Depending on how well you take care of your kayak, the longevity will vary. For example, instead of using a kayak cart to carry it on the road if you decide to drag it. It won’t stay inflatable for long. But I know you guys won’t do that.
We are here to give you some tips to prolong the life of your inflatable kayak.
Sit tight, relax, and enjoy the read. If you want to learn more about various water sports gear you may visit Globo Guide
Clean
Every time you take out your kayak to go to the lake or river, there will be lots of dirt and debris on the kayak. You may think that I am putting it on the water it should clean itself.
Let me tell you, is the water you are putting it on 100% pure and dirt-free? If the answer comes no then stop being lazy and clean the kayak.
When you come from a road trip and start washing the kayak with fresh water you will notice a lot of dirt washing off the surface of the kayak. Use warm water and soap once in a while to give it a shiny brand new look.
Rinse
If you use your kayak on saltwater or sea, then you need to rinse it off with fresh water every time you bring it on land. Salt can stick to the surface of the kayak and can help to destroy the surface material. That’s why not a lot of people recommend going to sea with a low-quality kayak.
Salt isn’t that generous to inflatable items.
Dry
Before you decide to pack up the kayak and throw it inside your garage. Don’t forget to dry it off. Don’t just put the wet kayak directly inside the garage. After you use it and wash it, use a towel to clean the whole kayak off. Give it some love and it will love you back.
UV protection
Nowadays a lot of kayaks come with a UV protection coating. But in case your kayak didn’t then you can easily use a UV protection spray to coat your kayak. This is not quite useful. The bottles come with instruction about how much should you use on your kayak depending on the size।
Air expansion
We learned in high-school about physics that extreme heat can expand objects. The heat will also cause the air inside the kayaks to expand. That’s why there are air expansion exists on the market to save your kayak from bursting in the middle of nowhere.
In my opinion, if you are going kayaking in a hot summer then you absolutely must attach air expansion in your kayak. It’s for your own safety.
Air pressure
If you don’t use your kayak for a long time, then the air will slowly come out and the kayak will slowly start to sink. This doesn’t mean that your kayak has a leak. But what it means is that you need to correct the air pressure inside the kayak. Your kayak manual will come with instructions about how much air you should put inside the kayak.
Folding the kayak
A kayak is not a piece of cloth. You can’t randomly fold it and throw it inside the luggage. There are proper steps about how to roll or fold a kayak. You must watch them and learn the correct way. Or else your relaxing camping trip may end up being not so relaxing after all.
These are some of the simplest rules to follow to take care of your inflatable kayak. Unlike hard kayaks, they need more love and care. Or else you may end up buying a new kayak sooner than you expected.