Living in Florida I Understand it’s best not to keep a kayak outside due to Heat and more so the UV rays which will harm and warp a kayak. I have an old town Dirigo 120… going to build a basic wood rack … if the kayak is uncovered and in the sun … how long estimate would it take for UV to harm the kayak hull being upside down on stands?
Get a poly tarp and cover the boat. I usually throw one away every year.Why fade your boat?
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I use a length of awning material, similar to Sunbrella fabric, to cover the boat I store on my beach. It works well and dries quickly if it rains.
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When y’all say “cover the boat”, do you mean to shade the boat or put cover directly on kayak?
Depends on covering material, but it’s best to leave air gap for circulation to prevent mold. Any covering is better than none, but I have to imagine UV rays will bounce off reflective objects and add to deterioration, so blocking it should be considered.
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Mine have to live outside in the desert sun so I’ve been using 95% UV blocking shade cloth as my cover.
It doesn’t hold water, dries super fast, isn’t badly effected by wind (if secured appropriately), and not expensive.
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We bought those stands on Amazon
The CD are upside down on them but the Gucci boat is inside
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Store it on the north side of your house. Get it off the ground with a rack. Then cover it with a tarp to keep the sun off it.
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Why build a rack? You have a wood fence around your place? Get a set of j-hooks & attach to the fence. HF tarp & nail it to fence. Couple strings to tie bottom of tarp down & you are good to go. I stored my kayak that way for 3 yrs with no fade no damage.
I have always put a tarp over my kayaks whether stored on a rack or on a trailer. This was done to prevent the heated hulls from becoming deformed by the supports. Both Ocean Kayak and Hobie warn their customers about this.
I buy the heavy duty tarps made by Harpster that are 16 mil thick and last in my yard for more than 10 years with UV exposure. The thin blue tarps would not last more than a year.