Question - Storing a Kayak

[adventureduo]

Is there anything wrong with storing your Kayak straight up and down on a concrete floor? Should i put a foam pad under it?

Its the Ocean Kayak Sidekick we just bought.

I have it strapped to a tall pallet rack in my warehouse pointing straight up like they do in outdoor/sporting good stores. It's really perfect cause it keeps out of the way of everything else.

 

[Streakerfreak]

Is there anything wrong with storing your Kayak straight up and down on a concrete floor? Should i put a foam pad under it?

Its the Ocean Kayak Sidekick we just bought.

I have it strapped to a tall pallet rack in my warehouse pointing straight up like they do in outdoor/sporting good stores. It's really perfect cause it keeps out of the way of everything else.

That is a fairly decent way to store if you have the room, but you should have a foam block on the bottom. That is actually how we stored a few kayaks when I worked at the kayak place in FL. It seemed to work well.

Get a foam block and cut it to the shape of the tip so that takes the weight. As always if you use a strap to hold it up, just make sure it is not too tight.

 

[adventureduo]

That is a fairly decent way to store if you have the room, but you need to have a foam block on the bottom. That is actually how we stored a few kayaks when I worked at the kayak place in FL. It seemed to work well.

Ok, perfect. Yeah im lucky, our warehouse ceiling is like 30+ feet high. We have some foam blocks at work. Will do tomorrow. Thanks for the quick response Phil. I didn't want to damage it. I currently have a strap around it just snuggly, yeah. You say nose...... i have it tail end down..... that's ok right?

 

[Streakerfreak]

Its great when you have a place to store kayaks. Our kayaks are outside at the shop out in the lovely Oregon weather:Wow1:, but there is not much we can do due to apartment living.

 

[Streakerfreak]

You say nose...... i have it tail end down..... that's ok right?

Yeah, either end is fine. Always be careful when you do any kind of strapping down with kayaks. You will be surprised as to how easy it is to bend a kayak in the hot sun or with too much pressure. I have made this mistake myself.

 

[adventureduo]

Alright sounds good. Seemed like a dumb question for me to ask, but i just want to take care of the gear.

Yeah uber lucky.. to have a full warehouse... we keep our trailer, mtn bikes and all our camping gear there out of the elements......now if i can only re-arrange the racks so i can fit the cruiser with all the rest of the stuff i will be golden!! We too live in a gated condo complex where they start to get irritated if they see junk here.

Thanks for the tip on the strapping, i pulled as hard as i could when i strapped it to our roof rack. Im just scared to lose in on the freeway and cause a 10 car pile up. I'll go easy on her next time i strap her.

 

[Streakerfreak]

Thanks for the tip on the strapping, i pulled as hard as i could when i strapped it to our roof rack. Im just scared to lose in on the freeway and cause a 10 car pile up. I'll go easy on her next time i strap her.

Even though you are not using a kayak saddle due to the way your rig is configured, you should still be using 4 straps/lines total. In order to keep your boat from flying into the family of 4 behind you, you must you bow and stern straps. Using those construction ratcheting straps is not a good option as they apply too much force.

Look for something like these. http://www.rackattack.com/product-pages/thule-855-quickdraw-bow-stern-tie-down-straps.asp
This is what I use and I love them. Just use a good pull with your arm strength and your set. Then you should have two straps going across the boat. Such as these http://www.rackattack.com/product-pages/thule-523-load-straps.asp. You can get straps like these much cheaper some place else like a local kayak place. Again just some good weight from your arms will do.
Again, I have learned the hard way.

 

[adventureduo]

Ok, i will check these out. I actually bought a Thule set for mounting the kayak with appropriate straps, but couldn't find a place to mount it. So i just flipped it and strapped it down to the kayak. I will look into the proper strapping.

 

[adventureduo]

Still needs the foam pad under it.

 

[Mobryan]

How do you like the Sidekick so far? The immenint arrival of mini-me is going to require a larger 'yak for either the wife or I, but we don't want to venture into full Titanic size and weight

Thanks,


Matt

 

[kellymoe]

I always put would or foam or just about anything under my boat if it sat on concrete for very long. I had read years ago that storing a plastic kayak on concrete can make the plastic brittle and more prone to cracking. This happened to one of my boats. I was running a fairly easy drop on a local creek and at the bottom of the rapid I noticed water filling the boat and I was sitting lower and lower in the water. I quickly paddled to the shore and found a 18" crack on the nose of the boat. When I called Perception, the maker of the boat, they asked if I had ever stored it outside or on concrete for extended periods. Lesson learned. I now hang my boats in the garage from the bow loops or on end like yours.