Your kayak is an investment that you will enjoy for years, whether you are an accomplished kayaker or an absolute novice, so it is important to store, secure, and maintain it properly.
If we had it, kayaks would make it without a scratch during each ride, but we all know it’s not the case. Even if modern kayaks are meant to beat, it’s still important for us to know the basics to keep them in good shape.

How long do kayaks last?

kayak storage

If a kayak is stored out of the sun, in a garage, in a shady area, under the house, or bagged in a  kayak cover, it can be expected to last 10-15 years or longer as long as one uses a bit of care as you enter or exit the coast in rugged areas or surf.

The guide will cover some of the most frequent problems for your kayak, as well as best practices for overcoming them and keeping your kayak in top condition. Off-season maintenance needs little effort from you but must be done regularly, so let us know what you can do!

Protect your kayak from the sunlight and moisture

While kayaks are used for water and ideally in good weather conditions, when the time comes to put them away, sunlight and humidity are the two worst enemies of your kayak.

Any material made from your kayak, direct exposure to the sun, can result in warping and dry rot and can also be harmful if it’s left wet. Wherever you choose to store your kayak (the safest indoors), keep it away from the sun and keep it dry!

How can you protect your kayak against moisture and sunlight?

  • Try using a sun-protective coating on the craft’s back.
  • Hold your kayak away from sunlit windows when stored indoors.
  • Place a protective cover over your kayak if stored outdoors, but make sure that it is waterproof and UV-resistant.
  • Remove the cover so that rain and snow won’t gather and float or fall on the kayak.
  • Make sure the cover is big enough to keep the craft in the shade all day long.
  • Avoid leaving the covering in direct contact with the watercraft, as this may be a way to grow mold or mildew.
  • Remove soft components such as kayak seats and hold them away from rodents and other creatures who like to chew and build nests.
  • Wash it with soapy water after using your fishing kayak, then rinse it clean.
  • You have to clean with fresh water after using your kayak in a salty body of water.
  • Dry off your kayak with a towel, and make sure your inside is completely drained.
  • Do not expose your boat to extreme temperatures, especially repeated freezing and thawing.

Store your kayak in the best position possible

kayak

Like a watercraft, the natural habitat of your kayak is, so to speak, where roaring powers and water pressure support its hull. When placed on the ground or in the air, your kayak is a bit out of its part.

If not stored properly, it can be tangled or otherwise rendered useless simply by the relentless pull of gravity on its own weight. You will minimize this risk if you keep your hard-material kayak in the right position.

This does not extend to inflatable kayaks as long as they are deflated and disassembled while in storage.

How can you help to prevent kayak warping or denture?

  • Never store your kayak upside down, particularly with uneven hull pressure, because this is the quickest way to cause disruption.
  • Don’t store a kayak on clean, hard surfaces.
  • Don’t store a kayak at the edge because that puts more pressure on one stage.
  • Never use grab loops or handles to support the weight of the boat.
  • Place the kayak, the strongest component of the hull, on its side. This is undoubtedly the best way to store a kayak.
  • Hold your kayak off the ground with braces, netting, or rocks.
  • Make sure that whatever way you choose to support your boat, it is uniformly and not too close to the ends or the middle of your hull.

If you need to store it outside

There are a number of important considerations here. When you store your kayak outside, you have to protect it from theft.

If you keep your kayak indoors, you’ll want to make sure that it won’t be in the way of your feet or your head, and either way, you won’t hurt yourself putting it away for the winter and taking it out again in the springtime.

How can you best protect your kayak from robbery and injury?

  • Try to find an unused storage space that is not publicly visible.
  • For outside storage, use the grab handles or something similar to run a strong steel cable and attach it to an obstacle like a building or fence that can not be moved.
  • Using wall-mounted brackets to support the kayak for indoor storage. If you do not have space on a wall, hang the craft over another vehicle from ceiling-mounted bands.
  • Make sure you have easy access to whatever storage method you want without squeezing your back by lifting it too far.

More FAQs

kayak storing

Can you store a kayak outside in winter?

It helps you to monitor the area in which you hold your kayak or canoe. It will be exposed to the conditions when you to store it outside. Cover it with a UV protection tarp. In fact, the sun can be much more harmful than wind.

Can I use a tarp for my kayak?

Do not cover the kayak in the tarp; moisture and mildew will be trapped. As long as the moisture is gone, you can use a tarp for safe storage. Check regularly if you went kayaking and covered it with a tarp the same day or the day before.
Can you wax a kayak?
Applying a kayak wax to your kayak can provide this additional layer of damage protection. You may not need to use a kayak wax if you have a plastic/polyethylene vessel because kayak wax is usually better recommended for composite vessels.

Final Thoughts

If you can store a kayak in a cool, dark, and dry place out of the way and on your side, you should not have a problem keeping it in top shape. You can use it without any issues for many, many years, be it running rivers or fishing in the ocean, or just having to cross a stream.

Storing your kayak at home will greatly improve your life in terms of maintenance and protection, but this is not always an option, and some of us have no choice but to keep our kayak outdoors.

Storing a kayak outside presents a new array of problems, but you won’t have too many problems as long as you keep the kayak tightly protected.

So long as we keep our kayaks on a regular basis, we will enjoy them for years to come with little or no problems.

You should usually refer to its manual or visit your local shop if you are ever not sure of the best maintenance practices because the staff at those shops will provide some great tips and hacks to speed up the maintenance.

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