Kayak Bumper/Side Protectors

[ComeOnFish]

I guess this is the right place to restart the this topic.

Shadyfisher,
Can you put your new design on this thread?

As you know, I've been prototyping the methods that protect the bow and sides with duct tape before actually looking for the right materials.

I learned after prototyping:

• If a tape like product is used to protect the sides, the width of the tape must be 7-8 inches minimum
• If side molding such as Vinyl Rub rail is used, the molding must be at least ½ inch thick
• Also prototyping made me consider seriously testing Herculiner (Truck Bedliner) in Spring, 2011

The video includes my protyping and testing rub rail:


Joe

[ictalurus]

That looks really cool, Joe. You should send some pics to Gorilla Tape. Did the hose quiet the banging sound when the yak hits the ships?

[Shady]

After seeing your original post about this, I got some of the Gorilla tape and just put it on the sides mainly right at the seam all the way around the kayak. I made mine a little more redneck by opting for the camo gorilla tape. I have not actually tried it out yet.

The quality of this video is not as good as yours, but you can see what I did here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4QtVHmEfmE

This is not side protection as of yet, but a while ago I bought the silent traction pads for my kayak and finally decided to put it on my new yak. I put some on the foot holds in the mirage well and also on and around the center hatch. I still have another sheet of it, so I might actually end up putting some of it on the sides as protection...

[ComeOnFish]

I put ShadyFisher's Video here so I can see and type:


Good Job and I agree. I should have protected the kayak because I already knew when I took the new revo out.
Putting the tape all around is the great idea becaue damage can be done all around the kayak. Did you put a rope or some thing inside the duct tape? I found that putting a 1/2" hard tubing (rub rail) takes all beatings. The rub rail really worked. If you don't have the rub-rail the tape needs to be 7-8" wide. if you have a 1/2" rub rail than you don't have to cover that much with the tape.

be carefull with the motor. You do run into piling backward a lot.

Joe

[tufnik]

If I knew earlier, I would have used protectors before I went tog fishing at Kipto. Too late, my Outback is no longer nice looking.

Anyway, I like and use your duct tape idea, Joe. If only the tape would stick at sub-50 temps. So, am still looking for a solution for cold temps. Is there some kind of removable silicon glue we could use?

What do you think about this? Run rope through a long foam tube (e.g., pool noddle, pipe insulation tube). Tie it along the sides of the yak.

[HokieDJ]

Come on guys, those bumps and bruises gives you street cred.

[ComeOnFish]

If I knew earlier, I would have used protectors before I went tog fishing at Kipto. Too late, my Outback is no longer nice looking.

Anyway, I like and use your duct tape idea, Joe. If only the tape would stick at sub-50 temps. So, am still looking for a solution for cold temps. Is there some kind of removable silicon glue we could use?

What do you think about this? Run rope through a long foam tube (e.g., pool noddle, pipe insulation tube). Tie it along the sides of the yak.

I thought about pool noodles. But I don't know how to keep them right place.

[medicyaker]

Cool video, that being said, just the thought of bumper rails on a Kayak says Redneck to me! LOL but the fact that ur doing it with Duct Tape... Well I rest my case! LOL. I can't waite for a dry day so I can try it on my Ascend (made by Tracker) Kayak!!! It does look cool though. I just can't stop laughing at the thought of bumper rails on a Yak.

[ComeOnFish]

That looks really cool, Joe. You should send some pics to Gorilla Tape. Did the hose quiet the banging sound when the yak hits the ships?

Yes it did quiet the banging. I like rub rail a lot. I am looking for the better material for rub rail that is 3/4 " thick

[ictalurus]

You could use a garden hose, but it might be too likely to collapse when bumping against something. I think Lowe's also sells that clear hose in bigger sizes. I was looking at it for another project.

[ComeOnFish]

Bill Garden hose will work.

I usually answered to my wife “Honey it is a prototype” whenever she asked me “What is thaaat?”

I figured these. If one of the truck bed-liner (i.e., Herculiner) is proven to be used on kayaks, this benefits many anglers. I think that we buy a gallon ($100), and apply the bed-liner to 5 - 10 kayaks one day. The cost will be $10-20 per kayak. And the most of all, we repair (deep cuts - I have three) and beautify the heavily damaged kayaks (such as Pinch’s and Tufnik’s???)

About the rub rail:

I seached “half round rubber strip”. And I am getting close to the strip that can be installed to kayaks. Here are something close to what I am looking for as rub rail:

http://www.acmerubber.com/round.htm

Joe

[tufnik]

I'm glad you're pursuing this problem because I know you'll come up with a good solution to help us all.

[Shady]

Im thinking of building some sort of bumper involving pvc, pipe insulation and duct tape. I may work on something in the next couple of weeks that will mount into the hobie rod holders, but I think yakattack's new sprout product would also be helpful with this. We'll see what I come up with....

[CB kayak 02]

So my newest idea is the addition of Armor. I found my "bumping" to occur mostly at the front and back corners of my kayak. So I'm thinking if I add a thin stainless sheet at the corner it will protect the plastic pretty well.

[ComeOnFish]

So my newest idea is the addition of Armor. I found my "bumping" to occur mostly at the front and back corners of my kayak. So I'm thinking if I add a thin stainless sheet at the corner it will protect the plastic pretty well.

How do you put the stainless sheet to a kayak?

joe