Has anyone have experience using the new lightweight hatch covers from Kajaksport?
How much weight savings is ther over their standard hatches?
Thanks
Weights
Just put these on the scale:
Large oval hatch = 7 oz. savings
10.5" round = 4.5 oz. savings
Only have the lightweight day hatches on the kayaks on the showroom floor here.
The lightweight hatch covers are a dual density construction so the lip ‘Pops’ over the rim making it easier to put on than the solid rubber traditional ones. Both work extremely well.
Hope this helps.
See you on the water,
Marshall
The River Connection, Inc.
Hyde Park, NY
www.the-river-connection.com
www.hudsonriverpaddler.org
Stick with the solid rubber
They’re a pain to put back on, but are bomb proof. Put 303 on them once in awhile.
Andy
dry factor
are the new one’s as dry Marshall?
What kayaks come with KajakSport?
I recovered a lost KajakSport hatch cover (rubber) and have been trying to find a good home for it. What brank kayaks come with them standard?
Bill G.
Mt. Pleasant, SC
I know of three
– Last Updated: Nov-13-09 11:14 PM EST –
brands, but I am sure there are more:
P&H - all models (I believe)
Kajaksport - all models
Wilderness Systems - Tempest Pro series late 2006 thru 2008
Seda
Seda Ikkuma
brands
Point 65
Tahe Marine
A friends Point 65 was leaking with the plastic/rubber hatches and he changed them for the solid rubber.now it’s OK.
Also with Kajak-Sport
– Last Updated: Nov-14-09 12:51 PM EST –
are NDK/SKUK, all Current Designs boats with rubber hatch covers, TideRace, and many Swift kayaks.
and Boreal Design
Wrong question
Do they work should be the first concern
I had two plastic ones that were rubish, They are being replaced by the rubber ones that work well.
kajak sport hatches
I own a P+H CETUS, the “CLICK” hatches as they are called are 100% waterproof on my boat.
waterproof
No hatch is 100% waterproof, read Sea Kayaker’s tests once in awile, they all leak a little. If you never roll they “might” stay completely waterproof, upside down they all usually leak a little.
Bill H.
Beg to Differ
I suppose I have seen more hatches that leak than don’t so not disagreeing all that much. OTOH, My Force 4 might, on odd occasions, have a couple of drops of water after an extensive rolling session, but normally bone dry. My AA after five years of hard use has bone dry hatches period. My wife’s Tahe Greenland after a couple of hours of nothing but rolling has bone dry hatches. So it is possible for hatches to be dry…or at least start out that way. Some manufacturers pressure test hatches before the boat leaves the factory to verify they are air tight.
I worry more about leaks developing in bulkheads than I do hatch leaks. Nevertheless, everything that needs to stay dry goes in dry bags.
Light Weight - Dry
JBV,
Been slammed with work, haven’t checked back.
Yes they’re as dry as the standard Kajaksport Rubber Hatches, which are extremely dry.
See you on the water,
Marshall
The River Connection, Inc.
Hyde Park, NY
www.the-river-connection.com
www.hudsonriverpaddler.org
100% Waterproof? It is certainly
possible.
The two Valleys boats that I currently own, one composite and one RM, have bone dry hatches. This is after spending considerable time rolling, deep sculling or performing rescue drills.
I previously owned a NF Silhouette by Seaward, which also sported VCP hatches. Under similar use as the Valley kayaks the Silhouette would exhibit dry forward and day compartments. The aft compartment always took on water. The problem wasn’t the hatch it was the skeg box. After some repair work I was able to reduce the leakage to about a tablespoon per outing, but I could never completely eliminate it.
my Valley not quite bone dry
about every five days out (often surf and lots of rolling) I sponge out about 1/4 cup from hatches. Not bad at all, but not bone dry.
my valley fix
I was getting a 1/4 cup or so of water in my rear and day hatches (with lots of rolling, etc), and just recently I noticed that there was a raised bit of plastic on the front and back of the hatch rim (the part attached to the boat). I guess it was left from the mold seam. I shaved off that thin line of plastic from both, and now they’re as bone-dry as the bow always was.
Not sure if this is a common flaw (my boat is older anyways), but it’s worth running your fingers around the hatch rim to see if there are any imperfections.