I paddle a Tempest 165 and have a very leaky front hatch. The cover feels loose. I tried a cover from my 170 and it, too, feels loose. It isn't so bad, just paddling, but when I am practicing my rolls, it gets a lot of water in it. My day hatch gets some water also. I hear there is a way to cut of the lip of my hatches and replace them with a diferent make.
I would welcome any and all suggestions, as far as practicality, what brands are quality, etc...
Thanks in advance.........................Mike
Wildy or Kajak-Sport hatches? It seems that the Tempests with Wilderness Systems hatches often leak while the Kajak-Sport hatches do not. Are yours Wildy or Kajak-Sport?
If WS hatches, make sure the inside edges of the hatch cover are all the way over the plastic lip. Sometimes they look like they’re sealed but aren’t. On my Tsunami, I sometimes have to pound on the edges to get them to seal.
Only my front WS cover leaks on my plastic Tempest 170. If I place a bungy cord around it the leak is less.
Upon inspection, the rim of the hatch opening is not perfectly round in all areas. That is on top of the fact that the cover does not sit perfectly either and is a touch loose.
NOTE: pounding or otherwise trying to close it "right" is not the solution. It simply does not fit right. Compare to the other two hatch covers, which I have no issues with whatsoever - not a drop goes in even after 2 hours of rolling class, where I do get a pint or two thru the front.
Unfortunately, I do not know what else can be done, short of physically modifying the hatch opening rim by heating it and stretching it up and out so that it is higher and wider (in my case the lip is not tall enough and not wide enough for the cover). Of course, the bungee cord around the hatch cover helps but it is still not watertight - a little water comes thru regardless, though less than without it.
Also, I think if one has a poly rod and can weld a thin layer (1-2mm, no more) on top/outside edge of the hatch rim lip, that would rise it enough to create tention with the hatch cover and stop the leak. At least in my case that would probably solve my problem.
May be the easiest would be to create a thin neoprene hatch cover to put over the hatch opening before placing the factory rubber hatch cover. In my case, this added bulk should seal it tight enough. I need to try this; other subtle/compressible material of 1-2mm thickness may work too ...
Of course, one can cut the rim out completely and then replace it with another, but that's too much work for me compared to the small amount of water that comes in when I use a bungee...