Unwarping a hull

I just recently go a used Kayak (Necky Looksha Sport) off of eBay, only to find out after a couple paddling adventures that the left side of the bottom hull is flattened a bit. I just could not get it to track consistently without the rudder. And then closer examination showed the problem. Looks like a pretty long area is flatted toward the outer edge, like the previous owner may have stored it tipped to that side on his garage floor. Or at least he claimed it was always stored indoors.



Other then, just patient application of a heat gun and pushing it out from the inside by hand, is there any recommended approach? Any things to avoid? I sure don’t want to make it worse.

that works
when you get it where you like it, symetric with the other side, cool it quickly with wet towels or a hose.



you can heat the plastic up to quite warm without damage but…it will melt.



Once a fellow I know put a heat lamp next to a warp and opps forgot about it. DOH!!!



He came back after a couple hours to find a football sized hole melted through the hull. needless to say the boat became landfill filler.



good luck



steve

Just removed the rudder from my Looksha
Sport. As a whitewater kayaker, I can’t see what good a rudder does on a short boat for which direction corrections are so easy.



However, if you have a side warp, I can see why you might want a rudder. I would recommend using pieces of foam, cardboard, sticks, etc, to force the side back in line, and then put the boat out in the hot sun. Not convenient at this time of year, I know, but heat lamps, heat guns, etc, are not going to do the job as well.



I had a flat spot on the bottom of my Looksha Sport. I forced it down into position with a piece of minicell foam, and left the boat bottom up in the hot afternoon sun. When the sun went down, the boat cooled slowly, and the plastic “memory” took over. Slow, even cooling is the best way to assure a good result.

sport lv
I have a Sport LV, and trust me, the rudder serves well to keep you going STRAIGHT in a strong crosswind.



As for warping, I cure this by placing the boat upside down in the sun with the cockpit cover on. Usually returns to form by the time I’ve got everything unloaded and the car parked…

heat is heat
up here above 45 degrees latitude you gotta use HEAT. Or wait till August?



why would a heat gun, lamp not work as well? heck I’ve used hot water to squish/ re-shape a Sabre so it’d squirt. anyone remember the Perception Sabre?



steve

before you put it in the sun
you might considering wrapping it in a clear plastic that may magnify the intensity of the sun, even during the winter months.

Trust me, a big, experienced WW
paddler does not need a rudder on a 14’ sea kayak which will correct just by edging it a little. It may seem easier for you, but if you were more aware of all the work you are doing dragging that rudder along, you would not be so impressed.



And when you have to roll, and have those rotten, squidgy little Necky footpegs to try to brace against? No thanks, Looksha Sport will be used in rock gardens, where rolling may be a priority, and then you need rock-hard footpegs.

Yes, never could get in a Sabre, but
I’ve stuck inspection stickers on many at slalom events.



The nice thing about using the sun as a heat source is that the entire region gets heated evenly, and so cools evenly afterward. One can use a large quantity of hot water, but water is heavy, and may cause overcorrection of the warp as the water is cooling down. I’ve used heat guns, but I don’t like them when I have to try to heat a broad area evenly.