Hello, I’m looking to buy my first kayak and found a good deal on a nearly brand new tarpon 120 for $400. Only issue is the owner says there was a dent that was repaired as seen in the picture. Does this look like it’s a good repair? Even if it isn’t, is it worth taking a swing on at that price? Seems like if the repair does somehow fail I could try to get it fixed and still make out okay at that price but I don’t want to get in over my head.
Does it go through the hull? It can be repaired if it hasn’t been.
Well I hate to kick at anything here, but I’d think $400 is a bit high.
If rotomolded the plastic weld can be as strong as the original hull, but can’t be hidden very well. So the repair always looks repaired.
If it’s not welded you don’t want it because no “plastic puddly” will hold well to them. If that’s a weld it looks bad, but if the penetration goes clear thought it will hold fine if all the gaps and cavities are filled.
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If this is a rotomolded boat and the owner has used something like Marine-tex or an epoxy putty, it will not likely stay adhered to the hull over time. Polyethylene is known for resisting things to adhere to it. The most secure method for repairing rotomolded boats is plastic welding. This requires a bit of skill and it will rarely be an invisible repair.
If you are willing to remove any non-polyethylene repair material and redoing it properly, it might be worthwhile.
Seeing as this kayak sells for about $1,000 new and a used boat in good condition would sell for about $500, $400 seems to be a bit high considering labor and material. If it’s just a dent and not a hole and you don’t care what it looks like, than maybe it would be a deal for you.
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To me it does not seem plausible that someone who is so concerned about the appearance of a dent, would add material in such a sloppy way as to result in this.
It makes me not trust the seller, and expect that this was really a crack or hole in the hull. Or at the very least a deep scrape threatening to puncture the hull and materially weakening the structure of the hull at that location. Nor does it give me confidence that his repair will endure over time.
You can always offer less and see what he does, but I would not purchase it unless you are prepared to remove what he has done and plastic weld it, or otherwise repair yourself.
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It’s on the side of the kayak. Stern area, port side.
Cferr1992, where are you located?
Agree that the price is reasonable for a like new boat, or even a neatly repaired damage, but thatvis not only a large area of damage, but it’s sloppy. Wait for another boat.
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Too bad you are so far from me. I have 2 for sale that might be interesting to you, but driving this far would make it a no-go for the deal because of the added expense of gasoline.
I personally do not think it looks like a good repair job, but that doesn’t mean it’s not sound. Just sloppy. If it truly was a dent, why fill it with that looks like putty? If it’s a scrap/dent that removed some of the boats plastic and is now thin there, I agree that plastic welding is the way to go. Which, in my opinion is not a hard thing to do but does require skill. If it’s a dent, it’s possible it could or could’ve been popped back out even in such a hard thick spot like it’s in. Hdpe has a good memory and heat (like sunlight) can usually do a good job of putting the kayak back to its shape. Mostly!
Some kayak companies ship little discs or pieces of plastic with their shipments to represent the color of the kayak in its sleeve. Most reputable shops save them for repairs. They’re good to have and they’re good for practicing. If you strike out there, milk crates, the softer lightweight Nalgenes (the milky white bottles), some cutting boards are hdpe. Scrape some material off and use that for, if you plan to weld it. It’ll be a noticeable repair but with patience and some skill, it’ll look better than what’s on there now. When I first started doing repairs, I saw a very old Liquid Logic video on how to repair deep gouges in your WW kayak. The method is still relevant today. I’ve done a lot of repairs on kayaks, deep gouge repair and skeg cable replacements probably the most. Everything is a little scary at first, and prep work/patience goes a long way. You’ll be ok!
Which reminds me. You said you’re central PA, you have plenty of white water shops or crews around that’ll be a great spot to check in on this. There’s no other kayak, canoe or stand up paddle board that gets as many love dings quite like the white water world. Maybe nothing in your direct area but worth a search for something within a little drive for you.
Worst case, it actually is a dent and it’s filled in with some schmutz, paddle it anyways OR remove the putty and paddle it anyways. If it’s not a leaking spot, it’s below the waterline, just keep heavy on the left and nobody will see it.
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True.
I’m in the middle of a weld job for a buddy of mine; bought a $50 knock around 10 footer. Poor boat got dragged from point A to B… alot! He didn’t care if the color matched. As long as it didn’t take on water, he was good.
With patience, the right tools, and watching a couple of weld repair YouTube videos, it’ll be fine. Looks aren’t everything.
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Now it looks like the trend of multi-color hulls.
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lookin good
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Right on point. I bought a used 145 Tsunami that had a large gash repairbon the bottom. The boat was advertised as “good as new,” and looked good in photos. So I drove 2 hrs 15 min for it. The inspection revealed a lot of “less than new” condition. The bungees took a permanent set when stretched (when I find that on a “like new advertisement claim, I intentionally “test stretch” in multiple places they can’t pass it off as like new). With the rudder setup, I couldn’t get my knees under the thigh braces. Thst didnt bother me, because I figured I could remove the rudder and replace with standard foot pegs, or mive the seat (moving the seat to the rear seriously destabilized the boat when surfing waves). Aside frim other minor issues, the bottom had a 6” weld repair that looked like milk bottle filler. Although the repair job was sloppy, the repair looked sound. The asking price was more than reasonable, based on the condition, but I bought it since I had driven over two hours. I relented because the hull was worth it, and it gave me a boat to experiment with (the purchase was around the time of a thread about weathercocking solutions).
A great part of the decision is why you want “that” boat. Whether its rare, just what you need, is otherwise in good repair and in excellent shape, don’t want to see a salvageable hull go to the dump, or you have the skill to fix it if needed. That is a question of value.
However, the question for @Cferr1992 is whether you’ve been looking, and this is the best deal that you’ve found on the boat you want. There’s always another boat for sale, but if you want to paddle now, overpaying for the condition of the boat is simply a gamble. If it fails, you only lost several hundred dollars, yet the worst that can happen is being on the water in a remote area, if the repair fails. Your call.
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Yeah after everything everyone has said I went with an older used Tarpon 120 and decided not to risk this one. Thanks though.
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I have a new 140 for sale for $800 in northern SC.
You don’t slop more plastic on a dent. Must have been a crack and/or hole.
Would have been useful to see the inside. No longer an issue now.
It’s a repair, I would have built it up thicker then sanded it down flush but that’s just me.
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