Fibreglass repairs - New lesson in the OSK Library

If you paddle your composite sea kayak for long enough you will be sure to chip or crack the gel or even put a hole right through the fibreglass or carbon-kevlar.  With the right equipment, materials and knowledge it is simple to fix your kayak at home.  If you want a completely invisible repair then it is worth taking your kayak to an experienced boat repairer.  However if you are keen to learn and have the time it is a great skill to have and will help you keep your sea kayak in good condition.  James has spent time working in the Sea Kayaking UK Factory working alongside the team that repair and build kayaks every day. He has also maintained his own fleet of sea kayaks for his business for many years.

In our new comprehensive lesson James takes you through all of the stages to complete a fiberglass repair.  The first section of the lesson looks at the equipment and materials required.  He also looks at the safety equipment needed when working with the materials. 

The first stage of the process is to prepare the area using a grinder or Dremel on both sides of the kayak.  You need a good clean surface to get a good bond for the repair.  

 When it comes to wetting out the fibreglass for the inside of the repair its a good idea to use a piece of cardboard to prepare it on.  James goes into a lot more detail in this section of the video about different options.

 Once the glass on the inside has gone off you can mark out the area on the outside of the sea kayak where you are going to use gelcoat.  Getting a smooth invisible finish will take time with wet and dry paper slowly working through the grades.  If you are keen on giving this a go then we highly recommend setting some time aside and first watching the full video in the OSK Library.  You will find this new lesson in the Core Lessons Course in the Repairs and Maintenance section.