Last night while putting our tandem kayak away, the hoist unit we use to store it hanging from the garage rafters failed. The end result was that the bow of the kayak crashed 6 feet to the concrete garage floor.
It’s a Perception constructed of polyethylene. There is no visible damage, however I’d prefer to completely cover myself and make sure there is no damage that is not visible.
What is the best way to check for any damage aside from obviously getting it back in the water ASAP?
Thanks.
Stand it on it’s nose and fill it
If water doesn’t leak out it won’t leak in.
I’ve dropped poly kayaks before, they don’t seem to mind.
visual and water
Sounds like you likely don’t have any damage. But to check - look closely. Cracks would be bad. You may have a dimple, which isn’t as bad (will return to close to its normal shape with warmth.
You could fill the hatch with some water and then adjust the position of the boat so the water sits where the potential damage is. Then look to see if any leaks out.
Quit worrying. It’s fine.
Don’t worry
Polyethylene is what whitewater kayaks are made from and they withstand much greater impacts than an empty kayak falling 6 feet.
damage
Push on it. Compare to the surrounding undamaged part. Old Town has been throwing canoes off the roof for years.
I dropped my Prijon and found a little
dimple near a crease. That was the only damage and I’ve had it for years. You could even say I abuse the boat but never had a problem.
“yeah, but you should have seen the
concrete!”
I bet it’s fine.
Poly
I’d much rather drop polyethylene than fiberglass or Kevlar.
I wouldn’t worry about any hidden or unseen damage in a poly boat.
If you damaged it, it would be obvious.
A six foot fall is nothing to worry about.