Gluing Neoprene to Boat

Well, the 1/4" closed-cell foam I glued to the floor of my kayak only took a couple months to wear through at the heels. I want to tear it out and replace it with neoprene, which I believe will be more durable.



Questions:


  1. What’s the best way to remove the remains of the old foam? I used DAP Weldwood contact cement.
  2. Will the DAP work with neoprene?



    Boat material is fiberglass.



    Thanks!

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Try this
"Weldwood Contact Cement" The orginal owner of my Catamaran put on a “neoprene rail kit” from Hobie. That was back in 1086. It is still on and holding well!



Dave

1086
"That was back in 1086"



Now that is pretty darn impressive. 922 years and going strong!



Wow… I bet they had to carbon date that stuff.



jim

Typing with Fat Fingers
should be 1986

Are you paddling barefoot, or can
careful selection of your footwear make padding the bottom of the boat unnecessary? I actually need footwear with decent heel cupping and padding for some of my kayaks. Padding the boat would not help, because the small contact patch of my heel on neoprene would not distribute pressure sufficiently.

laminated heel pads
I had the same experience with minicel heel pads wearing through. Gritty booties chew through it in no time.



My solution was to add a layer of nylon 1 neoprene, fabric side up. Glue the neoprene to the minicel, and the minicel to the hull. They’ve held up for years.



I also try to rinse off my feet before pulling them into the boat.