My (very) inexpensive version of kayak Keel-Guard.

[Darth-Baiter]

I do have a Berley Pro (looks like Kydex) keel guard glued on my older Hobie.  My new one, I haven’t gotten around to ordering one.  In the meantime I do this.  I ran this tape on my older boat for months and it lasts maybe 20-30 outings before I peel it off and put on a fresh layer.  On the back of my older kayaks by the rudder; it’s the same application that’s been there for 8 months. 
 

Pros:  

it cost $5.99 per roll 

it’s very durable and can tolerate several “hard beach landings”

it peels off clean!

it’s waterproof and won’t come off when wet. 
Cons:

you will have to replace it periodically. (Honestly I think a person can wear thru a BerleyPro - thinking about peeling one off installed with marine goop gives me anxiety.  Ironically this tape will not stick to the BerleyPro))

it’s not flexible so you will need to trim it to wrap around corners. 
as it wears, it does create a spot your fishing line can hang up on. 
kinda ugly.  It’s plumbers pipe wrap after all.  It’s blazoned with the company logo. 
 

pics. 
 

[flyfisher]

I see a lot of people using keel guards and I am not sure why, unless it is a cheap thin plastic kayak.  I have an ATAK 140 with a removable keel guard like the one you have pictured and I have replaced it twice in my 7 years or so of owning the kayak and haven't seen the need to protect anything else.  

Quality kayaks are made with pretty thick material and the chance of wearing them out is pretty low.  

Glad you found something cheap though rather than boat specific stuff which is always priced higher than a comparable item that isn't made for boats.

[Darth-Baiter]

3 hours ago, flyfisher said:

I see a lot of people using keel guards and I am not sure why, unless it is a cheap thin plastic kayak.  I have an ATAK 140 with a removable keel guard like the one you have pictured and I have replaced it twice in my 7 years or so of owning the kayak and haven't seen the need to protect anything else.  

Quality kayaks are made with pretty thick material and the chance of wearing them out is pretty low.  

Glad you found something cheap though rather than boat specific stuff which is always priced higher than a comparable item that isn't made for boats.

My friend wore thru his Hobie pro angler.  Almost went thru. It was a soft spot for sure. So thin.  It happens. He fixed it with a BerleyPro 

[flyfisher]

2 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

My friend wore thru his Hobie pro angler.  Almost went thru. It was a soft spot for sure. So thin.  It happens. He fixed it with a BerleyPro 

wow that is poor design.  I haven't heard of a Hobie PA wearing through before.  it is one of the few brands I haven't owned over the years though so I only have experience pedaling others boats and not abusing them like I do my own.

[Darth-Baiter]

1 hour ago, flyfisher said:

wow that is poor design.  I haven't heard of a Hobie PA wearing through before.  it is one of the few brands I haven't owned over the years though so I only have experience pedaling others boats and not abusing them like I do my own.

Yea around here people come n hard on rocky beaches.  Oyster shells etc.  it will eat thru anything. 

[Bankc]

I've got a wheel on my keel at the stern, and that whole assembly is replaceable.  So that's not really an issue for me.  But I do have tape on the bow of my keel because I'm always loading and unloading in strong winds on gravel or concrete, and it'll wear a hole through the bottom pretty quick if you don't do something.  Most of our lakes are surrounded by dense forest, so typically the only access will be the boat launch.  I use about three layers of Gorilla tape on the bow.  It's waterproof.  And while it doesn't last that long, I can get a half season out of it.  Plus, it's something I already have on hand, and is easy to remove and replace.  

[Dirtyeggroll]

On 11/21/2021 at 12:03 PM, flyfisher said:

I see a lot of people using keel guards and I am not sure why, unless it is a cheap thin plastic kayak.  I have an ATAK 140 with a removable keel guard like the one you have pictured and I have replaced it twice in my 7 years or so of owning the kayak and haven't seen the need to protect anything else.  

Quality kayaks are made with pretty thick material and the chance of wearing them out is pretty low.  

Glad you found something cheap though rather than boat specific stuff which is always priced higher than a comparable item that isn't made for boats.

The Titanic was also an “unsinkable ship”.

 

Wear and tear will destroy even the highest quality of anything. Pretty simple to protect it.

[TcRoc]

On my ss127 I just use 2 layers of Gorilla tape. Lasted all season ... plenty of scuffs on tape but that’s it.. will peel off this off season and retape it .. works good enough for me.