salt) and I saw no evidence of it coming off. It's something like 35mil thick. Just make sure to spray down the hull with rubbing alcohol to remove any surface oils and allow for better adhesion. I looked at getting line-X (kind of like rhino spray in bed liner) and they wanted somewhere around $450 to spray the hull. For $14 it's worth a try. They have multiple colors to pick from, plus they gave me some small samples of letter shapes.


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 Post subject: Re: Hull Protection???
PostPosted: Fri Apr 22, 2011 6:15 pm 
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Site Rank - Admiral

Joined: Wed Apr 14, 2010 3:04 pm
Posts: 172
Thats the problem with polyethelene, it shows everthing.And they say its abrasion resistant :lol: :lol: its puncture resistant but far from abrasion resistant. I dont worry about the scratches nearly as much as i do about UV exposure, polyethelene is probably the worst type of plastic when it comes to UV degredation,( just google poly and UV radiation, there is tons of articles on it). When exposed to sunlight poly kayaks have a very limited lifespan compared to other materials, even Hurricane Kayaks use a material that has superior UV resistance.


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 Post subject: Re: Hull Protection???
PostPosted: Mon May 02, 2011 9:51 pm 
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Site Rank - Deck Hand

Joined: Wed Mar 16, 2011 6:40 pm
Posts: 6
Been out 4 times now in salt with no issues to the tape.


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