What To Look For When Buying a Used Kayak

In an earlier blog we briefly touched on the topic of buying a used kayak and thought it deserved a little more attention and therefore the reason for today’s blog. Buying a used a kayak makes a lot of sense for various reasons but just like anything else you purchase used, you need to be aware of what to look for before finalizing the deal. Let’s dive a bit deeper and see if we can save you from a costly mistake.

Not everything when buying a used kayak will be as obvious as a huge crack in the bottom of the boat although that is certainly something to look for. Cracks can form from hitting debris in the water, damage while in storage or just premature plastic aging. Whatever the cause, cracks in kayaks are not something you want. Be sure to look for cracks that have been repaired. Typically the color will be slightly off as it is very hard to match the original plastic used in production. A properly repaired kayak will have a plastic “welding” completed where a plastic rod is melted and allowed to fill the crack entirely. As you can imagine this process takes practice to perfect which makes an amateur repair fairly easy to spot. Repairs are not an immediate cause to walk away from the deal but they do require a closer look to be sure the repair will last without further attention and/or investment. If possible try to view the repair from both the outside and inside of the kayak to be sure everything looks well done. When you get to the point of water testing the kayak pay special attention to these repaired areas for leaks.

The bottom of a kayak will be the area most likely to have received damage during use. Surface scratches are to be expected and are usually a sign of a well enjoyed kayak but they are not to be too quickly dismissed. Pay close attention to the front and back ends of the kayak for signs of excess dragging. Kayaks are very awkward to carry and can be too heavy for most paddlers to easily manage on their own. Once loaded with gear for a day on the water and they can quickly become too much to manage by one person. This often leads to the kayak being dragged from the transport vehicle to the water which over time can actually wear a hole in the bottom. Dragging a kayak over pavement, gravel or even sand can thin the plastic to the point that a crack is easily formed. If you notice a flat spot or excessive wear on either end of the kayak you can be fairly sure it was dragged. It is recommended to us a rolling cart when transporting a kayak to and from the water when help is not available. Kayak carts are easy to find and relatively affordable as a means for preventing damage from dragging.

With the overall kayak haul inspected it is now time to look closer at any modifications that have been made to the kayak. These modifications could be from the factory or done after market by the kayak outfitting shop or owner. Today’s kayaks will usually come with some basic accessories added like rod holders, anchor systems, paddle holders, deck bungees, carrying handles and various loops or attachment points. You will want to inspect the condition of these accessories to be sure they are in good working order. Finding factory replacements can be challenging and in some case not possible. Each one of these accessories will also require mounting and therefore an attachment point. These attachment points are all potential areas for leaks so be sure to look for missing or rusted fasteners, holes from removed accessories and improperly installed accessories. A leaking kayak will obviously allow water into the boat and while sinking could be the final outcome it usually is not something that happens immediately when you set out paddling. Something that would sink the kayak quickly should be easy to spot before even setting out in the water. The issue here is a slow leak that allows nuisance water into the boat. If your prospective kayak is a sit-in kayak, then you could be looking at sitting in pool of water which may or may not be a good thing depending on the season. If your prospective kayak is the sit-on-top variety it should not have any water inside the haul and in most cases there is not a drain plug to let it out. If you see water inside trapped inside the haul that is a good indication that there is a leak somewhere. Excess water inside the boat adds to the overall weight of the boat which makes it harder to paddle and therefore wears the paddler out faster.

The final piece to any used kayak purchase should be a water test it possible. A new kayak usually comes with some sort of guarantee or at least the option to return it. That may not be the case with a used kayak so you need to be sure you are getting what you expect. This is a good opportunity to try attempt to carry the kayak yourself and determine if you will be able to even do it. If it proves too much, you know a kayak cart will be a purchase in your near future. Use this time to try loading and unloading the kayak from your transport vehicle. You need to confirm if you can haul the kayak as you intended. Even a pick-up truck bed can prove undersized to carry some of today’s monster fishing kayaks and now is the time to find out if racks or a trailer may be required. With the physical movement aspects understood it is time to hit the water. We recommend first just sitting in the kayak close to shore to get a sense of its stability and your level of comfort being aboard. This is a good time to look for any slow leaks or signs of water coming in before you begin paddling and potentially splashing water inside that may later be mistaken for a leak. When and if you are comfortable paddling away from shore try to get a sense of what it takes to move and steer the kayak through the water. You will want to see how well it tracks in a straight path. We have seen kayaks that will turn completely around if not paddled evenly from each side and that quickly becomes annoying for any paddler. We also recommend safely trying to see what it might take to roll the kayak when on the water. Leaning in one direction to the side should give you a good sense of what it might take. If it feels like a gust a wind could make a rollover possible, that is something better known before you own the kayak. Today’s kayak can be quite stable and some are so stable you can stand-up and fish from them. If this is how you plan to use the kayak and you feel safe trying it, now is the time. You may find it is not super comfortable at first, but it should feel at least possible with practice. During the water test it is highly recommended to have the seller available and ideally able to join on the water. Water safety should be your primary concern and the water test should in anyway put you in a position of danger. Be sure to have help available should something go wrong and be sure to wear a life jacket at all times.

Those are the basics for buying a used kayak and we hope you found it helpful. Kayak Scupper Plugs specializes in custom kayak scupper plug kits for most sit-on-top kayaks available. We currently have well over 500 kits available to cover the vast majority of kayaks from the past and in current production. If you have a kayak not on our list, we can usually create a custom kit for you and if you provide us the hole measurements and hole count we may be able to save you 25-50% off that kit. Check out our specification and verification program today.

Happy paddling from the team at Kayak Scupper Plugs.