How To Prolong The Life & Durability Of Your Inflatable Kayak

proper care for inflatable kayak

How well you take care of your inflatable can directly affect how long it lasts. Wear and tear are normal and they are made to withstand a fair amount of use and abuse.

However after over a decade of paddling inflatable kayaks I have learned there are things you can do to prolong the life and durability of your purchase.

For one proper care is essential. I know many people who finish paddling, get their kayak out of the water and simply roll it up wet and store it away. That is a recipe for disaster.

Follow these steps to protect your inflatable kayak so you can enjoy it for as long as possible.

1. CLEAN

Clean any sand or dirt out of the valves. Clean the rest of the kayak with warm water and mild natural soap every once in awhile.

Things like oil from your skin and sunscreen build up over time as they transfer from you to the kayak.

I also normally give my kayak a good scrub once a year to remove any marks that have built up.

2. RINSE

Sea Eagle Razorlite kayaks

Always rinse the kayak off with fresh water after use when sea kayaking.

Salt water will corrode the material and although not rinsing it once or twice is not that big of a deal, over time it can do real damage.

Close all of the valves before rinsing to make sure no water gets inside the air tubes.  The last thing you want is mold or mildew growing inside of your kayak.

Rinsing will also help clear any dirt or debris off the material as well as prevent damage from chemicals in the water.

You might be surprised to learn how many agricultural and industrial chemicals run off into rivers.

Any body of water where there are speed boats will likely contain diesel, oil and fuel as well.

All of these chemicals can eat away at the material of your kayak unless you rinse it after use.

3. DRY

Drying the kayak properly not only protects the material but also eliminates the growth of mold and mildew.

There’s nothing worse than being excited to take your kayak out for the first time of the season only to find out it’s a little greener than it was before!

Mold and mildew will degrade the material making it more susceptible to leaks and punctures.

Bring an old towel along and use that to dry the kayak well after use.

The floor is removable so you can easily dump any water out and dry properly.

I would not recommend leaving the kayak out in the sun for an extended period of time to dry as heat and direct exposure to sunlight can do its own damage, which brings us to the next point.

4. UV PROTECTION

303 UV protectant

You can use a 303 Protectant spray to protect the PVC material from harsh UV rays. 303 Protectant is easy to use and works great. Follow the instructions on the bottle for best results.

5. AIR EXPANSION

Sevylor inflatable canoes

Heat will cause air pressure to expand. So if you are out in the hot sun for several hours you might want to let a little air out of the kayak to allow for air expansion, which also helps protect the seams.

The kayak tends to get hotter when it is sitting out of the water, especially on pavement. It tends to stay cooler while actually in the water so be especially careful leaving your kayak docked somewhere exposed to the hot sun.

6. AIR PRESSURE

proper air pressure PSI level for inflatable kayaks

Follow the air pressure guidelines that come with your inflatable kayak. Over inflating your kayak will damage the seams.

Most inflatable kayaks can be inflated anywhere from 2.5 – 3.5 PSI.

Although there are some that can hold a lot more and a few that have high pressure floors (such as the Sea Eagle kayaks) that hold up to 10 PSI of air pressure.

So be sure to check your owners manual and follow the guidelines correctly.

7. FOLDING THE KAYAK

how to roll inflatable kayak

When you fold/roll your kayak up to store it away there are a few things to keep in mind.

If you roll it the exact same way each time you will crease the same area over and over possibly weakening that area.

Try and fold it up loosely and in a slightly different fashion each time.

I know this can be tricky as most of use are just trying to roll it up small enough to fit inside the storage bag.

However if you can keep it a looser roll and not crease the same area each time you will eliminate unnecessary weak points.

8. STORAGE

Storing an inflatable kayak is so much easier than storing a rigid kayak.  You don’t need a lot of space but you do need a dry cool place to keep it.

It’s best not to leave it inflated while storing away for an extended period of time.

Leaving it inflated can cause stress on the seams and valves especially if the temperatures rise and the air expands.

EXTRA CARE = LESS WORRY

Inflatable kayaks are extremely convenient when you don’t have the space to store or transport a rigid kayak.  They are easy to set up and ideal for storing in small spaces.

Many come in a portable backpack so you can take them anywhere.

I have paddled inflatable kayaks for a long time now and absolutely love using them.  They make it easy to get out and enjoy being on the water exploring new areas.

I have found that by following the above tips my inflatable kayaks have lasted a very long time and had very few issues.

Although there may not be time every single outing to follow each step to a tee, if you can follow these guidelines the majority of the time it will make a big difference in the lifespan of your purchase.

Give your inflatable kayak a little extra TLC so you can enjoy everything it has to offer and not worry about annoying leaks.

Got more questions?  For everything you need to know about inflatable kayaks see our Ultimate Guide To Inflatable Kayaks where we try to answer as many of the most popular FAQ as possible.


Fatal error: Uncaught Error: Undefined constant "rand" in /home4/inflata3/public_html/wp-content/themes/magazine/functions.php:70 Stack trace: #0 /home4/inflata3/public_html/wp-includes/class-wp-hook.php(324): child_related_posts('') #1 /home4/inflata3/public_html/wp-includes/class-wp-hook.php(348): WP_Hook->apply_filters(NULL, Array) #2 /home4/inflata3/public_html/wp-includes/plugin.php(517): WP_Hook->do_action(Array) #3 /home4/inflata3/public_html/wp-content/themes/genesis/lib/structure/loops.php(280): do_action('genesis_after_p...') #4 /home4/inflata3/public_html/wp-content/themes/genesis/lib/structure/loops.php(71): genesis_legacy_loop() #5 /home4/inflata3/public_html/wp-content/themes/genesis/lib/structure/loops.php(41): genesis_standard_loop() #6 /home4/inflata3/public_html/wp-includes/class-wp-hook.php(324): genesis_do_loop('') #7 /home4/inflata3/public_html/wp-includes/class-wp-hook.php(348): WP_Hook->apply_filters('', Array) #8 /home4/inflata3/public_html/wp-includes/plugin.php(517): WP_Hook->do_action(Array) #9 /home4/inflata3/public_html/wp-content/themes/genesis/lib/framework.php(66): do_action('genesis_loop') #10 /home4/inflata3/public_html/wp-content/themes/genesis/single.php(15): genesis() #11 /home4/inflata3/public_html/wp-includes/template-loader.php(106): include('/home4/inflata3...') #12 /home4/inflata3/public_html/wp-blog-header.php(19): require_once('/home4/inflata3...') #13 /home4/inflata3/public_html/index.php(17): require('/home4/inflata3...') #14 {main} thrown in /home4/inflata3/public_html/wp-content/themes/magazine/functions.php on line 70
WordPress › Error

There has been a critical error on this website.

Learn more about troubleshooting WordPress.