Kayaks With A Rhino/line-X Coat

[yakfisherman]

Im a soon to be owner of what i consider to be a quality angling kayak. Im putting quite a bit of money into the inital buy in hopes of having it for years down the road. Ive heard of people coating the hull of the kayak with a protective surface from dings and scratches. I was wondering how a spray on bed liner material like Rhino or Line-X would work on the bottom of a kayak. Any Suggegstions?

[A-Jay]

Though I don't personally think it's necessary, it got me thinking.

 

I did some digging and I came up with this.

 

It's a few years old but does have some info.

 

A-Jay

 

http://www.westcoastpaddler.com/community/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=1563&view=unread

[Fishing Rhino]

The first question I would ask is, "How much weight will it add to the kayak?" 

 

I'd use the kayak for a while.  If it got scuffed and dinged, then I'd consider having it coated.

[flyfisher]

I wouldn't do it.  I have been kayak fishing for about 3-4 seasons now and my river boat, Jackson Coosa, has scratches and gouges but nothing to worry about.  It would take a pretty catastrophic hit to puncture a kayak or scratch it to the point of having to replace it or causing a leak.  Remember, whitewater kayaks use the same process for their boats and go through way more abuse than any fishing kayak and rarely do they fail.

 

And just to be clear, i do not baby my boats and very often use rocks to hold my in position while on the river and don't hesitate to go over ledges and the like.  For a flat water boat i definitely think it would be overkill.  

 

I would also guess that the added weight would change the dynamics of the boat.

[Darren.]

Welcome to the forums!

 

I don't really baby my yak, either. If it has a problem, I'd find a material to patch the particular area as opposed to coating the entire boat.

[flyfisher]

I would also think that even with the smooth version of the rhino lining it would still add a good bit of drag to the boat as well.

[VolFan]

I would say the gain in toughness vs the rotomolded polyethylene would be minimal when considered against the weight and drag added. I bet it'd make it harder to slide down to the water on grass and mud too. There are keel guards for kayaks that might make a little more sense if you're looking to protect the most-abused portion.

[yakfisherman]

Wow i didnt expect to get suxh a response, thanks for all the help guys!

[MikeinFresno]

yep, too much weight and drag. If you dont drag it to n from the water it wont get much wear on the bottom. Get a set of wheels for it and it will work out well.

[buzzed bait]

Wouldn't do it either….  I put mine through a lot, don't baby mine as stated above and have yet to put a scratch that's really worth mentioning.  I'd be concerned with it messing with the drag and tracking of the kayak.  another thing i was thinking about is how well the stuff would hold to the materials of the kayak and how long that hold would last.  lastly, i personally would be afraid that it would act differently being sprayed on a softer material (kayak) than the usual material (truck bed).  by that i'm talking like heating/cooling flexing and so forth and if it would maybe harm the kayak in someway.

[Pete123]

What about coating an inflatable kayak? Is this possible? I wouldnt do the entire thing maybe patches at the bottom? Suggestions?

 

[flyfisher]

3 hours ago, Pete123 said:

What about coating an inflatable kayak? Is this possible? I wouldnt do the entire thing maybe patches at the bottom? Suggestions?

 

I wouldn't bother.  Inflatable kayaks are built to bounce off stuff unless you get one of the cheap ones.  I mean rafting places take them out al season long and have no issues.  They can absorb a lot of impact without puncturing.  I asked our raft guide a few years back how often do they see holes from the river on the single person kayaks or the rafts.  He said in his 5+ years as a raft guide on eh new river he never saw one from rocks.  Only time he saw them was from careless use of river knives.

[Scott F]

3 hours ago, Pete123 said:

What about coating an inflatable kayak? Is this possible? I wouldnt do the entire thing maybe patches at the bottom? Suggestions?

 

I have an inflatable personal pontoon. Very, very durable outer shell. As long as you have a quality boat and not a pool toy, no further reinforcement is needed.