I’m sure this topic has been done to death but I’m new to this forum. My tried and true Tempest 170 that has some very deep scratches on the bottom and a few on the sides. It is looking pretty fuzzy. Is there anything that can be used to fill them and then sanded smooth that won’t add a lot of weight?
no
just paddle and have fun.
if you want to waste a bunch of time/energy you can sand the hull with sandpaper but…not me.
You can also run a propane torch over the hull to melt some of the fuzz…again, not me.
steve
It’s possible to iron them down with a
hot iron, but I would hesitate to do it over much of the boat because I don’t know what local heating and cooling might do to the strength of the plastic.
This is a problem with poly boats. When they get real cut and scratched, it probably cuts their speed, but not by much.
Just let 'em be (nm)
Keep in mind…
…white water kayaks are made of the same stuff, and
typically the only reason they are replaced is because
someone just wants a different boat.
Every now and again one will get all busted up, but that
is typically from some nasty class 5 drop.
Thanks
I’ll just continue enjoying my fuzzy bottomed kayak as is. I wasn’t too concerned about any decrease in speed as much as future leaks. You did a good job on the Tempest, it has been a faithful friend for a long time becoming fuzzy and scratched up like its owner over the years!
yep
salty said in a recent thread that the happiest kayakers are paddlers who use their boats and they look like shit.
gotta agree…
thanks for the Tempest kudos. yep I sure like her!
steve
Since you are new to P-Net
You probably do not realize that Flatpick’s opinions on the Tempest series carry a great deal of weight. Deservedly so.
Jim
Just shave off the curlicues
I got a few deep scratches in my roto 165. Any peeling frizzies were cut or shaved off but I left the scratches unfilled. There are plastic sticks that you could melt and fill with, but it’s questionable as to whether filling makes any functional difference.
They show you are a paddler.
If you ain’t got scratches in a poly boat then we ain’t got nuttin’ to talk about.
Be proud of them and wear them well!
Paddlin’ on
G_K
some reccomend
using a blow dryer or an electric paint remover then a large putty knief to smooth it over—I’ve tried it and really didn’t notice a great deal of difference.
I have the most scratched and gouged
I have the most scratched and gouged Tempest on the planet. I KNOW it affects potential performance (has to), but I first asked myself: Is my forward stroke affecting my performance more than the added heat generated from the bottom? The answer was yes, so I have spent the entire year working on my forward stroke.
Then I will deal with the bottom, though I did take some cheaper shaver to get some of the hanging chads off and some very light sandpaper to some of it as well.
Someday I would like it to have a baby’s butt bottom again.
My problem is my ego, which keeps telling me I need to be able to paddle as fast as the fastest paddlers in our club regardless of kayak. (It’s my old racing disease). We have some awesome paddlers in the club and they all have very good forward stokes. So that is what I am working on.
Tempest’s rock. Except they weigh like a rock too.
Bill G.
Mt. Pleasant, SC
Scratches
Be VERY careful applying heat to plastic boats. VF
My Capella
has lots of gouges, scratches, fuzz etc. I am constantly trying to smooth them out by running her up on rough, barnacle covered rocks. So far no luck, but I’ll keep trying.
Ooof,
– Last Updated: Nov-18-08 7:01 PM EST –
barnacles are the worst! I slam into piers with the sides of my Tsunami all the time and they gouge the hell out of it. Those things are murder on plastic (and your flesh should you fall out of the boat) =)~
So far I haven't bothered to do more than scrape/cut the fuzzies off with a knife, as I see the scratches simply as "Battle Scars".
-T
Acrylic latex house paint
I read that a good quality acrylic latex house paint will stick to plastic once the shine is gone. I have not tried it yet but might soon just on the bottom out of sight and the roughest part of my yak.
Don’t sweat it.
A couple years ago I paddled with a buddy of mine for the first time. As soon as I saw his kayak, I knew he was a more aggressive paddler than me. He asked how I knew, and I told him. My kayak is scratched up only on the bottom and sides. His was as scratched up on the top as it was the bottom.
- Big D