As of this weekend, I am the very excited new owner of an Eddyline Rio. I have a large yard, but no garage, and so it will need to be stored outside. I already have some folding ‘sling’ style stands for it, and a hatch cover, but was thinking I should probably have a cover too? But my research on covers has left me confused. There seem to be three options - a tarp that I drape over and/or wrap around it, a ‘shower cap’ style that doesn’t fully enclose it, and one that fully zips. From reading reviews, it seems like most of the covers are not truly waterproof, and so I am worried that they may cause more problems than they will solve as water gets in and encourages mold/mildew growth and attracts weird slugs and other critters. I am in the mid-Atlantic, so pretty hot summers, some snow, but generally not too extreme winters. Also, I have lots of trees in my backyard, so will probably have lots of leaves and pollen issues. I’d really appreciate hearing what other people do who store their kayaks outside. Thanks!
Congratulations on the new boat. Definitely get it covered, any of the ideas you listed will be better than nothing. The tree debris and UV light can do lasting damage. I have kayaks that reside under the long overhang of a barn roof but I still have them covered. They collect leaves and pine needles and get a find layer of dirt even though they are covered. Don’t worry too much about being totally water proof. Kayaks can handle the moisture but don’t like the long exposure to sun and some debris will stain the finish and be difficult to remove. I have a full cover on my surfski and a shower cap style on the sea kayak. I often leave the surfski on a dock with full sun exposure so I wanted a really secure cover. The sea kayak is always under the roof but the “shower-cap” style keeps it cleaner. Its also nice that I don’t have to clean the boats up before I use them. They are generally looking good right out of the cover. Place your kayak stands close to the side of your house so your roof can offer some protection and the boat will be less likely to get blown around. I good cockpit cover can also help to keep debris out of the boat.
Paddle-on Lads
Mine sit on a homemade rack against the shady side of the house. That offers decent protection.
They are a minimum of 18" off the ground.
I have a roof over them formed with a poly tarp, like a lean to . The ends are open.
Hi Susan. Congrats on the Rio. Sweet kayak.
Here’s a photo of my Eddyline Fathom LV, which is stored on my waterfront from April through November. It’s covered by awning material I found at Hobby Lobby. Bought five yards, then serged the edges. It protects the hull from pollen, bugs, etc. Tuck the edges under the boat and secure it with bungee cords. It works quite well, is breathable and dries quickly after rain. I wash the material when the boat goes into winter storage (I live in a snow belt) and apply 303 Fabric Guard each spring. The spray restores water repellency and UV protection.
You will want a cockpit cover for your Rio to keep the critters out.
There is another recent thread about kayak covers that you might want to browse through. With the material that Eddyline uses you don’t need to worry about blistering and covers do not need to be waterproof. I use a Danuu cover combined with a cockpit cover on my Dagger Stratos that lives outside year round here in FL, and have a fitted cover from The Bag Lady for my Tiderace to keep it clean as the kayak gets a lot of dirt splashing up, bugs, animal poop etc where it is stored. I’m happy with both.
Here is my recent thread on covers
I went with zipped, form fit covers for mine. I don’t want to mess around with tarps and bungees/ropes, so this was the best option for me.
Thanks everyone for the responses so far, and mike for sharing the link to your recent thread that included some great options. I really like the idea of buying from a person rather than the stuff I was seeing on Amazon. The advice to keep it next to the house is also valuable - I wouldn’t have thought of that. Now I just need to wait patiently for warmer weather/water…
No problem. My covers got shipped Friday, so I should have them in the next couple days and can share first opinions, although I don’t yet have the boats they are going on
Some general notes on kayak storage from the Chesapeake Paddlers Association SK101 introductory classroom course.