Last updated on April 24th, 2021
Winter is coming! Walking on a lonely road holding your lovers’ hand while the snow is falling; I know, just imagining it feels our heart with great joy.
But this also reminds me of the quotation, “danger hides in beauty and beauty in danger.” So, to enjoy the best of the winter, we must prepare our best to avoid those unexpected events.
And it’s not only just about chopping firewood, bringing your lawn furniture inside, and buying ski passes. I have noticed, most people forget to protect their winter toys such as motorboat, RV, and kayaks during the winter.
In this article, we will talk about how to protect and winterize your kayak.
Why Winterize?
Kayaks are pretty durable, but it appears that winter doesn’t care, even if it’s the most durable kayak in the world. But you know they say, “every problem comes with a solution.” And so does this one. You can save your kayak from the ruthlessness of winter and increase its longevity.
So, you might be wondering, why should I winterize my kayak in the first place? That’s a good question. Well, you might love the winter but, you can’t just expect it to love you back, you know. Yeah, the freezing temperature of the winter and moisture build-up would likely weaken the materials of your kayak and brittle its parts.
But you can save yourself from all these troubles just by winterizing your kayak and keep it ready to roll for the next spring.
How to Store It?
When the winter comes winterizing your kayak becomes a crying need. We will do our best to guide you on making sure the best protection of your kayak for the next winter. So, no more delay, let’s get started:
Interior Kayak Care
When it comes to clean the inside parts of your kayak, it gets a little bit complicated. But we will make everything as easier as possible for you. First and foremost, you got to rinse everything and clean whatever you can.
Get started with opening up the hatches. And drain all the plugs and run some f through your kayak. By doing so, you will create a one-way highway of water running through the interior of the kayak.
This will wash away all the sand, dirt, and fish guts out of your kayak. You would be surprised by the number of debris and dirt that were stuck inside your kayak after a good summer fishing. Remember, the more pressure you will put, the better the cleaning process will be.
Now, you have to apply some kayak protection spray. Try applying it almost everywhere possible inside of your kayak. You can also apply a light blend of bleach or soap if you want to go minimal but make sure you apply enough water to clean up the residue.
Exterior Kayak Care
When it comes to clean the outside of your kayak, the process is quite similar. Yes, you got to start with a powerful freshwater rinse and apply the same materials you did before. You can sit on two kayak stands when it requires to reach the bottom of your kayak.
Your furniture will also work just fine instead of a kayak stand. If you paddle it for a while, you will start to notice many tears and wear on the bottom of the kayak. Even if you have to invest some extra time in getting rid of all that oyster gunk out of your oyster rash, do it.
You can try using this Best Marine Varnish on your kayak. It will protect your kayak from the water, UV, and heat of the sun. Also, protect it from stains, scratches, or damage from solvents or chemicals.
It also deserves the same attention as any other portion of your kayak. Be careful with the bleaches on the outside of your kayak. They might mess up your seats, bungee, and other cloth accessories such as straps or leashes easily.
Accessory Care
It would be quite impossible to find someone who doesn’t love their kayak accessories. They would do almost anything to protect their kayak gears.
For instance, they would take care of the stainless-steel pulleys for a weekend at a spa after coming from a grating saltwater beating or apply kayak protection spray to all of their accessories and mounting bases.
But remember to clean all of those accessories thoroughly. If somehow you miss a spot, it might start to rust anytime. You can also use silicone-based lubricants on any basis (locking mechanism bases). If you go with the petroleum-based lubricant, they can damage those locking bases.
How to Protect It?
In this section, we will have a clear discussion on the best protection of your kayak. Let’s focus on the two essential points, protecting it from accidents and ensuing a theft-safe storage:
- Creating a Theft Safe Storage
It’s always wise to lock your kayak. You won’t have to try finding novels or news articles on kayak theft from any private backyard of someone. The simple solution to having a sound sleep without worry about your kayak is locking it up properly.
Try avoiding those cheap locks on the market. It’s a piece of cake to break those for regular thieves.
- Accident
It’s essential to make sure your kayak is stored in a well-protected place. If you are living in an area where sudden storm or tornado is common, then, try finding well-protected underground storage.
To keep your kayak hanged on the wall, you can try using strong wall slings. The most important thing here is to make sure the place is properly locked.
Where to Store It?
Your kayak storage location is one of the most important facts when it comes to protecting your kayak from the winter. The best places to store your kayaks are home garage or shed, house or apartment storage, hang it on the ceiling, or hang it in the wall or rock.
If you want to store it outside then, make sure you manage a place protected from the UV Rays and excessive heat of the sun. You can buy a weather-resistant tarp to ensure the best protection from the heat and sun.
Final Words
You know there’s a saying, “out of sight, out of mind.” It’s true, though, but don’t let it happen with your kayak at any cost. Before buying a kayak, you must have some idea on how to protect & winterize your kayak.
When it’s not used for a long time, it might easily get rusted. So, before storing it for winter, you must make sure all of its gears and components are properly winterized. Therefore, you can start over your kayaking in the next season without much of a hassle.
