Kayaking is a water sport activity, which requires a kayak. A Kayak is a Boat like structure which floats on the water. You can row the Kayak and can also paddle it as well. They are quite big in size, which makes the storage a big challenge. They are bulky too, which requires a lot of place for its storage.
Before we purchase a new kayak, one thing that we all worry about is its storage. In this article we give you detailed information on how to store a kayak? There are plenty of ways in which you can Store your kayak without any difficulty. The only thing you should be aware of is the size and shape of the kayak.
Where to Store your Kayak
Moving ahead, let’s see where can you store your kayak?
Before you even look for a place where you can store your kayak, you must measure the dimensions of your kayak. With this, you will easily understand where you can store your kayak, either inside or outside. If you are aware of the place already then you can even think of buying a kayak of that size.
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Outdoor storage
If you don't have much space in your house, then the only option left to store your Kayak is outside. Once it is decided that the kayak is going to be stored outside, then you must also think about the weather conditions that can occur in and around your area.
First and foremost, the important thing is to find a place which has a shelter, to keep your Kayak safe. An area which has shed is mostly preferred, but in case if you do not have a shed, then you might like to use a protective cover such as a plastic or a tarpaulin or any other material which is hard enough and protective.
There are various covers that are designed to keep your kayak safe, these covers are waterproof and also are resistant to any kind of UV rays or dust particles. You can use this cover even if you have a proper shed or garage because this allows the kayak to stay in the best of its condition.
Tips for Storing Your Kayak Outdoors
You may also like to cover your kayak in a way that it doesn’t get damaged by any kind of weather conditions or dust. Since the Kayak is going to be kept outside there can be times when it can get damaged due to bugs and animals.
Therefore, you would need to keep your Kayak a little above the ground level, so that it is away from such kind of issues. It is obvious that you would have additional problems if you keep your kayak outside since, there is more exposure of water and air there, than inside, that is why you need to take extra precautions to keep your Kayak Moisture free.
Indoor Storage
You may have a plenty of space inside your house and therefore, you would like to keep your kayak inside, away from any kind of element that can affect or destroy your kayak in any kind of way. By keeping it inside, it will help to keep your kayak dry and protect it from any kind of harsh weather conditions.
If you have a basement in your house you can easily make a shelf or can arrange for a rack that will help you to put your kayak in the most compact manner. That can be easily bought from the market or can be purchased online for your kayak; the only thing that you need to keep in mind is the dimension of your kayak.
Spare room in your house can also be a good option to keep your kayak. If nothing, a Store can help you to keep your kayak safe and sound.
Tips for Storing Kayak Indoor
If you have a garage you may want to put your kayak into one. Since your garage would already be filled with a lot of things, therefore, you need to make a little space for your kayak. This can be done by measuring the dimensions of a Kayak and placing it in the most compressed and compact manner.
The Garage will help you to protect your kayak from getting any kind of damage and will also keep it safe from any kind of theft. You can create shelves for your kayak in the garage so that it occupies less space.
You may have to make sure that the garage is not too cool or hot and the temperature is maintained because this could affect your kayak and might disfigure it. It should be kept away from any kind of window or door from where the sunlight or the moisture can get in because this might damage your kayak.
You can also hang your kayak on the wall. This wall can be anywhere in your house only thing is that it needs to give enough protection to the kayak. For this you need to find the structure which is hard enough to hold the Kayak and then measure the kayak.
Further, according to the dimensions make sure you make brackets, which helps to hold the kayak on the wall once you do that you can hang the bracket on the wall with the help of drilling machine or any kind of recommended tools. Now you may hang your kayak on that bracket and you must make sure that it is balanced and not tilted.
This is also one of the most convenient ways to keep your kayak inside the house without causing any kind of problems, it is very comfortable and compact manner in which your kayak can be kept.
Parking Your Kayak at the Marina
If you don't get enough space inside or outside your house, then you can park your Kayak in the Marina, but to keep your kayak you might have to rent a place out. There are plenty of offers and discounts that available by the people who maintain that area.
You can either buy a place permanently or can pay money monthly or yearly on subscription to hire that place till whatever duration you want, this is also one of the most convenient and affordable ways to keep your kayak safe. Since water sports centers always have kayaks and canoes for rent, they have a better approach to keep your kayak safe and protected.
They know the exact weather conditions and things that can spoil your kayak. It is one of the best options to keep your kayak at Marina under supervision, so that you stay tension free. Also, this can be a bit expensive but highly recommended. There are professionals who look after your kayak and could also help in case of any issue.
how not to store a kayak: Points To Remember
1. Protect it from the sun
If you expose your kayak outside in the sun this would be the most dangerous thing that you could do with your kayak. Since strong rays from the Sun exposes the plastic and damages it badly. It breaks down the plastic and shed away the colour too soon.
In fact, after some time the plastic and the material of the kayak will become brittle and could possibly break down easily. This can lead to major issues that can be caused while you are kayaking. There could be sudden breakdowns as well.
2. The Cockpit should never be uncovered
You must make sure that your kayak, wherever it is kept, inside or outside it should be covered properly with thick plastic or tarpaulin or any material which is hard enough to protect it from any kind of damages.
If you leave your kayak uncovered there are plenty of insects and fungus that can attract your kayak, which will lead to easy damages. Even if your kayak is kept in a place which is covered and has a shed, make sure that there are no insects or mice that can affect your kayak in any kind of way.
Rodents have the reputation to chew off the plastic and Rubber away. Therefore, there’s nothing better than to cover your kayak appropriately and make sure that it is not exposed to any kind of foreign particle.
3. Protect it from hard surfaces
This is also one of the most important points on how to keep your kayak safe and sound. Do not try to keep your kayak on the hard surface since, Kayak tends to start disfiguring under its own pressure, which leads to a flat bottom that affects your movement on the water and reduces the performance and longevity of your kayak.
4. Hanging Positions
Whenever you please set your kayak on the wall to store it, make sure you don't extend the pressure on the handles, this starts to turn the kayak into a different shape.
It makes the bottom of the kayak sag and leads to a disfiguring your kayak. In fact, whenever you tie kayak on the wall make sure it’s not hanging from the ceiling upright.
This will avoid bringing in unwanted pressure on the bottom of your class and leads to the same problems.
5. Never strap your kayak down tightly
Whenever you are going to store or maybe transfer your kayak from one place to another, make sure you don’t tie your kayak down tightly because this leads to disfiguring the shape of the Kayak and causes the plastic to be more brittle.
This might cause a little damage to the kayak and would also lead to lower performance at the kayak on the water. Make sure you understand the right procedure of tying up your kayak while you are transferring it or maybe storing it anywhere in the house or outside.
Other important tips
1. Clean it properly
Before you put your kayak back to the store make sure you clean it properly and make it dry. Do not keep the kayak without cleaning or drying it because it can cause damage to the Kayak. Make sure you remove the seat and every content from it and then separately clean each of them properly. You might have to wash your kayak and the seats as well. Make sure there is no dust left before you keep it in the storage.
2. Lock it up
If you are keeping your kayak outside make sure that it is locked up. There can be chances where if you don't lock your kayak, someone may take it away without your permission. Locking up your kayak is the most important part; if you are storing the kayak outside area, even if that area is right outside your house make sure you keep enough security to protect it.
There are various locks that are available in the market, or could be bought online, these are not very expensive and could be bought in a lower budget as well.
3. Check On it Regularly
Once you put your kayak in the storage, make sure you see it and check if it is in the right condition. There are times when you are busy and do not get enough time to look at the kayak, but make sure you see it once a month, so that if there is any kind of damage you can repair it immediately. Do clean it once in a blue moon, so that it remains perfect when you need to row it.
Conclusion
By reading the above points it is quite clear that how a kayak should be kept and how it should be maintained when you are not using it. You must take care of the kayak that you buy because this kayak can get damaged easily and could reduce the performance and longevity.
Make sure you give equal attention to its storing area so that it your Kayak is away from any kind of damage. You must make sure that your kayak is not on the ground for a long time and should be kept away from harmful sunlight and extreme conditions. You must lock your kayak without forgetting, so that it is away from any kind of theft.